This medium dark wine shows plum and blackberry on the nose, with hints of black pepper and herbs. The palate brings those dark flavors amid a somewhat watery mouthfeel with medium-firm tannins. On the medium-long finish, those savory spice and herb notes come forward. I bought this for cooking, for which it was fine. It was decent as a sipper, but a little disappointing in aromas and flavors.
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One of my favorite moments in the TV series, The West Wing, is when the topic of James Bond arises and the president complains that Bond likes his martini "shaken, not stirred." He points out that the act of shaking the cocktail chips the ice and creates a drink that is watered down. The character opines that Bond is "ordering a weak martini and being snooty about it."
In 1967’' You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery as Bond is offered a martini the other way around, "stirred, not shaken," by mistake. He courteously accepts the offer rather than point out the error. He also courteously accepts the offer of a tricked-out car, a bunch of cool gadgets and the chance to bed several beautiful women in the film. Courteous guy, that Bond.
The movie is set in Japan as Bond tries to keep World War III from breaking out in space. Besides getting to see Bond cavorting in a new, exotic setting, we also get to meet Blofeld. Donald Pleasence plays the villain who is trying to turn the Cold War hot. We were this close to getting Toshiro Mifune as Tiger Tanaka, but he was already contracted to do another film. Too bad.
Bond courteously accepts a bottle of Dom Perignon 1959 - "Well, if you insist" - a wine that shows up repeatedly over the course of the spy series, although he also had an affinity for Bollinger bubbly. The latter can be had for around $50, the former for a couple hundred. For a vintage that would impress Bond - you couldn't actually be thinking of a non-vintage bottle - the price escalates quite a bit.
From Russia With Love was the second Bond film, from 1963, following the big success of Dr. No. Connery gets more fantastic locales - Istanbul and Venice - more great chase scenes and a suitcase full of those fancy specialty items from Q.
Dr. No's success prompted the desire for a sequel, with double the budget. Was it worth the money? Well, if you insist. Bond movies typically get lukewarm response from scribes, but the paying public always has Bond money burning a hole in their pockets on opening day. Popcorn is an additional charge.
Russian wine? In this political climate? Nyet. Let's go to Ukraine for some Angel Bomon Rosé sparkling wine. It utilizes a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, so I'll let you tell me how it tastes. It might be easier to locate a Ukrainian vodka for your martini - but stir it, no matter what Bond says.
Let's jump ahead to 1987 for The Living Daylights, the first of a pair with Timothy Dalton as Bond. Pierce Brosnan almost took over for 12-time Bond Roger Moore, but he was involved with NBC's Remington Steele. Ratings were flagging, so Brosnan was interested. However, the Bond talk sort of resurrected the show and Brosnan's contract got in the way. After the talk died down, Steele lost the hearts and minds of viewers and Brosnan got only a handful of additional episodes before the axe fell. In Hollywood, as in the old USSR, it was "death to spies" time.
Dalton certainly has his fans, but "favorite Bond?" Connery and Moore make for tough competition. Dalton probably gets a run for his money from the '80s pop band A-ha, the Norwegian group who did the synth-drenched theme song for The Living Daylights. It takes all kinds, so I'm sure there are those who think Dalton is the best Bond and A-ha's take is the best Bond theme. I'm just as sure, however, that if that entire fan club got together all at once they could hold the meeting in a phone booth, assuming they could still find a phone booth. Make me choose, I'm taking Dalton's Bond over A-ha's Bond theme every day.
In this film, Bond gives a defecting KGB general a bottle of Bollinger’s RD, which stands for recently disgorged in English. It means that the removal of the yeast collected in the bottle's neck after the secondary fermentation happens late in the aging process. It is said to preserve the freshness of the wine. At several hundred dollars per bottle, it had better be fresh. As Steve Martin said in The Jerk, "No more of this old stuff." They must not know who they're dealing with.
There are 12 AOCs for dry whites in BDX, with eight main grape varieties in use. Two recently approved varieties - Alvarinho and Liliorila - coming into play thanks to climate change. The Portuguese Alvarinho grape is known in northwestern Spain as Albarino, while Liliorila is a cross of Baroque and Chardonnay. Both have strong aromatics, which is an area that suffers as the climate warms.
Château Moulin de Launay produces a great white wine at a very reasonable price. It is from the Entre-Deux-Mers area of Bordeaux, situated between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. Red wines are made here, too, but only the whites carry the Entre-Deux-Mers AOC.
Moulin de Launay's Entre-Deux-Mers Les Ailes d'Or is made from five different grapes - 35% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Muscadelle, 20% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Ugni Blanc. Alcohol tips in at 12.5% abv and a bottle can be had in most places for around $15.
This white Bordeaux wine has a subdued nose, but traces of stone fruit and citrus do come through the mineral curtain. The palate is also laced with minerals and citrus, with a nice touch of salinity to add to the waterside connotation of the region's name. The acidity is fresh and zippy enough for a salad, some vegetables or a seafood dish.
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If you have yet to see it, we'll start with a spoiler: 1973's Soylent Green is people. "It's people!" This sci-fi touched on ecological issues while Earth Day was still wet behind the ears. Pollution, global warming, dying oceans and overpopulation have turned the earth from a big blue marble into a living hell, where the lack of food has caused the Soylent Corporation to make plankton a taste treat. But those dying oceans have stopped giving forth with the plankton, and that green food has to come from somewhere.
Charlton Heston plays a cop who, in the course of investigating a murder, discovers what the poor people are eating. Soylent Green also features Edward G. Robinson's last credited appearance in a movie.
Some say Champagne pairs well with anything, but expecting it to elevate Soylent Green may be asking too much. However, let's get a sparkler from a lower shelf to go with this film. Portugal's Vinho Verde region produces what is called "green wine," but that’s a reference to its young age. The effervescent white should go nicely with a plankton salad, especially if you’re a "people person."
Things to Come, from 1936, was written by H.G. Wells - who had a way with envisioning the future. This vision looks at the span of time from 1940 - barely the future at that time - to 2036 - a century down the road. In Wells' story, world war drags on for decades as civilization crumbles, only to find rebirth after guys in fantastic flying machines arrive to save humanity from itself. There's even a moon shot, which almost doesn't happen when the Luddites decide to stand in the way of what they consider to be unnecessary progress. Damned Luddites, anyway.
Nearly a dozen different cuts of Things To Come were made, of varying lengths, ranging from a little over an hour to two hours. The movie did okay with critics and paying customers back in the '30s, but it has evolved into what is considered by many to be a masterpiece of science fiction.
Santa Barbara County's Future Perfect Wine certainly has the market cornered on optimism, especially with the experts saying that climate change presents a bleak future for California wine. Future Perfect has a 2021 Sauvignon Blanc which they call a "breakfast wine." That’s right - in the future we'll have wine for breakfast, in case you aren't already doing that.
Canada's 1983 entry into the world of body horror, Videodrome, is David Cronenberg's vision of a future of mind control by television. The chief suit of a Toronto TV station happens upon snuff films on a satellite signal. Being a broadcast executive, he naturally figures that this is the future wave of his medium and he begins to rebroadcast the shows. The situation gets political pretty fast, as the suit delves deeper and deeper into a real-life battle for the minds of the viewers. Videodrome is a trippy, creepy whiff of the future from 1983 - a future which, like things in a rear-view mirror, may be closer than they appear.
Certainly films that feature the torture and killing of human beings fall into the category of deadly sin. So, let's grab a 7 Deadly Zins for Videodrome. Lodi Zinfandel has not been associated with eternal damnation since the 1970s, but we'll make an exception for this Cronenberg cult classic.
Paso Robles winemaker Daniel Daou has his latest Cab out, the 2019 Soul of a Lion, the crown jewel of DAOU Family Estates, named in honor of his father.
Soul of a Lion puts Paso Robles on the map for world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. It showcases Daou's vision to produce Bordeaux-style wines that combine elegance, freshness, and power. The 2018 vintage has all the hallmarks of its cooler growing season, revealing both the power and finesse.
The winery credits DAOU Mountain's "remarkable geology, microclimate, a 2,200-foot elevation and steep slopes" for creating what they call "a jewel of ecological elements." Alcohol tips in at 14.8% abv.
The wine is very dark, so inky that light does not pass through it. The nose is fresh, riddled with black and blue berries, clove, cinnamon and cedar. On the palate, the rich fruit is out front with a savory backbeat trailing behind. The tannins are firm, while the finish is long and extremely tasty.
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The Glera grapes for this bubbly were grown in the Friuli, Venezia and Giulia regions. The wine was made sparkling in the Charmat method through carbonation in steel tanks. Alcohol is restrained at 11.5% abv and a bottle usually be found for less than $15.
This wine makes pretty bubbles which don’t last too long, so enjoy them while they are here. The very pale sparkler offers a nose which carries floral notes along with citrus and minerals. The palate is very dry and loaded with minerality and lemon-lime fruit flavors. It comes off more like a "serious" sparkling wine than a "fun" Prosecco, but there is plenty there to please both camps.
Star 80 came out in 1983, just a few years after Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten was murdered by her husband, who then killed himself. Television actually beat Hollywood to the punch in this true-life potboiler, as a made-for-TV version of the story was aired in 1981. In Star 80, Mariel Hemingway plays Stratten, with Eric Roberts as the sleazy husband and Cliff Robertson as Hugh Hefner.
Roberts required some arm-twisting from director Bob Fosse to play Paul Snider, as he considered the role to be as unpleasant as Snider no doubt was. Roberts gained several nominations for best actor, but not one from the Academy. It was film critic Roger Ebert who pointed out that "Hollywood will not nominate an actor for portraying a creep, no matter how good the performance is." However, for a guy who has appeared in about a million movies, his roster is noticeably short on award nominations.
Not a pleasant movie, Star 80, but hopefully we can find a wine to make the experience less debilitating. How about the Playboy California Red Wine? It was made a few years back by Lot 18 in a partnership with the magazine, as a limited release. It cost about $25 a bottle then, and you may have to seek it out on Ebay today, at what price only Hugh Hefner knows. But you know how crazy some folks get over bunny ears and a bow tie.
1992's The Player stars Tim Robbins amid dozens of other Hollywood names, directed by Robert Altman. The story pokes at the soft underbelly of the screenwriting world. Robbins is a studio mogul who is being stalked by a screenwriter. He meets up with the guy he thinks it is, and ends up killing him. Who knew pitching a movie could be so dangerous?
The movie has plenty of lines you can incorporate into your everyday life, like "Ghost meets The Manchurian Candidate - but with heart," "One of us, one of us" and "Traffic was a bitch."
Blackstone Paddock has a $20 Shiraz from Australia's Barossa Valley and it's called, wait for it, The Player! It seems to be available at the Aldi grocery chain, so hopefully there's one near you.
The 1975 British film, Inserts, concerns silent movie directors and actors who ran into trouble when movies suddenly came with sound. Set in the 1930s, these relics who found themselves on the technological trash heap turned to making pornography as a means of making a living. Hey, at least they didn't sign up to be parking enforcement officers. You must draw the line somewhere.
Besides the unsavory profession considered by these Hollywood rejects, Inserts also deals with drugs and an overdose death. That should be enough darkness to make this movie a welcome addition to this week's theme.
For a movie about 1930's porn, which was rated X initially, by the way, we have a wine named If You See Kay. They actually have a back story about who Kay is, as if that were necessary. There's only one reason you have this wine, and that is the name on the bottle. Enjoy. As Kay might say, C U Next Thursday.
Peter Ibbetson is a 1935 film starring Gary Cooper and Ann Harding. The film was based upon a 19th century novel, which was recreated in a 1917 play, a silent film, an opera from just a few years before the movie's release, a radio play and a television version in the 1950s. This story really got around.
Cooper and Harding were childhood friends, separated by fate and drawn back together in their dreams. In this way, Cooper's character overcomes a lifetime prison sentence and a debilitating injury. Not to spoil it for you, but the pair end up together in the afterlife, as well. If you believe in higher beings watching over you and guiding you to your intended purpose, this is the film for you.
Stokes' Ghost hails from Monterey County. It is a Petite Sirah which is named for a phony doctor who killed more patients than he saved. Interesting back story.
1948's Portrait of Jennie also comes from a novel, one that is highly acclaimed as a fantasy masterwork. There was also a radio play taken from the script but, alas, no opera. Dizzy Gillespie did have a 1970 album by the same title, but it has nothing to do with the movie. It does, however, have a ten-minute version of "Diddy Wa Diddy," which is almost as enticing as the legendary half-hour-long version of "Louie Louie," recorded at a Hells Angels get-together. A little something for your esoterica playlist.
Jennie stars Jennifer Jones in the title role and Joseph Cotten as an aspiring artist who meets her in the park. He paints her portrait and develops a crush on her, but every time he runs into her, she seems to be getting older and older - and living a life from another time. Pretty spooky. The film was not received well at its release, but has aged well through the years, perhaps better than Jennie herself.
"So Jennie" is a non-alcoholic sparkling wine - and just how did France let that happen? At $60 a bottle, you’re supposed to buy into the "luxury" aspect that’s touted in the ad copy. Better to try Flora Springs Ghost Winery Malbec for the same price, a Napa red that keeps alive the spirit of the original winery, which fell victim to phylloxera, the Great Depression and Prohibition.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir appeared in 1947, with Gene Tierney as the lady and Rex Harrison as the ghost of a dead sailor. He falls for her, as any ghost worth his salt would, and things go merrily along until she gets a hankering for a real, live man. As it turns out, he is already married and has a family in another town. But don’t give up on Mrs. Muir and the ghost. True love has a way of drifting off into the ether when the time is right.
Muirwood Vineyards is in Monterey County, and their Chardonnay comes oaked and unoaked, for the pleasure of beautiful women or old seadogs, dead or alive. Also, Santa Barbara County's Babcock Winery has an Ocean's Ghost Pinot Noir.
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This sparkling wine carries alcohol at 11% abv and it sells in many places for less than $10, making it one of the more affordable Proseccos. It is imported by Illinois-based Terlato Wines.
The Riondo Prosecco provides a nice bit of white froth at the top of the glass, along with beautiful aromas of fruit and flowers. The palate is, as promised, bone dry and features minerals, lemons and limes in the flavor profile. It has a wonderful level of acidity so it is completely fresh and refreshing. I had mine with a grilled cheese, swiss. Delicious.
Winemaker Mick Schroeter's signature is on the label, but the new rosé was produced by Pinot Noir Winemaker Zidanelia Arcidiacono. Both of them speak in superlatives about their new wine. As is the custom at Sonoma-Cutrer, the grapes were specifically grown and harvested to craft this bottling. Separate lots were fermented in stainless steel tanks before being blended together. Alcohol is a very restrained 11.9% abv and the wine retails for $25.
This wine has a beautiful and delicate salmon pink color. The nose is extremely expressive, sporting huge whiffs of strawberry and cherry. That big, red fruit appears on the palate, too, with a zippy acidity that refreshes. It is a lean wine, with alcohol checking in just under 12%, so you can sip away - and you probably will.
Sometimes a Great Notion was directed by Paul Newman in 1971, way before he started the socially conscious Newman's Own Foundation, funded by lemonade, iced tea, salad dressing and hundreds of other products. The film starred Newman, alongside the likes of Henry Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Lee Remick and Richard Jaeckel. Newman got his name on the director's chair almost by default, when it seemed nobody else wanted the honor. Notion holds the distinction of being the first movie to be shown on Home Box Office after their 1972 launch, way back before the service was acronymized.
A family of Oregon loggers gets the (sometimes great) notion that logging didn't present enough challenges, so they isolate themselves by refusing to support a strike. This means they have to try and get their timber into the river all by themselves. The whole town's against them, and when dad tries to lend a hand, it winds up costing him his arm. Fortunately, the middle finger of the hand still worked.
With Oregon as the backdrop, let's pair some wine from that Pinot Noir-loving state with Sometimes a Great Notion. You can take your pick from sixteen different winemakers at the Carlton Winemakers Studio, which was sold last year to - wait for it - a lumber family.
In a World... came from 2013. Lake Bell wrote it, directed it and starred in it. She plays a voiceover coach who aspires to be the voice of the movie trailers, like Don LaFontaine, who made famous the title line, "In a world…." As it happens, her dad is the LaFontaine-esque "king of voiceovers," and she competes against him to win a coveted gig. He doesn't take it well, but ends up being not so big an asshole as everyone thought he was. For a guy on the fringes of show biz, that's a huge win.
I'll bet you thought I couldn't come up with a voice-related wine. Oh, ye of little faith. Voices in Action sells Pro Voice Wine, a rosé which - besides hailing from New Mexico - is dedicated to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whom the company points out used her voice to "speak for what is right."
1974's Catch My Soul is Othello set in a rock'n'roll desert. It was directed by Patrick McGoohan, he of TV's Secret Agent (Danger Man) and The Prisoner. It's only fair that he got to direct this retelling of the Shakespeare tale, since he had earlier starred in a version that was set in the London jazz scene. Did you know that McGoohan reportedly turned down the role of James Bond, not once but twice? His acting angel must have been looking down with a "Well, I tried" expression on his face.
Unfortunately, McGoohan's stint behind the camera led to no more opportunities to direct feature films, though he later directed in television. People pretty much hated Catch My Soul, except for the music from Richie Havens, Tony Joe White and Delaney Bramlett. We may well bump into them again in a segment entitled, When Musicians Act.
From Napa Valley's Dominus Estate comes the perfect wine pairing for an Othello remake - Othello. It's a blend of Bordeaux grapes which sells for around $65. The soundtrack to Catch My Soul will cost you about $10 more.
Ruffino was founded in 1877, when cousins Ilario and Leopoldo Ruffino set up a small winery in the town of Pontassieve, near Florence. Wine had been a thing there for ages, but the two Tuscan natives felt certain that much of the area's greatness had yet to be revealed, what with Tuscany's mineral-laden soils, the cooling influence of the Mediterranean Sea and the dry summers that wine grapes just love.
Ruffino lays claim to being one of the first major wineries with vineyard estates in Italy's three most famous wine-producing regions – Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
The 2019 Chianti Superiore is made from 70% Sangiovese grapes and a 30% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Those grapes really get a chance to shine, since aging took place in concrete and stainless steel tanks for six months, then another two months in the bottle. Superiore serves as a sort of midpoint between the Chianti DOCG and Chianti Classico. Alcohol ticks 13.5% abv and it generally sells for around $12.
This wine sports a nose that is laced with red and black fruit and earthy minerals. The palate features plum, blackberry and cherry, with fine tannins and a wonderful acidity. It tastes so fresh. The finish is medium long and fruity. Pair it with sausages or steaks, or a nice marinara sauce.
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Sometimes movies escape our attention, for many reasons. We were busy with other things, we were sick when it was released, we lost our Netflix login. Here is another attempt by the TFH gurus to shine some light on a few films you may have missed.
The Chaser is a 2008 South Korean film that was inspired by a real-life serial killer. Directed by Na Hong-jin, the story centers on a former-cop-turned-pimp. Now, that's a real career change for you. The pimp becomes alarmed when two of his prostitutes go missing, creating a cash flow situation that probably makes him consider rejoining the force.
The suspect is captured during what can only be described as an automotive meet-cute - he literally crashes into a cop car - but he can't be held for long due to lack of evidence. His rap sheet includes performing a lobotomy on a family member, which might be excused, depending on how annoying that person is at Thanksgiving. Oh, the suspect mentions - by the way - that he has killed nine people. Guess that annoying relative can consider himself lucky.
A call for help from a future victim goes unanswered because the cops are literally asleep at the wheel. I once saw a parking enforcement guy kicked back, taking a nap in the driver's seat - while parked illegally. I'm sure they got a good laugh downtown from the picture I sent them.
Parasite may have grabbed the Oscar, but The Chaser was a huge hit in Korea and garnered high praise at Cannes.
If you're having a tasty beverage with The Chaser, there are Korean faves to consider - soju, a distilled liquor, and makgeolli, a rice wine. But let's not and say we did. If you keep track of the criminals in the movie, the tally may reach 19. That's the perfect opening for a tasty 19 Crimes wine. The Australian line features a different criminal on each bottle, and they speak to you through an app.
The 2015 Chinese film, Mountains May Depart, shows that the ol' love triangle knows no borders. She likes the coal miner, but is in love with the gas station owner. Ain't that the way it always breaks down? Those gas station owners get all the girls.
She and the gas pump tycoon marry… and get divorced… and she gets the gas station! There's a kid involved who doesn't call, doesn't write, but hangs on to a gift mom gave him back in the day. Will they ever reunite and try speaking to each other? Well, we wouldn't want to spoil that cliffhanger for you. Directed by Jia Zhangke, this Mandarin language movie - which features a song by the Pet Shop Boys - made some noise at Cannes, but fell short of the Palm d'Or. Go West, indeed.
If baijiu doesn't float your boat (it's a Chinese liquor made from sorghum and clocking in as high as 120 proof) try a mountain wine. Duckhorn has a Cabernet Sauvignon made from grapes which were grown on Napa Valley's prized Howell Mountain. It's a hundred bucks well spent.
Les Un et les Autres, a 1981 French film - was also released as Bolero, as a nod to the Ravel piece used in it. Some say it is director Claude Lelouch's masterpiece, although his '60s film, A Man and a Woman, managed to snag a couple of trophies at the Oscars.
Bolero did some major box office in France, even though Jerry Lewis was nowhere near it. The stories of four families from different countries are intertwined through their love of music, culminating with Ravel's Bolero. Were the Pet Shop Boys on tour at the time?
How could we go wrong by pairing a French wine named Boléro with this film? Their Merlot is a Vin de France which was aged in steel and concrete.
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Barceló is made from the fermented juice of sugar cane, while other Dominican brands favor using molasses. The result, says Barceló, is a smoother and more well-rounded taste that showcases the true characteristics of the cane. Ron Barcelo's world portfolio of award-winning rums includes Barcelo Imperial Premium Blend 30 Aniversario, Barcelo Imperial Onyx, Barcelo Imperial, Barcelo Gran Añejo and Barcelo Añejo.
I was sent a sample of the Barceló Imperial, along with some suggested cocktail recipes. The recipes worked great for me, but I also liked sipping the Imperial over an ice cube, and even with a splash of club soda or tonic water tossed into the mix.
BARCELO'S QUARANTINI
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Ron Barceló Dark Series
1 oz Aloe Vera Juice
½ oz fresh cucumber water
4 slices muddled cucumber
Preparation:
Muddle cucumbers
Add all ingredients and shake well
Garnish with a cucumber slices or peel
AGED NEGRONI
Ingredients:
1 oz Ron Barcelo Imperial
1 oz Antica Formula
1 oz Campari
Preparation:
Pour all ingredients over ice, stir and garnish with orange peel
This 2020 Albariño is crisp and bright with a pale yellow appearance and a complex nose. Aromas of citrus come first, then stone fruit, then a wonderful salinity that reminds me of the ocean. A tropical note joins the apricot/nectarine flavor and is bathed in lemon. The acidity is fresh and lively, and the finish is medium-long, leaving a trail of the citrus zest in its wake.
1408 is the room number of a NYC hotel. Don't take that room, take the one by the elevator, take the one by the ice machine, take the one next to the all-night party, but do not take 1408. You will get a postcard which tells you not to take it. Don't take it! Aah, what's the use of yelling at the screen? The characters never listen.
The 2007 film, 1408, comes from the 1999 King short story, but we all know it doesn't take long for him to leave us trembling. John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack and Tony Shalhoub star in the scarefest, directed by Mikael Håfström.
An hour behind the locked door of room 1408 is all that most have been able to take. How will Cusack fare? It depends on which ending you see. Three endings were shot for the film and are used in different releases.
The wine pairing for 1408 is fairly straightforward - The Paranormal, from New Zealand's Supernatural Wine Company. It's a Hawke's Bay Cabernet Franc which is not nearly as dangerous as that hotel room.
If your vision of a St. Bernard dog is one of a lovable, furry beast rambling through the snow to bring you a small keg of brandy, you must have missed 1983's Cujo. The beast part fits, but Cujo brings no brandy for his victims, not even the ones who are unfortunate enough to be stuck inside a Ford Pinto. "Don’t get in that deathtrap!" Aah, again, the characters don't listen.
The movie was a big hit, but the critics hated it, one even suggesting that you would like the theater's air conditioning more than the film. That was brutal, but not as brutal as Cujo, the killer dog. King says Cujo is one of his personal favorites.
Dover Canyon Winery in Paso Robles has the 2019 Cujo Zinfandel - the 24th vintage of their "killer Zin." It's big and jammy and ready for the backyard BBQ.
The talk of 1980 was The Shining, Stanley Kubrick's vision of King's novel from three years earlier. If you need a reminder of the importance of avoiding "all work and no play," this is it. The film gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "Here’s Johnny" and added a jewel to Scatman Crothers' obituary a few years later. And stay out of room 237! Forget it, they don't listen.
A California company makes RedRum, made from U.S. Virgin Islands sugar cane and infused with natural mango, pineapple, coconut and cherry flavors. Their website doesn't work, but the rum seems to be carried at a fair number of online sources.
The Balletto story began as a five-acre vegetable farm, which has ballooned under John Balletto's supervision to a 700 acre spread, which produces 70 different veggies and some pretty good wine.
The 2021 Balletto Russian River Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir is estate grown and bottled. It is 100% Pinot Noir - the Dijon 667 clone, for the nerdy types - with alcohol clocking in at 13.3% abv.
This pretty, pale, pink wine offers a beautiful nose of cherries, strawberries, citrus and minerals. On the palate, the fruit has a tangy tartness and the acidity is as fresh as can be. I love rosés, so I'm an easy audience, but this one rivals any pinkie I have had from the south of France. Delicious and ready for springtime.
Chief Winemaker Lior Lacser was in charge of the 2018 Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz, a 60/40 split of Cab and Shiraz grapes, respectively, from Upper Galilee. It was aged 12 months in oak barrels, hits 14% abv in alcohol and retails for around $25.
Carmel Winery's 2018 Appellation Cab-Shiraz is a dark wine with a fragrant nose. Blackberries, blackcurrants and plums stand right out front, with a nice layer of oak spice draped over them. Notes of clove, cinnamon, coffee, chocolate and vanilla all appear in the aroma profile. On the palate, it's a show of dark fruit and sweet oak. The tannins are firm and ready to help with a brisket or roast chicken.
The Burglar is a 1957 film noir which was largely shot in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, so the cast and crew got some good cheese steaks and a little gambling while on the job. Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield star in this convoluted tale of how a string of jewels left the safe and ended up in a cop's pocket.
I once rented an apartment in Santa Monica from a woman named Mansfield who told me that Jayne was her mother. Could've been true, I suppose. She was certainly beautiful enough and she always chuckled when I introduced her as "my landlady."
Mansfield is not the burglar of the movie's title, but she could be accused of stealing hearts. She is in the crew, an associate of the mastermind, and she cases the home of the necklace's owner. She also has possession of the stolen goods at one point, but in her life of crime, Mansfield's character isn't having the time of her life. When your street takes you to the Endless Tunnel ride on the Steel Pier, look out.
For a movie called The Burglar, what better wine than one from Thief and Barrel Wine. They help small-batch garagistes turn grapes into wine in the Antelope Valley. They also help them market the juice. Try the Merlot/Petite Sirah blend.
Stroll with us now down another dark street. Walk down far enough that you find the place Where the Sidewalk Ends. This 1950 noir has nothing to do with Shel Silverstein's later poetry collection under the same title. No, this story is not suitable for the youngsters in the crowd. You won't find "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout" lurking in these frames. Otto Preminger directed Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney in this violent cops-n-criminals yarn.
Andrews is a cop who hates criminals so much he actually scares the other cops. That takes some doing. Wouldn't it be something if he ended up being the one wearing the handcuffs? The story starts with a gangster's gambling game and runs through murder, misdirection and mayhem. It's hard to tell the good guys from the bad. Hey, it's film noir - put your money on "bad."
Footpath Winery uses organic grapes from the Temecula Valley to create some pretty nice Cab Franc, Barbera and Malbec. Try one of those for your sidewalk-less viewing party.
Now we break into a run to get the hell off of Nightmare Alley. Tyrone Power stars in this 1947 film noir which didn't make a very big splash at the time, but is now a cherished classic. It's the original, the one that Guillermo del Toro has remade for today's audience.
To say that Nightmare Alley is a freakfest is not far off the mark. Any movie set in a traveling carnival has the soft underbelly of crime built into it. Power is the barker-turned-performer who goes from a circus tent to fancy nightclubs to, well, to Nightmare Alley. Let's find a wine which pairs well with chicken.
Favorite Daydream, Famous Nightmare is a pink wine from the south of France, but no, not Provence. It's from the granitic soil of the Languedoc-Roussillon area, a skin-contact blend of Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc. If you are pairing it with chicken, we recommend that the bird be fully cooked before serving.
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The Herzog website says the company goes back to "Philip Herzog, who made wine in Slovakia for the Austro-Hungarian court more than a century ago. Philip's wines were so appreciated by Emperor Franz-Josef, that the emperor made Philip a baron."
Philip's grandson Eugene had to move his family around quite a bit during World War II to hide from the Nazis, only to be run out of Czechoslovakia by the communists. He brought his family to New York in 1948 and started working for a kosher winery that paid him in company stock. Within ten years all the other stockholders had given up on it, leaving Eugene as the last man standing. He and his sons then formed Royal Wines as a tribute to Philip.
Expansion to Southern California happened in 1985, but it was a couple of decades before they would build their present state of the art facility. Head winemaker Joe Hurliman leads the kosher facility and produces wines in the tradition of the Jewish people.
The 2021 Baron Herzog California Rosé is made from, I believe, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The information I could find online was sketchy at best, shelf talker at worst. Some sites list "rosé" as the varietal. Rosé is a style, not a grape. Alcohol is restrained, at only 12.0% abv and the wine sells for about $15. It is kosher for Passover, which begins on April 15, 2022.
This salmon-pink wine has a subdued nose which offers scents of cherry, raspberry and a hint of minerals. The palate is tasty and dry, with flavors of red fruit and a cranberry note that does not lean into tartness. Acidity is a little light, but there is enough there to handle easy pairings.
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