Two Wonderful Georgian Wines

Sun Wine is wine from Georgia - the country, not the state.  No Foghorn Leghorn imitations are needed, but if you can manage a decent Eastern European or Western Asian accent, get that one going as you pour.  The republic of Georgia has more than 500 grape varieties on vine.  The label on the bottles mention that in 2016 archaeologists discovered clay vessels in the country containing cultivated grape seeds that date back to 6,000 B.C. - prompting Sun Wines to lay claim that Georgia was the birthplace of wine.

The Sun Wine story dates back more than 50 years, when grand-dad Mzekalashvili planted some Rkatsiteli vines and started making wine.  He used - as does the present winery - qvevri, giant terracotta clay pots in which the grapes turn into wine.  Sun Wines are brought to the U.S. by Georgian wine importer Sada Wine Imports of Philadelphia.

The 2018 Saperavi is a dry red wine made from Saperavi grapes - the name means "to give color," which they do indeed in this dark wine.  The wine has an alcohol level of only 12% abv and sells for about $18.  It really took me back a bit, to Spanada, a wine my mother used to drink back in the 1970s.  That is not an insult, by the way, but a compliment.

The nose on the Saperavi is dark and rich, just beautiful.  Aromas of blackberry and cassis join with savory notes of tobacco and leather.  The palate brings black cherry into play and a fresh acidity keeps it lively.  The wine tastes young, but is still plenty complex.

The 2018 Tsinandali is a dry white wine made from 80% Rkatsiteli and 20% Mtsvane grapes, sourced in the Tsinandali appellation, in the Telavi region.  Alcohol hits 12.5% abv and the retail price is about $17.

This wine's nose is a little bit apricot, a little bit floral; a little bit citrusy, a little bit saline.  There is even an earthy lanolin note coming through.  The palate is where the Tsinandali really makes its mark.  It has highly unusual flavors, most of which lean into the savory side of the spectrum.  The apricot is tempered by a nutty taste, reminiscent of - but not replicating - a Roussanne, or maybe a North American white wine.  Acidity is great.  I'm glad I had the opportunity to sample this grape.

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Blood Of The Vines - Robert Shaw Week

Pairing‌ ‌wine‌ ‌with‌ ‌movies!‌  ‌See‌ ‌the‌ ‌trailers‌ ‌and‌ ‌hear‌ ‌the‌ ‌fascinating‌ ‌commentary‌ ‌for‌ ‌these‌ ‌movies‌ ‌and‌ ‌many‌ ‌more‌ ‌at‌ ‌Trailers‌ ‌From‌ ‌Hell.‌  ‌This week, we find wine pairings for three films starring the late Robert Shaw.  Whether you know him as Henry VIII, Doyle Lonnegan or Quint, he was a special talent and deserves a special toast.  After all, he has a pub bearing his name in his home town near Manchester - however, it is currently closed during the pandemic.

In 1973's The Hireling, Robert Shaw plays a chauffeur who flips for the upper-crust woman in the back seat of the Rolls, Sarah Miles.  Set in post-WWI England, all the characters seem to be dealing with one post-traumatic depression or another.  Shaw does not get the girl - that might have been considered "jumping the shark."  That opportunity comes along in the next movie.

Chauffeurs and wine go together like pub crawls and designated drivers.  SoCal wine lovers can book a car to drive you to drink in Santa Barbara, Solvang, the Santa Ynez Valley and even Temecula.  We've all seen limos hogging the parking lots at our favorite wineries.  When the world reopens someday, take a wine country ride and leave the driving to someone sober.

Steven Spielberg put Peter Benchley's book, Jaws, to celluloid in 1975.  Shaw plays a professional shark hunter, which has to look odd in the "occupation" blank on the tax returns every year.  It has to be a tough way to make a living, too.  Think how many shark-tooth necklaces you have to sell just to pay the note on your boat - even though you need a bigger one.  Shaw reportedly didn’t like the book and wanted to pass on the role of Quint.  His wife and secretary convinced him otherwise, as they did with From Russia With Love.

In Jaws, Quint chugs and crushes a Narragansett beer, a feat that was tougher in '75 than it is now because today's Narragansett cans are 40% lighter.  Get your hands on a case of the Rhode Island brew and chug a few for Quint.

In 1965, Shaw joined an all-star cast for Battle of the Bulge.  Sporting names like Henry Fonda, Telly Savalas, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews, and Charles Bronson, the movie was filmed in Ultra Panavision 70 and shown in 70-millimeter Cinerama.  Shaw plays a heavy, a German officer who heads up a Panzer tank division for the attack on American forces.  His remark that "petrol is blood" comes true when his tank gets blown up by a fuel barrel.  The movie came under criticism for taking liberties with the actual facts of the battle.  Hey, what did you expect?  It's a movie!

Get a wine that smells like petrol - gasoline to U.S. folks - for Battle of the Bulge.  An aged Riesling often shows what is called the "petrol note" in wine circles.  You'll find great Rieslings from the Alsace region.  France and Germany have a history of fighting over the small area, but you won't have to fight too hard to get an expressive Riesling wine.  It's worth it.

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Pink In Provence: Château des Bormettes

Most of the wine made in France's Provence region is pink.  It's what they do - they make wonderfully dry and crisp rosé wines.  I was recently supplied with several examples of Provencal pinkies, and this is one of them.

Château des Bormettes has been a family business since 1920, back when the area was known more for its mines than its wines.  The mining of lead ore and zinc ended in 1929, but the estate dates back five centuries.  The vineyard is a mere half mile from the Mediterranean Sea, and it yields Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Rolle (Vermentino), Mourvèdre and Carignan grape varieties, all sustainably grown.

L’Argentière 2019 is a Côtes de Provence wine made from Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle (Vermentino) grapes.  It is aged on its lees in concrete tanks to give the wine a full, creamy mouthfeel.  Alcohol hits 14.5% abv and the retail price settles in just under $20.

This wine's nose gives off minerals notes, aromas of red fruit and citrus.  There is a floral hint, too.  Red berries on the palate, with a nice acidity and creamy mouthfeel at the same time.  This is a very fine rosé which will pair wonderfully with seafood or snacks.

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Pink In Provence: Love By Leoube

Most of the wine made in France's Provence region is pink.  It's what they do - they make wonderfully dry and crisp rosé wines.  I was recently supplied with several examples of Provencal pinkies, and this is one of them.

Love by Léoube 2017 is a Côtes de Provence wine blended by Romain Ott for Love Wine, a wine merchant in Jersey in the Channel Islands.  The store was founded by Chris Rogers - first as an e-commerce site, later as a brick-and-mortar outlet.  Château Léoube is located in the commune of Bormes-les-Mimosas.  

The rosé wine is made from Grenache and Cinsault grapes, pressed directly and fermented in stainless steel tanks.  Alcohol hits a restrained 13% abv, and the retail price is about $15.

This wine looks beautiful in the glass - medium pink, leaning towards orange.  The nose is fruity and laced with minerals.  Big strawberry and cherry notes are abetted by lemon and orange peel.  The palate is flinty and dry with a racy acidity and a long finish laced with citrus.  Pair it with fish or chicken, or with turkey or ham. 

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Blood Of The Vines - Still Going Viral

Pairing‌ ‌wine‌ ‌with‌ ‌movies!‌  ‌See‌ ‌the‌ ‌trailers‌ ‌and‌ ‌hear‌ ‌the‌ ‌fascinating‌ ‌commentary‌ ‌for‌ ‌these‌ ‌movies‌ ‌and‌ ‌many‌ ‌more‌ ‌at‌ ‌Trailers‌ ‌From‌ ‌Hell.‌  ‌You may have heard, they've got this pandemic going on.  Well, viral is as viral does, so hitch up that mask and delve into the ‌wine‌ ‌pairings‌ ‌for‌ ‌three‌ ‌films‌ ‌of a viral nature.‌  ‌

Space aliens try to take over the world in 1999's Virus.  They use, as a starting point, an ocean-going tugboat.  I don't get that either, but it probably contributes to the film's status as a cult attraction.  It was likely one of those celluloid aberrations that got mentioned every time friends gathered to watch the film - back when friends could gather to watch a film.

Big names like Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland are in Virus, which makes it seem that we'll be quarantined in good company.  Don't get your hopes up too high, though.  Critics decried everything about Virus, from the stupid script to the bad lighting.

Those ETs found that a tugboat could get them to any port in a storm, so let's pair a Port with Virus.  Real Port comes from Portugal, so wineries in other places should refer to their fortified wines as Port-style, not Port.  Try one of the great Ports from Warre's, a label of the Symington family.  They have one for every taste.

David Cronenberg wrote and directed Rabid in 1977.  This horror movie stars former porn star Marilyn Chambers, just a half decade after she burst into the public eye with Behind the Green Door.  She plays patient one in a breakout of a new strain of rabies which sweeps Canada.  She infects others by sucking their blood through an appendage that grew in her armpit after an experimental procedure in a hospital.  That will make you think twice about expecting a trip to the ER to fix anything.

Cartlidge and Brown made a Rabid Red blend, assembling Foothills Syrah, Monterey Cabernet and Napa Zinfandel in one easy-to-carry bottle.  It seems to be sold out at this time, possibly because it took only a $15 bite out of your wallet.

In 1971's The Andromeda Strain, it's an extraterrestrial organism - stowed away in a satellite that crashes to earth - that kills nearly everybody in a small town.  How small is it?  The mice are hunchbacked.  Every time a baby is born, someone else has to leave town.  The town doctor has time to poke around on crashed satellites in his office.  That small.  The special effects were masterminded by Douglas Trumball, whose work you may have gotten high with in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Andromeda Rare Wine and Whisky promises to track down anything that tickles your fancy, the rarer the better.  They are not a bargain option, but then there's always the corner liquor store if price or promptness are an issue.

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Pink In Provence: L'Excellence Des Muraires

 

Most of the wine made in France's Provence region is pink.  It's what they do - they make wonderfully dry and crisp rosé wines.  I was recently supplied with several examples of Provencal pinkies, and this is one of them.

The Bernard Magrez L'Excellence des Muraires 2019 is a great example of what you get when you seek out a Côtes de Provence rosé wine.  Magrez is mainly known for his four grand cru châteaux in Bordeaux, but this pink wine comes from his estate in the south of France, Chateau Des Muraires.

Made from three grapes - 46% Grenache, 41% Rolle (Vermentino) and 13% Syrah - the wine was fermented in concrete and aged in huge oak barrels, on the lees.  Alcohol sits at 14.5% abv  - a little higher than a typical Provence rosé - and it retails for about $35.

This wine shows a very light color in the glass, sort of an onion skin shade.  The nose offers minerality first, a flinty aroma with strawberry and cherry notes more subdued.  The sip is beautiful, with minerals again leading the way and a fresh acidity that is softened by the creaminess of the lees.

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California Viognier Blend

Windsor Vineyards was founded by Rodney Strong in 1959.  Today they are based in Santa Rosa, California.  It seems that personalized labeling is a big part of what Windsor does.  The winery's website provides endless urging to select a custom label.  Strong originated the specialty when he put his best customers' names on the bottles they bought.  It's still a thing for Windsor today.

These days, the Windsor Viognier has a California appellation, with no indication of where the Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Muscat grapes for the blend were grown.  Alcohol is quite low, just 12% abv.  The wine retails for $16, but customized labels are extra.

This wine shows a light golden hue in the glass.  It gives off a nose of honeysuckle, lemon and apricot, with a palate that is just as sweet.  The acidity is fresh, but not ripping, and the finish of Meyer lemon lasts a good while.  It's a great wine to put on the holiday table - pairs well with turkey, ham and stuffing. 

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Blood Of The Vines - What's In A Name?

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week we examine wine pairings for three films which have in common … a name in the title.  Hey, they can't all be diamonds - there's a pandemic on, y'a know.

 Jeremy is the 1973 high-school romance movie which relates to the Pearl Jam song of the same name, in name only.  That's a good thing, because the song is a real bummer.  Besides being a fairly good flick, the movie, Jeremy, reportedly has the distinction of spawning a real life love affair between the principals.

Robbie Benson plays a cello-studying, dog-walking, poetry-reading, chess-playing 15-year-old who follows the ponies.  He falls for Glynnis O’Connor - can you blame him? - but they never make it to the track to place a bet.  They have a short teenage love affair - as if there is another kind - and in fine early '70s fashion, the ending leaves a few tears in our eyes.  Enjoy Detroit, missy.

We're going to need something on the happy side for Jeremy, so let's grab a chocolate Port from Jeremy Wine Company, located in downtown Lodi.  You're probably not shelling out more than four bucks to see the film, so go ahead and spring for a $28 bottle of sweet that will soften the inevitable heartbreak.

The 2011 thriller, We Need to Talk About Kevin, features Tilda Swinton as a woman who drew the bad luck card in motherhood and Ezra Miller as a child who should not have been given the gift of life.  When I told my wife I was writing about this film, she nearly burst into tears and said it was one of the saddest stories she could remember.  The laughs are not coming easily this week.

Suffice it to say, if you think your offspring might be a sociopath, don't give him a weapon as a gift.

You may know Kevin O'Leary from TV's Shark Tank, but he also makes wine.  I should say, he also sells wine … the bottles happen to have his name on them.  It's high class stuff - you can get it in red, white or pink.

1973's Charley Varrick features Walter Matthau as a bank robber.  That casting error aside, let's focus on imagining Oscar Madison as a hardened criminal.  At least he was good at it.  He seems to be the only one left alive at the end of the film.  Better luck imagining him as a crop duster, which the script attempts to pass off as well.  

The movie was received fairly well by critics, if not by Clint Eastwood, for whom the role of Varrick was intended.  He turned it down.  Matthau himself reportedly didn't think much of the finished product.

We'll alter the spelling a bit to pair Varick wine with Charley Varrick.  The New York winery is on the shore of one of the Finger Lakes - Cayuga.  Their Cabernet Franc looks enticing, but I'd beware the bright pink ones.  Steer toward the rosé labeled as "dry."

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Recipe: Prime Rib Chili

Here is the winning recipe in the promotional push engineered by the folks from San Marzano tomatoes.  Bunni Bixler's recipe for prime rib chili earned her a gift basket full of good products, including those wonderful Italian canned tomatoes.

Prime Rib Chili

1 1/2 pound prime rib

Three whole zucchinis

1 1/2 yellow onions

1 15 1/2 ounce can pinto beans

1 15 1/2 ounce can black beans

1 800 gram can Pomadoro San Marzano dell Agro Sarnese-Nocerino D.O.P.

Chili powder

Granulated garlic

Salt

Pepper

Cumin powder

Raw Sugar

Measure to your taste

Directions:

Chop all vegetables in bite-size pieces.  

Chop prime rib into bite-size pieces.

Brown onions with prime rib on a medium heat. Add seasonings, zucchini and keep stirring. Add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn stove down to simmer and cover for one hour and a half. Add more seasoning if necessary. Side note: If you wish, chili can be served with grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

As an extra bonus, Bunni got to choose someone else to receive a gift basket.  She chose her doctor, Blanche Watson.  Here is why:

"As the world struggles through our deadly pandemic, every day our health care workers put their lives on the line for us.  My doctor, Blanche Watson, is a true hero.  She was set to retire, date announced, retirement adventures planned, and then people began to get sick and die from COVID-19.  Dr. Watson immediately cancelled her retirement plans.  She continues to work, caring for her patients, and being a support through these troubling times.  Dr. Watson has given me a great deal of emotional support.  She’s a constant source of encouragement.  Like me, I'm sure her other patients are grateful that she continues to work. We hope the new year finally brings her a chance to retire!"  - Bunni Bixler   

Red Wines From Chile

Primus was established at a time when the Chilean winemaking vision was rather conservative.  The winery says the name - Primus - means "first of its kind," the first in the nation to blend Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère.

The Primus winemaker, Sofía Araya, was born, raised and schooled in Chile.  The winery reports that she is a perfect fit for their organic program, and that she knows well how to make wines which have a sense of place.  Agricultural manager José Aguirre directed the migration to organic farming for all three of the Primus estates - Casablanca, Apalta and Marchigüe.  The Primus wines are imported in the U.S. by Gonzalez Byass.

Primus Apalta Carménère 2018

The Apalta Vineyard is in Colchagua, where the hundred-year-old vines grow on the terraced shores of the Tinguiririca River.  The wine was aged in French oak, one-fifth of which was new.  Alcohol hits 14% abv and it sells for around $15.

This wine has a fragrant nose of cassis, blackberry and licorice.  A hint of black pepper also comes through.  On the palate a large serving of dark fruit hits first, with sweet oak spice and a savory note of earth.  The tannins are easy enough on the mouthfeel, but firm enough to serve a purpose at the table.  The savory aspect lingers on the generous finish. 

Primus Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

From the Maipo Valley, these grapes grew along the terraced shores of the Maipo River, in the foothills of the Andes Mountains.  Alcohol reaches 13.5% abv and the wine sells for around $17.

This Chilean Cab has an earthy, rustic nose full of dark berries, leather and sage.  The palate shows the blackberry up front and leaves an herbal trail along the lengthy finish.  The tannins are firm, but not raspy and the acidity is vibrant enough to promote plenty of lip-smacking.  Fans of Napa Cabs might not be wowed by this one, but if you like the Cabs of Paso Robles, you may find a friend in this bottle.

Primus Apalta The Blend 2017

Back now to Apalta for a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Carménère, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 5% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Franc.  Alcohol stands at 14% abv and the retail sticker shows about $17.

This six-grape blend is as aromatic as one might expect from Carménère, PV, Merlot, Syrah and Cabs Franc and Sauvignon.  There is much dark fruit on the nose, along with cigar box, leather, cedar and licorice.  The palate is bold, too, with a complex flavor profile and tannins which are useful but not overpowering.  

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Blood Of The Vines - The Mills Family

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, the Mills Family - John, Haley and Juliet.- not to be confused with the Mills Brothers.  How many holiday meals will have face masks as a side dish?

1959's Tiger Bay stars John Mills and daughter Hayley Mills, in her first movie role.  It's a tasty role for a young actress, as she gets to expose a killer while at the same time generating sympathy for him.  There is a murder - a crime of passion - committed by a sailor played by Horst Buchholz.  He returns from a sea voyage to find his girlfriend has taken up with a sportscaster.  Pause here for uproarious laughter, at the mere thought that a 1950s sportscaster was able to steal someone's girlfriend.  I knew plenty of sportscasters in my broadcast days and, let me tell you, none of them got the girl.  

Horst is drawn up as a pretty good guy when he jumps off a ship to save Haley, who fell overboard right in front of him.  The heroic move costs him a trip beyond the three-mile mark, his jurisdictional salvation.  It's great that he saved the girl, but we can only wish that his girlfriend had been so lucky.  

There is an $18 Chardonnay produced - or, at least labeled - by the Flagler Tiger Bay Club.  The outfit is based in Palm Coast, Florida, about halfway between Jacksonville and Orlando, but there may be as many as 20 other outposts in the state.  They claim to be a non-partisan political group, but we'll try not to hold that against them, since they hold civility as one of their guiding principles.  I suppose that means Citizen Trump won't be one of their guest speakers.

Avanti!, from 1972, stars another John Mills offspring - daughter Juliet - who shares the screen with Jack Lemmon.  The script for the romcom was written by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, so there is a pedigree to be considered.  If you don't think it’s funny enough, welcome to the club.  Wilder reportedly didn't care for the finished product and claimed he didn't write it as a comedy in the first place.  So, there.

Wine plays a tangential role in the movie.  A deadly auto accident that serves as the film's linchpin happens at an Italian vineyard, and the owners prove to be unhappy that their vines were damaged by the crash.  Colorado's Avanti Winery comes to mind, but wouldn't you rather have a nice Ligurian Vermentino?  I thought so.  

Hayley Mills takes the lead in 1960’s Pollyanna, the first of six Disney films in which Mills would star.  This one was taken from a series of books, from which arose the term Pollyanna.  As her name indicates, Mills is an impossibly cheerful kid, an orphan, who is shipped off to live with her rich aunt.  The aunt turns out to be a bit on the mean side.  Through her actions, Pollyanna falls off the house and is paralyzed.  Predictably, that bums her out a bit.  But spirits soar before the end credits as there is a doctor who can fix everything.  Classic Disney - cue Rex Allen for the voiceover.

D’Arenberg's Pollyanna Polly is a sparkler from South Australia's Adelaide Hills.  You’ll find it hard to wipe that smile off your face when the bubbles start tickling your little nosey-wosey.

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Great White Wine From Santa Barbara County

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He sniffs out good wine which has already been produced by established makers, then buys it on the down low with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club - he calls it a wineocracy - bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middlemen, the distributor and retailer through which store-bought wines must pass.

Lot 676 White Blend Santa Barbara County 2016

This beautiful white wine consists of 49% Roussanne grapes, 27% Viognier and 24% Marsanne.  The fruit was harvested "from one of California’s iconic producers of Rhône varietals … in cool climate vineyards bathed in cold coastal breezes from the Pacific Coast, whole cluster pressed, and barrel aged ... before blending."

Hughes says, "there might not be any wine producing region in California that delivers better value per dollar than Santa Barbara."  Alcohol sits at 14.3% abv and the wine sells for $14.  Roussanne is my favorite white grape, and if you can find one at twice that price, please let me know.

The wine's nose is very expressive and full of apricot, almonds, anise and Meyer lemon.  The mouthfeel is weighty and the acidity is medium-vibrant.  Flavors like stone fruit and citrus leads the way, while the Roussanne's notes of nuts and salinity are balanced by the floral aspect of the Viognier.  This is a versatile white wine for pairing with food.  It will be a hit on your holiday table.

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Wine From The Limestone Hills Of Paso Robles

Brecon Estate is a boutique winery in Paso Robles, in the rolling hills of the region's West Side, the Adelaida District.  Welsh winemaker Damian Grindley and Australian entrepreneur Simon Hackett combine their talents to produce small batches of wine which are produced through passion.  Grindley loves the limestone soil of the Central Coast and the wines which come from it.

The Brecon estate sports vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Malbec and more - some of which were planted years ago by a pioneer of the region.

The 2018 Brecon Estate Cabernet Franc Reserve was made from the grapes of Paso Robles’ Adelaida District, 89% Cab Franc and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The winery says that both varieties are among the oldest planted in Paso.  Alcohol hits 15.2% abv and the wine sells for $73.

This wine has a medium-dark ruby tint to it.  The nose has dark fruit, a touch of bell pepper and other herbal scents.  Fruit plays large on the palate, and the acidity is refreshing while the tannins are razor sharp.  Herbal elements linger on the delightful finish.

The 2018 Brecon Estate Mourvèdre also hails from Paso's Adelaida District.  It is a single-vineyard hilltop wine which carries alcohol at 14.8% abv and retails for $64.

This wine shows a medium color in the glass with a little shading at the edge.  The nose is full of ripe blackberry, cassis, smoke, cigar box and clove.  The palate is rich and full, with dark fruit and sweet oak spice providing a counterpoint to the savory notes of minerality.  The acidity is fresh and the tannins are firm.

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Blood Of The Vines - C'est Paree

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  This week, it’s a virtual trip to France… or at least Texas.  Check your tickets before departing so you'll know how to respond when someone asks who got your vote in the election.

Jazz fans should remember 1961's Paris Blues, starring Sidney Poitier and Paul Newman.  Guest shots by Louis Armstrong and a soundtrack headed up by the Duke Ellington Orchestra lend strong jazz cred to the film.  The story - of two expat jazzmen in Paris - compares race relations in the U.S. with the more freewheeling French way.  Early drafts of the script reportedly focused on an interracial relationship, but then steered away from that angle, prompting Poitier to say later that he felt the studio "chickened out."  Maybe they chickened out, maybe they were just jive turkeys.  In the end, no one gets the girls.

What better to pair with a swingin', be-boppin' movie like Paris Blues than something from Jazz Cellars, due east of Lodi in the Sierra Foothills community of Murphys.  They have single-vineyard Grenache, Syrah and Zinfandel in the $35 range.

The 1984 Wim Wenders film, Paris, Texas, stars Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell and Nastassja Kinski.  Some scenes in the movie were shot in my home town of Port Arthur, Texas.  While Stanton and Stockwell fit well into the downtown surroundings, the locals got a pretty good buzz going from having Nastassja Kinski around.  She was definitely not your typical Texas gal.

After watching Stanton wander wordlessly through the dusty Texas backroads, you're going to want something wet to whistle down your throat pipe.  Try a New Zealand wine, Alexander Dusty Road Pinot Noir.  It's fruity, it's juicy and it's only $27.

The 1972 Bernardo Bertolucci film, Last Tango in Paris, was originally rated X due to its themes of sexual violence.  I feel that people who find Marlon Brando's sexual violence interesting fall into the category of "it takes all kinds."  After viewing one notorious scene, you'll never see butter the same way again.  The score by Gato Barbieri is a real treat.

JaM Cellars has a California Chardonnay called Butter, so let's pair that with Last Tango and avert our eyes.  Get the full Butter experience - well, the wine part, at least - for $16.

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A Pair Of Wines From L.A.'s Oldest Winery

The California wine industry got its start in 1833 by Jean-Louis Vignes, a winemaker who brought vines from Bordeaux to downtown L.A.  Within 50 years, the beautiful climate helped produce a thriving wine industry, one that was bigger than any in the U.S.  Southern California was known then for grapes, not gridlock.

The oldest winemaking outfit in Los Angeles is San Antonio Winery.  They started downtown, but now they own vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey, and Napa Valley.  They even have an Italian branch on the family tree, which produces Stella Rosa wines.  That winery is located in Piedmont, in the Asti region.

San Antonio Winery was founded in 1917 by Santo Cambianica, a young Italian immigrant who went straight from Ellis Island to L.A. to begin his foray into the American Dream.  In 1933, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles granted Cambianica permission to make sacramental wines.  That move spared San Antonio Winery the fate which befell the other hundred or so wineries in Southern California during Prohibition - a quick trip out of business.  Stefano Riboli soon came to work in the winery and the fourth generation of the family now operates the business.

San Simeon Pinot Noir Estate Reserve Monterey 2018

The Riboli family's Monterey vineyards - Loma Vista and Sarmento - overlook the Santa Lucia Highlands.  The family also has estate vineyards in the Arroyo Seco appellation.  This Pinot Noir has alcohol at 14.9% abv and a retail price of $19.

This wine is medium dark in the glass and gives up the telltale Pinot Noir aromas of black tea and cola.  There are also blackberry notes in the nose.  The palate comes on strong, with dark fruit, cola and a nice acidity.  The tannins are on the gentle side of firm.  It is a bit riper and brawnier than I like Pinot to be, but that's how it is so often in California wine.  

Stella Rosa Golden Honey Peach Il Conte 2017

Although they don't get too specific on the label, this wine was made from Italian grapes, likely from Piedmont's Asti region.  It's a semi-sweet style, leaning more towards the sweet than the semi.  Alcohol is quite low, at 5% abv, and the wine sells for $13.

This fun wine is not to be overthought.  It smells like stone fruit and honey, so it was aptly named.  Rather tastes like that, too, with some light effervescence on the pour.  While it is not a wine that shows much complexity, it is an affable quaff, one that could be welcome in a number of casual scenarios.  5% abv.

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Bordeaux Grapes From Paso Robles' West Side

Brecon Estate is a boutique winery in Paso Robles, in the rolling hills of the region's West Side, the Adelaida District.  Welsh winemaker Damian Grindley and Australian entrepreneur Simon Hackett combined their talents to produce small batches of wine which were produced through passion.  Grindley loves the limestone soil of the Central Coast and the wines which come from it.

The Brecon estate sports vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Malbec and more - some of which were planted years ago by a pioneer of the region.

The 2018 Brecon Estate Cabernet Franc Reserve was made from the grapes of Paso Robles' Adelaida District, 89% Cab Franc and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The winery says that both varieties are among the oldest planted in Paso.  Alcohol hits 15.2% abv and the wine sells for $73.

This wine has a medium-dark ruby tint to it.  The nose has dark fruit, a touch of bell pepper and other herbal scents.  Fruit plays large on the palate, and the acidity is refreshing while the tannins are razor sharp.  Herbal elements linger on the delightful finish.

The 2018 Brecon Estate Mourvèdre also hails from Paso's Adelaida District.  It is a single-vineyard hilltop wine which carries alcohol at 14.8% abv and retails for $64.

This wine shows a medium color in the glass with a little shading at the edge.  The nose is full of ripe blackberry, cassis, smoke, cigar box and clove.  The palate is rich and full, with dark fruit and sweet oak spice providing a counterpoint to the savory notes of minerality.  The acidity is fresh and the tannins are firm.

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Blood Of The Vines - It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad... Housewife?

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  If the pandemic has turned your household upside down and inside out, don't get mad.  Get mad, mad, mad, mad.  For the soul of the country, y'all.

Of course, it was possible for anxiety to back up on you even in 1970.  Diary of a Mad Housewife has Carrie Snodgress in the title role.  She can't get satisfaction in her marriage, in her affair or in her therapy group.  It sounds like a job for Calgon, but life has gotten so bad for her that even a long, hot soak won't fix it.

Surely a Mad Housewife wine will pair with this film like it was born to do so.  It is a "mommy wine" aimed at a broader spectrum of women who are in sore need of drinking alone, kids or no kids.

1963's It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World was Stanley Kramer's first attempt at directing a comedy, and it was a big success.  The movie was nominated for six Oscars, but only won the one for best sound editing.

The all-star cast chases after $350,000 in stolen cash.  These days you likely couldn't sell a story about a group of people getting excited about such a paltry sum.  You'd have to have at least a billion-dollar payoff to make it believable.  See Mike Myers' Dr. Evil for a quick lesson on how much to ask.

The movie should attract viewers still today, since it is basically a car chase involving the six passers-by who learned of the "fortune."  Car chases capture attention like little else these days, especially with a "breaking news" graphic on the screen.

Since the mad, mad, mad, mad caper ends up under a "big W," let's grab a wine from Oregon's Willamette Valley Vineyards for pairing purposes.  The region is known for its lush Pinor Noir, like this one that sells for $20.

If you’re going to be exploring a mad, mad, mad, mad world, you'll have to spend some time with a mad, mad, mad, mad doctor.  The one-sheet for Universal's 1942 flick, Mad Doctor of Market Street, asks, "Genius or fiend?"  I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess "fiend" just based on the way Lionel Atwill is depicted on the poster - that pencil-thin moustache, those shifty eyes - he's got fiend written all over him.  Most critics - then and now - feel that the writing on the one-sheet was better than that of the script.

Australia's Dr. Tom Cullity is known in wine circles as the Mad Doctor from Perth.  The moniker settled on him in the 1960s when he first started planting grape vines in the Margaret River region on the continent's west side.  People thought he was nuts, and maybe he was - but the vines grew anyway.  A Chardonnay or Cab from Voyager Estates would be a nice pairing for a movie which may be tough to get through without some help.

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Livermore Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Wente Vineyards is the country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery.  It is now run by the family's 4th and 5th-generations.  A French Chardonnay cutting planted in 1912 gave the world a new clone of the grape, which is now used to make 80% of America's Chardonnay.

Today, we are looking at what Wente has done with Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Wente 2018 Livermore Valley Cab is the wine we are tasting on this web page.  It is a single-vineyard Cabernet, from the Charles Wetmore Vineyard.  Wetmore was responsible for bringing many cuttings from Bordeaux to the Livermore Valley.   The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 18 months in French oak barrels, 40% of which were new.  Alcohol tips in at 14% abv and it retails for $35.

This wine is extremely dark in the glass and offers a nose to match.  Blackberry aromas are laced with cedar, vanilla, clove and tobacco.  The palate is dark, too, and rich.  The fruit flavors are in the front while savory notes complement them.  There is a rustic feel, and the tannins are firm.  

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Spanish Desert Wine Yields Nod To Actor

The wine known as El Gringo was named after an actor who worked as an extra in the many Western movies that were filmed in Spain's Tabernas desert.  The region picked up the nickname the Hollywood of Spain due to the many films shot there.  Hammeken Cellars has created an elaborate back story for this gentleman, which is told on their website.

The 100% Tempranillo wine was made from grapevines which have been in place for more than thirty years in the Castilla region.  Aging took only four months and the French oak barrels were previously used.  Alcohol hits only 14% abv and the wine sells for around $16.

This is a dark wine, with light able to show through only around the edges.  Bright red fruit appears on the nose, along with oak spices.  The palate bears the taste of ripe, red berries which dance around a lively acidity and firm tannins.  A smoky element also comes into play, benefiting a wine which is not extremely complex to begin with, but tasty nonetheless.

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Blood Of The Vines - R.I.P. Sean Connery

Pairing wine with movies!  See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell.  As if the pandemic isn’t bad enough news, we lost another movie great last week. Sean Connery passed away at the ripe old age of 90.  R.I.P, Mr. Connery.

Dr. No, directed by Terence Young in 1962, was the first film in the James Bond series, Connery played Bond, James Bond, opposite Ursula Andress.  Nice work if you can get it.  

Remember how you couldn't get away from spy shows in the '60s?  Dr. No is why.  After the film's success, the spies all came in from the cold.  The character Andress plays, by the way, is a shell diver.  That's right, she sells sea shells by the seashore.

The movie is set in Jamaica, so how about pairing it with Jamaican wine?  Magnum Tonic Wine is actually mead, and is drunk by the locals "for medicinal purposes" and is also considered a sexual stimulant.  That's all well and good, but you might find it easier to locate a Red Stripe beer, or a bottle of rum for your pairing pleasure.  Or a big, fat spliff, mon.

1965's The Hill was directed by Sidney Lumet.  The story centers around a British military prison in Libya where the guards get their jollies by running the prisoners ragged on a hill at the center of the desert camp.  Connery plays a soldier who refused an order to send his men on a suicide mission, so it's the British version of Gitmo for him.  

The role was a real departure for Connery, who by this time had become well known as Bond, James Bond.  He reportedly relished the idea of playing a character that was more or less a heavy, and who didn't have to say his name twice.

The Hill was shot in Almeria, Spain, where so many American movies were shot that the area became known as the Hollywood of Spain.  At least that's what they called it in Spain.  And why not take that as the cue for a wine pairing?

The wine known as El Gringo is a Tempranillo which was named after an actor who worked as an extra in those movies filmed in the Tabernas desert.  If you're in the mood, you can make it a double feature with a Spaghetti Western.

Wrong Is Right is a 1982 comedic thriller that centers on a suitcase full of nuclear explosives.  Man, have we been worrying about that scenario for almost forty years?  Will the pandemic stick around so long that it becomes second nature to us as well?  Scary thought.  

In Wrong Is Right, Connery plays a television news reporter who goes to an Arab country to interview the king.  Despite being an ol' buddy, the king gets him mixed up in the terrorist bomb escapade, which is not something one would expect from our ol' buddy the king.  The laughs in Wrong Is Right are wrung from a situation that is not so funny at all, as in M*A*S*H, S.O.B. or Ishtar.

The wine pairing for Wrong Is Right is a bottle from the Arab world by way of Paso Robles, DAOU Vineyards.  Brothers George and David Daou grew up in Lebanon, with bombs bursting outside the kitchen window.  They left Lebanon, got rich and bought a vineyard in Paso.  Their white Chemin de Fleur is a tasty blend of Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne.

 

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