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This is a gentle red, with ripe plum, berries, flowers and mineral on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied, with a light, velvety mouthfeel and a clean, fresh finish, leaving a hint of chocolate. Delicate, but all in balance.
A two tier qualification proposal for Brunello? I can't believe it's come down to this... talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Richard Woodard (decanter.com) writes:
Italian winemaker? Angelo Gaja has said that Brunello should operate a two-tier system and allow other varieties other than Sangiovese.
As the Brunello grape blending furore continues, the veteran Piedmont producer - who also makes Brunello di Montalcino ? has suggested DOC? Brunello should move on and no longer demand the wine is made from 100% Sangiovese.
In an article published this month in Italian newspaper Libero and local Tuscan paper La Nazione, Gaja says that if indeed Brunello producers have been adding other grapes illegally to the wine, then those producers should have been lobbying to get the appellation? rules changed.
At the Decanter event last weekend, it was great to see so many people enjoying fine wine. Such a joy to have so many truly outstanding wines under the same roof laid out for the consumer.
At this particular Encounter Bordeaux epecially had a strong presence and the exhibitors read like a roll-call of the great and the good - though by no means exhaustive it certainly gave a very good schooling in what the fuss is all about. It proves that the UK is not all about Blossom Hill sugar water despite all the depressing statistics.
Not only were there members of the public that you would expect - I had some lovely older gentlemen coming up to me at the Jancis Robinson stand, just to tell me with a conspiratorial wink that they were already "purple pagers" - but lots and lots of young people. The majority in fact. I hope this means that the next generation of wine drinkers/collectors/enthusiasts are trading up as they experience these wines first hand and making relationships with producers that may last a lifetime.
As well as the wines on offer there were also Masterclasses, the two most popular being the Margaux vertical and Jancis. Both of these will be available as podcasts - once the technology has been tamed- on the Decanter website and Jancis will put hers up on www.JancisRobinson.com
As well as all that, authors - Andrew Jefford and John Radford to name just two - were there for book signings and a very nice team from Riedel explaining all the subtle nuances of the various glasses and exactly why you need at least 10 different sets (I wish).
Well it’s Wine Blogging Friday for me this month, but hopefully I can sneak into the summary. The theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday this month comes by way of Philly-based wine blogger Joe who goes by 1WineDude online. And it’s a complete departure from our basic formula of wine variety, region or something a bit quirky. In fact, he has challenged us to actually drink madeirized — or intentionally heated and/or oxidized — wines. This style of wine is found in Madeira, Australia?s Rutherglen Tokays and Sherry. But Joe was also mindful that these wines might not be available everywhere so he included all fortified wines including Porto for his “Baked Goods” theme.
I knew at some point there would be an occasion to write about Sherry, a wine I’ve had over the years but didn’t really get into until a visit in June of 2007 to El Puerto de Santa María in the so-called Sherry Triangle. As a guest of Osborne, I visited their winery and tasted Fino literally pulled from the solera. But the most surprising part of this visit was a dinner with only Sherry served. I knew the starter would be easy with a Fino or Amontillado and the dessert course would be matched with a sweet Sherry of some sort but the entree would be a challenge. That’s when I was introduced to Oloroso which was a revelation at the time. But the best wine that night was a sweet Sherry made from a very old solera and the Pedro Ximénez grape. I rated it a 99, the only wine I have ever rated that high.
But before I dig my notes out for that wine let me flash forward to this week when I was looking for a Sherry to review for this tasting. As someone now a bit more educated about Sherry, I know that Fino is best consumed before 6 months from it’s bottling date. Most every Sherry producer has some sort of bottling code that indicates the day and year of bottling. Many times these are cryptic with Roman numerals used for the year but Osborne uses a more understandable code. So while I am continually disappointed in the stores here in the Twin Cities where Fino is “fresh” at 9-10 months past bottling, I was surprised to see a bottle of Osborne Pedro Ximénez “1827″ on the shelf with a bottling date of June 23, 2007… just 5 days before my visit to the winery.
For those not familiar with how Sherry is produced, a quick aside before my tasting notes. The production of Sherry is very old, in it’s current form since the the Moors ruled Spain some 1,200 years ago. Some, according to this piece in Wikipedia, track this style of wine back to the city of Shiraz in modern day Iran, literally the cradle of viticulture in antiquity. The production of Sherry starts with grapes grown in very chalky soils around Jerez, Spain from Palomino or Pedro Ximenez. In the latter case, the grapes are dried for two days before pressing and fermentation begins to concentrate their sugars. After primary fermentation, the wine is fortified with brandy to levels of alcohol determined by the style of the final wine. Fino or Amontillado are fortified to 15 degrees alcohol so that flor yeast can survive to complete the wine. Oloroso is fortified to 17-18 degrees alcohol to prevent the growth of flor and the wine is primarily shaped by oxidation in the solera.
The solera is a system of large barrels between 3 and 9 in number usually stacked in a pyramid shape. This allows for the young wine to be introduced at the top of the solera to fill the lower barrels where the finished wine is drawn for bottling. Sherry is aged in barrel for a minimum of three years but this time in barrel is much longer for more highly prized and rare Sherries. Through reduction and oxidation the resulting wine gains complexity and since all the barrels are neutral, no aromas or flavors from the oak. This is a truly unique and old school style of wine that I hope more wine lovers will try.
Tasting Notes: Bodegas Osborne, Pedro Ximenez “1827″ Sherry ($21) - Mahogany in color with powerful aromas of fig, molasses, espresso, hazelnuts and some heat from the alcohol. Rich and sweet in the mouth with fig, maple syrup, cocoa and caramel flavors finishing very long with enough acidity that balances the luscious sweetness. Decadent, delicious and an excellent value at around $20 a bottle. Also very nice poured over vanilla ice cream as it’s own dessert.
17% ABV Screwtop closure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Bodegas Osborne, Pedro Ximenez “Viejo” Sherry ($100/sample tasted at the winery) - Almost black in color with very complex aromas of fig, dates, espresso, dark chocolate, molasses and a hint of baked orange. In the mouth, very rich and layered fig, caramel, baked orange, spice and nut flavors mingle with quite a bit of sweetness that is balanced by acidity. This wine has a finish that seems to go on forever. One of the most extraordinary tastings of my life and as close to a perfect wine I have ever encountered. Buy it, if you can afford it.
16% ABV Natural cork closure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thanks to Joe, the 1WineDude, for getting me back into this style of wine. I’m going to continue to explore Sherry both here and on my podcast… and might even post those recordings made in Spain some 17 months ago.
A few wines earlier this week at Atelier in Newtown.
Vilmart C?ur de Cuvée 1997. Light straw colour with a fine bead. Lemon, pear, brine and earth on the nose. There is subtle fruit sweetness balanced with excellent acidity on the palate. Long and intense, this is an excellent wine and one of the better 97s I’ve tasted. 92/100
Domaine Servin Les Blanchots 2000 Corked. NR/100
Louis Michel et Fils Grenouilles 2000. Behind the huge amount of sulfur was pear, marmalade and peaches. The palate is medium weight but very simple. 84/100
Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 1999. Nutty, pineapple, tropical fruit, lemon rind and subtle oak aromas. A ripe, expansive palate without being too overbearing. Acid is good enough to focus the palate. Long length. 91/100
Marquis d’Angerville Clos des Ducs 1999. Earth, cherry, blood and chocolate aromas on the nose. Firm palate, with some sweet fruit in the background, the acid structure is a highlight. Powerful and very impressive. Starting to come around to drinking well. 92/100
Sylvie Esmonin Clos St. Jacques 2001 Rich, lifted nose of raspberry, cherry and a touch of earth and chocolate. The palate is more restrained than the nose but is still tightly wound and full of power. Good potential to improve from here. 91/100
Château de Beaucastel rouge 1990 A lot of complexity on the nose with smoke and smoked meats, cherry, spice, cedar and a fair bit of funky brett. Good intensity to the palate, but the brett affects the length of the finish. I would have rated this 2-3 points higher if the brett hadn’t affected the palate so much. 92/100
Dalla Valle Maya (Napa) 2000 Bold nose, with blueberry, chocolate, vanilla, autumn leaves and grassy characters from the Cabernet Franc. Very intense and youthful on the palate with good length and the ripeness is never out of balance. Primary, but surprisingly approachable and I think it will be at its best over the next 5 years. 93/100
Dr. Loosen Ürziger Wurzgarten Auslese 1995 Lemon, spice, floral notes and light honey aromas comprise the nose. The palate is excellent with light sweetness and refreshing acidity. Great balance and lingering length. 89/100
Claude Cazals Clos Cazals 1997. Green apple, honey and pear on the nose. The palate is awkward, it is almost both bitterly acidic and broad at the same time. Good, but I had this two and a half years ago and much preferred it then. 87/100
by Martin Field ?How did you become a wine writer?? It?s perhaps the most frequent question I?ve had from wine drinkers over the years. What they really mean is ?How could I go about becoming a wine writer?? In other words, they too would like a job they assume involves nothing more than the consumption of an endless round of free lunches and gratis wine samples. My life is nothing like that, I tell them. (I can lie like a politician when necessary.) The process My ticket on the gravy train was easy enough to obtain. The process really was as simple as follows and the dialogue is as accurate as memory will allow.
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.
A16 tops the list of the best wine bars in San Francisco. The owner-sommelier Shelley Lindgren?s wine list is focused on Southern Italian varietals. This wine list is an integral part of the A16 experience and what makes it the best of the wine bars in San Francisco.
Andalu on 16th Street is another one of San Francisco?s finest wine bars. They are awesome because they offer small plates with big flavors. This is one of the San Francisco wine bars that has an approachable wine list and offers 35 wines by the glass. The crowd there is mixed and energetic.
Wine bars don?t usually come as good, or as small, as Bacchus on Hyde Street. Bacchus has knowledgeable bartenders that make innovative saké cocktails and they pour over 50 wines that range in price from under $10 a glass to more than $200 a bottle. The signature drink at Bacchus is their sake-version of the mojito.
Cav is one of the wine bars in San Francisco that takes itself extremely seriously. Cav has a well-chosen wine list of over 300 international wines. Some of the wines on the list are offered by a taste, or the glass. The chef has crafted unique takes on lots of dishes and Cav actually offers a cheese course that is served at the proper temperature and is on par with some of the finer restaurants in San Francisco.
Wine bars like Piccolo on Fillmore street handpick the wines on their wine lists. Piccolo is one of the wine bars that choose limited availability and small production wines. They prefer to concentrate on Italian wines. The owner of Piccolo has wonderful antipasti on his menu. There is fierce competition between wine bars to have the most excellent food to accompany their spirits.
Varnish Fine Art is both an art gallery and one of the top wine bars in San Francisco. The atmosphere at Varnish Fine Art is comfortable and it draws a post-work crowd for beer or wine during happy hour. The wine list at Varnish Fine Art is well chosen and features a number of delicious fine wines, as well as soju and saké cocktails.
Rutherford Ranch 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon $20-ish Wine label said: At Rutherford Ranch we work hard and we work smart to bring you the best values in Napa Valley wine. We strive to create wines with fresh aromas, rich flavors and a smooth balanced finish. Each wine expresses the honest flavor of grapes grown in the Napa Valley. WebWino & [...]
At the recent Albany event at the Desmond, I had a chance to meet Chris Reno of Chateau Lafayette Reneau. I chatted with him for a while, and tasted some of the exciting new varietals. Always a personal favorite, I wanted to try their riesling.
The riesling did not disappoint. It had a wonderful nose and an excellent balance between fruit and acid. Still one of my favorite rieslings.
They also had an exquisite dry rieslign as well. Absolutely fabulous!
Another summer is quickly coming to an end, and I hope everyone got a chance to visit their favorite local vineyard for a tour or a wine tasting. The highlight of my summer is always being able to visit the northern Michigan wineries. This summer, I got a chance to go up to the Leelanau Peninsula several times, and each time was memorable.
Leelanau Cellars is, by far, my favorite place to visit up north, especially because of the tasting experience. You don’t feel limited of how many wines you can taste, and the staff working the tasting room are VERY knowledgeable and friendly. I left with about 16 bottles of wine the last time I visited! If you are looking for some odd fruit wines, this is the place to go.
The wine: I shared a bottle with my new roommates in Grand Rapids. All three of us loved it.
Matt: “Delicious with chips and dip” Casey: “It would be a good winter wine. Surprisingly smooth!”
I enjoyed this 5 dollar bottle of wine with a thin-crust pizza and it was great. The wine was rich, and had a lot of flavor. I could taste the typical hints of cherry that most Michigan wines boast.
Summary: Great job, Leelanau Cellars! I look forward to coming back next year! Rating: 9/10 - Excellent! Price: 5 bucks Winery Information: Leelanau Cellars Leelanau Wine Cellars 12683 E. Tatch Rd (County Rd. 626) Omena, MI 49674 (231) 386-5201
*What an unusual mix in terms of the international producers you represent?why Argentina, New Zealand and Japan?
- Not really if you consider that Argentina and Japan (Ginjo sake), and to some extent New Zealand, share the same common elements?there are great wines and sake being produced by highly talented winemakers and tojis (master brewers), and they are not getting recognized yet. The quality is already in the bottle?so why should these sell less or get less respect than wine from more obvious regions? We always say that we are really a ?national education company? since we usually explain more than we sell. Our job is to get people to taste these wines and premium sake, and the stuff inside the bottles takes care of the rest. At the heart of this idea is also the notion that in the end, it?s the people you work with who make the difference between mediocre and ?wow!?. We have been lucky, fortunate, and smart (maybe a little of each) to meet and represent some of the top talent in these regions:
Susana Balbo?Crios de Susana Balbo, Susana Balbo signature wines, Nosotros (with Pedro below)
Pedro Marchevsky ? BenMarco
Pepe Galante & Mariano di Paola ? mapema
Luis Reginato ? Luca, Tikal, La Posta
Roberto de la Mota - Mendel
Jose & Pepe Reginato ? Reginato sparkling wines
Guy Davis ? Davis Family Vineyards (Russian River, CA) and Gusto (NZ SB)
13 Master Brewers from all over Japan?each as talented as anyone we have met.
*As someone who deals so closely with Argentine producers, what types of obstacles, limitations and concerns have any of them expressed to you in terms of being able to export and promote their products abroad?
- Well, I want to stay out of trouble here since I travel to Argentina a lot, but let me just say that the Argentine government has historically been more of a hindrance than a help for wine exports. As an example, and hard to believe, they actually tax EXPORTS! Perhaps the bigger obstacle for Argentine wineries is that the economic and political situation is relatively unstable, and when you are in an industry that measures commitment and success over a decade or longer due to capital investment requirements, it is hard to deal with a system that usually looks out only 2-3 years at a time.
*In your eyes, what sets apart these Argentine producers you represent? What do their wines bring to the table of American wine consumers that large-yield, often conglomerate-backed wines simply cannot?
- I alluded to this a bit above when talking about who we represent and why. I think there are three main things that set our producers apart:
1) Our wineries are owned by and have Argentine winemakers who have lived in this unique climate and region for their entire lives. For us, that means that the wines that they make TASTE like Argentine wines, not like some random wine from somewhere in the world. And as talented as some of the flying/foreign winemakers are who are working in Mendoza, I have yet to taste a wine from them that thrills me the way our producers? wines do at the dinner table. And I taste everything from down there.
2) As good as they already are, they are still always trying to learn how to improve their wines, and in today?s wine world, that?s the only way you stay on top. It shows.
3) Obsessive attention to detail seems like an abused phrase, but in winemaking it is crucial and not as common as you would think. Our winemakers are also our close friends and in Argentina that is taken pretty seriously. They make sure that every step is done with the utmost care because they would never want to look their friends in the eye and say, ?uhh..I?m sorry but this wine is just ok because we weren?t really paying close attention when we made it.? Large wineries may be able to solve #1 above, but #2 and #3 are far harder to come by, and that?s probably as true in the US as it is in Argentina.
*Looking ahead?are there any regions Vine Connections is looking to expand its portfolio toward, and why?
- We made a strategic decision a few years ago that we would remain specialists in Argentine wine and Japanese sake. Some importers have gone in the opposite direction and are happy to sell one of everything from anywhere, but we?re just not built that way as people. We started as leaders in both of these categories and we feel the only way to stay out in front is to specialize. That?s why we spend almost a month per year in Mendoza and visit Japan for at least 2 weeks every year. It?s our own ?attention to detail? mantra, and we try to stick to it so that we can look our customers in they eye and say every time, ?This is really great Argentine wine and Ginjo sake?. Every time.
- Fortunately, we won?t be bored since there still plenty of regions and microclimates still left to discover in Argentina.
*Given the nature of the market here in the United States, what advice would you give to consumers who would like be aware of, as well as actually see, a dramatic increase in availability of premium Argentine wines such as those crafted by your producers?
- American consumers have helped their own cause a lot already by being very open to trying wines like Malbec, Bonarda, and Torrontes. I think they will help themselves even further by continuing to experiment with wines at many different prices, not just the ?great values? under $15. Nick and I firmly believe that well-made Argentine wines offer incredible value and over-deliver at all price points. A $12 wine is worth more like $16, and a $30 wine is worth more like $40 when compared to other wine regions of the world. And, of course, you can support quality-focused companies like Vine Connections by paying attention to the importer name or logo (like our compass) that appear on every bottle. As with other wine regions, a good wine importer can be your best friend when you haven?t tried a particular wine yet and would like some assurance that you are going to enjoy it?especially when spending more than $15 or so.
Dark black cherry hue with big fruity bouquet of minty black cherry and plum.
Palate--relaxed tannins with prevalent evergreen notes on top of dark berry fruit. Finishes a little quick. This Washington state wine is made in the popular style and is pleasant enough for the right mood.
For around $25, I'd rather spend it on something from K Vinters (also Washington state) or a Santa Barbara Syrah. Raise a glass.
?There is a lot of juice in a shrinking market,? an Italian wine exec recently said to me in a meeting. I couldn?t agree more. This week, in the day job, we finally closed out our year. Initial reports are showing a rally in December and the Italian wine sales were better than I expected. In fact, in the flyover world that I track, Italy outpaced France and Spain (easily) and might have eclipsed even Australia. I will post a more detailed report when the bandwidth cools down in the building from everyone wanting to pull reports at the same time.
That said, I have had at least four calls this week from suppliers looking for a home. My terse advice in this moment is a two parter: 1) move here and dig in or 2) stay home and wait it out for the next 18 months.
The ark is full and there is absolutely no more room in the market for anymore Italian wine. If you have an importer and a distributor, stick with them, work with them. Stay where you are. If you are homeless, I am sorry for you. The market is over saturated. For now.
Although I missed the boat on this one completely, the results are in for the latest Wine Blogging Wednesday over at CorkDork. This month’s objective was to try new red wines from New Zealand. 31 bloggers participated this time! Check it out!
I found a really great site for custom wine racks. I found wineracks.com and I absolutely cannot decide which design I like best. They have a selection of smaller capacity wine racks that can store three to forty eight bottles of wine.
Wineracks.com has wine racks in both wood and metal. I?ve found several that suit my current needs and several that I wish my needs would suit! Some of the different styles are just simple stackable racks that assemble without tools. There are other wine racks that are elegant, solid oak racks with tabletop and stemware storage.
The twelve bottle modular wine racks are made of pine and can be configured in many different ways. There are kits available to add and expand these wine racks. Wineracks.com has this item listed for $22.50.
The Cha Cha Wine Racks sold by wineracks.com are made of colored plastic. They snap together with clips and come in four colors. The colors that the components for these wine racks come in are orange, light blue, green and white. Each color is sold separately for $22.50.
I was particularly taken with the Lisbon wall wine racks. They are black wooden wine racks that hold both bottles and stemware. Wineracks.com has the Lisbon wall wine racks listed for $69.00.
I am pretty sure that I do not want the Accordia wine racks that wineracks.com have for sale. My mother had one that looked like this when I was growing up and I always thought that it was ugly. I much prefer any other style.
The Bali fifteen bottle wine racks were inspired by contemporary Indonesian style. I like the wavy look of these wine racks. The price for the Bali wine racks is $96.00. These come in a natural color. There are also twelve bottle Bali wine racks that are $72.00 in either crimson color or black.
I do believe that my favorite wine racks have to be the cellar cubes. Wineracks.com has the cellar cubes in both unfinished Pine and Mahogany. The Mahogany cellar cubes sell for $59.95 and the Pine cellar cubes sell for $34.95. These wine racks require simple assembly and the holes are pre-drilled and the hardware is provided.
Yesterday I was driving to the older part of town to visit a friend who was in the hospital. He has been a mentor to me, and as I was nearing the facility, I saw the old street where my dad and his family had lived more than 90 years ago. The picture above was taken there, 1313 Hall Street, Dallas, Texas, where my dad was born. The house is gone. All that remains of his original family is his sister, my aunt Mary. She's the little baby in my grandmother's arms. My friend in the hospital was asleep, but he didn?t look well. He is dying. I know the look, the sound, the smell. If it were a wine, I would describe it thus: pale and a bit cloudy. The bouquet has faded with a light scent of dried rose petals and ripe, aged Asiago. In the flavors there is a little tinge of acid, the tannins are all gone, the fruit is fleeting, and the finish is swift.
Hopefully, my friend's will be as well. For his sake.
It had been raining, and the streets were damp and saturated. It reminded me of Ireland, of a hopeless and miserable Dublin after a night of drinking too much Guinness and too little sleep. Cold, dank, unredeemable.
I was near my friend's wine store and hadn?t eaten all day (it was 2 p.m.), so I stopped in to get a sandwich, and ended up working the floor.
The store was crowded, and Sinatra was crooning over the speakers. A young man came up to me and asked me about the Italian Club. I gave him the requisite information and encouraged him to stop in at one of the Wednesday wine tastings they are starting to do. Then he reached out his hand to shake mine. My hand was bleeding from a boxcutter that had slipped when I was arranging some wine case stacks. I didn't even know I had cut myself. All in a day's work, even if it is a Saturday. Or a Sunday. Grab some tape, cover the cut and back to arranging bottles and straightening shelf-talkers.
In the past, we didn?t need an Italian Club. We had the Family. On Sundays like today, my family would spend the day together, eating, drinking, carousing at the beach or in a vineyard somewhere, in Sicily, Dallas, Los Angeles.
My dad and his dad would hang out together. My son is in Vegas, working. My dad and his dad are gone. It?s Sunday again, and I?m sitting in my room writing about something that doesn?t exist anymore.
My dad and his dad were in business together, for a while. I don?t think my father liked that too much. Probably my grandfather wasn?t too clued in on his son?s aspirations. I think my dad probably wanted to be some kind of artist, maybe an actor. He certainly ended up in the right place for it, Los Angeles in the 1930?s. The golden age of American cinema. But my dad cobbled, and my grandfather acquired real estate, and the ship sailed on. E la nave? va.
Once, when my grandfather had made a pile of money, he loaded his young family up and sailed back to Palermo for a while. He was now an American, and while he was going back to Italy for a while, he could never stay there indefinitely. He had crossed over into the American dream. He was making it big. In the picture he wasn?t more than 24 years old, but the opportunities that he had reached for paid off early. My son is now 30 years old. I wonder if the opportunities for his generation will ever afford him a chance for a good life. It doesn?t seem as bright now. Warmer, yes. Brighter, no.
When my mom and dad were married in 1936, they took their Ford roadster up the California coast. They were building the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. My parents were 21 years old, hopeful for happiness in their future and their children?s future. For their honeymoon, they tooled up Coast Highway 1 into a world we can only dream about now.
The Great Depression was receding, and war was a few years off. It was a moment to enjoy all that the possibility of life had to offer.
On those Sundays leading up to those years, they would spend sun-drenched days at the beach with their Wise Guy uncles and their Hollywood girlfriends. They were ?A? listing through life, the Golden Age of the American Dream. Cigarettes didn?t cause cancer, yet. Diseases were being conquered. The atom was being harnessed. Seat belts weren?t necessary. Front doors needn?t be locked. Out in the San Fernando Valley and Escondido and Cucamonga, the family would picnic in the vineyards. Note the happy faces and the glasses of wine. My dad with some of the many women in his family. His Aunt Mary, his sister (my aunt) Mary, Josie and Cuccia, Tootsie and Anna, and Rosemary and on. So pristine in the simplicity of their happiness. Wine, women and song. And food, what great food. Local, fresh, not microwaved, not from a can. California, the Golden State in a golden age. My mom and dad, with riding boots. Chances are, Dad made them. How much my son looks like him. I now am the age my father was when I wondered what it would be like to be his age. I think I might be happier at this age than he was, but his youth sure looked good from this vantage point. And my mom, the classic Italian beauty. She?s almost 93 and still pretty fired-up about life and living. Thank God she?s in good shape. My friend in the hospital, what I wouldn?t give for him to have been that fortunate, too. My Aunt Josephine, on the right in the picture, next to her brother Felice and his East Texas bride, Reba. And my dad and mom. A night out on the town. Was it in Dallas? Or Hollywood? They look out at me from this picture as if to say, ?Bring us your best bottle of Italian wine, and come sit down with us and enjoy your family.? If only I could, Uncle Phil. My mom and my Aunt Jo are both in their 90?s now, both in pretty good health. Still driving. But not in the rain.
My dad?s sister, Aunt Mary, called me today. She was checking in with me. Her husband passed away a few years ago. Her son-in-law died a little over a year ago. Last summer one of her grandsons had an accident in the ocean, and he too is gone. So she called to see if I was still here, still around.
Yes, Aunt Mary. Many of them are gone but we are still here, those of us on the edges of the photographs. Still ticking and kicking. Still dreaming and still looking for a way to make all this work out. I miss our Family Sundays. And so I sit here and put down these thoughts for the internets to hold, for another place and time and people. It was a great time, and the memories feed the heart and the soul, on Sundays, when the family is spread out far.
The Harpers Alcohol: Know Your Facts campaign has been launched in a bid to offer an alternative view to the almost daily barrage of press stories that give the impression drinking in the UK is out of control. When the real picture, based on the Government's own statistics, show overall long-term drinking levels are actually in decline.
Harpers (which is a well established UK wine industry weekly) has put up a petition on the Number 10 Downing Street website calling on the public and members of the drinks industry to lobby the Prime Minister directly on the issue to ensure future legislation does not punish the majority of people who drink responsibly.
You can add your support to this vital issue by signing up to the petition (If of course you are a UK resident).
You can also get your local MP involved by signing an open letter calling on them to raise the real facts about alcohol in any debates in the House of Commons.
Your support can make a difference and it is vital we ensure the real facts are heard and understood by our politicians."
Laura Catena is hardly your average emergency room doc. The Argentine native - who came to the US with her professor dad to attend high school and wound up staying to attend Harvard for undergrad and then Stanford for medical school - "moonlights" from her job as an ER physician at UCSF by making wine, and on another continent at that. That's right, the married mother of three (yes, she has a nanny) successfully holds down TWO glamorous jobs and apparently has energy to burn, as I witnessed when I interviewed her in San Fran's homey Cole Valley several weeks ago. But besides her fascinating resume and seemingly boundless energy, I was most intrigued by Catena's commitment to making small batches of totally world-class wine from Mendoza's top low-yield, high-elevation vineyards. And though you may have heard more about her family's OTHER winery, Bodega Catena Zapata (considered by many the preeminent winery in all of Argentina), I predict her own label, Luca, has a bright future all its own.
Read on for an exclusive interview with Laura, including her ruminations on pursuing multiple careers, living on two continents, and generally being fabulous (okay, that last part is totally my conjecture, but I have to say she's impressive). Enjoy!
Tecnorati
I knew at some point there would be an occasion to write about Sherry, a wine I’ve had over the years but didn’t really get into until a visit in June of 2007 to El Puerto de Santa María in the so-called Sherry Triangle. As a guest of 
Yesterday I was driving to the older part of town to visit a friend who was in the hospital. He has been a mentor to me, and as I was nearing the facility, I saw the old street where my dad and his family had lived more than 90 years ago. The picture above was taken there, 1313 Hall Street, Dallas, Texas, where my dad was born. The house is gone. All that remains of his original family is his sister, my aunt Mary. She's the little baby in my grandmother's arms. 
Cigarettes didn?t cause cancer, yet. Diseases were being conquered. The atom was being harnessed. Seat belts weren?t necessary. Front doors needn?t be locked. 
Out in the San Fernando Valley and Escondido and Cucamonga, the family would picnic in the vineyards. Note the happy faces and the glasses of wine.
My dad with some of the many women in his family. His Aunt Mary, his sister (my aunt) Mary, Josie and Cuccia, Tootsie and Anna, and Rosemary and on. So pristine in the simplicity of their happiness. Wine, women and song. And food, what great food. Local, fresh, not microwaved, not from a can. California, the Golden State in a golden age.
My mom and dad, with riding boots. Chances are, Dad made them. How much my son looks like him. I now am the age my father was when I wondered what it would be like to be his age. I think I might be happier at this age than he was, but his youth sure looked good from this vantage point. And my mom, the classic Italian beauty. She?s almost 93 and still pretty fired-up about life and living. Thank God she?s in good shape. My friend in the hospital, what I wouldn?t give for him to have been that fortunate, too.
My Aunt Josephine, on the right in the picture, next to her brother Felice and his East Texas bride, Reba. And my dad and mom. A night out on the town. Was it in Dallas? Or Hollywood? They look out at me from this picture as if to say, ?Bring us your best bottle of Italian wine, and come sit down with us and enjoy your family.? If only I could, Uncle Phil. My mom and my Aunt Jo are both in their 90?s now, both in pretty good health. Still driving. But not in the rain.
Laura Catena is hardly your average emergency room doc. The Argentine native - who came to the US with her professor dad to attend high school and wound up staying to attend Harvard for undergrad and then Stanford for medical school - "moonlights" from her job as an ER physician at UCSF by making wine, and on another continent at that. That's right, the married mother of three (yes, she has a nanny) successfully holds down TWO glamorous jobs and apparently has energy to burn, as I witnessed when I interviewed her in San Fran's homey Cole Valley several weeks ago. But besides her fascinating resume and seemingly boundless energy, I was most intrigued by Catena's commitment to making small batches of totally world-class wine from Mendoza's top low-yield, high-elevation vineyards. And though you may have heard more about her family's OTHER winery,