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My first selection for these troubled times is the second most popular wine reviewed here by pageviews, the Petite Sirah by Crane Lake. This label is made by Bronco Wine Company who also produce the Charles Shaw brand for Trader Joe’s. Crane Lake is offered to independent retailers and typically sells for a couple dollars more than the more famous “2-buck Chuck.” Another difference is that more than just the typical varieties are offered, including this Petite Sirah and even a Sangiovese.
Petite Sirah is a good variety to look for in value wines these days as it flies a bit below the radar of most consumers. Many of the best examples can be found for less than $20 a bottle but I was interested in what you could get for $4. I picked up the 2004 vintage a while back but did not review it was a bad bottle, but I was able to track down the 2005 vintage for this tasting.
Tasting Notes:
Crane Lake, Petite Sirah 2005 ($4) - Dark purple-black color with aromas of blueberry compote and white pepper. Simple and juicy blueberry and plum flavors with some black pepper finishing with plush tannins and good acidity. Clean and surprisingly varietally correct.
Composite cork closure 12.5% ABV Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Recently, at a dinner with friends, one man's date turned to me and complained, "He's so boring. All he ever talks about is wine. All day long he talks about wine." I probably looked hurt, because I was just as engrossed in our discussion of Syrah as he was. Lorraine leaned toward me and whispered, "She's right, you know. We're all hopeless wine geeks. Look at us from an outsider's point of view."
Since I don’t want to SPAM my friends over e-mail I thought I’d relay this joke on my blog and let people opt-in to reading it… I thought it was funny!
Home Depot Scam
Be Careful - A ‘heads up’ for those men who may be regular Home Depot customers. Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don’t be naïve enough to think it couldn’t happen to you or your friends.
Here’s how the scam works:
Two very hot 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your stuff into the trunk. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look. When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say ‘No’ and instead they ask you for a ride to Lowes. You agree and they get in the backseat. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.
I had my wallet stolen March 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, 24th & 29th. Also April 1st, 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th, 30th, three times last Saturday and very likely again this upcoming weekend.
As many will know Fumé Blanc is the name invented by Mondavi to describe their Sauvignon Blanc's that had undergone oak aging. While Sauvignon's typical crisp acidity remains, the grassy flavours and punchy 'greenness' of the aroma are going to be subdued after a period in oak. Forget the vibrancy of those New Zealand Sauvignon's; this is a different fish.
Review0.3 Wine Tasting Note: Robert Mondavi Winery Fumé Blanc, 2005, Napa Valley, California. Stockist: Majestic Price: £13.99 [More: Adegga / Snooth] Full in the mouth, there is a mineral edge too - the citric acidity comes to the fore on the finish while citrus is also the primary flavour. To this though you can add a segment of orange peel, a little melon, a drip of honey and a dash of vanilla. A good intensity and finish.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]
I love mackerel - even more so since discovering its sustainable and on the list of 'can eat' fish - its meaty in a tuna type way and, when simply pan-fried with a little lemon, a great match to this Mondavi Fume Blanc. The fish was served with roasted potatoes and beetroot. The beetroots sweetness slightly deadened the wines complexity however; but not enough to deem the match a poor one. The recipe for Pan-Fried Mackerel with Roasted Beetroot and Potatoes is detailed on SpittoonExtra.
Brilliant article from the recent issue of Wine Spectator written by Matt Kramer (winespectator.com):
Recently I found myself in one of those wine wrangles that, truth to tell, I usually try to avoid. (Check out any wine chat board on the Internet if you've got a taste? for this sort of thing.)
The wrangle was with, natch, a winemaker?, while at a social event. It involved the winemaker's assertion that "fine wine is art." I pointed out, as modestly as I could, that there's no denying that nature surely doesn't make wine on its own, let alone fine wine (vinegar? is more like it). I then went on to say that fine wine is, at best, a high craft both in the vineyard? and the cellar?.
Probably, if I had stopped there, the discussion would have proved amicable. But I took the matter one step further. (You're shocked, I know.) I submitted that saying that winemaking, and therefore its result, is "art" was self-aggrandizing. You can imagine how that was received.
Now, I admit that the self-aggrandizing bit was a low blow. Still, it's true. If winemakers can get you, me and, especially, their employers to see them as artists, you know what'll happen: Their salaries will rise, and producers, for their part, will start pricing wine as "art." And you know what that means.
So why isn't fine wine "art"? The answer is surprisingly simple. Art is creation; wine is amplification. The big? difference between an artist and a winemaker is that an artist starts with a blank sheet while a winemaker works with the exact opposite. A grape arrives at the winery? with all the parts included, a piñata stuffed with goodies, just waiting to be cracked open.
Is there a craft to doing that? You bet there is. But where an artist conceives of something out of the proverbial thin air, no winemaker anywhere in the world can do any such thing.
For example, when my wine heroine Lalou Bize-Leroy bought the former Domaine? Noëllat in Vosne-Romanée and transformed it into Domaine Leroy, she did not create her magnificent wines from scratch. It was all right there in the hallowed ground and old vines? of her newly acquired pieces of Richebourg and Romanée St.-Vivant. She didn't create something from nothing. Quite the opposite.
Fine wine is not creation. It is refinement. If it were otherwise, then everybody would be "creating" Lafite Rothschild or La Tâche or any other wine masterpiece of singular, irreproducible expression and high price. Counterfeiting aside, I don't see anybody doing that, do you?
They don't because they can't. That's precisely why fine wine is not art. It comes from all the forces that create a particularity of site. Great winemakers?which is to say, expert practitioners of winecraft?tease what they can from the sites that are available to them by planting the right grapevines, growing them astutely, harvesting the fruit at an ideal moment (a problematic issue today given some winemakers' and critics' preferences for ever greater ripeness) and handling the fermented juice? in the cellar with deft control.
This is no small charge, and I, for one, do not seek to diminish it in any way. But art? Not a chance. The poet E.E. Cummings put his finger on it better than anyone else: "A world of made is not a world of born." Wine is no more a blank canvas than the Grand Canyon.
Why does this distinction matter? Because abstract though it is, if winemakers and, yes, wine lovers, see wine as art, then the essential connection between what a grape expresses from its site and what we expect is severed. If a winemaker is an "artist," then he or she, by artistic right, can and should modify the result to suit a personal vision separate from a "mere" expression of place.
However, if the finest winemaking is seen as a high craft, rather than art, the expectation changes subtly yet substantively. Where art presumes a blank slate upon which a personal vision necessarily is writ large, the notion of craft is more deferential. Like great parenting, it's a guardianship of something already largely complete. The goal is refinement and amplification of what's inherent. Think of what happens when parents do otherwise.
So it is with wine. All sorts of technological deconstruction and reconstruction now occurs in many wineries today, especially ones creating high-end?or at least high-priced?wines. They see themselves as artists and would like to convince you of same. If they can, well, you know how distorted the results can be?and who pays.
Matt Kramer has contributed regularly to Wine Spectator since 1985.
It seems obvious on reflection but it remains an important distinction to make, especially given the widespread labeling of wine making as an art form, particularly in wine marketing circles.
Torbreck’s top shiraz – the Run Rig Shiraz, priced at well over $200 per bottle – is probably Australia ’s most hedonistic wine. It leaps out of the bottle like a rattlesnake, all fanfare and bite. It is, always, dangerously drinkable. It is thick with flavour and accented by sweetness, its spicy, gravelly, smoky complexity ramping its class through the roof. There’s always been a question mark though: this tastes so bloody good the day it is released – what happens if you stick it in the cellar? Is it Australia ’s best early-drinking wine, or will it develop and evolve if given time? A tasting in the Barossa Valley recently of every vintage yet made of Torbreck Run Rig Shiraz (including the just-released 2005) threw a crust of clear answers.
This is another amazing wine from Rosenblum. This single vineyard Syrah from Lodi is just plain wonderful!
Deep black cherry hue with a bouquet of pure black cherry, cola, mint, and baker's chocolate with sweet banana chip notes--I kid you not. Wow.
Palate--Elegant tannins with a rich velvety texture bursting with berries, berries and more berries all integrated splendidly. This was GREAT with my venison roast and even at $25, it was a real treat and a value! Raise a glass!
Another Moronic Convergence set for our place tonight: tonight's showdown is Monastrell/Mourvedre. So far, I think we have to Spanish, two Californian, and one French.
OK, so I’m trying to insure that the Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Sonoma has good, solid Wi-Fi access. I’ve spent a decade and a half in the networking industry and the last 8 years designing wireless products so when I setup a conference for 160+ BLOGGERS, i.e. many many laptops in the same room, I have my concerns because of the physical limitations of Wi-Fi.
So the hotel hooks me up with the contact information for their service provider (the Wi-Fi is outsourced which is typical for a hotel). I send him a message stating exactly my concerns and pointing out that I’ve setup many tradeshow demos as well as conference networks that got hammered by a techie conference. Here is the email that he sends back to me (understand, I am the hotel’s customer and I am selling out their hotel for this weekend and giving them untold exposure through media the whole weekend). Is it me or is this dude kinda of a douche?
Dear Sirs-
There are a total of 19 APs interspersed throughout the hotel, not including extra devices occasionally set up by catering. Depending on the unit, they?ll support from 12-36 users on the wireless (multiple internals). This has been the design at the Flamingo since its initial design and installation, almost as if we knew what we were doing?
Please inform the users that the codes will be bound to the MAC address of the NIC they use at the time of connection and entry of the code. They cannot switch computers and use the same code. The time in contiguous and not broken up to when they are using the connection, ie: 3 hrs ? 9 hrs of 15 minute usage periods.
Also, be aware that the total bandwidth for the Hotel Guests use is 6mb/3mb. Therefore, this should not be a time for these ?HEAVY internet users? to download all the Richard Simmons or Jane Fonda videos as this type of abuse will naturally hinder the enjoyable experience that such a convention should foster, human dialogue and contact.
I hope that you enjoy your stay at the Flamingo and that all elements of your convention are a total success.
JJ
Maybe its me, I don’t know…
Updated: The hotel worked on the service provider to create a parallel network in the main conference area that will be supported by additional APs on non-adjacent channels and they committed to having staff on hand throughout the entire conference should this network shit the bed. I feel better about the chances of success.
I hate sweet reds. Let me say that again so there's no mistaking it...I hate sweet reds.
However, this year, at the Desmond, I found something special - a sweet red I could drink. I thought it was actually drinkable. I thought it was really quite great.
The wine was Thousand Islands Winery Saint Lawrence Red. Saint Lawrence Red is a blend of carefully selected French Hybrid grapes. Great for burgers or chili, great for turkey for those who don't like dry reds, this was an excellent wine. Dark fruit. Solid alcohol. Very, very nice.
The Thousand Islands Winery is located in Jefferson County, New York. It is the most northern winery in New York State. The winery is located on a farm that was built in 1836. The farm was later owned and operated by Captain Massey and his wife Ida in the 1930's. Captain Massey was a famous Riverboat Captain. He owned a huge Great Lake Vessel that he eventually sold to the Department of Defence for the war effort during World War II.
Steve and Erika Conaway purchased the Farm in December 2002. Upon Steve's retirement from the military, they decided to create a winery in Alexandria Bay, NY.
Congrats to winery owner Steve Conaway and all the folks at Thousand Islands Winery.
Following the theme of my last post about Americans? increasing awareness of the quality wines that many artisan producers of Argentina are exporting, I?m pleased to post the first installment of my interview with Ed Lehrman of Vine Connections. Along with his business partner, Nick Ramkowsky, they formed a company that not only imports the wines of artisan Mendoza producers, but selectively forges meaningful, long term relationships with them. As Ed Lehrman explains in the interview, this type of involvement encompasses much more than shipping and distribution, extending into representation, consulting, label design and many other crucial aspects which in the end, bring American consumers the types of genuine artisan wines that multinationals couldn?t even conceive of delivering.
Based out of Sausalito, CA, Vine Connections has been at the forefront of the changing of the guard, in terms of tastes, that I described in my last post. Their portfolio includes excellent California, New Zealand and Japanese Saké producers, alongside the wines of star Mendoza winemakers Susana Balbo and Pedro Marchevsky, along with others to look out for, such as Mapema, Tikal and La Posta del Viñatero. If you really want to know what Argentines really like to have at the table and moreover, the breadth that Argentine wines are capable of achieving, I encourage you to explore the types of artisan producers that Vine Connections represents and whose work, over the coming years, will ultimately triumph over the characterless, corporate-backed South American wines saturating our shelves.
I would like to thank Ed Lehrman for taking the time to provide his in-depth responses concerning Vine Connections, its vision and inspiration. Our conversation unfolded over e-mail:
*What is the vision behind your company and what were some of the key experiences that led you and your business partner to get started?
- My partner, Nick Ramkowsky, and I have both been in the wine business since 1986 (we started very young), and we could have done any number of things together. Nick was a small California distributor at the time, and I had just sold my direct-to-consumer wine business where he had been one of my suppliers. A fateful trip together in May of 1999 launched us into the importing/national sale & marketing business. We spent about a week in Mendoza on that trip tasting wines from bottle, barrel, tanks?you name it?and we met some incredible winery owners and winemakers. By the end of the week, we were looking at each other and asking, ?How does the 5th largest wine producer in the world hide incredible wines like these from the US?? It seemed like this must be the opportunity of a lifetime for wine guys like us to lead the charge in introducing Argentine wine to the US, and in a way that they would be fully appreciated for their quality and authenticity, and not just their price. As an aside, of the first 12 wines we imported from Argentina, the LEAST EXPENSIVE wine was $22 retail! So in fact, Vine Connections was originally formed in order to be an Argentine wine importer. *Compared to other importers, what is the depth of Vine Connection's involvement with the producers its represents? (in terms of consulting, marketing, other assistance, etc.)
- It is hard to speak about other importers, since some do quite a lot and some just taste and buy. As for us, we take the approach that we are the winery?s own sales & marketing department and they can use us for as little or as much as they need. That may mean writing back label copy, helping with label design, or determining whether a new blended wine is even a good idea to add to their portfolio.
For all of our wineries, we do the copywriting for all printed materials since we can communicate their stories in English more effectively, and along the same lines, we handle most press relations since we are here and readily available. And I guess the most valuable thing we do would be called ?consulting? since we offer our advice on many topics based on our 40 years of working in the U.S. wine biz. *How does your company forge relationships with producers? In this vein, what is the process like for you when considering an addition to your portfolio? Do the producers come towards you in the way of trade events, do you travel to areas to scout, so to speak, or some combination thereof?
- We are very careful in this regard since our objective as an importer is to build brands and not just sell wine. That requires long-term relationships, so besides tasting backwards and forwards through a winery?s production, we spend as much as time as we can with the owners and the winemakers to see whether there is a good fit for working closely together. When we meet people who already think they know it all about winemaking, marketing, etc., we politely walk away no matter the wine quality. Our initial screen is the wines?they have to be particularly good since that is what we are known for importing. Then we start talking about their philosophies, their dreams, their business objectives, and where we should all eat dinner together (a meal with a potential supplier is always a good way to gain more insight).
This process means that while we have run into some wines that we like, we have sometimes been unwilling to take the winery on. The most common stumbling block for us seems to be that the winery lacks a strong winemaking philosophy, and often because they have abdicated this cornerstone to a consulting winemaker (and most often to foreign winemakers). As time has passed, we have pretty much settled into the idea of only representing wineries owned by Argentines and with Argentine winemakers since the winemaking vision is usually clearer and more grounded in expressing what makes Mendoza so special compared to other regions.
From the first moment that we meet a winery team, it usually takes about 18 months before we come to an agreement, do the ground work, and then start selling the wines in the U.S. It seems to work--we have never lost an Argentine winery and every brand that we represent has achieved a significant level of success.
I wish I could say that finding these producers followed a particular recipe, but in truth, all of our brands have come to us via different sources. The key is to have your radar on all the time so that the best ones don?t slip by accidentally.
*You represent Susana Balbo and Pedro Marchevsky's Dominio del Plata Winery?how did that relationship come about and how far back do you go?
- Well, if it weren?t for the ?dynamic duo? of Mendoza, we may never have been Argentine wine importers. We met them on our first trip to Mendoza in 1999, and they were so obviously talented and knowledgeable that they got us thinking a lot about the possibilities. We also formed a trusting relationship so quickly that it became obvious that we would work together, and together push forward a common vision of making Argentine wine part of the daily American fine wine conversation. That seems like an ominous task looking back now?we had no company yet and they were renting a very small winery at the time?but at the time it just seemed like destiny.
A box of rose pink turkish delight had me thinking about posting a few things pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month. All our desserts this month have had a pink tinge.
TURKISH DELIGHT ICE CREAM WITH RASPBERRIES
Vanilla Ice Cream and a few drops of rose pink food colouring
Turkish Delight chopped into small squares
Raspberries and raspberry jam
Sweet shortcrust pastry, cut into desired shape and cook in oven. Cool.
To Make
Soften vanilla icecream a little, blend in food colouring and add half chopped turkish delight. Work quickly so ice cream doesn't melt completely. Place into moulds lined with plastic wrap or muslin. Return to freezer to harden.
Heat raspberries and jam in a small saucepan. Push through a sieve to remove seeds. Cool.
To Serve
Remove ice cream from freezer and upend onto plate. Decorate with raspberry sauce, remaining turkish delight and pastry shapes.
Variations - You could use any flavoured icecream in place of the coloured vanilla. I did it this way as I wanted the rose pink colour but with a vanilla taste.
Amounts will depend on how many you are serving.
TURKISH DELIGHT TRUFFLES(makes 10 truffles)
100 grams dark chocolate, chopped into bite size pieces 130 ml pure cream 75 grams turkish delight, chopped into small squares cocoa powder and icing sugar for rolling truffles in.
Place cream into a small saucepan and heat.
Pour cream over chocolate and stir until it melts.
Cool and then stir in turkish delight.
Place in fridge and allow mixture to thicken.
Using a teaspoon scoop out small balls of mixture and drop into cocoa/icing sugar mix.
Using hands roll into a smooth ball and place in serving cases.
If not serving immediately, store in fridge. Roll in cocoa/icing sugar mix again before serving.
Adapted from Saha by Greg and Lucy Malouf
FLORENTINES WITH TURKISH DELIGHT
David Lebovitz is responsible for several major purchases I've made recently. He mentioned Thermomix and I now have one, he mentioned the Ottolenghi cookbook and I now have one. It is a beautiful book and this is the first recipe I've made from it. Because I'm reduced to typing with one hand this week I'll refer you to David's blog for the original recipe.
The addition of the turkish delight is an idea I found in another Greg and Lucy Malouf book. I added the turkish delight to the Florentines in the last minute of baking.
One of Oregon's better-known Pinot Gris producers, Ponzi Vineyards, will be hosting a wine event this Sunday, July 13 2008. Between 5:00 and 9:00 PM, Ponzi is offering wine, music and bocci ball --- that oh-so neglected game from our Italiano ancestral roots. The event takes place at Ponzi Vineyards' main estate lawn. There is no need to RSVP, but they ask that you leave any dogs at home, so there aren't any landmines left for the bocci players!
Because Pennsylvania has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A? The joys of my favorite mysterious (not mystery) lunch meat? Lebanon Bologna in this week?s release of TableMatters.com
The best kinds of cheap wines are the kinds that have a rich story behind them. Well, The Tillerman White wine brought to you by the Hook & Ladder Winery certainly fits the bill. At first glance this wine label made no sense to me… Hook & Ladder? The Tillerman? After doing some research, I feel enlightened knowing the origins of this fine cheap wine, so I’ll share:
The owner of the family-run Hook & Ladder, Cecil De Loach used to be a firefighter! “Hook and Ladder” is just another name for a firetruck. And The Tillerman is guy who drives the back end of a firetruck. A firefighter and a wine-maker! What a life!
I sampled several bottles of The Tillerman White, and I am glad I did. Not being a fan of white blends with a lot of oak, I enjoyed everything about this wine. The peach/apricot aroma was the most prominent feature of this wine as it approached my nose. The wine was very dry, tasty, had an awesome finish. Just a perfect all-around table wine. For about 16 bucks or less, this Sonoma County wine is a steal. If you see it in your supermarket, snatch it up! I look forward to trying some of their many other varietals. This same vineyard, the Russian River Valley produces Chardonay, Gewurztraminer, White Zin, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the “Third Alarm” Reserve Chardonnay. Oh, how I would love to visit the vineyard one day. Rating: 9/10 - Excellent! The only reason I’m not giving it 10 is because I promised my readers “cheap wines less than 15 dollars” and this wine retails for 16. Look around though, I’m sure you can find a good deal! Even if you can’t, it is worth the extra dollar.
Extra Info:Hook & Ladder - Founded in 2004 2027 Olivet Road Santa Rosa, CA 95401 phone: 707-546-5712
Slightly firm, with juniper, sage and sandalwood hints framing dark plum, currant, coffee and mineral notes. The grippy finish has a cedar note in the background, with hints of black tea and tar. A gutsy style, with fresh acidity in reserve. Best from 2009 through 2028. 4,330 cases made.
Based on Winewaves' internal analysis of final tracking polls, exit polls and ongoing monitoring of election results, we declare that Barack Obama is the next President of the United States. Let's here it for President Obama: Ale To The Chief. (Posted 7:41 p.m. CST).
While others have a lot to lose on making such a projection, we have nothing to lose. Will anyone stop clicking through from a Google search for an obscure wine because they heard Winewaves goofed on an early election projection? Then, there's the fact that Winewaves' founder Jerry Hall studied statistics in graduate school. Not just a pretty face, but Jerry also knows when the chips are up or down. The chips are not up enough for John McCain to pull out a miracle.
While some may want me to remain unbiased, I'm not. Barack Obama is my choice and I'm glad he won tonight. He ran the better campaign and he is unquestionably the more intelligent and in touch candidate.
So, I suggest you have a glass of Avery Brewing Company's special edition "Ale To The Chief" to celebrate. This is a fantastic brew that combines over the top hops with a fullness of fruit flavors that makes for a big beer, a big noise, but very well balanced between the low and high notes.
The appearance of any brew is important, and this one delivers greatness. The color is beautiful, deep amber, copper-orange, with a slight turbidity that suggests it was just brewed. The nose is hoppy, fruity, along the lines of citrus peel, especially orange, and even tilting towards fruit cake. If you're like me, you think fruit cake smells better than it tastes. On the tongue, you get a nice complex interaction between bitter hops and also fruit and caramel. Fruit flavors carry through with the hops all the way to a crisp dry finish.
by Martin Field Readers familiar with Yarra Yering wines will be saddened to hear of the passing of winery founder, Dr Bailey Carrodus, after a short illness, on 19 September 2008. A personal reminiscence I knew Bailey fleetingly in the late '70s and early '80s. He was a loveable if sometimes irascible character with an incisive mind. His wines were highly individual and did not always suit the prevailing palates of the day. Despite the critics, Bailey created his own unmistakable style and gained a wide international market. Strange that we were friendly. When we first met, (I was brash) I shared my considered opinion that some of his '70s wines were a tad too acidic. I got the inimitable Carrodus look...
It's a great site that lists wine events for just about any state, country or region. Plus, they send out a Weekly Newsletter called The Juicewhich will notify you of upcoming events in your area.
At a recent tasting of South African Great Whites I was really excited by the wines I tried.
In the past I have sometimes been disappointed that in general the wines could seem out of balance, either too acidic or flabby, the fruit almost a cariacature of itself and even in the worst cases just dirty.
These wines however showed exuberant fruit, great balance of refreshing acidity with richness and depth and really distinctive character. I thought they showed very well and certainly will lead me to the South African shelves when I want good value white.
My favourites from each section as follows, full tasting notes seem to
Tecnorati
My 
