Table For Three At 3Twenty South Wine Lounge

The radio business has some nice euphemisms for being out of work. That’s probably because being out of work is a more-or-less natural state in radio. “Between gigs,” “on the beach,” “away from the mic” - nice, presentable ways of saying you’re jobless. I have been considered fortunate through my radio career to have stayed employed fairly consistently and for durations much longer than typical radio jobs usually last. My last gig was 22 years. My next one is - hopefully - just around the corner. After so long in a career which sometimes saw me working when others were playing, I now get to play while others are working. I stopped into 3Twenty South Wine Lounge in the mid-afternoon a while back after running some errands on La Brea. I wasn’t looking to prop myself up at the bar, I just wanted to pop in and say “hi” to my friend Edgar Poureshagh, the owner and sommelier. As luck would have it, another friend was there, too. Jamie Edlin, of Hollywood and Wine, was seated at a table in the otherwise empty restaurant. Her company represents and services “a select portfolio of boutique, artisan wineries,” and she was obviously ready to pour a few samples for Edgar to taste. They were both very kind to insist I join them. Jamie was pouring Pinot Noir from two Monterey County wineries, Chesebro Wines and Cima Collina. Chesebro Wines - in Carmel Valley - is a small, family-owned outfit which produces around 2,000 cases per year. They own vineyards in Monterey County. The Chesebro Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir 2009 utilizes a blend of grapes from two vineyards, Cedar Lane and Mission Ranch, in the Arroyo Seco AVA. The sandy, low vigor soil and cool, foggy mornings make for good Pinot-growing conditions. Big acidity is immediately noticed, and welcomed. The wine is very dark in color and taste - with black cherry, clove and dark spices coming forth. Cima Collina produces artisan wines which are unfined and unfiltered. The vineyards of the two wines tasted are on opposite sides of the Salinas Valley. The 2007 Pinot Noir, Lucia Highlands Vineyard, is rather oaky with cherries and plums in the forefront. The alcohol is restrained at 13.8% abv. Cima Collina's Pinot Noir, Chula Vina Vineyard 2007 hails from the northeastern side of the Salinas Valley in the foothills. The granitic soil is well drained and somewhat protected from the windy conditions in the area. Dried plum leads the way in this fascinating, very easy drinker. A big, full-bodied feel in the mouth and the fruit-forward attitude makes for a good example of California Pinot. The alcohol edges up to 14% abv.

Blood Of The Vines: The Pom Pom Girls

Wine Goes To The Movies With 
Now And Zin and Trailers From Hell


There is something quaintly American about cheerleaders.  There is also something quaintly American about baseball, apple pie and white Zinfandel.  This time, we’re hangin’ with “The Pom Pom Girls.”


All-American girls in bikinis at the beach, practicing their cheers while showing their rears. Roll ‘em, aaaaand - that’s a wrap! What more do you need from a summertime movie?  Plots play over the holidays.


That type of scene might make you think this sexploitation chuckler should have been titled “The Butt Pom Girls.”  That probably got discussed sometime before the movie was released.  There does seem to be a scarcity of actual pom poms, at least in the trailer.  That’s OK, though, because those things cover up so much when the gals are holding them.  I’m sure that was probably an agenda point at a pre-production meeting, too.  “Wait - how about if they throw the pom poms on the ground!”  “Brilliant!”


In her commentary on the movie, Katt Shea says there’s an “American Graffiti feeling” to “The Pom Pom Girls.”  While fans of one probably wouldn’t trade for the other, both films do have an endearing way of showing the innocence of youth.  One has a more serious side, while the other has a nice backside.  Comparing the two is rather like comparing Zinfandel and white Zin.  Both have their moments, but...


“The Pom Pom Girls” isn’t too bad, for a movie about cheerleaders.  It could have been better.  It could have been “Bring It On.”  It also could have been worse.  It could have been about the marching band.


Levity aside, I’m told there is actually a difference between pom pom girls and cheerleaders.  The way I hear it, cheerleaders do simple, repetitive “cheer motions” while pom pom girls are more artful and employ more freestyle actions in their performances.  I had the feeling that explanation came from a pom pom girl.  A former cheerleader confirmed that, while extolling the athleticism of her crew. It's a Hatfield/McCoy thing between cheerleaders and pom pom girls. At any rate, once the pom poms hit the ground, your assets are on display and the spirit stick is passed.


We could hit it and quit it by going with Pom Pom Wine - pom-pom-pomegranates, that is.  While it’s tempting to put our hands in the hands of the man who turned the water into wine - what a great miracle huh? - we’ll make Galilee a side trip on the way to Italy. 


That’s where we find pomace brandy - the Italian version is known as grappa.  In a pomace brandy, the skins, pulp, seeds and stems leftover from traditional winemaking are fermented and distilled on their own, producing a substance which is anywhere from 70 to 120 proof.  Nardini makes an esteemed grappa using the pomace of grapes from the Friuli and Veneto regions.  


Pom Pom wine is a shallow bottle:


Wine Opener Cheerleader - How many bottles of wine had that opener opened before the video was made?  I’m guessing one bottle of white Zin.


Holy-Field Winery Dog - An awesomely cute dog, and a Rock-Chalk-Jayhawk blue wine bottle from Kansas.


Cheerwine - I confess, this one is not even wine.  It’s a soda nobody knows about.  But, it’s cheering.  Must be some pom poms in there somewhere.




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Return To Terroir At Port4lio, Los Angeles 2012

 Return To Terroir is a French wine importer focused on, “unique and authentic, hand-crafted wines that are the precise expression of their terroir.”  If you are not familiar with the term, terroir is a French word that conceptualizes the sense of place one finds in wine.  It refers to a vineyard’s location, soil, and climate, and how those factors are incorporated into the taste of the wine.

I got to visit some of France's wine regions at the Return To Terroir table at the recent Port4lio tasting event in Culver City, California.

Bordeaux’s gravel-based soil in the left bank region and the limestone clay of the right bank offer two separate terroirs to explore.

Château Cadillac (AOC Bordeaux Supérieur, older vines) 2009 Bordeaux Supérieur - 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon;  beautiful smoky nose with cherry and acidity on the palate;  nice tannic structure

Château Fitère (AOC Madiran)  2009 Madiran - 70% Tannat, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon;  stainless steel fermentation; very tannic with plum and smoky spice; great acidity and long finish

Château Flotis (AOC Fronton) 2008 Fronton - organically-farmed Negrette, which is indigenous to Fronton, plus 10% Syrah; nose is funky, floral, meaty all at once; palate loaded with cherries

The Southwest region of France offers a multitude of different terroirs and correspondingly diverse wines, often made from grapes not found elsewhere in the country..

Domaine de Brin  (AOC Gaillac) 2009 Gaillac “Petit Brin” - 40% Duras, 25% Braucol, 20% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; savory, smoky, peppery cherry and plums

The chalky limestone soil in the Loire Valley is particularly well-suited to the white wines for which the region is best known.

Domaine Gaudron (AOC Vouvray) 2009 Vouvray Sec - 100% Chenin Blanc  flinty minerals, peach, apricot;  2009 Vouvray Demi Sec - restrained sweetness, minerals and peaches

Burgundy offers soils of clay and limestone on top of granite, lava and schist - the kind of stuff great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are made from.

Domaine de la Douaix (AOC Hautes Cotes de Nuits)  2008 Bourgogne Blanc En Mairey - 60% Pinot Blanc 40% Chardonnay;   very steely despite 12 months in oak; green apples and very nice acidity

Domaine Denis Carré (AOC Hautes Cotes de Beaune) 2010 Hautes Cotes de Beaune Blanc - 100% Chardonnay ; smoky fruit shines with nice acidity and a lengthy finish;  Their 2008 Pommard  benefits from a streak of iron oxide under the limestone clay which gives this Pinot Noir a strong minerality and great acidity

Côtes de Provence has a varied terroir, with limestone soil in the northwest to crystalline rock in the southeast part of the region.

Château Saint-Pierre  (AOC Côtes de Provence) 2010 Côtes de Provence Rosé - 40% Grenache, 60% Cinsault; strawberry, cherry,  bit of tartness; dry , nice acidity


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Wine Country North Dakota: Pointe Of View Winery

The cradle of North Dakota’s wine industry - the town of Burlington - is a few miles up Highway 2 from Minot, where there is always a radio job open.  There used to be, anyway.  In my younger days as a radio deejay in Beaumont, Texas, we radio types would read the “Jobs Available” listings in the back of Radio and Records magazine.  It seemed there was always a listing in Minot, N.D.  We assumed the turnover rate was high due to the fact that the temperatures probably dipped to absolute zero just before Thanksgiving and didn’t warm up enough to cut the grass until July.  The station manager probably let the ad run every week so they could amass a stockpile of tapes and resumes for the inevitable time when the next deejay would quit and move south.

Burlington is home to North Dakota’s first winery, Pointe Of View.  North Dakota was the last state in the union since Prohibition to issue a license for a commercial winery.   That was in 2002.  They still don’t have much company - one other winery has joined the ranks - with most folks busy having a good laugh about that crazy guy trying to grow grapes in North Dakota.  Meanwhile, Jeff Peterson  is quietly making North Dakota history.

Peterson makes most of his wines on the sweeter side - he says that’s what people want in North Dakota.  He prefers dry wines, himself, and produces two full-fledged dry wines, one from apples and one from grapes.  I ran across an article in the Bismarck Tribune in which Peterson stated, “"Some people really know their wines. Some people might not know their wines, but they know what they like. In the end, that's what it comes down to.”  Some in the wine world will fight Peterson tooth and nail on that point, preferring to insist that there is good and there is bad, and some people simply don’t know the difference.  But, if someone doesn’t like the wine you like, does that make it bad?  Peterson thinks if it’s good enough for you to take home repeatedly, it’s good.

Peterson was kind enough to send two samples of his North Dakota wine for this series, one made from Valiant grapes and another made from rhubarb.  Terre Haute Rouge has an alcohol content of 9% abv.  It’s a semi sweet blush wine with no vintage on label, produced from 100% North Dakota Grown Valiant grapes.

“I could not give it the Valiant varietal name and year when I got its first crop four years ago,” emails Peterson.  “Seems the name was registered with the TTB then with a foreign country. A couple years ago that changed, but by that time I had the name established.

“Valiant is a cross of Wild Montana (native vitis riparia) which came from just west of me and crossed with Fredonia. Dr. Ron Peterson from the University of South Dakota bred the two back in the early 60's. It is currently considered to be the most cold hardy American hybrid there is. Although intended as a juice grape it makes a good summer wine with a slight labrusca flavor.

“Also, our state ag research university (North Dakota State University) is currently working on developing very cold hardy hybrid wine grapes for our industry. Although a long term project, they are employing a new accelerated breeding program that allows crosses to be made all year long and could potentially turn a 20 year breeding program into 8.”

Terre Haute Rouge is deep pink in the glass - a nice rosado color - with an herbal aspect to the sweetness which is quite intriguing.  The sweet strawberry flavors have an earthiness that adds dimension to the wine.  Peterson notes, “It’s sweet and tangy. I make it in a white wine style (no skin fermentation) because the skins have an objectionable flavor to them when fermented.”  It’s really a nice, semi-sweet blush with enough acidity to allow for it to take a place at the lunch table.

Pointe Of View gave me my first experience with rhubarb wine, and it is a very pleasant one.  Pointe Of View’s Rhubarb Wine brings an easy-drinking 10% abv number and tastes like a sweet hybrid wine, a bit like a Brianna or Edelweiss.

The slight nose sports some herbal qualities with a hint of honey, while the palate shows a very sweet taste with a bit of a tang on the finish.  There’s plenty of acidity, but it’s so sweet it would be hard for me to consider it as a food wine - I like my table wine dry.  There’s nothing at all wrong with this wine served cold, however, on the deck as a summertime sipper.

Vinos Unico - Bodegas Ochoa, Robledo Family Winery

Vinos Unico is a wine importer and distributor which deals in wines from Spain, Portugal, Argentina and California.  Their people poured a smattering of the wines they represent recently at the Port4lio tasting in Culver City, California.  I was particularly taken with the wines of two producers who were there to pour their own wines themselves.

Bodegas Ochoa came all the way from Navarra, Spain to promote their wines in the US.  Javier and Ariana Ochoa are the father/daughter winemaking team, while Ariana’s sister Beatriz (left) graced the Ochoa table at this event.  Beatriz told me that her sister represents the young side of the family business, but assured me her father needed no help in thinking young himself.

Ochoa Mdo Moscato “de Aguja” 2011 - This 100% Muscatel wine bears Ariana’s signature.  It records a low, low 5% abv number, has a very floral nose and a lovely, sweet palate.  Hard to see how anyone could pass up this sweet sparkler.

Ochoa Blanco 2011 - A white blend of 70% Viura and 30% Chardonnay.  Uncharacteristically sweet-smelling for a Viura, with a fruity and floral palate.

Ochoa Rosado 2011 - This rosé is 100% Garnacha which saw only 8-10 hours of skin contact, but a very deep pink color resulted nonetheless.  It’s quite fresh and lively.

Ochoa Tinto 2010 - There’s no oak in this 50/50 blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha.  The nose and palate both show clean, fresh cherry notes, with a bright acidity in the mouth.

Ochoa Crianza 2008 - A young, 100% Tempranillo wine displays great use of oak.  Lovely cherry and strawberry abound.

Ochoa Mil Gracias 2008 - All Graciano grapes here, and not surprisingly it’s the one wine on the table that best fits the description "old world."  A very savory and spicy flavor profile is a winner.



Robledo Family Winery of Sonoma Valley boasts 400 acres of vineyards scattered across Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties in Northern California.

Luis Robledo poured the wines of Reynaldo Robledo, who started working with vines in the 1960s.  His thirty-year path from immigrant field worker to successful vineyard manager to vineyard and winery owner is a testament to his tenacity and a source of much pride for his family.

Brut Cuvée 2008 - Los Carneros fruit - 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay - produces a toasty nose with a palate full of apples and pears.  It’s a multiple gold medal winner.

Seven Brothers 2009 - Lake County Sauvignon Blanc named for the male Robledo siblings (Luis Robledo is one of 9 kids, seven of them brothers.)  The nose bears a slight grass aroma, with grapefruit leading the charge of fruit on the palate.  Nice acidity and a tangerine finish leave me wanting another taste.  (By the way, the girls already have a wine named after them.)

Los Braceros Red Blend 2006 - The fruit here hails from Sonoma Valley.  The blend includes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  Black cherry and plum flavors are framed in a smoky, earthy setting.

El Rey Red Hills 2006 - Lake County is the source for the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in this one.  Earth and graphite show amid plum and blackberry, all delivered in a nice cigar box aroma.


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Blood Of The Vines: The Horse Soldiers

Westerns - the Great American Movie Genre.  Yes, the Italian cinema has its Spaghetti Western - Cameriere, more Sangiovese, please!  But we’re talking real, honest-to-John-Wayne American westerns here.  The kind with a big, wide-open-spaces theme by somebody like Elmer Bernstein, Alfred Newman, or Lerner and Loewe.  Morricone magic is better served with the aforementioned grape of Chianti - and movies where the dubbed dialog doesn’t quite match up with the actors’ mouths.

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

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

Besides Wayne and Ford, you get character actors like Ken Curtis, Denver Pyle and Strother Martin.  That’s the hick trifecta, right there - a dialogue coach’s dream, a speech therapist’s nightmare.  Every time I see one of those guys in a western, I wonder if they talk like that in real life.  I also wonder: do method actors in a Civil War picture drink Muscadine to get into the role?

It may be my imagination playing tricks on me, but I think this movie has more horses in it than I’ve ever seen in one film before.  It makes me wonder if actors get paid more for saddle sores.  We should probably check with a bow-legged actor for the answer.

None of the horses got listed in the credits, but they should have.  Without them, you wouldn’t have much of a western.  Not much of a cavalry movie, either, come to think of it.  With no horses, the cavalry would have come to the rescue on foot.  That would just about put them out of the rescuing business and in the cleaning-up-after-the-trouble business.

Horse walks into a bar.  Bartender says, “Why the long face?”  Horse says, “Can you make me a War Horse?”  Bartender says, “Sorry, I’m not on the draft board.  How about a nice Central Coast Pinot instead?”

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

Hoof a look at these:

Iron Horse Vineyards - A Sonoma County winery known for its sparkling wines,  their Iron Horse Chinese Cuvée was produced for the Chinese year of the dragon.  They are looking forward to 2014 - the year of the horse.

Black Stallion Winery - An old equestrian center is the home for the Napa Valley outfit in the Oak Knoll District.

14 Hands - The measure of a small horse, 14 Hands is also the home of some pretty tasty wines from eastern Washington state.

Blue Danube Wine Company At Port4lio, Los Angeles 2012

The Danube River flows through Central Europe for over 1,700 miles - from the Black Forest to the Black Sea.  Along the way are wine regions producing wines which can legitimately be called hidden gems.  The wines of Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia are well worth exploring for the taste alone.  The sense of history that comes with each sip is a bonus.  You can also find an easy way to add some exotic grapes to your Century Club efforts.

The Blue Danube Wine Company is a wine distributor with a mission.  The San Francisco-based wholesaler is bent on making wine lovers of the United States aware of the fine wines they import from Central Europe, from those hidden gem areas along the blue Danube.

At the recent Port4lio tasting event in Culver City, California, I had the chance to sample from a literal smorgasbord of wines featuring producers, grapes and wine regions with which I had little experience - and even less success in pronouncing.  Fortunately, Blue Danube’s Frank Dietrich and Stetson Robbins were there to help out the tasters with pours and pronunciation.

Juris Winery is near Gols, Austria - just southeast of Vienna near the Neusiedler See.  Winemaker Axel Stiegelmar (right) was on hand to present his wines personally.

Stiegelmar talked of his four-story winery, which utilizes gravity to help make a smaller carbon footprint.  He talked of his family’s winemaking tradition, which dates back to the 1500s..  What he really loves to talk about are his grapes, mainly St. Laurent, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  For this event, Stiegelmar poured his red wines.

The Juris ‘10 Zweigelt lives up to the expectations held by lovers of this grape.  The smoky nose, the earthy fruit, the firm tannins and razor-sharp acidity all contribute on the way to the incredible finish.  More strong earthiness comes on the nose of the ‘09 St. Laurent, which leads to a beautiful sour cherry flavor.

The Juris reserve wines are made from older vines.  Stiegelmar says, “the vines are mature enough so the roots have reached down below the top layer of soil into the mineral layer below.”  The mineral aspect does come through significantly on the ‘08 Pinot Noir Reserve, along with raspberry and strawberry and a mouth-watering acidity.  The ‘09 St. Laurent Reserve shows great minerals and sour cherry on the palate.

A beautiful blend - the Juris ‘09 Ina Mera is 40% Cabernet Sauvignon,, 30% Merlot and 30% Blaufrankisch.  It is very clean and earthy with bright acidity.  The wine is playful in the mouth with a long, gorgeous finish.

Slovenian producer Batic - an organic estate in the Vipava Valley - covered a wide range of styles with just a few wines.  The Batic ‘06 Pinot Gris tastes like candied green apples.  The ‘08 Pinela - a grape grown only in this small area - is a refreshing white with great acidity.  The ‘09 Cabernet Franc shows dense forest fruit on the nose and a taste of tart raspberry.  As I found over and over at this event, the wine has excellent acidity.

Also from Slovenia, Kabaj - pronounced ka-bay - is located in the far western part of the country, immediately next to Italy, in the Goriska Brda region.  Two whites produced with skin contact presented intense minerals.  The ‘09 Beli Pinot is a Pinot Blanc possessing an earthy acidity, while the ‘09 Sivi Pinot is a Pinot Grigio exploding with minerals, earth and green apples.

Coastal Croatian Reds included one from Terzolo, in Istria.  The ‘09 Teran was described by Robbins as “a masochistic wine.”  It is a bit tannic, but I didn’t feel I was looking for trouble by enjoying it.

Bibich produces wine in Skradin, North Dalmatia.  Their ‘09 R6 Riservo - made of Babich, Lasin and Plavina grapes - is very old world, with high acidity and nervy, savory flavors.

Dingac Winery, from the Peljesac Peninsula of Dalmatia, poured several wines made from Plavic Mali, the Croatian version of Zinfandel.  Their ‘10 Plavac is surprisingly smooth for a grape that is known for its tannic nature.  The ‘10 Peljesac is a little bigger and shows some spiciness, while the ‘08 Postup has a big mineral display.

There were some lovely sparkling wines, too.  Törley - Hungary’s famous sparkling wine producer - had four bubblies represented.  Gala blends Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Királyleányka.  Fresh apples grace the nose and palate.  Fortuna - Muskat Ottonel, Irsal Olivér and Muskat Lunel - is fabulously sweet.  More sweetness comes from Hungaria Grand Cuvée brut, a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling blend.  It captivates with a beautiful, sweet floral expression.  The Tokaji has beautiful sweetness tempered by a healthy dollop of minerality.

Kogl - from Štajerska, Slovenia - went the other way with it.  The non-vintage Albus Clasique of Riesling, Yellow Muskat, Chardonnay and Furmint grapes is a dry sparkler showing earthy minerals and toast.  The non-vintage Rubellus Clasique is made from Pinot Noir as a rosé.  It has a nice, funky, toasty nose with a beautiful and elegant on the palate.

If you want a real education in the wines of Central Europe, a visit to the Blue Danube website is an absolute must.


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Palmina Wines of Santa Barbara County

It has always struck me that Palmina wines are made specifically to pair with food - so much so that they might seem a little less than impressive at first sniff or taste.  Their wines are made to pair with food, meaning they are made to complement the food, not show it up.  The full expression of their wines really doesn’t occur until they have been matched with food.  Steve Clifton states on the website, “Palmina is a Californian celebration of the rich, wonderful lifestyle and attitude toward food, wine, friends and family that exists in Italy”

Clifton is one of the more focused of the “Cal-Italia” winemakers in the Golden State.  He and his wife, Chrystal, specialize in making wine from Italian grape varieties grown in Santa Barbara County.  They do not, he admits, try to emulate the Italian versions of those grapes.  They do try to allow their sense of place in the Central Coast to shine through.  All the while, they keep in mind the Italian perspective that wine isn’t merely a beverage, but one of the things which helps give life its meaning.  Wine is “an extension of the plate” at Palmina.

The wines of Palmina are notable for their acidity, a must when pairing wine with food.  Their flavors are delicious without overwhelming the palate.  The food is the star in Clifton’s philosophy, wine is the supporting actor.

I had the pleasure of experiencing quite a full tasting of Palmina wines at the Wine Warehouse tasting event on April 24, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.  I don’t usually have food at large wine tasting events, but this time I found myself drifting over to an appetizer station between samples.

The Palmina whites are great sippers on their own, but the minerality and acidity found in their Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano, Arneis and Malvasia Bianca almost make a food pairing mandatory.  The Malvasia Bianca, from the Santa Ynez Valley’s Larner Vineyard, is the one Palmina white that displays a nose and palate that might compete with food.  The floral element in this one is enormous and beautiful.

The Botasea Rosato di Palmina is a beautiful pink blend of Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo.  It is not produced in the saignée method, where juice is bled off in the process of making a red wine.  All the fruit for this rosé was picked especially to make this wine.  It’s nice and dry, with a light cherry flavor that could beckon spring on its own.

As for the reds, Palmina’s Dolcetto is light and breezy, the Barbera offers a light touch of smoke and the Nebbiolo is lightweight yet tannic.  Alisos is a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot.  It was the first wine made by Palmina, in 1997.  The wine is produced by allowing some of the Sangiovese grapes to dry and become raisins.  They are then vinified and blended with the previously vinified wine.

If you find you really need a wine that packs its own punch, Palmina’s Undici has a big nose of smoke and chocolate-covered cherries.  The Sangiovese fruit comes from the Honea Vineyard, and there are traces of Malvasia Bianca in the mix.  The Nebbiolo from the Sisquoc Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley offers a huge expression of fresh cherries and an array of spices that would fill a spice rack.  TheStolpman Vineyard Nebbiolo has great grip and a palate based in cherry and layered with a host of other delicacies.

Wine Tasting Event: Sonoma In The City, Los Angeles

Sonoma County is a fairly long drive from Los Angeles, so we SoCal wine lovers really appreciate that so many Sonoma producers took a road trip to L.A. - and brought their wine with them.


Sonoma In The City hit Los Angeles for a grand tasting event on April 24, 2012 at The London Hotel in West Hollywood. Jordan Winery threw a little 40th anniversary soiree the night before up on the London’s rooftop, one of those swingin’ little Hollywood gatherings with stars aplenty.  The next day, the banquet room bulged with winemakers from Sonoma - Coast, County and Valley.  Dry Creek Valley was represented; so were Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley.


The Dry Creek Valley AVA poured some great Sonoma County Zins.  The ‘09 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel mixes in some Petite Sirah and Carignane for a smokey nose and bright cherry palate with plenty of refreshing acidity.  Fritz Underground Winery brought their ‘09 Zinfandel, which lays a spicy herbal lace over the tart cherry.  Gustafson Family Vineyards stole the table with their ‘08 Zinfandel/Syrah/Petite Sirah blend.  It shows a touch of barnyard on the nose, an earthy palate and great acidity.


Alexander Valley Vineyards held up their end of the Zin bargain with their Sin Zin, showing an earthy cherry nose with raspberry on the palate and the finish.

Kenny Kahn, (right) owner/winegrower/co-winemaker at Blue Rock Vineyard in Alexander Valley, was anxious to show off the fruit of his labor - and with good reason.  His ‘07 Cabernet Sauvignon has a splash of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and really makes with the chocolate.  The ‘09 Baby Blue blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot into a wine that is earthy, tart and rich, and extremely easy to drink.  The unreleased Best Barrel has gentle tannins in a Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot blend.  Blue Rock’s terroir-driven wines were among my favorites of the afternoon.


DeLoach Vineyards’ ‘09 Van der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Mountain is 100% Pinot, sporting a nose very much like a Cab, complete with graphite.  It’s a very full bodied wine.  Their 2010 Zinfandel Russian River Valley is a delight, showing eucalyptus and a tingly acidity.


The Landmark Vineyards table sported two Chardonnays and two Pinot Noirs.  The ‘10 Overlook Chardonnay has a huge expression of lightly oaked, tropical fruit.  Its big sister, the ‘10 Lorenzo Chardonnay, Russian River Valley has a hard time beating it.  They claim it’s very age-worthy.  It should be - its $55 price tag is $30 more than the Overlook.  Landmark’s  ‘09 Grand Detour Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, is a five-vineyard blend, mostly from the Petaluma Gap, offering a very good level of acidity.  There’s a bit more oak in the ‘09 Kanzler Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast - quite dark with a lengthy finish.

Inman Family Wines was represented by the grapegrower, winemaker, salesperson, accountant,  operations manager and forklift driver - all in one woman.  Kathleen Inman (left) has produced two lovely Pinot Noirs from Russian River Valley grapes - the earthy ‘08 OGV Estate and the aromatic ‘08 Thorn Ridge Ranch.  Her 2010 OGV Estate Pinot Gris is gorgeous, with a nice peach flavor and a tart finish.  OGV, by the way, stands for Inman’s organically-farmed Olivet Grange Vineyard.


Martinelli Winery’s ‘07 Chardonnay, Three Sisters Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, is a $60 Chardonnay that sure smells and tastes like one.  A very earthy nose and extremely good acidity.  Earth also speaks loudly in Martinelli’s ‘09 Pinot Noir, Three Sisters Vineyard, Sonoma Coast.  The ‘09 Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, is lush and dark, with a nice level of acidity.


Robert Young Estate Winery was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in Alexander Valley, way back in 1958.  Their ‘07 Scion Cabernet Sauvignon has a nice tartness laid over the fruit expression that suggests Alexander Valley is well suited to Cab.


John Murray, at the Lasseter Family Winery table, got my attention by mentioning the 1919 field blend Zinfandel vineyard on their property.  Then he wowed me with a $24 rosé - the ‘10 Enjoe Sonoma Valley.  Syrah, Mourvédre and Grenache form a nice, dry wine with strawberry and watermelon aromas and flavors making me yearn for summer.  The Lasseter ‘08 Paysage Sonoma Valley is a red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauv ignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.  There’s great grip here, along with a smokey nose and some tangy blackberry.


Stone Edge Farm Vineyard is organically farmed in Sonoma Valley.  Their ‘07 Cabernet Sauvignon blends 81% Cab with the remainder Merlot.  Nice fruit and pencil point grace the nose.  The ‘08 Surround Cabernet Sauvignon has 6% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc in the mix, with blueberry and black cherry flavors.


Stonestreet Wines uses Alexander Valley fruit from their Alexander Mountain estate.  The ‘09 Bear Point Chardonnay is oaky and rich, rich, rich.  The ‘07 Monument Cabernet Sauvignon is very dark and rich as well.  The ‘09 Broken Road Chardonnay - say it with me - is big and rich.  Rather oaky, but a very nice effort in that style.




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Wine Country: South Dakota - Strawbale Winery

South Dakota’s wine industry is a tiny one, as the summer heat and winter cold provide too wide a swing for the survival of most wine grapes.  Cold-hardy French Hybrid grape varieties are the basis for South Dakota’s winegrowing business.  The first license for a winery in the Mount Rushmore State was handed out in 1996. Since then, only a handful have joined its ranks.

A friend of mine, who lives in a state more amenable to the shipment of wine - picked up a bottle on his travels and got it to me.  I’m indebted, Kevin, and I hope you got to try some yourself.

Strawbale Winery is in Renner, South Dakota, in the southeastern corner of the state, just across the border with Minnesota.  The winery is made from strawbales!  The insulating properties of hay apparently makes it easier to reduce the energy needs of the winery while still maintaining a cellar-like temperature inside.

Don and Susie South run Strawbale Winery, making wine from grapes and other fruits as well as mead, made by fermenting honey.  They are self-described as a “hardworking Midwestern Family” on the homespun label.

Red Barn Red is named after the red barn on the property  Branded simply as a “Red Table Wine,” it is made from 75% South Dakota Frontenac grapes and 25% Petite Sirah, which Don says "helps balance out the acidity of the Frontenac."  The wine has an extremely reasonable 12% alcohol content.

This wine is medium-dark ruby in the glass and immediately captivates me with a rich and earthy nose.  The cherry aromas smell as if the fruit had been tromped into the dirt below the tree from which they fell.  A dusting of allspice is hinted at, too, in what turns out to be a pretty amazing bouquet.

Medium-full in the mouth, the wine shows a brilliant acidity and flavors of black tea and raspberry.  It tastes to me like a Midwestern Pinot Noir. The finish is tart and lengthy.  It should go nicely with a skirt steak or a pork chop.  I’d like to try it with a bratwurst..

Blood Of The Vines: The Birds

Wine Goes To The Movies With 

Now And Zin Wine and Trailers From Hell

Let’s dip into the Alfred Hitchcock catalog again - and no, the wine pairing isn’t brandy.  That’s too easy, and it works with all Hitchcock movies.  For any sort of trouble that arises - and with Hitchcock, it always arises - the cure is a blast of brandy.  You can have a blast, but we have other pairing ideas today.

I recently got to see “The Birds” on the big screen at the Alex Theater in Glendale.  It’s not really as big a screen as the Don Drive-In, which is where I first saw the film when I was just a kid.  The lack of mosquitos at the Alex beats any issue of screen size, however.  And I never did like the citronella coils we had to set on fire on our dashboard to try and keep the mosquitos away.  If my dad - chain smoking Kools in the driver’s seat - isn’t keeping them away, why bother with citronella?

Set in Sonoma County wine country, “The Birds” wasn’t just suspenseful, it was downright scary.  Ordinary, everyday birds amassing for an attack on humans was a concept that tortured my “little kid thinking cap.”  Add in the Kennedy assassination, and that bewildering “what the hell happened to Elvis?” feeling, and 1963 was a pretty bad year for a kid.

It was a pretty good year for horror, though, with movies like “The Haunting,” “The Terror,” “The Ghost” and “The Day of the Triffids” hitting the screens that year.  The drive-ins were doing good business, I’m sure.

Trailers From Hell guru Eli Roth has a wonderful commentary on his turn with the trailer for “The Birds.”  He is so wrapped up in Hitchcock’s approach to the trailer, the actual movie has to take a back seat.  Come to think of it, Hitchcock’s trailer even put the movie in the back seat.

Cue the sound man, because when I was in the back seat of that 1960 Buick LeSabre station wagon at the Don Drive-In, what cut through the citronella and Kool smoke the most were the creepy sound effects in “The Birds.”  It was years before I could hear a crow without looking over my shoulder at the jungle gym.

Our wine pairing for “The Birds” is from Blackbird Vineyards of Napa Valley, not too far a drive from Bodega Bay.  “Paramour” is the name of the red blend, and the image on the bottle looks a lot like some birds are amassing for an attack on the wine cellar.  The notes of coffee will be useful when we are trying to stay awake on an all-night bird vigil.

We’re wingin’ it:

Smoking Loon Pinot Noir -  If you see a loon smoking, he’s bound to be a troublemaker.  If he smokes too much, send him back to the film noir movie from which he flew the coop.  If there are ten thousand loons smoking citronella, your worries will be bigger than mosquitos anyway.

Bird Wines - From the Omaka Valley of Marlborough, New Zealand comes this offering from winemaker Steve Bird.

Larry Bird Chardonnay - It looks like this wine may be out of production.  Napa Valley’s Cosentino Winery made it a few years back.  I had to mention it, even though ESPN beat me to the “surprisingly good for a white” joke.

Wine Markers - For your screening party featuring “The Birds,” get several sets and keep adding them to an unsuspecting guests glass when they aren’t looking.

Love Birds Wine Stopper - Well, it was the arrival of the love birds that started it all in Bodega Bay.  Apropos of nothing, the things pictured on this link are some of the most unusual looking items I’ve ever seen for sale.


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Pink Wine From Tavel With Kelly McAuliffe

There's a lot to learn about French wine and the regions from which they come.  It's a daunting task for many novice wine lovers.  Fortunately, there are opportunities to be instructed by experts.

The French Wine Society held a tutored tasting and masterclass April 25, 2012 in Los Angeles at the Hotel Wilshire.  American sommelier Kelly McAuliffe led the class of three dozen or so through a lesson and tasting of the wines of Tavel.

McAuliffe has been the sommelier for upper-tier restaurants in Las Vegas, Paris, Monte Carlo and Avignon.  He is a respected expert in the wines of the Rhône Valley and serves as a consultant to Inter-Rhône and other French wine agencies.  He also conducts guided wine tours of the Rhône Valley.  His passion for the rosés of Tavel are unabashed.

He summarized the challenges faced by Tavel producers in the global market by noting that "the horror of White Zinfandel has made it difficult to get people drinking dry rosé."  Dry rosés like the ones made in the Tavel region of the southern Rhône are "perfect for anywhere the weather is hot," said McAuliffe.  But he notes that when it comes to roses that are rich in color - like those of Tavel - the perception, "particularly among women, is that the wines are higher in alcohol and calories than the lighter-hued rosés of Provence.  That is not the case."

In Provence, rosés are made by the direct press method, which minimizes the grape skin’s contact with the juice.  For the grapes used to make rosé wines, the color is contained in the skin of the fruit.  Pressing the grapes without any skin contact produces a much lighter color in the wine than in the maceration process used in Tavel, in which the juice and skins are allowed to mingle together for a day or two.

McAuliffe presented a detailed look at the terroir of Tavel, showing it to be one of the warmest climates in France - second only to Languedoc - and possessing soil types that tend to produce wine rich in aromatics and minerality.

In the northern Rhône, granitic soils and steep hills are the rule, while in the south the land is flatter.  The southern Rhône was once an ocean - millions of years later it became a lake which eventually dried up.  The soils there are typical of this type of geological evolution.  The limestone of the ancient seabeds is what gives Tavel's dirt its demeanor.

Galets Roulés - This literally means “rolling stones,” rocks which have been rounded and smoothed by being swept along a in glacial flow.  These rocks are common in the southern Rhône, especially in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  The rocks hold heat, which helps give concentration to the grapes, and a higher alcohol content and tannic structure to the wine.

Garrigue - The wild-growing, aromatic vegetation on the alkaline rock soil imparts acidity, aroma and mineral notes to the grapes.

Red Clay - This clay-based soil is water retentive and iron rich, and gives power, tannins and age-worthiness to the wine.

Loess/Molasse - Wind-blown silt and sand provides warmth and fast draining.  Floral reds made to be consumed young are popular in this type of soil. Wines made from grapes grown in it are marked by freshness, finesse and elegance.

You can also  factor in the Mistral to the southern Rhône’s terroir.  This cold, dry northerly wind blows ferociously across the land at speeds of up to 60 mph for 130 days a year.  That's why vines are trained closer to the ground in the southern Rhône.  That’s also why the Dentelles-de-Montmirail Mountains are topped with a distinctive, bare rock ridge - the Mistral has blown the vegetation away over time.

McAuliffe displayed a Google Earth photo which clearly showed the different soils of Tavel appearing as different shades in the satellite image.

View Larger Map

Although McAuliffe maintains that wines from Tavel are age-worthy, he also cites that “most Tavel wine is consumed between April and August.

There were several Tavel rosés poured and tasted by the group:

Flight 1

Domaine de Tourtouil 2010
light pink color, gentle strawberry nose, good tannic structure, melon, cherry, minerals on palate

Domaine Le Vieux Moulin 2010
medium deep pink, herbal element on a Jolly Rancher nose,  smooth mouth, watermelon, strawberry

Domaine Moulin La Viguerie 2010
magenta, fruity cherry nose,  cherry and minerals, good tannins, acidity

Flight 2

Château de Trinquevedel 2011
salmon color, strawberry ,cherry nose,  great acidity, flinty edge to strawberry on palate

Domaine de la Mordoree - La Dame Rousse 2011
light salmon hue, great acidity, big cherry palate, minerality and tannins outstanding

Domaine Maby - Prima Donna 2011
deep salmon color, much rounder mouth, very full, great cherry, strawberry palate

Château d'Aqueria 2011
magenta color, earthy cherry nose, very full mouth with strawberry and minerals on palate


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Frances Berwyn Zinfandel 2008

Mat Garretson is the creator of this Zinfandel.  He also created other wines from the Francis Berwyn label as well as the label that bore his own name, the Garretson Wine Company.  He helped create Hospice du Rhone, the Paso Robles organization and event devoted to the grape varieties of the Rhone Valley.

Garretson was riding a wave of small successes and accolades with his winery when the economy took its toll on his business.  He now works for a distillery.  The Francis Berwyn Wineworks website - just a handful of blog posts from the same day around 5 years ago - explains that the name of this label originated from combining his sons’ names.

His other wine company website appears to be cast to the digital winds.  A page of advertisements occupies that URL.  There’s an interview with him on a blog from 2000, in which he talks a bit about the early days of the Hospice du Rhone, and a nice 2005 Wine Spectator profile about him.  The Los Angeles Times mentioned him in a 2010 article about financial struggles in the wine industry.

Garretson and I messaged back and forth briefly, and I mentioned I was a bit sad that he was no longer making wine.  His reply instructed me not to feel that way:  "I enjoyed my time there, but family takes precedence over everything. Am back on the production side of things...but now making & selling whiskey."

Here is what Garretson wrote about his ‘08 Zinfandel five years ago:

“Paso Robles has a well-earned reputation for great Zinfandels.  It seems these days most of them follow a similar path: big and bruising wines that deliver high-octane in every glass.  After one glass of one of these 'monster Zins', I'm done...figuratively and literally.  I choose to make a more refined, 'claret style' of Zinfandel. It exhibits textbook Paso Zin style, but in a much more elegant style.”

This wine's nose is unlike any Zin I’ve ever had.  It bears an almost perfumed bouquet - and I mean that literally.  Big, sweet, ripe fruit is matched whiff for whiff by a eucalyptus note.  I don’t think I’ve ever encountered such an overwhelming sense of both fruit and vegetation in the same wine.  There’s a bit of bramble, but not so much that I’d call it rustic - it actually does smell rather elegant.  The very full mouth is quite spicy with clove, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Blackberry and blueberry are both high profile in the palate.  The wine has a great tannic grip and a slight bramble note shows up again on the finish.

Garretson produced 2000 cases of this wine, which carries a 14% alcohol level.


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Stone IPA At Farmers Market Bar

It was a hot afternoon in Los Angeles, one of the first good warm spells of the spring.  When my errands took me to Third and Fairfax, I ducked in to the Farmers Market to visit an old hang I hadn't seen in a while.


The Farmers Market Bar - it may have an actual name, but nobody knows it if it does - was populated with folks who were thinking the same thing I was thinking.  "Let's beat the heat with a cold beer."

The crowd is always an eyeful at the big center bar in the open air market.  I watched the show on the barstools while I cooled myself with a frosty IPA.  There was the Korean couple having a friendly, yet intense, conversation.  I looked between them to see the television, where the Hawks were laying it on the Celtics, in the second quarter at least.

Four "dudes" met up and hugged and high-fived each other, but oddly, they moved on from there.  I would have bet money they were going for a couple of pitchers.  Tank-top guy was festooned with colorful tattoos.  He stayed.  There's always at least one walking body art gallery at that bar.  


An older fellow in shorts and sandals was smiling while reading the LA Times - the business section. The market must have been up, or else his former employer was down.  His casual dress told me he wasn't returning to work anytime soon.  There was a Pepperdine University T-shirt and a golf-logo cap at the bar as well.

I emailed my friend, Fredi, with a picture of the bar we had occasioned when he and I both lived very near the Farmers Market, in Park La Brea.  I live in another section of town now, and he lives in another section of the state.  I miss him quite often, but always when I'm at the Farmers Market Bar.  


One year, St. Patrick's Day fell on a Saturday and I met Fredi there around noon.  I was afraid I'd be too early, but when I arrived it was obvious he had been there a while.  He had made friends with most of the people at the bar while waiting for me.  He's like that.  It was a glorious afternoon.


This afternoon, I chilled with a Stone IPA.  For me, a warm afternoon calls for an IPA, one with some great citrus aromas and flavor.  To top it off, the pint glass was frosty.

Blood Of The Vines: Touch of Evil

Orson Welles wrote, directed and co-starred in “Touch of Evil” in 1958, at the end of what might be considered film noir’s golden era.  It was right at the end of Welles’ golden era, too.  He had been packing on the pounds by this point in his career, and was also drinking too much.  In fact, the most exercise he got in the whole decade was a three-minute-twenty-second tracking shot.

Welles’ massive girth in “Touch of Evil” is actually more the result of padding and makeup than actual weight gain, but it wouldn’t be long before he’d be doing his own stunts.  As spokesman for Paul Masson wines a decade or so later, he didn’t need the help of the makeup department to look like a guy who could put an all-you-can-eat buffet out of business.

Break out the Paul Masson for a “Cheers” to the lineup!  Welles and Charlton Heston (playing a Mexican) are joined by names like Janet Leigh, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Marlene Dietrich and Joseph Cotten.  A cast like that makes a toast mandatory, even if it is jug wine.

I understand the film was shot at night to minimize the number of studio executives hanging around the set.  Welles was no fan of suits, and he felt that if his shooting schedule conflicted with prime schmoozing time, they’d stay out of his hair.  If it hadn’t been for that, the movie may not have been a film noir at all, but a film du jour.

The film’s noirishness is defined by by the dingy, dusty setting of the fictional Border City.  It’s worth noting that actual border towns like Tijuana apparently were not run-down and seedy enough, so the movie was shot in Venice - which isn’t exactly a highlight for the Chamber of Commerce brochure.

Janet Leigh broke her arm before filming started, which caused some difficulty in shooting her scenes.  The cast on her arm had to be removed for some of the shots and replaced afterward.  It might have had some people thinking that she was told to “break a leg,” and missed.  Leigh’s agent reportedly enraged the actress by giving the role a pass on her behalf.  She felt being directed by a legend was worth more than money.  Maybe she broke her arm while instructing her agent to get back on the phone.

Let’s choose a wine for “Touch of Evil” before somebody unscrews the cap on a “Hearty Burgundy.”

Washington’s Gorman Winery  has a 70/30 blend of Red Mountain Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon called Evil Twin.  The 65-dollar question is, which grape is evil?

Other evil choices:

Evil Wine - This respected line from R Wines is made by South Australia winemaker Chris Ringland.

Pinot Evil - The little-known fourth monkey in the “hear no, see no, speak no” series.

Paul Masson commercial - This is the “Citizen Kane” of Orson Welles outtakes.  He just seems drunk, though, not evil.

Messmer Spätburgunder 2008

The desire for a late night stop after a movie hit us on the way home.  For Denise and me that's something which used to be reserved for vacation time. Since I'm on "involuntary extended vacation" now, we thought we'd take advantage of the fact that - for the moment, anyway - there's no such thing as a school night.

Vintage Enoteca is a small, dark "New York style" wine bar on Sunset Boulevard with a half dozen high tables inside.  The decor is spare and modern-looking.  The clientele appeared to be in coffeehouse mode - some chatty, with one woman even sitting alone working on her iPad while sipping a vino.  The service was quick to recognize that we were there, but problems ensued.

When we asked about the cheese plates, we were told they had over 50 cheeses available.  "Great," we said, because we like a good cheese selection.  "Can we see the cheese menu?"  "Uhmm," she purred, "There isn't a cheese menu per se but I can send her out to tell you about them.  "All 50 of them?"  "If you like."  To save everybody a big headache, we simply asked for "her" to surprise us.  We ordered the cheese and meat sampler - three cheeses and two meats for $15.

The three cheese selections we received were briefly stammered and the two meats were pointed at as well, but forget about digging any deeper.  Compared to the sort of attention  places like Cube and Artisan Cheese Gallery give to making sure the diner is aware of what's on the plate, this sort of approach was decidedly inferior.

The wine list looks decent - what I could see of it in the dark - and when my eyes were able to make out the word "Spätburgunder" I ordered.

Spätburgunder is German for Pinot Noir.  It's not something you see very often on restaurant wine lists in Los Angeles, so Vintage Enoteca get points for encouraging their patrons to explore off the beaten path.

The German Pinot I ordered is from Pfalz, the second-largest of Germany's 13 wine regions (Rheinhessen is the largest.)  Pfalz is said to be the sunniest and warmest of the German regions, with a climate that would put one in mind of Alsace.

The Messmer Spatburgunder appeals to me quite a bit. The smoky raspberry and black cherry nose is tempting and the palate offers a tart spread of cherry and raspberry.  The acidity is nice, and it went well with the cheeses and meats, whatever they were.

Denise ordered an Icelandic Ale.  It was an uncharacteristic order for Mrs. Now And Zin, but she's known for those.  She liked it, but the ale was so floral in aroma and flavor that it was a bit off-putting for me.  I'll stick with the Spätburgunder.

Spanish Wines From Whole Foods Market, Part Two

Whole Foods Market invited me to take part in a Twitter Tasting event featuring some of the Spanish wines they have in stock for the spring.  The event - on April 19, 2012 - took place over social media giant Twitter.  I and the other participants broke out the bottles supplied by our local Whole Foods, spread bottles and glasses and smartphones and computers across the kitchen table and went to work.  If you’d like to see how the conversation went, it’s here.


We tasted the wines and tweeted our findings, comparing notes with the others.  Here is how they tasted to me:

Castell de Raimat Albariño 2011


This Albariño is produced in Costers del Segre region near Lleida in Catalonia.  Costers del Segre is unusual for a wine region, in that it is made up of several different sub-zones which are scattered about the area in the northeastern corner of Spain, unconnected to one another.  The Whole Foods sommeliers informed us that Raimat is the biggest family-owned, single vineyard estate in Europe.


The lightly tinted white has a beautiful bouquet of pineapples, pears and flowers.  It’s a fairly intense nose, with aromas showing themselves plainly.  A slight fizziness shows in the glass.  Succulent lemon and lime flavors dominate the palate, and a zippy acidity feels playful in the mouth.  A lime zest flavor lingers after the sip.  12.5% abv.


Faustino Rioja 2010


The Rioja region is in northern Spain, where the strong winds can present a problem for grape growers.  The Cantabrian Mountains help protect Rioja from the nasty wind and also help keep the temperatures moderate.  The Ebro and Oja Rivers figure into the region’s geography.


This Rioja red is amazing.  It’s a fairly dark ruby color and the nose knocks me out.  Blackberry and cassis come forward in strong fashion, with a trace of oak notes in the background.  The palate is just luscious, and it shows cassis even stronger than on the nose and features a slight hint of chocolate.  A great acidity livens up the silky mouthfeel.  This is a very good Tempranillo. 13% abv.


Más de Leda Tempranillo  2008


This wine is labeled as Tierra de Castilla y León.  Adding “Tierra de” to the region’s name allows the bodega the freedom to source grapes from outside the appellation if they so desire.  These Tempranillo grapes come from old vine, low-yielding vineyards in the Duero River Valley of northern Spain.


Medium-dark ruby in the glass, the nose is a delightful mix of cherry candy and anise.  Black cherry and blackberry are most noticeable on the palate, with a spicy streak running through it.  The finish has black licorice and cinnamon notes lasting quite some time.

Whole Foods Market featured Spanish wines include:

Hermanos Lurton Verdejo from Rueda

Castell de Raimat Albariño from Costers del Segre in Catalan

Spartico Organic Tempranillo from Valencia 

Protos Tinto Fino from Ribera del Duero 

Faustino Rioja from Rioja

Maximo Tempranillo from La Mancha 

Más de Leda Tempranillo from Castilla y León 

La Vendimia Granacha Tempranillo from Rioja 

Cellars Can Blau Blau Cariñena Garnacha-Syrah from Priorat 

Monte Oton Garnacha from Campo de Borja

Castillo de Monséran Garnacha from Cariñena

Castaño Organic Monastrell from Yecla 

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Wine And Pot

It has been an open secret for quite a while that some California winemakers like to make wine infused with marijuana - not for sale, of course, but for personal amusement among their close friends.

Michael Steinberger, writing in The Daily Beast,  blazed up the wine blogosphere recently when he wrote about one winemaker - nameless save for Steinberger’s nom de fumar, “Bud” - who regularly makes pot-juiced wine.  And you were worried about Pinot Noir producers slipping in a little Syrah on the sly.

What does cannabis wine taste like?  Don’t ask me - I guess I look too square to be offered a snort.  Steinberger said it was nothing to make you forget about Burgundy, and as for the smell, he says the sample he tried “had a pungent herbal aroma that called to mind a college dormitory on a Saturday night—that, or a Grateful Dead concert.”

The recipe is pretty simple: start fermenting some wine in a cask and drop in a pound of weed and wait nine months.  The alcohol extracts the THC from the herb.  Steinberger quotes Crane Carter, president of the Napa Valley Marijuana Growers: “pot wine delivers a quicker high than pot brownies, and the combination of alcohol and marijuana produces ‘an interesting little buzz.’”

The next time you’re stopping at tasting rooms in California wine country, keep an eye out for the telltale package of Oreos or Nutter Butters on the bar.  That may be a tip that there’s some homegrown brew to inquire about.


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Blood Of The Vines: The French Connection

Wine Goes To The Movies With
Now And Zin Wine And Trailers From Hell

While casting about for a French wine and movie pairing, it occurred to me how much French stuff we find all around us.  That's no surprise if you are in France, of course.  You expect it there.  But in the United States we sure have a lot of French stuff on hand.  French wine, of course, comes high on my list, but how about:

The French Paradox - The conundrum of how a nation of people who eat the richest, fattiest food in the world have a low rate of heart disease.  Give credit to the wine, by the way.

The French Quarter - A place where you can either have a really great time, or get rolled.  See: The French Quarter Paradox.

The French Jerry Lewis - Well, there is only one Jerry Lewis.  The French claim him and have been loaning him to us on Labor Day for years.

The French Laundry - That Napa Valley restaurant where the meal is so expensive you can't afford the wine.  See: The French Restaurant Paradox.

The French Crepe - A restaurant in the Farmers Market on Fairfax.  Not to be confused with the French creep, who hangs out at that hot dog place on Fairfax.

The French Dip - A sandwich originated at Philippe’s.  At least that’s the story Philippe tells.

The French Inhaler - The act of inhaling cigarette smoke through the nostrils as it is being exhaled from the mouth.  At least that’s how dad explained it to me when mom was listening.

The French Twist - A classic hairstyle that involves reaching behind the head and twisting a ponytail until it turns in on itself, then fastening it to the remaining hair.  It’s one of those things women do all the time, but men could never figure out how to accomplish it.

The French Open - One of the biggest reasons John  McEnroe had a bad temper.

The French Connection - a drug smuggling operation in which Turkish heroin was run through Marseille, France on its way to the United States.  It began in the 1930s, but wasn’t until 1971 that they made the movie about it.

Great Gene Hackman, great car chase, great bye-bye wave.

Since the whole plan ran through Marseille, let’s not fight the urge.  Let’s go Provence.  Nearly all they make there is rosé wine. Maybe you can’t picture Popeye Doyle drinking a pinkie.  You can picture him breaking a pinkie, but for drinks, he was probably a Harvey Wallbanger kind of guy.  The weather's turning warmer, the drugs are being run through Marseille, we don't want a Harvey Wallbanger... yes.  Provence it is.

A dry rosé is thing of beauty, and with an ugly ol’ cops’n’drug lords movie dirtying up the room, why not have something beautiful around.  Domaine Tempier is probably the most respected and coveted rosé wine in the world.  Critic Robert Parker raved about it, so the price is north of $40 per bottle - pretty expensive for a rosé.  We can have great wine for less.

Other French connections:

Chateau de Peyrassol Côtes de Provence Rosé - They've been harvesting grapes in this section of Provence since 1256 - that's not the time, that's the year.

Chateau de Pampelonne Côtes de Provence Rosé - Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah.  That's how they roll on the Riviera.

Andrieux & Fils Côtes de Provence Rosé - Looks like salmon, tastes like peaches.  Much better than the other way around.

Domaine de la Fouquette Côtes de Provence Rosé - We really just want to stand behind you and listen while you ask the salesperson for this one.