LATE NIGHT PINOT NOIR AT MIRABELLE

A few vacation days afforded my wife and I the opportunity to depart from our early-to-rise schedule and enjoy life the way the night people do.  Oh, the freedom!  Stopping in at a restaurant - way after 11:00 p.m., mind you - for a glass of wine and a late snack.  We both had lived this way before, in previous lives, and we agreed we could get used to it again if we had to.

I opted for a popular New Zealand brand, Oyster Bay Pinot Noir.  This 2009 Marlborough effort was $10 by the glass at Mirabelle on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.  Oyster Bay is probably best known for their Sauvignon Blanc, a staple on nearly every restaurant wine list.  It's a very distinctive wine, and their Pinot Noir turned out to have its own unmistakable identity as well.

A remarkably meaty nose whet my appetite immediately.  Minerals on the palate play into a rich meatiness there, too.

Extremely dark aromas and flavors are the rule for this Pinot.  It's smooth and mellow, but after the initial impressions it seems a little one dimensional.  It does pair nicely with Mirabelle's flatiron skewers, but a little more tannic structure would be appreciated with the beef.


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WINE COUNTRY VERMONT: EDEN VERMONT ICE CIDER

Traditional wine grapes don't grow too well in the very cold climate of Vermont.  The Vermont Grape and Wine Council reports only 14 wineries, some of which import juice from California.  The VGWC notes, though, that great wine is being made from cold-hardy varieties like Frontenac, Riesling, Cayuga and Lacrescent.

The weather that throws a curve to grape growers happens to be pretty good for beekeepers and apple farmers, though.  Mead (made from honey) and cider ( from apples) are a big part of the Vermont wine scene.  Ice wine is also a local favorite, as is ice cider.

Eden Ice Cider Company operates from a former dairy farm in the Northeast Kingdom village of West Charleston, Vermont.  "Northeast Kingdom" refers to a three-county area in the northeastern corner of Vermont.  Vermonters refer to it simply as "The Kingdom."

Eleanor and Albert Léger established Eden in 2007.  Since then, they have planted over 1,000 apple trees and produced three vintages of their ice cider.  The cider is produced from 100% Vermont-grown apples - some are estate fruit, some are purchased from other vermont orchards.

Ice cider is not made exactly like ice wine, but the processes are similar.  Ice wine is made by harvesting frozen grapes and bringing them in for fementation.  For ice cider, the apples are pressed in early winter but the juice is left outdoors to freeze for four to six weeks.  The frozen juice is then brought indoors, melted and fermented.  This brings out the sweetest juice.  The Légers are proud of their natural approach to cider making.  "We don't add coloring, sugar or any other flavoring.  We blend (apple) varieties to achieve complexity of flavor with sufficient natural acidity and structure to balance the residual sugar."

It takes more than eight pounds of apples to make a bottle of cider.  The result, according to Erin Zimmer of Serious Eats Blog, is like "drinking the juice of ten apples in one gulp."

The Légers provided me with several of their Eden Vermont Ice Ciders to sample:

Eden Cidre de Glace du Vermont Calville Blend 2010Eleven different apple varieties go into this blend: Empire, Macintosh, Roxbury Russett, Calville Blanc, Cox's Orange Pippin, Hudson's Gem, Ashmead's Kernel, Esopus Spitzenberg, Black Oxford, Belle de Boskoop and Reinettes.  Whew!  This cider has a 10% abv number and 15% residual sugar.

The color is a beautiful golden hue, deep and rich looking, a little darker than apple juice.  The aromas the ice cider offers are of baked apples, pure and simple.  It's a lovely nose.  The taste is sweet and much more concentrated than apples or even apple juice.  After all, you're drinking ten apples at once.  The acidity level is fantastic - you'd never get this in apple juice. Sometimes I dont get it in wine!  It's a slightly viscous drink with a full mouthfeel and a bit of zippiness on the finish.  It's great on it's own, but is more than ready to pair with cheese or even meats.

Eden Cidre de Glace du Vermont Northern Spy 2009This one is a single-variety ice cider made from 100% Northern Spy apples and aged in French oak for a year.  The color is extremely rich looking, darker than the unoaked cider.  It looks quite like bourbon in the glass and it smells like a holiday apple pie, with that baked apple aroma drenched in cinnamon and nutmeg.  Much oak nuance graces the palate, too.  It's viscous, like the unoaked, but a bit more tart on the finish.  I find it quite complex with maybe a bit more of a "grownup" taste.  They advise you pair it with cheddar or creamy blue cheese.

Eden Orleans Aperitif Cider

Orleans is a dry wine made in collaboration with Caleb Barber and Deirdre Heekin, owners and - respectively - the head chef and maître liquoriste of Osteria Pane e Salute in Woodstock, Vermont.  It is infused with Vermont-grown herbs.  The alcohol content is a bit higher than the other two I tasted, 15.5%, and there is only 1% residual sugar.  The comparison to Vermouth comes quickly, and Eden has a booklet of suggested mixed drinks utilizing Orleans.  It's also been mentioned as a great mix with Prosecco and lime, or all by itself on the rocks.

I tasted it chilled, straight up.  Orleans is slightly lighter in color than the Northern Spy.  The aroma profile shows herbs on apples - sage, thyme and oregano leap forward.  The apple flavors have the herbs coloring the taste, too - as if Vermouth were made from apples.  The finish is tart and zingy.  And the herbal quality stays around long after the sip.

My introduction to Vermont cider was indeed an enjoyable one.  All three of these ciders would be welcome any time of the year, but the Northern Spy seems particularly suited to the holiday season.  Its aromas and flavors mirror those found in holiday foods, especially desserts.  The Orleans Aperitif Cider could easily be a mainstay on your bar for mixing, although it's great all by itself.


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PASO ROBLES: THE GARAGISTE FESTIVAL

Two things close to my heart will be celebrated in Paso Robles on November 12, 2011 - small wine producers and the Central Coast of California.  The Garagiste Festival is all about the wines of artisan producers in the broad expanse of the Central Coast AVA.  The event is to be held at Windfall Farms.

Garagiste, in case you are wondering, is a French term (gar-uh-zhee-stuh) which originated in Bordeaux.  It described mavericky small-lot winemakers who didn't care much for following the rules.  These passionate vintners often whipped up their wine in the garage, or whatever space they had available to them.

What was once just a pejorative is now a movement.  Not that California winemakers operate under the burden of the sort of rules found in France, but these folks are considered renegades simply for daring to make their wine their way.

Nearly four dozen wineries which produce less than 1200 cases per year will be there to pour wines that you may not get a chance to taste very often.  Most of these small producers don't have tasting rooms, and their distribution is often spotty, if not non-existent.

Cutting-edge winemakers like Jacob Toft, Mark Cargasacchi and Sashi Moorman will be there, and some of the Central Coast's most respected vineyards - Alta Colina, Booker, Caliza, Denner, Larner and Le Bon Climat, to name a few - will be represented.

This is the inaugural event in what should quickly become one of California's favorite wine festivals.  Get in the ground floor of this event and support the artisan winemakers of the Central Coast.

The consumer tasting will run from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 12th, 2011.  Tickets to the consumer tasting are $55, $65 at the door if available.  A VIP pass which also gets you into a couple of seminars and an after-party costs $100.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit young winemakers in the Wine And Viticulture Program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.


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BLOOD OF THE VINES: JOHNNY GUITAR

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The western, "Johnny Guitar" is sometimes referred to as a "revisionist western" for its many departures from standard western themes.  Francois Truffaut called it a "phony western," although he was one of its big admirers.  Maybe "phony" means something else in French.

The Arizona setting looks authentic enough, although a lot of soundstage scenes were used.  Joan Crawford wouldn't allow any closeups of her to be shot for this movie unless it was in the studio, where the lighting could be better controlled.  Apparently, the sunlight made her look like she'd been whipped with a wire hanger.

Sterling Hayden said that during shooting he was battling Joan Crawford on the set during the day, and his second wife at night.  That might explain his lack of smiles in the movie.  There's no word on which battle he preferred, but at least he could leave Joan Crawford in the studio.

Hayden couldn't sing or play a note of guitar - they altered that axe he lugs around so it wouldn't make any noise - but Peggy Lee does an atmospheric turn on the Johnny Guitar theme.  She also shows what a singer is supposed to do during a slow, lengthy interlude with no words.

"Johnny Guitar" is noted for its hidden subtext concerning the McCarthy witchhunts.  Someone should have alerted Joe McCarthy to the fact that Crawford was on the set.  "Hey Joe, found your witch!"

Purple Cowboy Wines makes wine from grapes grown in the revisionist cowboy town of Paso Robles, California.  Their Tenacious Red, Night Rider Merlot and Trail Boss Cabernet might just be too good for the saloon, but perfect for the movie.  Look for it in a revisionist cowboy wine bar - or grocery store - near you.

You could also ride into the sunset with:
Saddleback Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - For 35 silver dollars, you can tell the bartender to "leave the bottle."

Saddlerock Wines - Straight outta the old west revisionist wine region of Malibu, you can saddle up for a Syrah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay or - gasp - a rosé.

A Cowboy Wine Bar - Well, it's in Arizona.  This may be where the Dancin' Kid is hiding out.

Cowboy Horse Wine Bottle Holder - This accessory has to be a revisionist cowboy horse.


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MURPHY-GOODE CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAY 2008

The Los Angeles pan-Asian restaurant Buddha's Belly serves wine - whites, at least - in little stemless glassware which is cute and all, but the glasses are really tiny and you don't get such a great pour.  Fortunately they have a decent list of reasonably priced wines.  Maybe they just want you to like the wine so much you'll order another glass.  I guess that's good marketing.

We stopped in for lunch and I ordered a tiny little serving of a very nice wine - Murphy-Goode's California Chardonnay.  Eight bucks for a small glass may be a bit steep, but at least it's tasty.

The Sonoma County winery states that the grapes are sourced from some of California's cool regions.  The nose shows oak spice and tropical notes with a bit of pear also appearing.  The taste is oaky and full, all buttery and soft with flavors of pears poached in vanilla.  It's a good, old-fashioned California Chardonnay which was a hit with the chicken salad.



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CASA LAPOSTOLLE SAUVIGNON BLANC

A lunchtime stop at Wood Ranch in Los Angeles seemed like a good time to try a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.  This Wood Ranch location is either in The Grove or the Farmer's Market.  It's hard to tell, as it lies between the two shopping meccas at 3rd and Fairfax.  It might be neither, but it's certainly not both.  At any rate, the parking validation policy is no help - the restaurant doesn't kick in for the parking cost at either place, so I guess I'll stop complaining and enjoy the wine.

The Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc is produced in the Rapel Valley of Chile's Central Valley region.  The Lapostolle winery is owned by the Marnier Lapostolle family, the fine folks who bring you Grand Marnier liqueur.  In addition to their spirits, they have been producing wine in the Loire Valley for a number of years.  The family bought into this Chilean winery in 1994.  The vines of the estate are apparently quite old, having been brought from France in pre-phylloxera days.  The Sauvignon Blanc cost $8 by the glass.  Plus parking.  Grrr.

A pale green tint emanates from the glass and the nose gives a gentle grassiness with minerals and wet rocks - rather like rainfall on the pavement of an expensive parking lot - joining peach and citrus aromas.  The acidity is refreshing, but the wine feels full in my mouth - almost creamy, in fact.  Soft lemon and lime flavors take on am essence of custard, or key lime pie.

It's a great match for the fantastic clam chowder at Wood Ranch.



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WINE ACTIVISM

In the United States, after Prohibition was repealed, the burden of legislating the sale of alcoholic beverages fell to the individual states.  This resulted in about as many different sets of beaurocratic red tape as there were states.  In today's global economy, wine drinkers have wine from all over the world available to them by way of the internet.  Available, that is, if the state in which the wine lover lives permits direct shipment of alcoholic beverages to its citizens.

Today, some American states still saddle their populace with antiquated laws concerning the shipment of wine and other beverages - laws that were put on the books as early as the 1930s and, in many cases,  have not been changed or updated since.

These legal antiquities are largely still in effect due to what's known as the Three Tier System of alcoholic beverage control.  The three tiers are producers, distributors and retailers.  Opponents of the three tier system note that consumers are not one of the three tiers, and therefore their needs are not met by this system.

It is argued - convincingly - that the model serves only to line the pockets of those who distribute wine from the producers to the retailers.  Many interested observers say there is no need for this type of middleman - that consumers should be able to buy wine
and have it shipped to them directly, the way they buy any other legal product.

Activism among wine lovers has grown rapidly in an effort to get outdated legislation changed so wine lovers across the country can order and receive any wine they choose.

Pay a visit to your local wine store, and you are likely to see flyers for organizations like Free The Grapes, which are urging the public to take action with messages to legislators supporting more freedom for wine buyers.

The American Wine Consumer Coalition, started by wine blogger Tom Wark, seeks to give a voice to wine drinkers who are upset with the disregard their state governments exhibit toward their freedom to choose.  The non-profit AWCC has a Facebook page you can "like" to show your support.

A number of campaigns have also been launched over the last couple of years to combat different U.S. House bills which seek to support the Three Tier System.

However you choose to get involved, it's clear that a time of action has come, and wine drinkers from all 50 states are jumping into the fray to claim the rights which should be theirs as citizens of the U.S.



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MOSCATO WITH UMAMI BURGER

Umami Burger has been all the rage among Los Angeles foodies.  It's been getting so much hype generated for the chain's five locations scattered about town that every time I drove by looking to try it out for myself, there was a line out the door and down the block waiting to get in.

I don't like waiting in line, especially long ones. That's why I hardly ever see a popular movie the weekend it's released.  That's why I don't go to the grocery store in the early evening when everyone else is there.  That's why I don't go to the DMV if I can help it.

I happened by the Studio City location - they call it Umami Valli - one Saturday around lunchtime and was stunned to see nobody waiting to crowd inside.  Peering in, the place didn't seem too busy at all. My Umami time had arrived.

In case you don't know about umami, it has been recognized as the fifth taste our palates pick up.  All these years we got along with only sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Umami is the taste described as "savory."  Don't ask me why they didn't just call it "savory."  I hope this doesn't mean they're going to change sweet, sour, salty and bitter to Japanese words.  I have a tough enough time remembering English.

I sat at the bar - red leatherette chairs - to look over the menu, and immediately felt the need for a nice, cool glass of Moscato.  It's a feeling that doesn't come over me often, so I thought I'd indulge.

I noticed that behind the bar there were MAS wines on tap, right from the mini tank.  I asked the bartender about one selection on the list and was told "we don't carry that anymore."  My Moscato request took a while to fulfill, as the bottle was empty and he couldn't locate the corkscrew.  A bar without a corkscrew is in pretty sad shape.  After a few minutes the only corkscrew in the place was found and the wine was poured.  My bartender offered an apology and said, "somebody must have felt like they needed it."

I had the Mezzacorona Moscato 2010 Vignetti delle Dolomiti.  Grapes for this wine come from an area near Lake Garda in Northern Italy.

Pale in the glass, the nose is fruity with pears in the forefront.  The wine is off-dry and minerals and white peaches grace the palate.

I "went the other way" with my pairing, and had the Port and Stilton burger.  To my surprise, going the other way wasn't a bad idea.  The earthy cheese and Port-carmalized onions went together extremely well, and the wine added a touch of sweetness which really set off the umami.  Oh, so THAT'S what umami is!  And THAT'S why the line is always out the front door!

This Umami Burger location is loud and a bit warm.  The burger preparation goes on right in front of you and the kitchen heats up more than the meat.  The burger was $10 and the glass of Moscato cost $6.



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BLOOD OF THE VINES: LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN

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Is Gene Tierney obsessive, or does she just "love too much?"  Trailers From Hell guru Neil Labute poses that question about Gene Tierney's character in "Leave Her To Heaven."

If you Google (or Yahoo, or Bing) "Too Much Love," you find references to dance parties, song lyrics and advice from eHarmony.

The dance party seems safe enough, but I suppose that depends on where the dance is held and whether or not someone is shooting at your feet, ordering you to dance, a la Yosemite Sam.

The lyrics are from Queen's song, "Too Much Love Will Kill You."  It seems that observation concerns pursuing a love when another love is on your mind.  In that instance, it's more likely you'll be killed by one of the lovers than by the mere excess of
love.

That brings us to the eHarmony article, in which we are told right away that you cannot love too much.  The author is quick, however, to draw a line between "loving too much" and "smothering."  Now we're beginning to see Gene Tierney's character up close and
personal, in beautiful Technicolor.

Smothering someone with love, according to eHarmony, is the selfish, oppressive, demanding act of an insecure individual.  Loving is a "give" act.  Smothering is all "take."

Tierney's Ellen certainly takes from Cornel Wilde.  She takes his beloved brother
from him.  She takes his unborn child from him.  She ultimately takes his freedom from him.  The film shows us the bright colors of a love story, and then darkens it into film noir.

"Leave Her To Heaven" is a great movie, but Ellen's obsessive love is really hard to watch.  I'm tempted to be one of those people who talks to the screen and pleads with the person in trouble to get out of the freakin' basement.  Despite all his trouble, Wilde
does end up with the girl - just not the one he came in with.  In this case, that is for the best.

Ironstone Vineyards' Obsession fits nicely here.  Made from Symphony grapes grown in Lodi and the Sierra Foothills AVA, it's a sweetly floral quaff best served cold.  As it warms up, it tends to turn a little spicy and tart.  It's seductive and cheap.  You'll love it.  Just don't love it too much.

Obsess on these:

Cold Heaven Cellars - Morgan Clendenon makes three complex Santa Barbara County Viogniers, from Santa Maria, the Sta. Rita Hills and the Santa Ynez Valley.

7 Heavenly Chards - A California Chardonnay with redemption in mind.

Two Angels Petite Sirah - Bob Pepi's High Valley PS is described as "dark as the night" - might be perfect for the noir of this film.


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ANCIENT PEAKS PETIT VERDOT 2008

Earlier this year I paid a visit to Ancient Peaks Winery in Santa Margarita, California and was given the tour of their property.  The Margarita Vineyard, looked over by the ancient mountain peaks of the Santa Lucia range from which the winery takes its name, is of particular note. 

This sustainably-farmed vineyard has been geologically blessed with five distinct soil types: ancient sea bed, sedimentary, shale, volcanic and granitic.  This array of soil composition is credited for giving the grapes within their complex aromas and flavors once they have been vinified.

Ancient Peaks winemaker Michael Sinor says their mission is to let "the soil speak through the grapes, and eventually into thewine."

The '08 Ancient Peaks Petit Verdot is a 100% varietal wine with some heft.  It tips the scales at 15.2% abv,  a number which is not all that high for the Paso Robles AVA.  The grapes are taken largely from the cool Margarita Vineyard with a bit from the warmer Wittstrom Vineyard northwest of Paso Robles.  The wine retails for $35.

On the nose, aromas of cassis show prominently, with the minerality for which the vineyard is known.  Some of that 15.2% shows up at first, too.  The mouthfeel is quite full, with very firm tannins, very dark fruit and strong minerality.  It's delightful to find that, after all that brawn, there’s a light sense of violets on the finish.

Once the bottle has been open for a while, the wine opens up beautifully and takes on a tarry note along with the intense dark fruit and earth.  The tannins remain firm, though.



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MAIER FAMILY MERITAGE 2007

Richard Maier always shows up at the big tent sale at Wally’s in Los Angeles to personally sell his wine.  He’s there by the stack of cases - pouring, talking, autographing bottles, talking, pouring some more - all in an effort to let another city full of wine buyers know not only how good his wine is, but what a great deal it is.

The Maier Family Meritage produced at St Helena Road Winery is a Bordeaux blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot, “grown high in the Sonoma County mountains,” according to the back label.  This single vineyard beauty was produced in a quantity of only 43 barrels, and is aged for 20 months in that French oak.  Its retail price was $34 earlier this year, and I bought it at Wally’s tent sale for the screaming deal of $23.

After unscrewing the cap and pouring a glassful, the juicy aromas immediately come forward.

Currant, blackberry, a beautiful herbal underlay all jump right into the nostrils and start shifting the olfactory gears.  The aromas are mesmerizing.  The very dark fruit blends seamlessly with that herbal element.

Big tannins and graphite are set off by a strong minerality.  There’s a greenness on the palate,too, which matches that on the nose.

The wine is probably a bit young yet.  The tannins are quite forceful, and don’t really settle down as a couple of hours pass.  Perhaps due to the tightly sealed screw cap, the second night showed much the same aggressiveness.  On the third night I enjoyed this Meritage, I got sneaky and unscrewed the cap the night before.  Now, a note of tar appears on the nose and the tannins are more manageable, but still quite firm.  The green, herbal quality on the palate now takes a back seat to the driving force of the big, juicy, dark fruit.  On the finish, notes of chocolate remain.

Do yourself a favor and decant this wine for quite a while before drinking it.  You’ll be glad you did.



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FOR THOSE ABOUT TO SIP - WE SALUTE YOU

Baby boomer rock'n'rollers are exploring wine as an additional revenue stream these days.  The California Bordeaux blend Doobie Red is spearheaded by the Doobie Brothers longtime manager B.R. Cohn, while Whitesnake Zin brings the '80s hair band back intothe spotlight.  Tool and Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan makes Arizona wine under his Caduceus label and DaveMatthews has his Blenheim Vineyards right outside his Virginia recording studio.  Sting produces Chianti at his Tuscan estate.

Now, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees AC/DC have joined forces with Australian winery Warburn Estate for a national release of AC/DC The Wine.  This rockin' vino is sourced from Australian wine regions in the Barossa and Coonawarra.  The line will include Back in Black Shiraz, Highway to Hell Cabernet Sauvignon and You Shook Me All Night Long Moscato.  What, no Whole Lotta Rosé?



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BOTTLE OF RED, BOTTLE OF WHITE

I've been a big fan of the Billy Joel song, "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant," since it appeared in 1977.  There may not be an award given for "pop song that best presents wine as a social vehicle," but if there were, this song would probably win it.

I've done a bit of study on songs about wine and have found that they tend to stray into the unsavory areas of drunks, bums and hobos.  In "Scenes," there's no "drowning your sorrows" or "trying to forget" or "let's bum some change and get loaded."  It's all about sharing wine with a friend and enjoying the memories which are revisited over a bottle of wine and a red and white checkered tablecloth.

"A bottle of white, a bottle of red, perhaps a bottle of rosé instead."

I understand that a waiter actually delivered that line to Joel.  The singer reiterates it in the languid introduction to his tune. He sings about the social aspect of wine - citing it as an ingredient which augments the great feeling of spending time with friends and having good conversation.

Back in the college days, the wine may have been cheap - it may have been bad - but it was definitely an important part of the social scene.  Sure, we drank too much of it - that's what college kids do.  At least, that's what non-valedictorian college kids do.

We all may not have been "wine lovers" in our youth - I seem to remember a beer now and then - but we definitely loved sharing wine with our friends.

Through the years, we have attended weddings - even been a part of the spectacle - and we've toasted friends and relatives on their nuptials again and again with champagne or some other sparkling wine which seemed to be the best in the world, given the circumstances.

"A bottle of red, a bottle of white, it all depends upon your appetite."

I can't recall a pop song, except for this one, which references the pairing of wine with food.  From pizza to pâté de foie gras, food is better with wine.  How many snacks, lunches or dinners have you shared with friends over the years?  If you're like me, it's the
friends you remember the most, then the wine.  I don't usually reminisce over a ham sandwich I had twenty years ago.  The person with whom I dined and the wine we drank are memories which do stay with me.

Jerry Jeff Walker sang ever so (hic!) eloquently about sangria wine, in which he also extolled the virtues of wine plus friends.  However, his Texas friends were spiking the wine with Everclear.   No food needed there, or even advisable.

I once brought a Spanish Garnacha to a friend's dinner party.  One of the guests - a guy I didn't even know to be a wine lover - told me he liked the way the wine made the food taste - so much so, that it made his visit even more enjoyable.  I don't know how I could have felt any better about that wine.

"A bottle of red, a bottle of white, whatever kind of mood you're in tonight."

Once in New York, a friend and I caught a cab to Little Italy on a very warm summer evening.  We took a sidewalk table, bought a bottle of red wine and proceeded to amuse ourselves with stories and laughter.  I don't even remember what kind of wine it was,
but it was good and it was cold and the bottle was sweating even more than the cabbie who brought us to the restaurant.

Another friend had a sister who loved a particular brand of cheap, California Chardonnay - a grocery store brand.  Anytime the three of us got together, it was that brand or nothing.  Even when I offered to spring for something else, something better, she wouldn't hear of it.  The wine wasn't very good at all, but it didn't seem to matter.  We had a good time sharing it every time.

My wife and I have explored the various wine regions of California together many times.  It never fails to warm my heart when she tastes a wine she really likes.  Her eyes light up and she spills forth with tasting notes that come to her immediately, not over long swirls, sniffs and sips as with me.  She has found dessert wines and Italian varieties to be her favorites, and it's always a special occasion when we enjoy those together.

Ohio sommelier Tony Bellatto, in his blog, "Open The Cellar Door," sums up the social aspect of wine nicely with this comment:

"I realized that it really didn’t matter what we were drinking, because the wine did its job, it created a moment in my life that I will never forget, a snapshot in time that I will remember forever, and that is what it is worth all the money in the world to me."

"I'll meet you anytime you want, at our Italian restaurant."



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BLOOD OF THE VINES: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

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The hard thing about pairing a wine to go with a Marx Brothers movie: you have to consider not only how well it goes down, but how well it comes up.  You're going to laugh while drinking it, there's no doubt.  Groucho might say, "The wine has a great nose.  How it got into my nose I'll never know."

The Marx Brothers are one of America's great gifts to comedy.  They're funny even if you don't believe in the sanity clause.  To this day,  in hotels I'm tempted to pick up the house phone and say "Room service, send up a larger room."   I usually make do with a dozen hard-boiled eggs and "some coffee to sober up the stewed prunes."

"A Night at the Opera" has laughs and music, too.  High class music, even though it's sometimes hard to tell if that last note was "high C or vitamin D."  There's so much opera in this film you'd think they were all "vaccinated with a phonograph needle."

The Drinking Song from La Traviata will help set the tone here: "Let's drink to the ecstatic feeling that love arouses... and the love among the chalices will make the kisses hotter."  The sentiment is fine, but if you can morph it into "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", then you have comedy.

Groucho once said, "Wine, women and song. When you get too old for all three, forget the singing and drinking."  Let's never get that old.  The world needs more singing; more ecstatic feelings that love arouses; more people watching the Marx Brothers until the wine comes through their noses.  "Now we're getting somewheres."

Opera is the plural of opus, so why not pull out the stops and cough up a couple of Benjamins for a wine from Opus One Winery.  An expensive Napa Valley Cabernet with the Marx Brothers?  I found various vintages selling for $230 online.  As Groucho said while throwing down the bill in front of his table mate,   "This is an outrage. If I were you, I wouldn't pay it."  Groucho also said, "Money cannot buy happiness and happiness cannot buy money.  That might be a wisecrack, but I doubt it."

High Marx for these:

Duxoup Wine Works - I know it's a different movie, but it's a lot cheaper than the Opus.  At $20 a bottle, it's one of those clubs that would have me as a member.

Weingut Erben von Beulwitz 2002 Spaetburgunder  - I don't suppose I could pass off Karl as a Marx Brother, eh?

Here's the wine list for The Groucho Club in London.

If you're ever in Anchorage, I would say the Marx Brothers Cafe is a must see.


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EXPANDING WINE RACK

Clever designers have come up with a neat way to store your wine while saving space when you're down to just a couple of bottles.  In the Now And Zin household, we don't let our supply drop to such dangerously low levels, but if you only store from one or two bottles to eight at a time, you may want to check out the Mirage wine rack.

The Mirage Augmentable wine rack is a collapsible wooden rack which expands to accommodate the number of bottles.  As you remove the bottles, it gets smaller, saving countertop space.  Fully expanded, its two bottles by four configuration is about 15 inches wide, and only nine inches tall.

The price listed is about $45, much cheaper than a full-size wine rack but more expensive than other 8-bottle storage options.

Online, I found several nice looking wooden racks designed to hold eight wine bottles in a diamond configuration for about half the price of the Mirage.


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DOLCETTO AT TERRONI

Here's another lunchtime stop at Terroni, a nice place in Los Angeles that favors Italian food and wine.  The vibe doesn't really sing opera, but the food is good and the wine list is heavy on Italian wines.

A Dolcetto jumped out at me, the '09 Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani.  Dolcetto di Dogliani is the Dolcetto grape grown in the little hamlet of Dogliani, in Piemonte.  The wine cost $10 by the glass at the restaurant.

The wine is colored medium dark ruby red and features a tarry scent on the nose.  Cassis, black cherry and licorice aromas also come through.  The taste is dark and earthy, and the wine feels young and brash on the palate.  Dolcetto - despite meaning "little sweet one" in Italian - is a fairly tanninc grape, and this one shows it in spades.  It paired reasonably well with the pork loin and potato dish, but with all that tannic structure, it should have been a steak.



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WINE COUNTRY: NEW YORK - FINGER LAKES RIESLING

The wine industry in New York dates back to the 17th century, when Dutch immigrants planted grapes in the Hudson Valley.  Commercial production didn't begin until the 19th century.  The Hudson Valley's Brotherhood Winery is the oldest continuously operating winery in America.  They've been producing wine for some 350 years.

The real takeoff point for wine in New York came in 1951, when Ukranian viticulturist Dr. Konstantin Frank started telling anyone who would listen that New York's wine had yet to achieve greatness because they should be growing vinifera grapes, the kind grown in Europe, instead of French and American hybrids.  His argument finally found a receptive ear in Frenchman Charles Fournier, the chief at Gold Seal Vineyards.  Fournier hired Dr. Frank, Riesling was planted, and the rest is New York State wine history.  Dr. Frank has also had success with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and even Cabernet Sauvignon, but Riesling is his calling card.

Today, Riesling is the big grape for New York's Finger Lakes region.  It grows well in the cool climate.  You'll also find Seyval Blanc growing in New York vineyards, along with American Hybrids like Catawba, Delaware, Niagara, Elvira, Ives and Isabella grapes.  French hybrids like Vidal, Cayuga and Vignoles also get some important acreage.

The Finger Lakes region is the best-known of New York's four AVAs, leading the way for the Hudson Valley, Lake Erie and Long Island AVAs.  It's also one of the largest AVAs in the country and one of the leading cool-climate regions, too.  The terrain around the three main lakes helps keep the vines safe through cold winters. 

The 2010 vintage is the product of the warmest growing season seen in the Finger Lakes region in 40 years.  It was wet, too, with the most rain since 1973.  Varied wines were produced, but there is a general tendency to lower acidity and big, expressive fruit.  Different wineries harvested at different times, resulting in plenty of variation in styles.  Most of the Rieslings produced here retail for under $20.
The Finger Lakes Wine Alliance was gracious enough to provide me - and other wine writers - with samples of six Finger Lakes Rieslings from the 2010 vintage.  Here they are:

Anthony Road Wine Company
Dry Riesling Finger Lakes 2010As with all these wines, Anthony Road's is 100% Riesling with a moderate alcohol level of 12.6% abv.  The fruit is from their Nutt Road Vineyard, block 3.  The grapes are taken from different blocks in each vintage.  There’s a “dryness meter” on the label, and the pointer points to “dry."

The nose and palate have a robust minerality, something that seems to be a hallmark of Finger Lakes Riesling, at least as far as I found from these six examples.  Fruit aromas here fight to get through, and a scent of melon peeks out from behind the rocks.  The palate is also laden with wet rocks and a nice lemon zest flavor appears alongside very good acidity.

Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars
Dry Riesling 2010Dr. Frank got the Riesling ball rolling in the 1950s and his son Willy carries on the winemaking tradition.  Again 100% Riesling, this wine has a 12.2% abv alcohol number.

The wine is quite pale in color and has a stong minerality, but that is abetted by a huge fruit expression.  The nose shows what the winery calls "Keuka Lake minerality" and an intense pear and pineapple juice profile.  The palate is dominated by that slate minerality.  Some citrus component accompanies it, with orange or tangerine on the finish.  It's quite refreshing with an acidity which, while adequate, does not make itself the focal point.

Fox Run Vineyards
Dry Riesling 2010Fox Run's grapes are grown in the glacial Seneca Lake soil with broken slate and sandy loam.  Another 100% Riesling, winemaker Peter Bell utilizes fruit from Fox Run Vineyard Block 1.  The alcohol level is a low 11.5% abv.

It's a lovely, pale, golden color in the glass and shows those slate minerals on the nose, along with citrus and an ever-so-slight hint of honey.  The taste is full of Meyer lemon and big minerals, and there is an extremely nice acidity.

Ravines Wine Cellars
Dry Riesling 2010
The Riesling for Ravines dry effort is taken from three different vineyards: 16 Falls (70%), Argetsinger (25%) and Hobbit Hollow (5%).  16 Falls and Hobbit Hollow feature shale limestone soil, while Argetsinger is gravel on limestone bedrock.

These grapes from the east side of Keuka Lake are whole cluster pressed, and the finished product shows an alcohol level of 12.5% abv.

The Ravines Riesling pours up pale golden in the glass.  It's not a surprise by now, but minerals abound on the nose.  Fruit does make a good play here, though, mainly lime and honeydew.  On the nose, lime notes and a minerality even stronger than on the nose make an appearance.  Citrus zest on the finish mates with a very good acidity.

Red Newt Cellars
"Circle" Riesling 2010
Red Newt’s “Circle” Riesling has the pointer on the label’s “sweetness scale” pointing to medium-sweet.  Winemaker David Whiting uses grapes from the southeastern shore of Seneca Lake to produce a Riesling which carries an 11.5% abv number and has a residual sweetness of 3.4%, several points higher than the previous offerings we’ve tasted.  The '09 vintage was a double gold medal winner, and the ‘10 vintage is the result of a warmer than usual growing season.  The winery says you can expect extra notes of baked fruit.

The pale wine has a beautiful nose of honeysuckle and oranges, with the minerality not as prominent as in the four tasted so far.  Peaches and a light citrus spray decorate the palate, with the finish delivering a lengthy show of grapefruit.  Not really a full-blown sweet wine, I’d call it off-dry.  The acidity is nearly bracing, too, so it’s a food-friendly quaff.

Wagner Vineyards
Riesling Semi Dry 2010
The Wagner family has four generations of winemaking behind them on the eastern slopes of Seneca Lake in Lodi, New York.  I’m a big fan of wines from Lodi, California, so my hopes are high that more than the name will be similar.

The sweetness meter on the back label has the pointer right in the middle.  The grapes come from the Wagner’s estate vineyard.  Three lots of fruit are independently vinified, then blended together.

A little yellower than Red Newt, but still fairly pale, this Riesling smells of apricots in a big way.  There’s a slight minerality on the nose, but fruit is the big thing.  The palate shows a nice lemon/lime/orange display of citrus and a hint of tropical fruit on the finish.  The acidity is right on the money.　
　
Find out more about the Finger Lakes wine region atFingerLakesWineCountry.com and FingerLakesWineAlliance.com.


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DISNEYLAND AND WINE

Several staycation trips to the Magic Kingdom during the summer allowed me to rack up a bit of nice wine time on the Disney property.  There was a time - not too long ago - when that statement would not have been easy to make.  Disneyland was famous - some say notorious - for not serving alcohol in the theme park.  That's back when I referred to the monorail as "Daddy's favorite ride" because it took daddy to a hotel where he could get a refreshing adult beverage.

Oh, there was the private club - somewhere in a "secret" location in the park - which I’m told served drinks, but I never had an invitation to go there.  Things have changed.  Thirsty adults can now find liquid refreshment to their liking at several locations not actually inside Disneyland, but very convenient to the park.

First, there is California Adventure - the companion theme park to Disneyland - which has a vineyard and an enocentric restaurant within its borders.  You can check out my escapades there in another blog post, if you like.

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is easily accessed from Disneyland and the shopping expanse of Downtown Disney.  The lobby of the Grand Californian is a great place to escape for a bit of cooling off if the weather is hot.  In the summertime they keep the air conditioning cold enough in there to require some of their employees to wear winter weather gear to keep warm.

Just off the lobby is the Hearthstone Lounge, a comfortable bar with some cozy couch-and-chair seating available.  We made a couple of stops there on recent trips.

Their wine list isn't incredibly exciting, but it is California-focused, fitting for a hotel that pays homage to the architecture and decor of the Arts and Crafts movement typified at Yosemite National Park’s Ahwahnee Lodge.

I stayed with the NoCal vibe and ordered a 2009 KenwoodJack London Zinfandel from Sonoma Valley.  Produced with grapes sourced from the Jack London Ranch in Glen Ellen, California, the wine is 94% Zinfandel, 4% Syrah and 2% Petite Sirah.  It carries a 14.5% alcohol number and is fermented in stainless steel, with 19 months aging in 60% French and 40% American oak barrels.  It cost $11 by the glass.

The wine is colored a medium-deep ruby red.  Aromas of bright cherry, smoke, toasty vanilla and cigar box are quite aromatic, while the palate has smokey notes draped over red fruit with a cinnamon spice peeking through.  Gentle tannins and lip-smacking acidity make for a fun-to-drink wine.  Even in the warm weather, it reminds me of Christmas.

On another visit I tried the Baileyana Grand Firepeak Cuvee Chardonnay.  This Edna Valley beauty is a favorite of mine.  Winemaker Christian Roguenant works with grapes from the Firepeak Vineyard, at the foot of extinct volcano Mt. Islay.  The soil has lava remnants meeting clay and ancient seabed.  Aged in French oak for nine months, the wine is 13.7% abv and sells for $14.50 by the glass.

On the nose, tropical fruit and oak spice leap out while the palate shows golden apples and Christmas spices.  Am I really looking forward to the holidays this much?  Great wood notes on the palate and a fabulous acidity are really a treat.  Pair it with smoked ham.

Napa Rose is the fancy eatin' room at the Grand Californian.  Call ahead for a reservation - days ahead.  If you fly by the seat of your pants like we do, it's good to know you can order right off the menu in the lounge area, and there's nearly always seating available there for walk-ins.

The Valdiguié grape is similar to the Gamay grape of Beaujolais - so similar, in fact, that it was thought to be one and the same until genetic analysis proved otherwise.  J Lohr's 2010 Wildflower is made using Monterey County Valdiguié grapes from their Greenfield Vineyard.  The wine is vinified completely in stainless steel and 19% of the juice is whole-cluster fermented.  It's $8.50 by the glass, and is a great value.

Medium dark in color, the nose shows a much darker fruit aroma than I expect.  Boysenberry and, surprisingly, a note of tar come forward.  A dark tartness shows on the palate as well.  It has a nice level of acidity, and paired well with the Spanish cheeses - Garritxa and P'tit Basque - but not so well with the yellow and blue cheeses on the platter.

Also at Napa Rose, the 2007 Lasseter Family Meritage from Alexander Valley was an $18 glass.  Very dark and inky in color, the nose shows a lot of alcohol and takes quite a bit of breathing to settle down.  Cassis and blackberry lead the way for the dark fruit aromas with some vanilla notes for spice.  This wine has some very firm tannins; it's really brawny.  The palate shows more dark fruit and has a meaty edge with tar.  It pairs really well with the filet mignon.

A new addition to my Disneyland wine map is Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar, in the Disneyland Hotel's Frontier Tower.  It's only been open since June 2011.  If the name sounds like another feature inside Disneyland, I suppose that's by design.

This place is more like a ride than a drinking establishment.  They serve several signature drinks - Krakatoa Punch, HippopotoMai Tai and Schweitzer Falls - which is served "over the rocks" - and with each one ordered, the bartenders give a yell.  "Krakatoa!" is shouted, and a visual effect of an erupting volcano lights up two walls.  "Oh no, a shipwreck!" is followed by a cool blast of air and a darkening of the lights.  The light rain that started falling a couple of times during my visit may have been the result of someone going over Schweitzer Falls.  The bar tricks are fun and the patrons certainly seemed to be enjoying the show. 

Zen of Zin is a Ravenswood Zinfandel, a brand I've found enjoyment with in the past.  This old vine Zin cost nine tree barks in the land of tiki.  Bright cherry on the nose with cedar and spice aromas play into a feisty bright fruit palate with a hint of clove.

I know I should have gone with a boat drink in a tiki bar, but I had a wine.  That's just me.  My wife had a pina colada.  Well, it is a tiki bar.  Enchanted, at that.  This place stands a good chance of becoming “Daddy’s favorite ride.”



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BLOOD OF THE VINES: THE ALAMO

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When John Wayne speaks out about the independence of Texas in "The Alamo" - saying that the word 'republic' sounds good to him - maybe he thought they said 'republican.'   Never mind the politics, "The Alamo" is a movie that makes even my Texas blood - twenty-plus years removed - run a little hotter.
Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, William Travis and Sam Houston are names very familiar to anyone who grew up in The Lone Star State.  John Wayne, though, is just as familiar and a much better badass.

The Duke may have been born with the name Marion - in Iowa, no less - but here he's all two-fisted Texas swagger ready to take on that Mexican army all by himself.  Well, actually, he's ready to cut and run until the impassioned speech from Laurence Harvey persuades everyone to stay for the massacre scene.

The story ends badly - for Texans, anyway - but a portion of the mission known as the Alamo is still there as a reminder of the struggle for independence and the valor of going up against the odds to fight the good fight.  Growing up in Texas in the Vietnam War era, I heard a few of my classmates wonder why the Texas soldiers didn't just bail on such an obviously bad situation.  I found comfort in knowing that the bravery of a few hundred men may have played a part in me being where I was at the time.

Today, political correctness has caused Texas teachers to bring into the classroom a "kinder, gentler" view of the battles that led to the independence of Texas.  What would John Wayne think of this?

Much of the grounds of the old mission have been swallowed up by downtown San Antonio, but the tiny, crumbling main building still stands, housing a gift shop and pictures of Hollywood's cinematic tribute.

A tribute!  A toast to the Texas army!  It may be hard to find in some places, but I hear tell Texas wine is making quite a bit of noise.  It may seem like long odds for a small Texas winery to go up against the crashing red wave of California wine, but who better to do it than than Duchman Family Winery?  Duchman is pronounced like Duke, man, so this choice is a natural.

Other bottles for the battle:

San Antonio Winery - It's not Texan, but it is San Antonio.  Operating the only remaining winery in Los Angeles, the Riboli family faced tough odds, too.  Prohibition killed off the other hundred or so wineries which once called L.A. home, but the San Antonio Winery hung in there - thanks to sacramental wine.

Balcones Baby Blue Texas Corn Whiskey - With a 5,000 man army charging your garrison, you might want something a little stiffer than wine to drink.

Shiner Bock - Made by the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas.  They are the oldest independent brewery flying the Lone Star flag.  Even older than Lone Star.



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VOUVRAY AT STREET

Susan Feniger's STREET has quickly become one of our favorite Los Angeles restaurants.  Delicious small plates representing a gourmet take on worldwide street fare are nothing less than captivating.  The food at STREET excites me, which is not something I can say about very many restaurants.

Feniger is a Los Angeles institution, as are her eateries CITY, which would be much missed if it were not for Border Grill and Ciudad, where she explores the Latin flavors she loves.

On a recent visit to STREET, Denise and I enjoyed Burmese watermelon salad spiced with crushed peppers, Angry Eggs deviled with sriracha on top, New Orleans Laundry Day Fritters and a steak sandwich which is done no justice by that generic name.  All could make a case for "favorite meal" status, with the winner probably being the one I tasted last.

The wine and beer list is just as adventurous, with beers fully described and wines grouped by style - "light and bright," "more of a mouthful," "soft and supple."  As with the food, the wine choices span the globe and it's hard to find what I'd call a "typical" choice on the list.  It's a very nice spot for a wine lover - or wine geek - to land.

I had a Sauvion Vouvray this time, a Loire Valley beauty that cost $8 by the glass.  The minerals on the nose and palate meet flavors of green apple and all is delivered with a bracing acidity.  As diversified as our meal was, the wine was a great match with everything, even the steak sandwich.



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