Libation Station... "The Wine Shop Chronicles"
Thursday, July 03, 2008
warmups...I've had little time to write these past two weeks as there have been many distractions, one of them being heat and the draw to scurryings outside and including Vitamin D absorption. There are also things in need of paint and trimming and neighbors waving barbecue under our noses such that the results of pounding on a qwerty device of maximum gigs or even a plain mechanical Underwood under such summer fever circumstances would have been of little use in the way of anything contributing . Sometime I'd like to pound on an Underwood just to here it talk. Other happenings: a wine dinner passed and with one on the horizon, Georgiann to be a an oyster shell castle building judge for The Mud Run at Taylor's shellfish farm, and then there is the annual Fourth Regatta float with the neighbors, roped rafts in tow and bubbly in hand and many well wishes and laughs from relevant shorelines and today it is raining. A respite? A pause? A pullback before full steam ahead into July and August? We hope so.
There is a new media approved "ism" being tossed about... a Staycation, the result of all things expensive due to the high price of gas. What a concept. Staying home with family, friends, and neighbors cooking and eating and laughing and we only remembered how to do that when gas started costing too much. Maybe gas should hurry up and get to $6 a gallon. Maybe the high price of gas had to do with it being priced too low. Hmmm.
For now its back into the shop for me with inventory issues and new pricing and orders to fill and all the fun stuff that comes back to haunt after spending too much time in the sun.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
grape prices...We just finished our scheduled jaunt to Spokane. It was not initially wine centric as there were convention duties to attend to, exuberant speeches to cheer, glossy agenda buttons and patches to adorn, and political momentum to feed, but we never really can help having wine somewhat on our minds, especially since wine country is all around us. We can smell it. When the fires of unity were finally doused and the rhythmic drums of purposeful democracy temporarily stored away for another day, we decided to head somewhere we had not ventured before: somewhere new, somewhere on a cusp, somewhere on the verge. We were topless, void of metal and vinyl trappings as the high desert heat soaked into our bones: something longed for, something not felt for many months, something welcome. We were covered thick with lotions carrying ratings of high SPF. We overdosed on vitamin D as we were hurling across sage brushed dips and peaks at blistering speeds and trying not to be blistered at the end of the day with burnt skin and a speeding ticket or two. I missed some spots and glowed with sizzled blotches, a minimal searing so not that all uncomfortable. Yet it looked irregular. Pit stops were for re-lathering.
Wineries in the Lake Chelan region have an interesting dilemma. Their vineyards take up prime view location where resort real estate prices soar and this adds to the price of product. They still struggle with the State for AVA status, their own designate apart from the collective, and maybe that has to do with the delay. Collectives hate splinters. They aren't as cohesive as other regions like Walla Walla and Red Mountain. We detected a little back biting and dysfunction beyond the boundaries of friendly competition. But the wines are good and we even found distinction and expressive differences, not quite denoting terroir, but place is an underlying factor... especially with the whites. Pinot Gris, Chardonnays, and Rieslings all seemed more aggressive on the finish with respect to fruit and viscosity. The result of cooler nights on top of long sun drenched days? The result of shadeless scorching and the need for pronounced refreshment? I was mostly parched and looking for relief. The reds were as usual thick and coated rather than lively and dancing about with complexity, but is that the result of heat or a standard for accumulating high ratings with oak? Culture versus terroir... is there such a thing anymore?
A couple of wineries really stood out. Tsillan (the old spelling) and although they are a little extravagant with imported tile and Napa-esque excessiveness, their wines had the refreshing kick of elevated acidity... very food friendly. The other, the newly formed Karma winery bottled a wonderful sparkling wine fermented in a cave along side a hopefully soon to be State sanctioned Brandy. Sparkling wine in a baked oven environment and brandy for when the sun recedes and the air chills... hmmm. Just add strawberries and cheese please.
The wines were pricey. Again, I can't help think that is mostly about the price of land. The million dollar structures probably don't help in a per bottle equation either, but then there is that image thing that adds to value. Should image be included in the concept of terroir? I'm not sure my pockets are deep enough to answer that question. I do know my palate has high expectations.
Friday, June 06, 2008
bio-hazzardsThere are balancing acts to be performed when dealing with stringent objective manipulations (chemistry mostly) and then the quick turn to subjective projection, more like a lob of something stuck together---something from a muck puddle (sales pitch always). To sell is to eat. It's the way things are.
"This is the way we do it, and by the way, this is why you like it and should buy as much as possible. Everyone else is. It says so right here in the place where it is written and amply rated and thus so shall it be."
---the purveyors of all things the same
It all seems so relentlessly rehashed new and improved. But then there is wine, an interesting anti-marketeer creature. It really never is completely broken in every ones palate, so why all the hubbub to fix it? Boredom? Are the masses so surface that they cannot see the infinity of the within for all the finite encrusted around and above? We need the new and improved vanilla or we twitch and spin off into space or something perceived even worse---intolerable risk?
I really don't mind a little concentrated fruit in the wine. I just would like the result to be more layered to suite my inquisitive nature and not just be a glass of grape juice with a shot of espresso. I'd like the wine to be free of chemicals, but not for the sake of degrading the progression of quality. I'd like the soils surrounding the vine roots to be regenerative on their own without an infusion of super poop. I'd like the juice to be fermented from the perspective regional natural yeast and not something created in a laboratory half a world away. I would like to have nuances that accumulate and not be injected or removed by industrial process. I'd also like a butler and a trip to Spain, Rioja specifically.
We tasted wines last Monday at Cavatappi Importers that spoke to us in the ways of small production, big barrels, hand picked fruit, and sustainable agriculture. We tasted this result of the influence of terroir. These wines are slowly un-filtering themselves into our realm. We are dribbling them into tastings along side the overly silky butter glops. We are insurgent in our quest---insidious in our process to tweak an unsuspecting palate or two---to mold a pattern of waywardness away from the preferred generic. There are many somethings hiding beneath the over-stuffed comforter. They meld with other things pungent and briny and decadent. The process is called discovery. It can be a hoot.
Labels: Other Observations
Saturday, May 31, 2008
CampingThis is my first attempt at using Googlee Docs to blog with. I've preferred Word in the past because of all the automatic editing bells and buzzers. As I learn more about ebb and flow, Word has become extremely restrictive and annoying because of formatting complexities that don't mix well with Googlee... like quotation marks showing up as question marks on the blog. So maybe this is my way to circumvent the unease of traversing competing software structures. Maybe not. Does this mean Googlee wins and Bill Gates, who we thought won, did not win? Will the still potential Yahoo acquisition escalate the war? We need a new war, don't we? The current one is getting really old.
We camped in the shop last night as there were many ado's to attend to. As I've stated before, I like sleep-overs here. At 6'2", I get the big couch. At 5'3", G gets the short, which is really short and she doesn't sleep well. Visits from friends, a Youthnet school art auction, a book club wine tasting, the usual Saturday crowd spurred on by the first Farmer's Market of the season and then to top it off, giddy anticipations in the way of a dinner invite from the people bringing us Food on the Brain. Since Argentina seems to be the theme, a chimichurri marinate fused on a flank steak brings hints of a Malbec. We do have an earthy one with notes of leather and subdued fruit which is tempting, but I just found an Argentine Syrah that I remember having extreme elegance and good acidity. Now I'm really giddy because I can taste that beef melting away with the tannins. Some trepidation exists with the marinate as I'm not sure how much vinegar is in play. But hey, without trepidation, where's the bliss of reward?
I finished Alice Feiring's book last night. She's quite the wine wench, but it would appear we need more such elves lurking earthward beneath the techno-surface. A few more knaves wouldn't hurt either... Mr. Dressner included. So as I get to the end chapter at 2AM, I'm picking up names of winemakers and importers that deal with biodynamic/organic/earth/wine friendy applications and I start pulling bottles off the shelf to check the labels and lo and behold, I have found a 2004 Nuits Saint Georges Clos de la Marechale from Jacques-Fredrick Mugnier. That being quite the mouthful, it also is imported by one Becky Wasserman. We also have her Jose Dhondt Champaign. Another find is a Catherine and Pierre Breton's Bourgueil Cab Franc. I remember this one. The layers are deep with greens and florals and leathers. I also remember these wines come from Triage in Seattle.
Triage = Dressner and Wasserman
Cavatappi = Kermit Lynch
Cordon = Weygandt
If you are in and around Seattle and want to try these magnificent displays of at least mostly biodynamic expression and can't get all the way up I-5 to see us (it is a nice drive, BTW), drop these names at your local wine shop and enjoy.
Labels: Other Observations, Wine Alert
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Events and stuff...I've been away from the shop since Saturday, trying to get miscellaneous projects done, yard work, cement slabs and sunken deck pillars realigned---easy stuff. We both ache from tip to toe but at least our external domestic contributions are showing results. Weeds are temporarily at bay and walking down the deck steps no longer requires an extra arm on the railing.
Events are nearing and the usual First Wednesday Whatevah is approaching the soonest with synchronicities and synergies occurring on June 4 between 5pm and 8pm.
On Saturday, June 21 we are teaming with The Dulce Plate in La Conner for an Argentine wine dinner. The menu is available for viewing on our events page. Call the shop or email if you wish to participate. Chef Bryan has put together quite the array as usual so we suggest you bring your appetites.
Last night we sampled one of a new Washington winery's wares. It would reside on the shelf for around $30-$32 a bottle. I need to know more about the winemaker and vineyard and history and philosophy to get my palate around it as I was overwhelmed as usual with what I consider too much generic fruit and wood. I think it's time I start delving into the vineyards and see what methods are being used. I'm having a real difficult time differentiating wines in this price range as of late and though labor and land are substantially pricier here on the left coast, I am consistently being left with wanting more out of the bottle than I have been getting... price regardless. Maybe my palate is changing. Maybe I need to know more about what is going down and fermenting in the gullet and where it came from. The other day Georgiann sampled a wine and broke out into blotches. She is not that intolerant to sulfates, or at least not in wine. That biodynamic word keeps popping up. That terroir concept keeps raising its stinky earthy head. It may have something to do with a particular book I'm currently reading. It is more of a confirmation than enlightening reading experience as things I have suspected are on quite a few others' minds. More on this later when I'm done with it.
Labels: Events, The Dining Amenity Enhancement Project, wine and health
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Wine Dogs...
We've carried Dunham Cellars' 3-Legged Red in the past. As a small specialty shop, it's hard to use up shelf space on wines that are stocked everywhere, the result of what is just plain good marketing on the part of the winery and in this case their biggest and best marketing juggernaut... Port, the 3-Legged Dog. Who isn't at least curious of content when a dog is on the label?
I remember being in Walla Walla for the spring bottling a couple of years ago and venturing into Dunham's tasting room. There was very little room to maneuver as that particular weekend is a very popular and packed event. As I nudged my way to the tasting bar I noticed a parting of the line in front of me, people sidestepping an obstacle on the floor, not mindlessly stepping around, but bending over to touch and usually muttering something in its direction. That obstacle was Port. He was sprawled out on his floor, in his tasting room, on his time and wasn't in the mood for moving. He was also enjoying all of the attention.
I've read several posts and articles lately on dogs and their presence in a business environment and sever
al to do with wineries. Ours is a integral part of our daily existence. We take her everywhere and when she actually has days off, our customers ask, "where's Maggie?" and on a regular basis. Some have said she is our greatest marketing ploy. When she has been away from the shop for too long, like for a whole day, she can be very aggressive on the affectionate side and literally attaches herself to any and all that come into the shop. No one seems to mind.
Sometimes in the midst of our many maniacal days, it takes the awareness and appreciation of these loyal guardians and watchers to remind us of connections beyond stacks and pricing, accounting and promotion. And when we lose one, there is significant reason for tribute and remembrance. We'll be keeping the 3-Legged Red on the shelf along with the Hightower Murray Cuvee. Murray also passed away earlier this year.
I've read several posts and articles lately on dogs and their presence in a business environment and sever
al to do with wineries. Ours is a integral part of our daily existence. We take her everywhere and when she actually has days off, our customers ask, "where's Maggie?" and on a regular basis. Some have said she is our greatest marketing ploy. When she has been away from the shop for too long, like for a whole day, she can be very aggressive on the affectionate side and literally attaches herself to any and all that come into the shop. No one seems to mind.Sometimes in the midst of our many maniacal days, it takes the awareness and appreciation of these loyal guardians and watchers to remind us of connections beyond stacks and pricing, accounting and promotion. And when we lose one, there is significant reason for tribute and remembrance. We'll be keeping the 3-Legged Red on the shelf along with the Hightower Murray Cuvee. Murray also passed away earlier this year.
Labels: Other Observations
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sulfer intolerance...We've have had several inquiries as of late, probably due to the trend toward "green" and "organic" certification, about selling sulfite-free wine. There is a misconception that "organic wine" is by definition sulfite-free. The following is from the ecowine.com website:
"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SULFITE-FREE WINE.
Totally sulfite-free wines are an accident of nature; but wines low in sulfites or free of added sulfites do exist. Let us explain. Sulfites are a natural byproduct of the fermentation process. Fermenting yeasts present on all grape skins generate naturally occurring sulfites in amounts ranging from 6 to 40 parts per million (ppm.).
According to Professor Roger Boulton, Ph.D., University of California at Davis, Department of Viticulture and Enology, even if no sulfur dioxide is added to wine, fermenting yeasts will produce SO2 from the naturally occurring inorganic sulfates in all grape juices. Thus, says Boulton, it is impossible for any wine to be completely free of sulfur dioxide.WHY DO WINEMAKERS ADD SULFITES TO WINE?
Sulfur has been used as a preservative in winemaking for quite some time. To prevent wine spoilage, European winemakers pioneered the use of sulfur dioxide (SO2) two hundred years ago. Unfortunately, freshly pressed grape juice has a tendency to spoil due to contamination from bacteria and wild yeasts present on the grape skins. Not only does sulfur dioxide inhibit the growth of molds and bacteria, but it also stops oxidation (browning) and preserves the wine's natural flavor.
WHO IS AT RISK? The FDA says only about .4% of the population, or about a million people, is considered highly allergic to sulfites. According to Dr. Vincent Marinkovich, an allergist and clinical immunologist who has performed extensive research on SO 2, sulfites pose no danger to about 99.75% of the population; the highest risk group are asthmatics (about 5% of the population) and only about 5% of this group is allergic to sulfites.
Many people, however, have little tolerance for sulfites. They are considered sulfite-sensitive. Even for moderate wine drinkers, the average level of sulfites found in many commercial wines can cause heartburns or other side effects. Unpleasant reactions include burning sensations, hives, cramps, and flushing of the skin. For them, organic wines are an especially good choice since they contain minimal amounts of sulfites that will in most cases lie below their threshold level."
Biodynamic agriculture, specific to grape growing, is a practice of chemical-free agriculture that's new on the mainstream wine scene but predates organic methods. Biodynamic wine is subject to stricter, and decidedly more esoteric, standards than wines made from organically grown grapes. The information I can find so far does not show that Biodynamic wines have fewer sulfites by definition, but I'm still looking. They are probably more chemically free in the growing process than organic certified wines are. If the winemaker decides go a step further and not add sulfites, then I suppose for sulfur intolerant people, that's a good thing.
More on Biodynamic wines later...
Labels: wine and health
Friday, May 23, 2008
lower layeredWe have received in some new quaffs in the way of "not yer usual stuff." A totally unoaked Chardonnay from the Loire being one of them. I started playing with it yesterday. Extremely pleasant fruit, creamy, and loaded with minerality. I hope it held up in the fridge last night but at under $12, expectations are not unreasonably high.
There is also a nonvintage Italian red that works great as a pizza wine. There are real earthy overtones though, and when that happens, I like to double up on the mushrooms.
The one that really turned my crank was a white Grenache Blanc predominant blend from Languedoc... made by a former winemaker at Lafite. I went nuts over it, but Georgiann was not as thrilled. These things happen.
Yesterday we did a semi-rearrangement of the shop, opened up a warmer inviting experience when first walking in, and it allowed us to increase our $12 and under rack to a broader ranged $15 and under rack. These are really great buys and wonderful selections. They are also the price range where we find the most amount of hidden treasures. We like probing the backs of warehouses, peaking under the forklifts to see what someone else missed.
Throughout the weekend I will be springing these little surprises on people who walk in.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Spain via Bordeaux...This is something a little different for this bog, and it shouldn't be as I am supposedly a wine professional and should be able to apply immediate and mostly accurate sensory input of any given wine with lofty descriptive annunciations regarding the nose and palate on many layered levels and with a stylish prose worthy of any Spewtator or Advocate rater wannabe or is be. The problem is, I have not been that interested in being able to do that, so I have not really honed that area of potential expertise. I have been more into the intricacies of subjective manipulation and reception, my reasonable ability to seek out and find value wines of noted distinction, and humbly present them to the buying public. I'm now questioning myself--if I can train the connection between nose, palate, and cortex with regard to memory, as in, "I know what a pear tastes like, but this doesn't look like a pear, so is it pear I'm tasting?" type stuff. I also feel I don't have that great of a palate. The 19th century artist Paul Cezanne would stare at an apple for 6 hours before lifting his brush. The same attentiveness to process within this context seems as apropos for dissecting wine, I would think.
So my first real Cezanne style attempt at wine analysis is with a Spanish red:
Bogedas Los Aljibes Vina Aljibes Tinto 2004
This is a Bordeaux blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot,and 25% Cabernet Franc. The first whiff after pouring it into the glass confirms the standards associated with this style of wine regardless of the country of origin. It is big and intense on the nose with heavy black and a little red fruit and noticeable tannin. Without a doubt, the first impression is that this is of the new world style that many Spanish winemakers are employing. I have had the bottle open for about 30 minutes and already the tannins have started to cool. I'm still waiting on it to release more than the black current and blackberry flavors. Though it has been aged for at least 9 months on new American and French oak, I'm not getting any toasty syrup which is pleasant and yet there is the hint of vanilla bean. I'm actually wondering why I didn't start a steak on the grill. There is a silky depth to it as it flows back and forth across my tongue, like there is more viscosity to it than there actually is. The finish is smooth and lingers for a little less than I would like, but then this wine is still a little tight. The balance is absolutely wonderful and the tannin structure is definitely present. I remember the 2003 vintage as having more volatile tannin structure. Maybe the superior 2004 vintage across the entire country allowed for a little more subtlety. I would say the 04 requires a little less of a requirement for food. Did I say food? I meant beef. Alcohol is 14% which is reflective of the newer style, but the balance keeps this wine cool. The price of just under $20 is more than welcome, as this quality of wine produced on the West Coast would fetch a higher price.
The winery also doubles as a destination and a stud horse ranch. In the wine industry, it doesn't hurt to be diversified.
3 hours into the breathing process, acidity has moved forward as fruit has retreated. I'm also detecting some minerality... something some people find offensive in Spanish wines. Not me. I now wish I had not wolfed down the tomato, mushroom, onion, and garlic, pasta I fixed for dinner.
Labels: Wine Alert
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
diminishing returns...
At a tasting in Seattle yesterday we were delighted in finding out one of our favorite whites we've been enjoying all winter will be continued with the importer. Unfortunately, the next vintage will not arrive for 3 months and we are down to about 8 bottles. Unfortunately a bump in price thanks to our US dollar decline and the price of oil incline is definitely on the horizon. This is the problem with our particular focus in purchasing wines. If we snooze, we lose. The flip side to this problem is that we never get bored. It's good not to be bored. Though it's good to be bought, we can be bought but not bored.So as the 2006 Jean Guillot Sauvignon slowly drizzles into the sunset with all it's beautiful paper thin crispness and food friendly enhancements, we will patiently wait for the next such surprise... there are at least 4 being tested to act as substitute in the $8-$12 price range. It is difficult to find a white wine that covers the bases from asparagus to corn dogs. We will persevere.
Labels: Wine Alert
Monday, May 19, 2008
tasteless in Seattle...The heat the past few days, unexpectedly stifling, and the air thick and humid would normally bring out thoughts of rose's, clean crisp Loire whites, Spanish Albarino, maybe a Portuguese Vinho Verde... maybe a Gruner. My taste buds were not back. The best my palate could muster, differentiate, were notes of saline-like nonsolutions, maybe pencil eraser saturated with charcoal, and asphalt... briny asphalt. It wasn't pleasant. Only sipping lemon ginger tea and a Belgian ale worked and it was difficult because Shelly Humula's wine club Vino Venerata visited the shop Saturday night for a reasonably top shelf tasting including some specific cheeses that literally melted in the mouth. To discuss the wines being sampled without being able to sniff, swirl, and slurp along with all involved was something I was unaccustomed to. To be in the moment, one should be all the way in the moment
Sunday got a little better and yet with still reason to worry as today, two of my favorite distributors were bringing out new finds, old vines, and Louis/Dressner such lines. I couldn't tell if my mouth was watering from the anticipation or memory. I was prepared for disappointment. It wasn't all that bad, though the buds still are out of whack.
I know there was a ton of fruit on the Saint Emilion which I know from at least the smell that it was spectacular for being under $20 on the shelf. I know the unoaked Chinon Cab Franc was as big as a Cahors Malbec. I know the Dolcetto was as big as any from Italy that I have tasted recently, definitely not of the old world way. My palate was seriously de-Parkerized. I couldn't find the fruit. Luckily G and her highly sensitive hyper palate was there to nod some confirmation and also there were other things lurking about. That's what is so great about multi dimensional wines... there's a little something for everyone, even one with a lousy sinus infection.
Sometime soon, within the next two weeks, these wines will be on the shelf, and I still am adamant there will be plenty of complexity and eyebrow lifting interest under the $16.00 range. I may even have to lengthen the $12 and under rack as what I think I assume I found based on previous maybes was very impressive. Until I get all my buds back, it will have to do.
Labels: Events
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Why does boring wine cost so much?My nose and taste buds as well as hearing thus balance have yet to recover, so still this space is void of anything in the way of tasting notes or recommendations. I do though have more time to rant since I can't taste anything and am generally in a pissy mood because of it. What is the deal with American wineries being unable to produce a decent reasonably balanced and complex wine that can be sold between $8-$12 retail? Is our diet so bland that we can only handle a one dimensional wine? I'm about to throw a revolt bolt into the shop cog towards overpriced fruit bombs that offer little more than a blast of toasted berry. Sorry, I need more than that to compliment rather than supplement and I really think the wine consumer would appreciate it more if we as retailers were more honest in our subjective appraisals. Of course we want to promote our local economies but at the cost of what? Quality? Sustainability? In the world of wine, regardless of what the purveyors of cardboard sales state... more is not better.
Maybe we as a nation are not capable of honoring a time honored process that was not originally our idea to begin with. So be it. There is nothing wrong with that. Wine and food chains are not a good mix. Wine and quantity marketing is not a good mix. Our national claim to grape fame is Zinfandel. It is fat and slothish. It is an amazing grape and some really good things can be done with it, but at $46-$60 per bottle? Something ain't aligned. Is it our national pastime to equate high expenditure with sophisticated validity? If it cost a lot it must be not only good, but a requirement to have and hold? This is going to make us a leader in world wine production and consumption? What is it we are consuming? There certainly isn't a move toward less expensive American wines. The dollar is in the tank and yet European wines are gaining in market share. Boring wine obviously is not translating into the ideological market mentality we project. And that's fine. If it doesn't fit, don't jam it.
The shelves are getting more thin on the high priced fruit forward over oaked styles we as a nation supposedly crave. I may even merge the Washington, Californian, and Australian bins into a single category arena and name it "Wines that Numb for Times when we need to be Numb". The rest of the shop will reflect prices more in line with what is delivered to the palate. When my taste buds finally return, I'm going to drink everything in the "Freedom Wine" section first.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
viruses and wine...This is about as miserable as I care to get. The head still has remnants of some kind of synapsual activity. Though it feels cerebrally shrunken and whatever space was newly available between the gray matter and skull has been replaced with what I believe is cotton, I can muster a few thoughts for this blog. I do want state that I am seeking to hunt down and dispatch with utmost prejudice the dog or dogette who infested me with this calamity, one that leaves me unable to concentrate for more than 30 seconds and totally unable to sample wine. I have a feeling there is some really good juice slipping by that I am missing out on.
Thoughts about wine blogging have been on my mind as I have seen a surge of immense proportion by all and any who feel they have something to say about wine, and who wouldn't have something to say as it is a topic that carries the greatest amount of subjectivity that has a dollar amount and perceived sophistication attached to being in the know about it. As in all trends toward a collective intensity, there is a sizable amount of goop and poop that needs to be filtered through, much of it having to do with marketing agendas, like whose who and whose book is coming out and what other organizations is whose who associated with. Then there are the armchair winos who incessantly clog the bandwidth with whatever. So here's my take on the wine blog phenomenon.
If you have something to say and it doesn't at least lift an eyebrow (preferably totally pissing at least one somebody off) don't write it. There are way too many drivelings out in cyberville about what tastes great and with what and who said what and who rated what. There are a few notable exceptions that really stand out. Alice Feiring's blog, Vinofiction, and The Wine Offensive are three of the best I like to read. I don't need crafted journalists to provide me with in depth professional structure in a middle of the road reported nature. This is the Internet, not the food pullout section of the Cleveland Plaindealer. I need bloggers that offer me a glimpse into their cynical angst and buck the homogeneous with what and how they really feel. Give me accountability, defensibility, and facts beyond the generic. Give me thick encrusted skins with an independent opinion beyond shelf talkers and 90+ ratings. Wine making in its purest sense is an art form, not a commodity to be reported on like corn or soybeans on Entertainment Tonight.
So with that all in mind, I'd like offer up some wonderful notes on the wine I had last night or what new young winemaker is turning heads in Napa or Walla Walla, but instead I'll keep sipping the Tylenol Nighttime Formula and reading some real good stuff from less than fruit forward mindsets and enjoy the trip.
cough cough sniff sniff
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
doinkThere are pesky counter reactions to actions and some are equal and some are escalated. If one were to think they were immune to such circumstances, then one would continually be of the mindset that the world was but a place to get away with everything. Two cases in point regarding a good thing gone bad:
The 4 Bitchin' Babes' airline of choice decided to push their departure date out to the point when they arrive, it will be too late to get here from Seattle.
We bagged several end of season morels and I awoke with a giant welt on my back courtest of a deer tick that was snacking freely at my expense.
So the First Wednesday wine walk will continue as planned. CD's will still be for sale. There will be 4 pours of something fun and tasty and there will still be Bali Jewelry on sale in the loft. In the meantime, though the odds are extremely against, I will be debating on what wine goes with Lyme Disease. I'm thinking Picpoul, as it is citrusy.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
maniacal moments continued...Well, I sure haven't been here for awhile. I have been elsewhere though, as opposed to nowhere. I'm always writing something and putting it somewhere and sometimes some things, like this blog, get neglected. I am now here to un-neglect it.
We have been extremely busy the past two weeks and this one appears to be more of the same. Yesterday G wrecked her upper appendages removing the moldy residuals from a previously stunted summer and extended winter on our deck while I trashed my back hacking tree limbs and gussying up the yard.
Today I am up on wooded slope looking for morels while G prepares the shop for tomorrow nights festivities including 4 Bitchin' Babes with all their hormonal imbalances and a Bali jewelry display and sale. The two are somehow related but then maybe only by coincidence.
Thursday night is a get together with friends, Friday night is a pouring with Basi Rodriguez of Casa Ventura and then off to the Lincoln Theater for those 4 Bitchin' Babes will be, well... bitchin'. Saturday is another party, and Sunday is my turn to work the shop while G gets to pass out unless she decides not to. Monday I'm off to an industry tasting in B'Ham and then Tuesday, when I normally get to pass out, G is off to Wenatchee with others like-minded to learn how to help save our downtown and I'm in the shop... maybe passing out.
Somewhere in the midst of all this I'll be searching for closeouts and discontinuals of the "why are they doing that, this is good shit!" sort to offer up at what seems to be ridiculously low prices. But please, is there really such a thing as a ridiculously low price?
I just remembered that I forgot to go to Walla Walla. Oh Well.
R
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Trounced tulips...... but not spirits is the theme of the day, or week, or month... year? Yesterday the sky opened. Something dark and ominous hovered above and I would have thought a giant zipper was opened as bazillions of trillions of fluffy ice pellets poured down upon street vendors, sending fair goers scurrying for shelter. I stood out in the parking lot to see if there were any really painful repercussions. There was an escalated noise level like a sack of rice was being dumped from above, but in all actuality, it just felt a little weird like Styrofoam bouncing off my pate, not like hail which has been known to break windows and dent cars... because it can. Nonetheless, it was a little bizarre and so was awaking this morning to 5 inches of snow on the ground. Somewhere under all that cover is a yard that needs mowing. My guess is the tulips are not as resilient and have had it for the season--a late arrival, an early exit.
Last night was one of those rare occurrences when we get to mingle with wine industry people in a non-serious environment... like a birthday party and the wine poured was exquisite and the conversation was less than guarded. How refreshing. Oh, I forgot about the food. Whoa! There was something I cannot pronounce that was obviously Italian in nature and full of anchovies, olive oil, truffle oil, garlic, and butter. I have the most pleasant indigestion this morning. As usual, this happenings are held farther south where winedom is more prevalent and dense intensified so the trip home is always long and in this case, blinding from all the rain and sleet. Someday we hope to dispel the mindset that wine is for special occasions and not a daily consumable that comes under the heading of food. Someday.
In the meanwhile, I'm headed back to Seattle tomorrow for Cordon's annual Spring tasting. I plan to mingle and slurp, discuss and contemplate with the rest of the fermented grape oriented.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
noises...
This shop of things fermented, yeasty manifestations and with the paraphernalia to accompany is in an old downtown area, tucked between a hyper frantic freeway bypass and an interminably immovable river, power lines draped with cormorants, light posts peppered with pigeons and plenty of their speckled residuals, and seagulls and ravens scavenging loose lid dumpsters. Sometimes the old downtown gets squeezed from the opposing applied pressures: a multi lane to places elsewhere and a revetment not high enough when needed. There are few and far between cars that pass at 3am though there are many ways to do so. And there are critters that lurk in the shadows testing weaknesses to exploit while darting between headlights. I encountered one such critter last night as all the doors surrounding the building were violently shook. The critter light did it's job, illuminating the area upon the detection of movement. Maggie wineshop dog extraordinaire went dog postal and added to the various degrees of deterrence. I was asleep in the loft, coincidentally spending the night to keep on track with manuscripts and the such so, in a wee morning hour stupor, was unable to re-pants myself in time to see who the potential perpetrator was.I'm rarely here working all night. I now feel this type of occurrence happens more often than I feel comfortable with. Internet cameras? Permanent residence? Dobermans? High voltage defense mechanisms? Maybe I could just leave $20 out in the planter each night and a cheap bottle of wine... except the State says the wine give-a-way is illegal. Oh well.
Tomorrow night from 4-8pm, Jonathan of Cascade Trade will be in to pour a tasting for the kick-off to the annual downtown tulip festival street fair. Something from Argentina. Something different.
On Saturday we will be pouring more tastes, gorging ourselves on foot long corn dogs and sipping pinot grigio. It is an amazing combination especially with the restaurant grade yellow mustard.
Labels: Events, Other Observations
Monday, April 14, 2008
Is content subjective?My inclination towards finding hidden reasons for standards, what the underlying agenda might be, who is really pushing that agenda, and why... a conspiracy oriented paranoia based on decades of observation that the benefits of law makers does not reflect a balanced reciprocal residual for all involved... is a major factor in how I view the wine industry from the retail perch I sit.
Wine: a product developed via a reasonable amount of objective poking and prodding to create an end result that adds to the enjoyments of life for those with access.Cardboard: a delivery mechanism based on subjective manipulations to get as many people as possible to buy the most amount as possible.Wine Drinker: subjective receptor of suggestive input whose wallet expands and retracts depending on amount of a gullibility quotient yet to be objectively defined.Vanilla: the end result when the cardboard becomes more important than the wine.
Be ye maker, importer, distributor, agent, or retailer, no matter how good the juice is and why it's good depends on "the sell". If it doesn't get to market, it doesn't count. The equation:
Content + Technique = Art
is replaced with:
Content + Technique = Brand
Sad, but seemingly true.
Remove all the aspects of origin and sight (Who made it, where it was made, what label is on it, and what it looks like), offer a real blind tasting with taste and smell being the only qualifiers to a group of wine "professionals" and watch what happens. Anarchy? Maybe...
I'm observing the ever declining attitudes of reps entering the shop. Depending on the size and aggressiveness of their employer, there seems to be a direct connection to quota requirements versus the reason they got in the business in the first place. Disillusionment? Maybe.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
tulipless town...Yesterday was when it really began though there were tell tale momentums building throughout the prior week, and it was a false beginning because climatic conditions have slowed the natural process, and budding and flowering will not occur no matter what schedules are pronounced overdue. But they came in droves anyway like they always do to see the late great tulip fields of Skagit County. I stared out our shop window for most of the day, amused at the uncoriographed dances that were preformed in front of me. One waltz was at the intersection of lost souls, a quagmire of multiple starts and stops, waits and wait some mores, lights changing usually denoting permission for movement, but no movement allowed as there was no room for movement. And impatience for cues and timely order was flaring as cars whipped out of line into turning lanes that offered no bypass and thus the real treat unfolded directly in front of the shop, the parking lot which turned into an spillway of wayward wanderers who lost their place in line to file across the only lane available on the west end bridge.
I watched as cars approaching from the east end of the lot met cars approaching from the west end. Probably because the steering wheel is on the left, the inclination being to turn left, two cars facing each other trying to occupy the space the other had not yet left, and nothing was left to do but sit idle and stare straight ahead... infuriated. This is probably why NASCAR drivers always turn left but go really fast. The clogging that ensued was priceless. A priceless clogging with priceless maniacal reverberations, emanating expletive exclamations, and the winners got to creep back into traffic, returning to the line they had left... to get to the fields that have yet to bloom
I love our new shop.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Kirkland brand...It's been awhile since I stood on that street corner and gazed out with my unpracticed unaccustomed observations of bustle. I used to hang here often, off and on for seven years and even after accumulating that much time, I never did feel connected. After nine years away, one commonality still hangs over this little village notched into this particular Northeast inlet of Lake Washington. The word "trendy" comes to mind and because of that I can't but help feel un-nourished of and left wanting for a little... maybe a lot more substance. There was no cohesiveness within this tiny cross member of should be/would be/could be shops and galleries and bistros and the such. They seemed just there for the sake of being there, like "there" was the only reason to be. I may not be giving this micro-downtown a reasonable chance, but where was the feel for "community"? It was that empty nine years ago and though there is new concrete and brick, different signage and density... nothing much has really changed. The legacy of the suburban psychosis still oozes out of all the cracks.
The Italian restaurant we dined at could not wait for us to pay our bill and leave. I had to retrieve my half empty/full glass of wine from a waitress bent on clearing me out. The people we were with were obviously acclimated to this behavior and accepted it without reservation. If the food was better, maybe I would have also. It's a difficult position, as our hosts graciously paid the bill for 12 people, something not expected and completely appreciated. So in most circumstances, I would take the position of shutting up and not looking the gift horse in the mouth. But something is not right in the acceptance, affirmation, and conditioning equation. The balance is out of whack and I feel dirty from the experience. The wait staff got their expected tip. The owners got their price for all the goods sold, adequate but not memorable. Did the clientele get what they deserved?... a reasonable question.
I'd like to be able to say that was an isolated experience. It didn't feel isolated. It felt systemic. I would have liked to feel I could go into a merchant next door and have a totally different experience. I walked the street looking in the windows. I saw the same expressions on every face. I kept looking over my shoulder for a thin man smoking a cigarette resembling one formerly known as Rod Serling.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
smells warm...There are rumors being instigated and circulated by those who claim positional worth based on scientific accreditation, entertainment value, and market analysis that the temperature for the weekend could reach 60-65 degrees. I'm not of the mind to trust these predictions no matter what the basis for theory, but wouldn't that be sweet? That means the cooler will be filled with apropos whites and bubblies with fizzies and the such. I'll be pushing picnic wines and ales and maybe even wine that will go with the first attempt to fire up the barbecue. And then it will all blow away and the rains will return, because that is what they do. But what a nice prelude to things to come. Hopefully the weather dudes will not let us down.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Sproutings...While soaking neck deep in the predicaments of last week, a porous absorption more than a cleansing, the baby not being tossed out with the bath water--much has offered itself up for reflection. Meanwhile, today I am the tulip field information attendant.
"Across the bridge, left at the first light, and look for the signs... because that is all you will find. The tulips aren't quite ready to reveal their location. If you reach water, you've not read the relevant signs."
Cars are u-turning in front of the shop with ever increasing frequency. I've thought about placing a sign in the middle of the parking lot. "$5 per U-Turn" and maybe an empty coffee can to see if anyone complies. Since the parking lot does not belong to me and as a no u-turn rule does not exists on paper, that I know of, it would be very difficult to keep any money... it all seemingly would fall under the heading of "ill gotten gains". Any observed reaction would be amusingly worth the while though. I could donate any coinage to the "Friends of Skagit County" non-profit next door. They are always in search of more friends.
There are still wine club wines on the floor looking for their owners. I'm not sure why they are there, unless maybe people have switched to beer this week, or are not in the vicinity. The bagged bottles seem sorrowfully ignored, maybe even forgotten as they nestle up against an old wine barrel, a spent vessel relegated to the uselessness of display, and there they await their masters like lost puppies.
Our fringe today seems to be more of an infringement on those with more pressing purpose to find the tulips. Whining for direction seems more the case than pining for wine by the case. There was a brief encounter with the "where did the bookstore go?" folks, and a curious inquisition as to where one might find a vinyl shop in town. I realize I have been infected with techno-goop as most others have, but I never thought I would embarrass myself enough to reply... "flooring or counter?" I just remembered we have a turntable in the basement that has never been used... by us.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Triage the hard way...I love Triage wines. If none of you know who they are, allow me a brief moment to give my specific representation of what they are and what they offer. They are a very small Seattle wine importer and distributor that with out a doubt has the most broad ranging eclectic book of cultish or cultish wannabe/couldabe/shouldabe wines from the west coast and around the world. Their portfolio is totally spiced with the terroir funk of chewy fruit coagulants, palate twisting exasperations priced within more than tolerant reason, all mind melding flashbacks to other times and places... new, used, and potentially somewhere in the future. They also possibly have the best one-stop-shop lineup of Champagne in the region. If our demographics' palates were anywhere in the 80% plus vicinity of where we are with these wines, they would be the only importer/distributor I would buy from. Well, maybe Cavatappi... and Riservati might get a spiff.
Triage's recent tasting was wines from America (North and South) at the Triple Door on Union Street in Seattle. This was a little bizarre of an atmosphere for a wine tasting but I suppose totally apropos considering the youth of the owners, reps, and winemakers. I was looking for the black lights and the disco ball, hot pants and fros. I was grooving to a revamped retro funk that reminded me of more leisure suit Larry type days... with earth shoes. I was unable to read my own notes and check the hue of wines in my glass due to the lack of light. I was unable to walk more than three steps without someone bumping my glass or jarring my pen. I usually would consider this an extremely poor venue for a serious wine tasting, but maybe we should not always take ourselves all that seriously.
There were incredible offerings by Susanna Balbo of Argentina. There were the O'Rielly Pinot Gris', the Owen Roe blends, the Synclines, and a collaboration of Northwest Vintners (O'Rielly and Syncline) that created Malbes and Cab Francs and get this... a Blaufrankisch (that's Blue Franc or otherwise known as Lemberger). What a hoot. I was hooked.
And the final moment, when the palate was fried and the feet were tired of sidestepping in an unnatural maneuverable way, I found the obligatory (this was supposedly an American wine continent only tasting) the French Burgundy table where the chard and pinot reminded me why there is wine on the planet in the first place. That is what I call a perfect ending to a partially sunny afternoon, two hours from home, in a black walled dungeon. I was a happy man.
Labels: Other Observations, Wine Alert
The tulips are threatening to sprout within the next two weeks but I'm not so sure winter is ready to relinquish its hold on the agenda of discomforts both cold and wet... which usually means even colder. Although, last night, a possible exclamation proclaiming enough is enough was felt above our home in terms of very loud thunder preceded by white flashes of lightening that may have signaled an official end to winter... maybe. It's really cold out this morning. So in the same vein, I'm not ready to start tossing clean, light, and refreshing wine at a hope of a warm early spring that is not looking too promising. We had 3 inches of snow in the yard last Thursday and another 3 inches Saturday; back to the wood pile and the comfort wines.
The wine club selections this month will reflect the bold and fruit forward characteristics of eastern Washington viticulture with a little twist. The wineries are on the other side of the Columbia River. The theme is about red wine from Oregon that in not Pinot Noir. I've had to reduce the price on both bottles to squeeze them under the $45 cap but find that squeeze reasonable as they are too perfect a combination for late season stews and roasts that warmth more than what the wood stove can provide.
This month's First Wednesday Wine Whatevah!!! Will feature a return of a favorite bubbly we ran out of last October. Aria, a wonderful full bodied Cava from Spain that is 100% pinot noir will be offered along with some other surprises. We will also be having a Pampered Chef party in the loft for any and all who wish to attend. Munchies will be provided.
April 2nd , 2008
5pm to 8pm
5pm to 8pm
Labels: Events, Wine Alert
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Rock stars and RelationshipsRock stars and relationships
We all have our "rock stars". Be it music, authors, artists, chefs or in my case wine makers. You know the small NOT so commercial wines that are not massed produced, where the grapes whisper and talk to the winemaker as he walks though the rows meticulously tending each vine as if it were the only one in the vineyard. They love to teach, to inform, some by example, others but hand selling their wares to clients like myself. My rock stars work hard. They live their jobs. They love their work. It is their art. Some, not all are their own investors What goes into the bottle is more important than the fancy face housing to show case the juice. Therefore, no fancy winery front. Keep it functional types. To keep things simple (because GREAT wine is never simple) (see terrior, see the art of winemakiing) I'll keep my focus on Washington Wine makers.
A few of my rock stars...but not limited to are John Bell, Mathew Rawn, David Stephenson, Ron Bunnell, Karen Hughes, Laurie Michaels, Deborah Hansen, Paul MacCartney ( I had to sneak him in)
Their wines that are more often than not, hand picked, brought into the winery immediately out of the weather, birds, bugs,,,,, put into a crusher and the process is one continuous move, hours upon hours, until the first step is complete. As I get to know my stars I have come to respect who they are. All are quirky and full of passion. All strive to live and enjoy life by working their passions. I have just described Rich and I.
There you go....that relationship thing again.
PS Some of these wine makers you've never heard of...because they are small production. Most self distributed or not even for sale, only for family and friends drinking. OBTW my list of stars really is to long for a blog...with over 500 known wineries in the Washington State I couldn't even begin to list them all.
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The Libation Station
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View my page on OpenWine Consortium
This work by Libation Station, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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