Just Say No — to Bad Wine
Travel and being on the road can be tedious at times. While many hotels do their best to be hip and even provide wine tasting hours, many fall short. It can be a real challenge to get a good glass of wine while traveling and staying in hotels. Ordering wine by the glass in the restaurant can be frustrating as well. Recently, I have had some experiences that have taxed my taste buds.
Just recently, I was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles, and their steak house had a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. I was by myself and ordered a glass of wine off the wine list. The list touted a Washington wine from a very good vintage, and I was excited to try it. They had good crystal on the table, so I expected a great glass. Upon arrival, the wine had no aromatics; the taste was flaccid and bitter. This was unacceptable.
Hot Summer — Cool, Refreshing White Wine!
The forecast for the West Coast is hotter than usual. By now, that is no surprise for many who live here. The thermometer has been over 100 degrees in Sacramento several days this summer, and it is only July. Hot daytime temperatures make us all a little thirsty. A great, refreshing white to “pound on down on the patio” is Pinot Grigio, as the Italians call it. It is also known as Pinot Gris in other parts of the world. In fact, this little grape is produced all around the world and has many different titles depending on whether you are in France, Germany, Austria, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or Australia. This is a lovely white wine that hails from around the world.
The Pinot Grigio I’d like to tell you about today is grown in Napa. It’s lightly honeyed, with a hint of spice and minerality. It’s darn good and refreshing! It is the perfect apéritif to start the evening and set up the palate for dinner or simply to enjoy in the afternoon with no food at all. I unfortunately have drunk all that we bought and must go back for more.
Just in the “Nick” of Time…
One of the beauties of wine is that the landscape is ever-changing. While great wineries are like the old standards of music, there are new iterations and ideas always finding their way into the refrain. New winemakers and new views are a part of the evolution of the wine scene. Being able to discover an “up and coming” winery and watch it grow into the market is part of the fun of the journey of wine.
One such winery that is on the rise is Nicora in Paso Robles. The winemaker and principal is Nick Elliott. Upon our last visit to Paso Robles, we were able to taste with Nick and learn about him, the winery and his wines. This is an appointment-only setting. The location for the tasting room is industrial, yet the setting inside is pleasant with comfortable seating around a large table. This is a great experience to sit, chat and taste through the wines with the gentleman who handcrafted each bottle. This was truly a pleasurable and refreshing journey.
“100 Barrels of Wine…”
The barrel tasting at Auction Napa Valley, hosted by the Napa Valley Vintners, is a special opportunity to taste many remarkable wines, all while supporting many great charitable organizations. Last week, I wrote about the auction and promised to follow-up with a post about some of the specific wines. Here we go…
Each of the participating wineries donates 10 cases of wine — one for each of the 10 highest bidders on this day, for delivery in the future. There are 100 barrels to taste from and make a bid on for a case (12 bottles). The proceeds from the barrel auction go to charities in Napa Valley.
“Take Care of Those Who Take Care of You”
Take care of those who take care of you. Good leaders do it. Smart quarterbacks do it. And, this past weekend in Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Vintners did it with their annual community fundraiser — Auction Napa Valley. The spirit of taking care of others was alive and vibrant in the actions of wineries, winemakers, and volunteers who work and live in this valley through their donations of auction lots and tireless hours of putting on a successful event.
Each year in June, the Napa Valley Vintners band together to raise money for many worthy charitable organizations in the Valley. Their stated mission: “To use the worldwide reputation of Napa Valley wines to enhance the well-being of the Napa County community.” Their areas of focus: Community health and children’s education. Winemakers donate 10 cases from a barrel to sell for auction prices at the barrel auction on Friday; wineries put together packages to auction on-line or at the live auction on Saturday. Each year, I am impressed with the generosity of the wineries as they live the values of taking care of others.
The Intrigue of Paso Robles: Herman Has a Story to Tell!
We spent this past weekend enjoying the wine country around Paso Robles, CA. One of the things I appreciate about this region is the value it offers to consumers. The area has grown even in the year since we last visited, and several new wineries are cropping up and are worthy of note for Rhone varietals. (We will dive deeper into just what that means in a later blog.) The environment is low key; the tastings are mostly open to drop in and modest in price. Many may say it is akin to the Napa Valley in its youth, and that may be true. Paso Robles is a few hours south of the San Francisco Bay Area, and there are many rewards for the investment in the time it takes to get there.
One of those rewards is Herman Story Wines. Located close to the heart of the town center in Paso Robles, it is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. The tasting fee is $10 for a flight of 5 wines. An industrial location, it is a drop-in tasting at the bar. You may find Russell P., winemaker and owner, behind the bar pouring or one of the creative individuals who work there. No matter who is there, it will always be an enjoyable journey.
Herman Story: The Rest of the “Story”…
Last week, I shared about our recent visit to Herman Story Wines in Paso Robles. In response to that post, a couple people asked for more information about the wines themselves. Well, here’s the rest of the “Story”!
Syrah is one of my favorite grapes and provides very different aromas and flavors, depending on the region it is from and the clone. It is grown in France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Italy, and, of course, California. Syrah is blended with many other varietals and is a great stand-alone wine.
Sip…Stroll…Eat…Enjoy!
Who wouldn’t appreciate a day titled that way? That is just what took place last week at Shake Ridge Ranch in Amador County, California. Nineteen wineries hosted their wines under the oak trees which dot the vineyards of Shake Ridge. Winemakers and hospitality hosts were situated throughout the 46 acres of the vineyard and offered their wines to be sampled and appreciated. To say the least, it was a magnificent day capped off with dinner to close out the event.
Shake Ridge itself is a beautiful gem, producing great fruit that many top winemakers from Napa clamor for to make their wine. Winemakers such as Rosemary Cakebread, Andy Erickson & Annie Favia, Rebekah Wineburg, and Helen Keplinger make wines from Shake Ridge grapes. Ann Kraemer is the vineyardist who has made this site so sought after for its fruit. She works in concert with the winemakers for specific plantings and watches over the vines with a watchful eye. She provides extensive attention to the vines in order to produce the best possible expression of the fruit. Words that have been used to describe Ann’s work are “meticulous farming technique” and “True Perfectionist.” Those are just a few of the descriptors attached to her reputation. She has set the stage for Sierra Foothill wines to grow in recognition and reputation.
“She Blinded Me with Science!”
What exactly do yeasts do during fermentation??
Sounds like a funny question that begs a funny answer; yet, for wine lovers, it is an important equation. It is a chemical equation that leads us all down the path of enjoyment.
To be precise though: during fermentation, a yeast cell takes one sugar molecule and turns it into two ethyl alcohol molecules, two carbon dioxide molecules, some heat and tiny amounts of a few by-products. One of the most important of those by-products is glycerol, which give wine a viscous, mouth-coating texture.
Would You Like a Latte with that Glass of Wine??
This could be a question posed to you at your next Starbucks visit. Seriously, folks in Seattle may already know about this new venture of the coffee chain’s effort to tap into the evening market. It is not enough for Starbucks to wake you up – now they want to “chill” you out at night. When you think about it though, maybe it’s not a bad idea. For the most part, the décor and tenor of many of the outlets are casual and relaxed. There is space to sit back, ponder the issues of the day and collect your thoughts. It may be a nice setting.
Starbucks plans to sell wine and beer after 4 pm in highly selected stores. It is a process that will take place slowly. The chain has over 12,000 stores, and they may make the move to have several thousand stores participate in wine and beer sales. The key here again is that it will progress slowly and selectively. Not all stores are well-suited for this type of service, and Starbucks has stated that they will choose the locations with great care.