BLOOD OF THE VINES: DIAL M FOR MURDER

Wine Goes To The Movies
With NowAndZin.com and TrailersFromHell.com

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 story lines 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" he 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?"

Since brandy seemed to be Hitch's favorite drink, at least in the movies, let's pair this elixir with "Dial M For Murder."

Most brandy is distilled from grapes, so it's sort of half wine, half spirits. The French Cognac region is just north of Bordeaux, and they've been putting out some pretty decent brandy for a few years now.

Remy Martin VSOP Cognac is made from primarily Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes. They are fermented for only about a week, and the rather low-alcohol wine is then distilled.

With product placement in movies a much bigger issue today than in Hitchcock's day, it seems likely that his characters nowadays would be offering up a Remy, instead a more generic suggestion.

Now that we’ve dispensed with the wine pairing, let me ask you this: Have you ever been bothered by the key-in-the-purse thing in "Dial M?" Grace Kelly had just one key? Really? I know it was the 1950s and all - 1950s Britain, at that - but having just one key represents a rather uncomplicated life. It’s hard to imagine someone with only one key to keep track of getting involved in this sort of intrigue.

Further, Milland just reaches into Grace Kelly’s handbag and pops it right out. What else was in there, 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 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..."

Dial "M" for more:

Nardini Acqua Alla Ruta is a grappa popular in Italy, with supposed medicinal and aphrodisiac attributes.

Clear Creek Grappa Pinot Grigio is from Oregon, in case you're only buying domestic.

Hennessy VS Cognac is preferred by rappers, who refer to it as "Henny."


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CIMARONE 3CV VIOGNIER 2009

I sneaked away from my neighborhood recently for a glass of wine at the Colorado Wine Company in Eagle Rock, California, between Glendale and Pasadena.  After a little browsing of the racks in the front of the store, the small back room beckoned.  With a soundtrack of world music, the dark little space offered a rather tasty, if short, by-the-glass menu.

My choice for this Saturday afternoon quaff was the 3CV Viognier from Cimarone.  Doug Margerum takes the grapes from the Vogelzang Vineyard in the Happy Canyon AVA of Santa Barbara County.

The wine is produced by stainless steel fermentation with 25% of the juice moved to neutral French oak for barrel aging and malolactic fermentation.

Very light in color, the wine offers a huge floral nose with a nutty, almond aroma and a drapery of honey that's irresistible.

The taste is very clean, with crisp pears and great acidity.  The nutty finish hangs around forever, or at least until the next glass arrives.



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GERMAN RIESLING 101

German wines can be a little tricky for the uninitiated to navigate.  The names given to the various levels of quality in German wine can appear awkward and foreign to the eye of a novice.  Well, they are foreign if you aren't German.  They aren't awkward, though.  Except maybe trockenbeerenauslese.  That's probably why it's often referred to as TBA.

There are seven levels on the Pyramid of Quality in German wines, which you can see on the Schmitt Söhne website.  The higher on the pyramid a wine appears, they riper the grapes were when harvested.  It's not a measure of sweetness.

According to the Schmitt Söhne website, they believe most people see German wine as sweet, when, in fact, two-thirds of German wine are dry or very dry.

Schmitt Söhne is located in Germany's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, along the banks of the Mosel River in the little town of Longuich.  The Schmitt family has been growing grapes and making wine there for two centuries.

I had a glass of their Kabinett Riesling at lunch recently, at Wood Ranch in the Los Angeles shopping mecca known as The Grove.  This was on a day, as serendipity would have it, that a Norwegian men's choir was performing a few hundred feet away.  German wine and Scandanvian music: that's the international flair for which Los Angeles is famous.

Kabinett is the third level up on the Pyramid of Quality.  The Riesling grapes used in making Kabinett wines are fully ripe, and the alcohol level is usually fairly low.  This wine was $8 by the glass.

The wine is pale colored and served quite cold, so it was a little difficult for me to experience much in the way of aromas.  A slate minerality was about as deep as my olfactory sense could scratch.

The taste however, was very pleasing.  A medium mouthfeel carried lovely flavors of apple, peach, pear and cantaloupe.  The Schmitt Söhne Kabinett Riesling paired well with my New England clam chowder, which was creamy in a way I don't often have, as a guy trying watch his weight.  It was a splurge day.



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HALF A MOSCATO AT CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN

Wine bars sometimes offer options to the by-the-glass purchase of wine for those who don't want a full glass - say, at lunch - or those who would like to try two or three wines without having to down several glasses at one sitting.  I don't see tasting options very often in chain restaurants, but I came across one the other day.

California Pizza Kitchen offers half-glasses on their wine list, at half the price of a full glass.  I tried this option at lunch, witha half-glass of Jacob's Creek Moscato. The three-ounce pour cost $3.50.

Jacob's Creek has been making wine in Australia's Barossa Valley for over 160 years.  This Moscato is produced using two grapes, Moscato of Alexandria and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

It's very pale in color, and a slight effervescence is visible.  Minerals make a big play on the nose and I pick up an almost-petrol type of aroma.  The taste is sweet and fruity, with pears and peaches coming forward, but the minerality is pronounced as well.

I like the half-glass option at CPK.  It's a trend I hope to see develop at more restaurants.



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3TWENTY WINE LOUNGE: A NEW WINE SPOT FOR LOS ANGELES

I'm always on the lookout for another nice spot to pop into and taste some wine.  Barely open a month at this writing is 3Twenty Wine Lounge, located appropriately enough at 320 South La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.

I stopped in recently and had the pleasure of chatting with proprietor Edgar Poureshagh, a certified sommelier and card-carrying wine geek.  Poureshagh has spun his experience and connections as a distributor into a Miracle Mile wine bar, with a kitchen that produces a small plate menu.

He says the idea is to "have some small portions that can be paired with tastes of wine.  People can gain experience in pairing wine with food this way, and it's a great way to broaden your palate."

Wine is available by the bottle, glass or taste, dispensed in 1.7-ounce servings from several automatic machines.  The price for each taste varies depending on the price of the wine.  Most are in the three to five-dollar range, with the top end being $15 for a sample of the '87 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

In this family operation - Poureshagh is joined by his wife and parents in the venture - the wines center on family-run wineries.  "I'm trying to stay away from corporate wines and serve smaller-production wines with a lot more character.  I love wines with a story," he says.  He also knows plenty of those wine stories and loves to share them when he has the chance.  One of his favorite family-run wineries is R.H. Coutier.  They've been making wine for 500 years in France's Champagne region.

He points out that most of the wines at 3Twenty are sold below typical restaurant prices, and he works an array of sources to secure the wines he wants to carry.  "We buy our wine direct from about 10 wineries and use over two dozen brokers and distributors to find the right wines."  Eight beers are also on the list, in case you're not in the mood for wine.  That's a situation that's hard to imagine once you are inside 3Twenty.

Poureshagh is proud of his new place, and of his staff.  During conversation with him, it's easy to feel his passion for wine and his pleasure at having this wine bar open for business.  He says they are doing the same thing other wine bars are doing, just differently.  "We're not reinventing the wheel, just making a really shiny wheel."

Here are the wines I sampled from the automatic wine dispenser system at 3Twenty:

Seghesio Zinfandel 2009 - spice and chocolate

Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2009 - dark and dusty

Masi Costasera Amarone 2006 - cassis, blackberry and raisins, laced with minerality

Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - astounding minerality, perfect tannins

Lioco Sonoma Chardonnay 2009 - big and creamy

Francois Chidaine Montlouis Les Tuffeaux 2008 - Loire Chenin Blanc, lovely, nutty accents

Karthauserhof Riesling Spatlese 2007 - great slate

Bert Simon Riesling Auslese 2002 Serrig Herrenberg - petrol and just enough sweetness


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BLOOD OF THE VINES: KING CREOLE

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Even some hardcore Elvis Presley fans find his movies a bit tedious to watch.  He's singing, he's fighting, he's singing, he's kissing, he's singing while fighting... that's pretty much the script rundown for a lot of his films.

I hear that "Clambake" was E's personal favorite of all his movies, but he liked the character of Danny Fisher in "King Creole" the best.  The critics also seem to favor the two-fisted, hard-headed, dropout, nightclub singer of the 1958 classic.

While trying to choose a wine for "King Creole," my mind immediately played the WWED card - What Would Elvis Drink?

The King may be more closely associated with stuff a little harder than alcohol.  He didn't seem to be much of a social drinker, but he didn't really seem very social anyway.  I understand he could throw back a screwdriver or 20 while bingeing behind the blacked-out windows at Graceland, but it's said he really favored beverages like cherry cola, Pepsi and Gatorade.

If Elvis were drinking today, it's quite possible his "people" would convince him it would be good business to be seen enjoying a cool, refreshing wine from Elvis Presley Wine Cellars.

Let's pair the "Blue Hawaii" Riesling with King Creole.  It probably pairs well with Creole food.  In fact, there's a recipe on their website for jambalaya, the perfect dish for a movie set in New Orleans.  Even a rich guy like Elvis would have appreciated the low, low price of $13, thankyewvurrymuch.

Aromas of tropical fruit, flowers and honey would have wowed The Big E, and the apples and pears on the palate may have even paired nicely with bacon.  I can't vouch for the fried peanut butter and banana sammiches he was so fond of, but a guy who was washing down his food with screwdrivers and Gatorade probably wouldn't have been very picky.

And, after that meal, Elvis has left the building.


You may also want to rock with these:

Vieux Carré Absinthe Supérieure, $66 - A great New Orleans name. Probably a pretty good painkiller, too.

King Estate Oregon Pinot Gris, $15 - Pairs well with spicy 'Nawlins food.



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CLOVERDALE RANCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007

Pellegrini Family Vineyards boasts four generations of winemakers in Sonoma County.  The family has winemaking roots that go back to 1900, and the Cloverdale Ranch property was purchased in the mid 1980s.  Cloverdale Ranch Vineyard is located between the Mayacamas Moutains and the Russian River in Alexander Valley, while the winery itself is in Santa Rosa.

This wine is produced by winemaker Kevin Hamel, and has an alcohol content of 14.6% abv.  It's a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 22 months in French, Hungarian and American oak.  It retails for $28, but I got mine for my birthday from a friend with very good taste.

The color looks great, inky purple in the glass, and the nose features cassis, blackberries, anise, and a little campfire smoke.

There's cassis and blackberry on the palate, too, with some graphite and black tea showing up after the wine opens up a bit.  A trace of tar on the long lasting finish leaves a very pleasant memory.



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BETTINELLI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1998

When I stopped in to the Left Coast Wine Bar and Gallery in Glendale - across the street from the Americana at Brand shopping mall - I only intended to take a look around.  Sure enough, a bar and some artwork downstairs and a jazz loft upstairs with piano and amp and some room for lounging.  Nice enough place.  Then I glanced over their by-the-glass menu and spied a '98 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  I sat down.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and happy hour was underway with this 13 year-old Cab going for a mere four dollars per glass.  How could I not?

The '98 Bettinelli Cab was aged 16 months in American oak and recorded a 13.8% abv number.  The Oakville wine is sudsy and beginning to show a little brown on the edges.  It's tannic and somewhat thin upon pouring,

The wine did open up a bit and the bite became less bothersome.  It was relatively smooth after 20 minutes or so.

A chestnut honey aroma on the nose was identified by my wife, and I was able to spot the raspberries on palate all by myself.  Unfortunately, it's not very complex and has a rather tart finish.

Larry Bettinelli co-founded the vineyard in 1990 with Mike Browning.  Browning now appears to serve as the distributor of Bettinelli's wine under the Barclay & Browning name.



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WHERE DOES THIS BURGUNDY COME FROM?

A Chicago writer, Michael Austin, has endeavoured to make wine designations a little easier to understand.  In the Chicago Sun-Times, he breaks it down this way: European wines are named for the places where they originate, while elsewhere the wine is usually named for the grape from which it's made.

For example, the French wine called Bordeaux is wine made in a place called Bordeaux.  It can be red, white, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc, but it's all Bordeaux.  It's the same in Burgundy.  That's a place in France, and that's where Burgundy comes from, not California, as Gallo, Rossi and other producers have insisted with their so-called "California Burgundy" wines.

Champagne is also a specific place in France.  Sparkling wine from California is not Champagne, since it's not made there.  Even bubblies from other parts of France are called by a different name, cremant.  This is probably the most abused wine designation, as many American producers insist on calling their sparkling wines "Champagne."  The region of Champagne takes steps to try and educate the public on the distinction, in an effort to preserve their brand.

In Italy, a Barolo is made from Nebbiolo grapes, but it's made in the town of Barolo.  Chianti comes from Chianti.  It would be named after the Sangiovese grape elsewhere.  Spanish Rioja wine is made from Tempranillo and Garnacha, mainly.  Rioja, though, is the specific place where the wine is made.

Austin goes on to describe several other designations and what they mean.  The article is a good starting point for anyone just getting into the wine world who feels a bit confused by labels on European wines.



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THE TASTING GLASS

A friend thought of me when she was browsing at the Goodwill store and came across a wine tasting glass which was selling for a dollar.  She thought it looked sort of strange, but bet a dollar on the notion that I would find some use for it.

As it turned out, it’s a genuine Peugeot Les Impitoyables Le Taster crystal wine tasting glass.  It’s made of very thin glass and features a dimple each in the base and side with which the taster can hold the glass in a delicate and most unusual manner.  The glass retails online for around $40.

Personally, I’d rather spend a lot of money on wine than wine glasses.  It seems the more wine money you spend on glasses, the less wine you’ll be likely to put in the glass - or less expensive wine, at least.  The  Peugeot and Riedel companies will disagree with me on that point, I’m sure, as they design and craft a number of different glasses intended to maximize the pleasure of wine and spirits.

Does the glass actually work?  Does it actually give a better wine tasting experience?  It does seem to help aerate the wine and allow any excess alcohol to blow off quickly.  It’s a little difficult to drink from it, though, with its narrow mouth.  I splash a little in for tasting purposes, then drink the rest from a glass I’m more comfortable using.

Is it worth $40?  I can’t agree with that, but at one dollar, it’s a steal.


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BLOOD OF THE VINES: THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS

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Monster movies call for something fun to drink.  When I was younger, it was the "something fun to drink" part that often resulted in watching the monster movie in the first place.  Of course, we advise you to drink - and view - responsibly.  Don't drink more than you can handle, and don't bite off more monster than you can chew.

There's no substitute for what the Trailers From Hell gurus are fond of calling a "guy in a suit" monster movie.  "The Monster of Piedras Blancas" is a great one, and the guy's monster suit is patterned after one of the best.  Three Day Suit Broker could have spent five or six days and not come up with anything like it.

You may think you’re seeing things, as the Piedras Blancas monster actually looks an awful lot like the Creature From The Black Lagoon.  That's because the guy who created the suit also created the Black Lagoon monster outfit.  He was Hollywood’s “Tailor To The Water Monsters.”  You may notice similarities to some of your other favorite creature feature monster suits, too, as some existing molds from other pictures were used to create the Piedras Blancas monster.  As a budget-minded director might say, "If it ain't broke, make another suit from it! And get me a lighthouse location while you're at it!"

Any scary movie is made scarier by setting it in a lighthouse.  Surprisingly, there aren't too many tall lighthouse locations to choose from along the Pacific Coast.  One of the tall ones happens to be at Piedras Blancas, north of San Simeon.  Naturally, it was not used as a location for "The Monster of Piedras Blancas."  A second location - Point Conception - has a shorter lighthouse, and it won out.  Considering the movie's budget, Point Conception might have been all the lighthouse the production could afford.  The town used in the film isCayucos, which translates as “dugout canoes.”   They have no lighthouse, tall or short.

I like the way guru Joe Dante sums up what makes the Piedras Blancas monster tick.  He "doesn't wistfully yearn for the heroine - he just wants to tear your head off."  Can’t we all relate to that after a couple of hours stuck in traffic?  I think we're ready for that drink now.

Piedras Blancas means "white stones" in Spanish, so a wine pairing here should probably be a white wine with a lot of minerality in the flavor profile, something I like to refer to as wet rocks on the palate.  Napa Valley's Cornerstone Cellars makes a low-budget wine that's perfect for this low-budget film: Stepping Stone by Cornerstone White Rocks!  A fun-to-drink blend of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Muscat, White Rocks! has plenty of minerals in the flavor profile, along with a healthy acidity - maybe not enough to tear your head off, but we'll let the the guy in the suit do that.

Further budget cuts?
Point Concepción Celestina Pinot Grigio 2009, $18 - Make it a short pour for the short lighthouse.

Cayucos Cellars Chardonnay 2006, $20 - Pairs well with Muenster Cheese.

Hearst Ranch Winery Glacier Ridge Chardonnay 2009, $25 - Goes nicely with lightly grilled sea monster.


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EISACKTALER KELLEREI ALTO ADIGE VALLE ISARCO KERNER

Kerner is a grape I don't see very often on wine lists.  German in origin, the Kerner grape is a cross of Riesling and Trollinger, which is a red variety.  It was created in 1929 and named for Justinus Kerner, a medical writer who also happened to write poetry concerning wine.  It wasn't bred commercially until 1969 and by the mid-'90s it was the third most-planted grape in Germany, although its popularity has slipped since then.

This wine is from the Sudtirol region of northern Italy (South Tyrol), part of Trentino-Alto Adige.  The cool, Alpine climate there is where Kerner thrives in the gravelly, sandy soil.  The winery, Eisacktaler Kellerei, is in the Valle Isarco area.  According to their website, this is where, "glaciers meet the gentle hillside landscapes of the Mediterranean."  It sure sounds beautiful enough.  I found this Alpine gem at Little Dom's in Los Feliz, $11 by the glass.
Yellow-gold in the glass, the wine's flinty minerals come through on the nose even though it's served ice cold.  Fruity flavors - mainly crisp golden apple - sail in on a zippy acidity.  I am reminded immediately of Sauvignon Blanc, but with a fuller mouthfeel.  It's a perfect match with my wood oven-roasted eggs, almost perfect with the side of wild boar bacon.  This is a fairly versatile wine.

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HIPPOLYTE REVERDY SANCERRE 2009

Hippolyte Reverdy is a respected domaine in the eastern Loire Valley, in France's Sancerre region.  This white wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc and the label shows an alcohol level of "11-14%."  That's quite a range, and I suspect it comes in at the high end.  The wine cost $9 by the glass at Greenblatt's Deli.

The color is a rather pale yellow, and the nose shows fragrant apricot, tropical and pear notes.  Upon tasting, it's the razor blade acidity which captures my attention - even more than the clean, mineral laden palate.

The grassiness is minimal, while the flinty minerals hog the spotlight, upstaging even the fruit.  Apples and citrus notes are most noticeable with a zesty bit of lemon peel lasting on the long finish.

The acidity of the Reverdy cannot be undersold.  It creates a refreshing and mouthwatering sensation which would be just as welcome on the back porch as in an oyster bar.



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WINE NEWS: THE FRENCH ARE DRINKING LESS WINE

A study shows that French wine consumption has dropped over the course of two generations by three billion bottles per year.  The study - spotlighted in The Telegraph - has some people concerned that the entire culture of wine in France may be on its way out.

Younger generations seem to be less likely to enjoy wine with a meal, and more inclined to drink wine for pleasure on a night out.

One figure I found hard to believe: only 16.5% of the French population are regular wine drinkers.  The under-30 crowd, according to the researchers, views wine as a “sometimes” treat, not an everyday staple like their elder countrymen.

One researcher stated, “The younger generations may still take pride in French wine but have little awareness of its cultural place in French history.”

The study concludes that the loss of identity of wine as a national tradition is mainly to blame for the sharp decline in France’s wine consumption numbers over the past three generations.  French consumption of wine has dropped to four billion bottles per year.  That’s about 1 bottle per week for each adult.

In southeast Texas - where I grew up - and in southwest Louisiana, this same sort of identity loss has caused some to fear that the Cajun culture may be dying out.  Many of my friends, and others our age, grew up in households where Cajun French was spoken regularly.  With each passing generation, some of that Cajun identity has been lost as the younger folks are “Americanized.”

It’s hard to imagine a world where France isn’t synonymous with wine.  Perhaps the cultural pendulum will soon start swinging the other way, into a rediscovery of wine in the nation for which it may have meant the most.


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STEPPING STONE BY CORNERSTONE WHITE ROCKS! NAPA VALLEY 2010

Napa Valley's Cornerstone Cellars - as we have reported before on Now And Zin - has broadened their base.  Already known for their exquisite line of Cornerstone wines, they now have a line of more moderately-priced wines designed for everyday consumption.

Cornerstone provided me with a sample of their Stepping Stone White Rocks! wine.  Inspired by the blends of southern France, the Rocks! line takes a wine-of-the-vintage approach.  The varieties and percentages used each year probably will change depending on what the vineyards deliver.

They say, "we want to offer blends without boundaries that will excite and please the occasional as well as the day to day wine drinker."  Both the Stepping Stone and the Rocks! lines are intended to be thought of as house wines for serious wine people.  The White Rocks! blend is certainly priced for everyday use, at $15.

Stepping Stone White Rocks! is a blend of Chardonnay and Muscat, which is immediately interesting upon lifting the glass to my nose.  Aromas of minerals, lemon peel, hints of banana and apricot all play in the bouquet.  The wine smells fresh and inviting.

On the palate, citrus and zest are carried along on a blast of acidity with a refreshing minerality.  There’s some wood on the palate and a little bit of a spicy, peppery feel.  The mouthfeel is slightly oily and medium in weight.  Lime lingers on the finish.


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BLOOD OF THE VINES: WOODSTOCK

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Yeah, I know - wine isn’t exactly the mood modifier that comes to mind when thinking of "Woodstock."  That's not to say it doesn’t fit, but other, stronger, more mind-liberating substances always seem to be the accompaniment of choice for this film - or so I hear.  Like those who attended the Woodstock festival, viewers often prefer to feed their heads, not their palates.

Whatever you choose to serve at your viewing party, just make sure you have lots of it.  In case you don't remember - and I hear that happens, too - the film is a smorgasbord of music that runs over three hours - longer if you opt for the additional footage in the Director's Cut.

The 1970 Academy Award winning documentary "Woodstock" creeps in on the moody intro of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Long Time Gone" and blazes out on the fade of their amped-up version of the Joni Mitchell paean to the rock festival to end all rock festivals.  I remember hearing that David Crosby said Mitchell captured the essence of Woodstock better than anyone.  That was quite a trick, since she took her manager's advice and skipped the three-day music orgy to appear on Dick Cavett instead.

In between "Fade in" and "Fade out," the movie crystallizes what was important about the decade for which it serves as the exclamation point.  Here we are now, four decades further on, wearing nicer clothes and enjoying more expensive luxuries - with "Woodstock" to remind us of a time when we went up the country and drank wine straight from the bottle, and it was just fine.

"Don't eat the brown acid, man!"  "Far out, man!"  "It's a free concert, man!"  Let's pick a wine that really rocks, man!
　
Malibu Estate Winery bottles a tasty blend called Purple Haze, with Syrah, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc co-starring in a juicy jam session.  At $60 a bottle for the 2009 vintage, it makes the Netflix price increase seem inconsequential.  Enjoy it with the Director’s Cut.  I just hope you remember how good it is the morning after.  I also hope you don’t wake up in the mud.

Other rockin’ wines:

Malibu Estate Winery’s Woodstock Collection offers a whole range of Woodstock wines, most priced more modestly than Purple Haze.

Wines That Rock has Woodstock Chardonnay, Forty Licks Merlot, Dark Side of the Moon Cab and Synchronicity, all with album cover labels.

Arlo’s Apple Wine - From a place called Rasta Ranch Vineyard on New York’s Seneca Lake.


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CUSUMANO NERO D'AVOLA SICILIA 2009

Drink Italian wine with Italian food.  To do otherwise just doesn't seem right.  I did mix up the regions a bit on this trip to the Beverly Hills ristorante, Il Buco, but I think it worked out fine.

The Cusumano Nero d'Avola from Sicily is $8 by the glass and I see it selling for around $12 by the bottle online.

Nero d'Avola is the main grape in the town of Avola in the southern part of Sicily.  New-world comparisons are often made, but nothing really tastes like it in my book.

Cusumano's Nero d'Avola is a 100% varietal wine, of course.  It's color is a very dark red, with hardly any light coming through.  The nose is very dark, too, with notes of tar, roasted meat and forest floor.  A beautiful palate shows blackberry, figs, anise and a touch of clove.  The lengthy finish leaves hint of licorice and cola.

I paired the wine with risotto Milanese with Italian sausage.  It probably wasn't the perfect match for the rice, but the sausage hit the right notes.



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CANTINE RUSSO UVE D'ORO NERO D'AVOLA

When we go to Disneyland, my wife and I often make California Adventure our first stop.  If it's time for lunch, we head for Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery.

For the uninitiated, they actually grow grapes right there in the theme park.  It's a real vineyard in the same sense that Disneyland's Frontierland is actually the Old West.  But it does make me think of Napa Valley, which is the intent.

A site called All Ears - guess who's ears - has an interesting tidbit to share:

"Anaheim was actually a grape-growing area with a number of vineyards.  But in the 1880s a virus called "Anaheim Disease" destroyed the grapevines, and the growers eventually turned to citrus instead.  This virus still persists, and the vines at the Golden Vine Winery have to be re-planted as they fall prey to it."

The restaurant features nice Italian food and, of course, wine.  The outside area makes a great place to dine and offers a good view of the World Of Color water and light spectacular in the evening.  They say reservations are a must if you want that vantage point.

The Wine Country Trattoria's wine list has some nice Italian offerings in addition to the expected California pours.  I usually pick a California wine, what with Mickey's smiling face looking down from the ferris wheel in the midway.  This time, I chose an Italian vino.

The wine, Uve D'oro Nero d'Avola, is from Cantine Russo.  The 2005 Sicilian red hails from vineyards in Sambuca di Sicilia and has an alcohol level of 12.5% abv.

The dark purple color suggests some rich flavor, and the nose gives it away with black fruit spiced with anise and clove.  On the palate, the flavor of black tea layers over the dark fruit.  It's a very aromatic wine and it tastes simply and rustically beautiful.

While I enjoyed it with the lasagna I ordered, I found myself wishing I had opted for a Sangiovese instead.  I especially like the way Sangiovese pairs with tomato-based food, but this Nero was certainly serviceable.  My wife liked the pairing more than I did, and I have the utmost respect for her sensibilities in pairing flavors.



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TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

If you are dining out in a restaurant and you have questions about some of the offerings on a wine list, most places will offer to pour a taste to help you make up your mind.

I can usually make my way around a wine list without too much help, but there are times when I like a little assistance.  Recently, at Sushiya On Sunset, I felt like a Chardonnay.  The by-the-glass list offered two, the Sanford Santa Barbara County and the Talus Lodi Chardonnay.  I was looking for a Chardonnay that was crisp and refreshing and somewhat light on the oak.  I asked my server which one would be better.

Rather than guessing for me, she offered a taste of each so I could compare the two side by side.  This helped me make up my mind in short order.

With both samples before me, I could easily see the Sanford was darker in color than the Talus.  Right away, I surmised there would probably be more effect from the oak barrels in the Sanford.  Tasting proved me right, with the Sanford showing a deliciously creamy, toasty vanilla profile while the Talus brought a leaner composition to the table, with more acidity than the Sanford.

My immediate needs called for the acidity of the Talus more than the lushness of the Sanford, so my choice was easy - thanks to the option of trying the two Chardonnays beforehand.

After the fact, I found that while the Sanford is 100% Chardonnay, the Talus is 91% Chardonnay and 9% Sauvignon Blanc.  Had I known that beforehand, I probably would have simply opted for the Sauvignon Blanc blend.  Since I didn't have this information at decision time, the offer to taste was quite appreciated and helpful.

By the way, the Talus Chardonnay paired perfectly with the freshwater eel and really brought out the flavor of the wasabi, too.

If you aren't sure about a wine selection in a restaurant, ask for a sample.  They should be happy to pour a taste so you can be sure you'll like what you're buying.



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WINE COUNTRY: KENTUCKY - ELK CREEK VINEYARDS

"Fine wine from the great Commonwealth of Kentucky."  That's the banner on the Elk Creek Vineyards website, showing their pride in the wines grown and produced in the rolling hills near Owenton, about an hour from Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati.  What's more, they claim to be the largest winery in the state better known for bourbon and horses than wine.

The story of the wine industry in the Bluegrass State is an interesting one, and it goes back to the very beginning of the wine industry in America.

The Kentucky Wine website says Kentucky was "home to the first commercial vineyard in the United States, and once producer of more than half the nation's grape and wine output."

That first vineyard was in Lexington, on the Kentucky River.  Swiss winemaker Jean-Jacques Dufour sailed over in 1798 to find new land for grape growing.  He was the winemaker for the Marquis de Lafayette.  Dufour bought 600 acres and dubbed it "The First Vineyard."  According to Kentucky Wine, his first vintage in 1803 went to none other than Thomas Jefferson.

By the late 1800s, Kentucky was the third largest producer in America.  Prohibition, of course, killed Kentucky's wine industry, and wineries weren't legal again until 1976!  Now there are over 50 wineries in Kentucky.

Time and Prohibition took their toll in The First Vineyard, as it fell into oblivion.  Reconstruction of that vineyard began in 2002.  In 2008, 40 Cape grapevines were planted.  They are said to be the grapes Dufour first planted there, and are also known by the name of Alexander.  The present owners have since planted Riesling, Norton and Vignoles vines.

The great blog The Other 46 featured a nice video from Kentucky Wine, which I have borrowed here.

Elk Creek Vineyard's Estate Cabernet Franc 2008 is the second vintage of this wine from Elk Creek.  Cab Franc is considered by the University of Kentucky to be difficult to grow and somewhat susceptible to cold weather

It says on the wine's label, "Kentucky Grown," and the folks at Elk Creek are quite proud of that.  The wine has a most reasonable 13.2% alcohol content.

Medium ruby in color, Elk Creek's Cab Franc boasts a nose so fruity it’s almost perfumed.  Extreme blueberry aromas, red plums, cassis, vanilla spice and a touch of cinnamon all compete for attention.  Throw in a little pencil lead and you’d have a fine impersonation of a Napa Cab.

The taste seems a little hot at first, but after proper time to breathe it settles down very well.  On the palate I find all that fruit my nose got acquainted with, plus a little trace of bell pepper.  The green, or herbal notes really come forth on the finish, which is a lengthy and satisfying one.

After enjoying this great expression of Kentucky fruit, it's easy to see why Elk Creek Vineyards has so much pride in their heritage and their product.


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