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I’m sure there has been plenty said about the impending Obama presidency but I’m going to say my $.02.
Its really hard to describe what this means to me, to many many people for that matter. Its not the end all be all, but its a milestone that seemed impossible two years ago. Barack Obama, a black American, taking the head of the most powerful office in the free world. Its not coincidence that the world looked at this as an instantaneous moral and morale boost - we just, as a collective nation - looked past everything and did what the majority of citizens (majority by popular vote) thought would be best for this country and that happen to mean putting a minority into the oval office.
A country that can do that should be able to speak rationally with other cultures and religious states, shouldn’t it? Should be able to be open to listening to all sides of a debate and making a good decision shouldn’t it? Clearly should be able to give the minority voice of other nations the ear they want when all they want is an ear to listen to them to restore their dignity, shouldn’t it?
Thats called hope. Instantaneous, street credentialed hope. For that I’m incredibly pumped for this country. I don’t feel like cringing when I think about my president going and speaking to other nations. I don’t have that feeling that I have a loud, obnoxious friend with me in a fancy restaurant who I love dearly but I just know he/she’s doesn’t belong in an environment that people want to be civilized and not sloppy drunk. That is all gone today.
For me personally, I guess even expecting him to win I wasn’t expecting alot of feelings I had to bubble to the surface. My father is my hero and he taught me basically if you’re at a disadvantage, well then too bad, you just have to work harder than the others. Energy you waste complaining could be energy that could be putting you ahead. Something I took to heart never complaining about the disadvantages of being black in America because I’m pretty confident in my abilities. But even so, there is a bit of an unspoken limit to what could be accomplished. Or at least there was one. That hit me yesterday. How can there be a limit? Even with people trying to hold you back or not giving you the same chance, Obama is the president, anything can happen. Truly.
Thinking about the people who died just on the faith that this day would come if they marched, took beatings in non-violent protest, and even lost their lives so that I could see this day and my kids would be in a different world. Lost their LIVES on faith in this country’s ability to adjust and the hope that their efforts would make this time possible…that hit me yesterday.
My kids…I hugged my daughter (she’s been sick). And I did cry a little. She doesn’t have to know that limit. She’ll never know that limit. I’ve always thought racism was so ignorant that it was comical; something just ripe for satire. I truly appreciated things like The Chappelle Show and Wayans Brothers productions (like Hollywood Shuffle) because they used comedy to highlight the absurdity of racism. I love that. But the racism takes on a whole new level of rediculousness when the leader of the most powerful nation in the world is a black man. My daughter is 3 years old. I have a sincere hope that could come true now - that she really won’t understand how people could be seriously racist. That hit me yesterday too.
I think thats how I look at it. The people that I struggle with now will be long dead and buried by the time my girls are my age. And while it feels good for me now to see all this worldwide credibility restored and faith in our own democracy’s ability to adjust restored, its really when I think about the things my daughters will never know is when I can find the energy and enthusiasm for life. I often think about how technology will change things, in fact I think about it constantly. Think about how my daughters will never wake up at 6am on a Saturday to watch their favorite Saturday Morning cartoon because they can just pull it up. In fact, my 3 year old has a hard time understanding why if “Dora” can play in her room, why can’t she continue watching it downstairs on the TV (yeah, DirecTV DVR, why the f*** not?).
Today I can think about more significant things that I didn’t really think about because I didn’t see this happening and I didn’t know when it would. Not knowing that limit or perception of limit. Dealing with racism (as its clearly not gone) but having a very different perspective as the racism shouldn’t be a limit on what she can do anymore than any other corporate political situation. No more excuses - yes, “the man” might be holding you back but YOU are the only one limiting yourself because being black isn’t even an excuse for not being the f***ing President of the United States anymore!!
No more excuses for not achieving.
To me personally, it inspires me further to understand the wine industry because the lack of minorities (not women obviously) still puzzles me. I mean, I get the demographic thing and the “snooty” thing but thats changing with social media, folks like Gary V, new generations coming in, etc…yet for some reason this industry is simply monochromatic.
Schlepping in the West Village. Cold and windy but bright. Glamour and sensuality are well hidden today, layered away for winter. The same could be said for the heady, expansive displays of prosperity which ruled till just yesterday. Christopher Street, once the epicenter of gay commerical life, is half shuttered and empty. Many storefronts are bare except for rebtal signs in English and Spanish. Familiar coffee bars and eateries seem long gone. The same forlorn...
First Press - the UK wine trade’s first fully-interactive Ezine, has just launched featuring an interview with JancisRobinson. First Press has been produced by Nicky Burston of World Wine Agencies. It has a lifestyle look and feel and is easy to download, or email directly to friends. Issue 1 of this new quarterly features wine celebrity interviews and podcasts, up-and-coming news and events and includes a prize draw for tickets to Old Trafford.
January 6th, 2005 was my first post to this new blog. Below is how it all started if interested. The popularity of our blog has surprised us. We try to stick to reviewing wine without a bunch of yada yada although I am the worst offender for what may be too much yada yada. It's just that the supreme enjoyment of wine is not merely what is in the bottle but whole experience of fellowship surrounding the event. And what is amazing is that you can have an "event" as mundane as a 3:00 snack, but add a bottle of wine, and it becomes an ocassion! I will resolve to temper my yada yada's without losing the experience. Raise a glass with us to a new year and we hope you visit us and leave comments--often.
How it all started: It was 1979 and I was putting my time in at a hospital laboratory as a medical technologist. Someone brought in a magazine subtitled ?The magazine for physicians at leisure.? On my breaks I would page through it because it had some really nice photos of far away places in gorgeous spots of the world. In one issue there was a feature titled, ?The Ten Best Wines in America for under $10.?
Wine had intrigued me yet my exposure to the fruit of the vine had pretty much been relegated to the annual Thanksgiving sip my parents would serve of?sit down?Mogen- David wine. Even as a kid, I thought it had more in common with cough syrup than a drinkable beverage. That exposure is probably why I was much more a Guinness Stout kind of guy if anything at all.
Still, the mythical stories of the guy who could sit down with a glass of fermented grape juice in front of him and tell you the place it was made, the year it was made and the particular type of grape or grapes fascinated me. So, ?What made a good wine, a good wine??
Even I could afford a $10 bottle of wine every now and then so if the ones in the magazine represented the best in the country, I wanted to know what they tasted like and began to hunt down everyone I could. That was it; I was hooked. I joined a wine club called ?Les Amis Du Vin? which means ?Friends of the Vine? which entitled me to the wine of the month at a local dealer which meant I could get one bottle of the month?s selection for half price. That was the beginning of a lifetime pursuit of what has been an absolutely inexhaustible quest to understand wine. Do not misunderstand though, I am NOT a connoisseur but I do know a good wine from a mediocre wine from a bad wine. And I know a great value when I find one which these days abound! Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile are producing wines not by the hundreds or thousands of cases but by the hundreds of thousands of cases. With that kind of volume, phenomenal bargains are all over the place!
So if you are serious about pursuing wine beyond a bottle here and there, you have to subscribe to the Wine Spectator magazine. It will cost you $45 a year but is worth every penny. And will save you ten times that in a year by helping you to avoid over-priced and over-hyped wines. Their rating system is irrespective of a wine?s cost so when you see a wine that rates an 88 out of 100 scale and it costs $8 and then another wine that rates an 86 which cost $55; the savings are obvious. Til next time--
*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.
When I saw beef heart at the market, I got the idea for an odd dish. Most folks would just grimace and move on to the socially acceptable cuts of meat, but I grabbed un corazón de res and a few pounds of short ribs for dinner. Naturally the two go together in the chest, so why not cook them together?
Out of respect for the more squeamish readers I've omitted the pictures of the heart during the trimming phase, but it's a highly educational experience if you've never done it. It's a good four times the size of the human heart but works mostly the same way. And unlike the formaldehyde pickled samples you may have encountered in biology class or med school, this smells like steak. Tastes like it as well--once you trim off all the fat and the various arteries, you're left with something like filet mignon: a perfectly lean, fine grained meat that grills beautifully. I tried a few pieces in this fashion before chopping up the rest for the braised dish.
I started by roasting the short ribs in a hot oven for an hour to render out the fat and get some nice browning. Do this on a deep lipped aluminum sheet pan and it's a lot easier than doing it in a skillet (hat tip to Cook's Illustrated). I heated the roasting pan in the oven and then added a few tablespoons of the rendered beef fat and a standard mirepoix. Then I added the chunks of heart, the drained ribs, a couple of cans of tomato sauce, a can of chicken broth, and half a bottle of Bordeaux (more on that in a bit). I covered it and roasted it in a low oven for a good four or five hours until everything was nice and tender.
The whole thing was rich, velvety, savory, and sinfully beefy. This is a great method of preparing short ribs. The heart is actually milder and more tender than the short ribs, so it's sort of lost in the stew, but the cardiac muscle does provide an interesting textural contrast.
For the braising liquid I used half a bottle of the 2005 Mouton Cadet from Bordeaux. $13, 13% abv. 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The label comes with a quote: "Le vin, il naît, puis il vit, mais point ne meurt, en l'homme il survit." Baron Philippe (1902-1988). This translates as "Wine is born, it lives, but it never dies; in man it survives." There's a dusty nose with elements of black cherry and hints of vanilla and lipstick (I promise I was using a clean glass) with a smooth mouthfeel and restrained berry flavors. 2005 was a banner year for Bordeaux and this is a very economical way to enjoy it.
I was going to open the other bottle to try something different, but I decided to save it for later. That's a 2004 Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna from the Italian island of Sardinia. $15, 12.5% abv. I've written about the Cannonau grape previously and was excited to see a bottle from a different producer. A few days afterward I opened it up to go with grilled pork chops and an apple-garlic-sherry vinegar topping. The wine has an intensely spicy, grape skin aroma to it and a full black cherry flavor. The spice continues on the tongue, black pepper and allspice. Medium tannins, clean finish, a little unusual but certainly strong enough to hold up against the grilled pork.
The reason Australia is so special in the wine industry is mainly because it is such a large country and almost every climate and soil type can be found. They are able to produce all of the major wine types, from red to white wines, fortified wines, and sweet wines to sparkling wines. And it?s not just the environment and diverseness that makes Australian wine so special. Areas such as the National Wine Centre in Adelaide and the National Wine and Grape Centre are guiding the world in research and education. Students can study viticulture (grape growing) and wine making and, once they have graduated, are in top demand throughout the world.
Australia also has some of the oldest grape vines in the world. Most of Europe's established vineyards were destroyed by disease in the 1800s and the only one?s that survived were the vines that where brought to Australia. In order to preserve these, viticulturists have developed some of the vine management techniques now used throughout the world. They have also invented many ways to produce wines with fewer chemicals (organic and bio-dynamic). Also Australia is the home of the wine cask. Australian wines can now be found for sale in over 100 countries. They are one of the main exporters of wine in the world. United Kingdom now imports more wine from Australia than it does from France. Australian wines have won medals at almost every major international wine competition and set records for the price of a single bottle. All of this has been achieved since that first bunch of grapes was harvested just over 200 years ago. View video of Australian wine country
Fetzer Vineyards, one of the largest US wineries, will lightweight its entire line of wines to reduce its environmental footprint, continuing the winery's more than 20-year history of environmental responsibility and a decade-long commitment to help alleviate global climate change.
Carbon Footprint of Bottles Reduced by 14%
On an average annual basis, the new bottles reduce glass usage by 16% (more than 2,100 tons) and supply chain greenhouse gas emissions (or carbon footprint) associated with glass bottles by 14% (3,000 tons of CO2e). This is equivalent to planting 70,000 trees and growing them for ten years ? or nearly tripling all the trees planted in New York's Central Park.
I have been traveling back and forth across the country for the last two weeks and have been working long days for months. In between flights and endless delays in airport waiting lounges, I try to make study time for my WSET exam coming up all too soon in a few days. After a grueling, four-city tour, tonight I feel justified in picking something special to celebrate a clean desk and being home. A bottle of Amarone is definitely appropriate. The bottle I decide on is an Amarone Negar 1961. Yes the vintage is right, 1961.
It was a great year for Italian wine in 1961 ? rain and sun in perfect balance. John Kennedy was president of the USA. The Berlin Wall was under construction. Maria Callas was 38 and at the height of her career. Sophia Loren was starring in El Cid, and I was all of nine years old.
The label is a little worn and torn. The fill level looks promising ? still mid neck ? although there is a little sediment. The cork seems to be okay ? solid and removes easily without crumbling. Should I decant and risk adding too much air? I pour a glass to see what has happened to this 40-something wine.
The color is amazing ? dark red, with a little orange and brick red on the rim. The nose is equally remarkable ? still lots of fruit left on the nose, black cherry with truffle, and a little sherry oxidization odors in the background. A few swirls of the glass and the oxidative aromas disappear.
The taste and finish on this wine is surprising, still full of black cherry, truffles, and forest floor with a finish that lasts for minutes. The tannins are like silk, and there are not enough descriptors to describe the mouth feel and full body. The acidity must be holding this wine together.
Now, there is a caveat to this story. We both love Amarone, so there is a built in basis here. But points and ratings have no relevance to this wine. It is, quite simply, a great wine. It is like the Callas aria playing on the stereo ? powerful yet filled with grace and finesse. It is an Amarone at its heights. Yes, 1961 was a good vintage year for Italian wines. I am going to lay down some bottles for the future. Susan?s Note:
This Amarone is a perfect example of why Frank and I both hate the point system. Is this a 98 or only a 97 point wine? After all, how do you define the difference of a single point? Or has this venerable liquid actually achieved the enviable position of 100 points despite its initial hint of oxidation? It is only two additional points after all.
And if we were to rate it as a 98, would that make it comparable to the 2004 Cabernet Blend IX Estate from Colgin Cellars that received a 98 point nod from Robert Parker? Hmmm, let?s see. A three-year old blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot from Napa Valley versus an Italian Amarone with almost half a century of love, care, and passion in its provenance. Somehow, the comparison just doesn?t work ? although I suppose one day, some scientist, somewhere in the world, will come up with a formula that proves you can actually make a meaningful comparison between apples and snow peas.
(Photo of Maria Callas dated 1960, only a year before this wine was produced.)
Wine Blogging Wednesday rolls around again with a theme from Russ, the Wine Hiker, of “Which wine, which wilderness.” Sounds pretty straightforward… which wine would you bring on a hike near where you live. The only problem is, I don’t hike.
It’s not that I don’t like hiking, I do, but rarely get on the trail these days here in Minnesota. I like walking and it is my exercise of choice but it’s usually done in my suburban neighborhood or around one of the many lakes in the Twin Cities. Rarely have I ventured up north to where the real action is here in the land of 10,000 lakes.
But this theme not only got me to think about where I might hike but also which wine I might take on the journey. Since I’m one to pack lightly, I chose a wine I could enjoy without a corkscrew. That left every wine made here in Minnesota behind but there were several choices left on the shelf. I also assumed I would bring simple water glasses or metal cups and not the usual Riedel stems on my hike so the choice should be something hearty. This got me thinking of the wines of Italy which are often consumed in humble glassware. Alas, I was not able to find a wine in screwcap or other non-corkscrew closure from Italy but my friends in California did not disappoint.
Since part of the task was to match this wine with a hike, I consulted Google to select one of the top 10 hikes in the country right in my backyard, the Superior Hiking Trail. This trail covers over 200 miles from Two Harbors, MN — near Duluth — to the Canadian border. The north shore of Lake Superior is some of the most beautiful country you are likely to see and this time of year it’s awesome due to our long Indian summer and fall colors. At some point, I will make this hike and might just bring along the wine I picked up for the journey, Hey Mambo.
This is one of those “marketing wines” from Don Sebastiani and Sons which I’ve been meaning to try anyway. Great label, interesting premise and the Zork closure all for $12.99. I was also intrigued by the blend of Barbera, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Alicante Bouschet which I thought would be a good choice for my water glass/cup scenario. So I was looking forward to what might be in the glass tonight.
Tasting Notes:
The Other Guys, “Hey Mambo”, Sultry Red 2006 ($13) - Dark purple in color with aromas of blackberry, cranberry, fennel and sage. Bright and juicy in the mouth with blackberry, red cherry, bell pepper and vanilla finishing with moderate tannins. An interesting and satisfying blend in an nice package.
Thanks to Russ for a great theme this time… It will be good to see him again at the upcoming Wine Blogger Conference later this month. Look for the next theme to be announced soon.
Not to sound like a lush or anything?, but I love the booze. All aspects of it. Grape, honey, barley, corn, whatever. I like sitting down to a well-set table and a nice dinner with a fantastically-matched glass of wine to sip and savor, but I also enjoy gulping down a can of cheap beer after mowing the lawn. I?ve been doing single malt scotch tastings and keeping a whisky journal since 2002, but I also like sitting around a campfire and drinking rot-gut until I?m staggering and bleary-eyed.
There are times I drink simply because it tastes good, and times I drink because I want to get stupid. Sometimes both. Well, a little while ago, I was watching Star Trek: The Next Generation re-runs. There?s a great episode where Picard goes home to France for the first time in years. His brother, Robear, is still running the family vineyard. They sit down to the evening meal, and Robear uncorks a bottle of the family wine.
Jean-Luc: Is this the forty-six? Robear: *tsk* The forty-seven. You?ve been drinking too much of that? what?s it called? Synthahol? Spoiled your palette. Jean-Luc: On the contrary, I think it heightens one?s appreciation for the genuine article.
(For the non-Trekkies in the room, synthahol is a substitute for alcohol that does not impair judgment like alcohol does.)
Heightens one?s appreciation for the genuine article. I love that line, and it got me thinking? Would I drink wine, beer and whisky if it was non-alcoholic? All things considered, is it the taste, the buzz, or both?? What about you? If beer, wine and spirits contained no alcohol, would you still have that glass of fantastic wine with dinner, that ice-cold beer after moving the lawn, or that treasured dram of 15-year-old whisky?
Me? I?d probably stop drinking whisky, because even though I dearly love exploring the subtle nuances of different single malts, spending that kind of money on a non-alcoholic drink would be silly. I?d still drink wine and meads, since finding a good match can really enhance a meal, irregardless of alcohol content. Complimenting a strip steak or a plate of fine cheeses with a can of Diet Coke or a glass of cranberry juice just wouldn?t cut it. I?m not sure about beer. I?m not much of a beer drinker anyway, so I?d probably stop altogether if it was all non-alcoholic. I went through a phase when I was drinking non-alcoholic beer because it was thirst-quenching, but it got a bit expensive. An ice cold Fresca would do the trick after mowing the lawn, I guess.
Sebastiani Vineyards, one of California?s oldest continually-operating wineries, has been purchased by the Foley Group. The Foley Group owns several wine brands, including Foley Estates, Lincourt Vineyards, Firestone Vineyards and Three Rivers Winery.
The sale of Sebastiani Vineyards comes after various family members took a shot at managing the business after the 1980 death of August Sebastiani, whose father Samuele had founded the winery in 1904. August?s wife became the matriarch, and her sons Sam and Don and daughter Mary Ann took the helm for varying amounts of time. When replaced by his younger brother, Sam founded Viansa Winery, which he later sold. Don left in 2001 and started a new wine company with his sons that now owns several brands, including Smoking Loon, Plungerhead, Mia?s Playground, Aquinas and others. Mary Ann Sebastiani Cuneo and her husband Richard took over when Don left.
Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Oakleys Bistro leaving 86th and Ditch?
Scuttlebutt on the grapevine is that Steve Oakley plans to move his restaurant from its current location at 1464 West 86th Street, where it has been since it opened in 2002. The grapevine has so far been mum on the restaurant?s new location....
This just in: According to Steve Oakley ? and he should know ? the grapevine is wrong on this one. He is not moving his restaurant.
Over May 13th, 14th and 15th 2007, thirty wine writers, sommeliers, and industry professionals from across Canada and the U.S. met in Windsor, Ontario to judge the 27th annual All Canadian Wine Championships. More than 850 wines were submitted from...
[07/20/2006, 00:27]
New Board of Directors for Colchagua's Wineries (Chile) and your Route of the Wine
The Association of Colchagua's Vineyards and your Route of the Wine, chose new board of directors integrated by Jose Miguel Viu,Viu Manent Vineyards, Fanor Velasco, Emiliana Vineyards, Andres Turner, Montes Vineyards y Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Estampa Vineyards. In turn it took up office as president of the board of directors Mario Pablo Silva S., Casa Silva Vineyards, who already had occupied the same cargo between the year 2000 and 2003.
The act of possession of the new charges was realized in the restaurant of Casa Silva Vineyards, where the manager - Tomas Wilkins - delivered a platelet in honoring to the pass presidents, receiving the distinction the gentleman Jose Miguel Viu.
The new president, Mario Pablo Silva S., proved to be very optimistic, emphasizing that "our challenge today is even major that before, we are in the showcase of the world. We feel proud in being pioneers in Chile in promoting a denomination of origin, know that our major secret is the diversity and quality of our wines, and the union of our people, in each of the corners from the valley, of mountain chain to sea, and trust that the pride of being Colchaguinos will continue being the engine that will stimulate our project".
2005 Ponzi Pinot Noir The 2005 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley offers toasty cherry and strawberry aromas leading to a medium-bodied, structured wine with spicy flavors and a slightly tannic finish. Drink this tasty Pinot Noir over the next 4-6 years. Ponzi Vineyards began in 1974 making them one of Oregon?s pioneers. Dick and Nancy Ponzi, the founders, remain very much involved although winemaking duties were turned over to daughter Luisa in 1993. In addition to remaining a reference point for Oregon Pinot Noir, the winery fashions excellent wines from Italian varietals including Arneis and Dolcetto in honor of their heritage. Not yet released. Tel. (503) 628-1227; www.ponziwines.com Rating: 89 Estimated Cost: $29-$40
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
Tecnorati
airport waiting lounges, I try to make study time for my 
truffles, and forest floor with a finish that lasts for minutes. The tannins are like silk, and there are not enough descriptors to describe the mouth feel and full body. The acidity must be holding this wine together.
Since part of the task was to match this wine with a hike, I consulted Google to select one of the top 10 hikes in the country right in my backyard, the 
Sebastiani Vineyards, one of California?s oldest continually-operating wineries, has been purchased by the Foley Group. The Foley Group owns several wine brands, including Foley Estates, Lincourt Vineyards, Firestone Vineyards and Three Rivers Winery.
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