I’m not one to reprint press releases.  But I posted about my experience with Stage Left wines earlier this month.  Like my other favorite Artisan Family Wines — they are small, family run and produce quality wines.  You have to sign up to order from them, but it’s worth it!
It’s been a long, rainy winter in much of California. Thankfully. As strange as that sounds, the vineyards really needed the drink. And we’re guessing you’re feeling the same way. Good thing it’s time for the 2010 Spring Release. We have three new (and exciting) wines to share with you:

The Go Getter 2008: 63% Viognier, 32% Grenache Blanc, 5% Roussanne
Central Coast, 107 cases produced – $34

• Let’s face it, this wine is a mouthful. Not just in the rush of fruit or lush mouthfeel, mind you. The three varieties which make up this year’s white Rhone blend aren’t exactly the most widely known or easiest to say. Sure, Viognier (vee-ohn-yay)… read more

The Scenic Route 2007: 100% Syrah
Del Rio Vineyards, Rogue Valley, Oregon, 96 cases produced – $38

• We love Oregon Syrah. There, we said it. Yes, most Stage Left Syrah hails from California. But we have a soft spot for Syrah from up North. At least Syrah from the Del Rio Vineyard in the Rogue Valley. The 2007 vintage… read more

The Escape Artist 2007: 100% Syrah
Watch Hill Vineyards, Santa Barbara County, 76 cases produced – $38

• The fruit was amazing from the get-go. And once it was in barrel, we knew it was going to be a standout. So much so that we just had to bottle it on its own. As a matter of fact, it’s our first single vineyard Syrah from California. And it’s a wine full… read more

To order, log in using your email address here, or go to www.stageleftcellars.com and click on the “Allocation Sign In” link at the top of the page.

The deadline for placing orders is Saturday, April 10th and we’re fulfilling orders on a first come, first served basis. If you’d like to purchase more than your allocation, a request can be made through the “Wish List” section of the order form.

Ground shipping is FREE and your order will ship by April 13th or sooner (please call us if you need special arrangements or if there’s a special date you’re trying to hit). If you’d prefer to pick up the wine at our tasting room in Oakland, select “pick-up” under the shipping options and then swing by on Saturday, April 3rd during our normal hours 11am-5pm.

Enjoy the wines – we look forward to your feedback!

Cheers,

Stage Left Cellars
2102 Dennison Street
Oakland, CA 94606
p: 510-434-9930
www.stageleftcellars.com
twitter.com/stageleftist
facebook.com/stageleftcellars

Sigh.  I knew better when I bought it.  But it seemed like such a fun Halloween purchase.  I love holidays, I love kitsch and I love wine.  I was on a high.  I thought it would be a fun wine to take to friends’ houses when we go over for dinner.  Including shipping I paid roughly $20 per bottle.  For $20 a bottle there is a LOT of good wine out there.  This sadly is not one of them.  I would never take this wine to someone else’s house or open it for a guest.

Yesterday I said we were going to try the merlot, but we decided to open the Cab because we were having Bolognese sauce so I thought it would stand up better.  This wine is so flat it couldn’t stand up with an easel.

It has a nice promising dark purple color in the glass.  This must have come from somewhere other than the grapes.  On the nose I smelled …. weak wine.  No blackberry, spice, oak or anything other than weak wine.  Sadly, the taste confirmed the nose.  One note — fruity sweet wine, no spice, no oak, no wood no cherry, just muddled fruity wine.

It’s not unpalatable, it’s just not good.  There are plenty of $20 wines that are great and many $10 wines that are superior to this.  One of my favorite reds in the $20 range; Carmel Road Pinot Noir

So there you have it, I’m whining about wine today.

Tonight: Dinner at Bistro de Paris to celebrate our anniversary!

]]> http://www.whineaux.com/2009/10/14/vampire-wine-quality-marketing-not-wine/feed/ 4 http://www.whineaux.com/2009/08/30/artisan-family-wines-a-great-find/ http://www.whineaux.com/2009/08/30/artisan-family-wines-a-great-find/#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:25:57 +0000 dawn http://www.whineaux.com/?p=170

There’s something special about food and wine that’s prepared by a person with passion. You can taste the energy that went into preparation. Typically you only find true passion in small operations. Big brands started small, but the only way they can grow big is to hire people that work for a paycheck. That doesn’t make them bad – just not a standout.

I love stumbling across neighborhood restaurants, craft beers or small production wines that are created by people who did what I don’t have the courage to; they chucked the corporate life and pursued their passion. These people are brave artists that I admire. They pour their heart into developing a product that they hope others will enjoy and are daring enough to produce something unique.

I recently had the fortune to uncover a hidden gem in the form of wine and I’m excited to share it with you, yet a little reluctant – what if you guys order all the wine and they run out for me? *giggle* That gem is the Artisan Family of Wines.

In July, I attended the Wine Bloggers Conference in California. On day 1 we had a “speed tasting” where almost 30 wineries from Sonoma came and in 6 minutes tried to make their wine stand out. Lots of the big brands were there and a fair amount of small producers. Due to the sheer volume of information it was difficult for anyone to stand out. And that was just day 1.

I came away from the event with a short list of wines that I wanted to share with you. Sly Dog Cabernet Sauvignon stood out not only because I am a dog lover but also because I really enjoyed the wine. Napa is known for its Cabernets. And frankly most of them taste exactly the same and have inflated prices because they are from “Napa”. Sly Dog is from Lake County which enjoys similar weather and soil conditions as Napa; meaning the grapes develop similar flavors. The wine was full bodied and had a well developed late summer berry flavor. The best part was the finish after a big berry hug – there was a spicy peppery note but no bitter tannin. In my humble yet strong opinion wine shouldn’t be so dry and full of tannin that as you swallow it you feel like all the moisture has been sucked out of your mouth nor should you have to “acquire” a taste for it. That’s what snobs say to each other while they congratulate themselves on how much smarter they are than the people who haven’t forced themselves to like what they’ve been told is quality.

The Cabernet Sauvignon from Sly Dog is NOT an acquired taste. It’s a fantastic glass of wine that you can enjoy alone or with food. The flavors come to you in waves, this wine is powerful without being overwhelming and has great layers. They suggest pairing it with moderately spiced grilled meat. I don’t think they are giving the wine enough credit. I had it with my homemade Spaghetti Bolognese and it was perfect. Sly Dog retails for about $15 a bottle (HUGE BARGAIN). You can buy it online using Vino Shipper.

They also offer a Meritage and Petite Sirah under the Seven Artisans Label. I am a HUGE fan of Meritage in general and especially a fan of the 2006 Seven Artisans Meritage. It’s a blend of 89.5% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.25% Malbec, and 0.25% Petite Verdot. To me this wine felt like a classic Bordeaux style red. Meritage blends cannot have more than 90% of one blend, so Seven Artisans is pushing it with the Merlot; but it works. There is more to this wine than an average Merlot, it’s bold and beautiful, full of dark jammy fruit flavors but with the right acidity to balance and pair nicely with rich foods. I’m thinking a winter night, a beef stew and maybe some dark chocolate at the end. At $17.99 per bottle, it’s a great value. Order it here: Vino Shipper

And last but not least I’m loving their Petite Sirah. Typically, Petite Sirah is a wine with a good amount of tannin – and the Seven Artisans fits that bill, but in a good way, not the sharp tannin my pallet objects to. There is a lot of complexity to this wine, nice body and finish. I would not pair this wine with a moderately flavored food, this is not a Lipton Soup Roast kind of wine (though what do you pair with salt flavored salt). It’s more of a African style stew or Moroccan beef kind of wine. It is also $17.99 per bottle and available online.

This Artisan Family wines is a small vineyard where the owners have put their full attention into producing a quality wine that’s an incredible vineyard.  Every detail gets the full attention of the owners and it shows.  The go-to big brand wines are fine but please break your routine and order some of this wine.  I would put any of these wines in a 90 point category and I think you’ll find it worth the effort of planning to place the order plus you get the satisfaction of supporting a true artist vs. a corporation!

If you are lucky enough to live in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Southern California, Georgia, and Ohio, these wines are distributed locally.  I’m told they’ll soon be available in Illinois and Iowa. The Sly Dog Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is distributed in Florida as well.

Now I have to go — it’s time for me to stop writing about wine and start drinking it.  Cheers!

If you follow me on Twitter, you know Thursday was that magical day that one of our wine club shipments arrived.  Included was the Rock Gate Merlot.

Separately I had been craving BBQ chicken so Sunday we invited some friends over, I made antipasto salad, corn bread, BBQ chicken and then we had a chocolate cake.

Two of our dear friends came over and brought our dog Bernardo’s brother Bailey.  There is nothing that makes me laugh more than watching the “wieners”as we call them play.

This wine carried us through all courses.  It’s a light fruity wine; exactly what you’d expect from a Merlot,  There was a typical taste of berries and cherries.  Additionally I picked up a hint of charred wood, though I don’t believe this wine is oak aged so the flavor came from somewhere else.  The wine also had a bit of a pepper in the background which made it the perfect pairing for  BBQ.  What the wine thankfully did not have was a taste of alcohol or high tannin.

This wine retails for about $13.00 and shouldn’t be hard to find.  If you don’t find it locally, you can order online here: Vinesse

Friday night our favorite restaurant, Café D’Antonio in Celebration hosted a wine dinner and Angels Share Wine provided the wines. Angel’s Share Wine is a distributor that focuses on boutique wineries in the Napa area, in this case they selected California wines made in the Italian style.

The dinner was an incredible 4 course meal, Chef Sergio outdid himself. Each course was paired with a wine.

First Course – Insalata di Finocchio

Arugula topped with fresh fennel, red onion, tangerine pulp and finished with tangerine dressing served with a 2006 Crawford Wine Company “Highlander” Sauvignon Blanc.

The wine was poured before the food was served, giving us all a chance to taste the wine on its own. It retails for about $23 and this was the one wine we all agreed we liked (we had a group of six ranging in wine tastes from the serious collector to the Fish Eye Fan Club). On its own the wine was a great summer glass, light in color and fragrance we all picked up on fruit and acid, it was smooth and enjoyable. The wine representative told us we tasted pineapple, but we disagreed. When paired with the salad this wine came to life, the spice of the arugula and sweet of the tangerine was a perfect compliment.

Second Course – Tonno alla Griglia

Fresh Tuna Loin encrusted with fresh cracked pepper, grilled over oak blocks served with caramelized apples paired with a 2007 Bocatta Wine Chardonnay from their Stag’s Leap vineyard. The wine was from Mark Harold and aged in French Oak barrels.

Again, the wine came first and alone. The difference was this time we did not like it at all. The first taste and smell was of alcohol and hit the back of our mouth with an unwelcome bite. Considering they went to the significant expense of aging the wine in French Oak, it was completely lacking in that “Oakey, buttery yum” that I love about Chardonnay.

The tuna was our favorite course of the night. Chef Sergio gave us excellent cuts of fish and the scent of oak from the grill was still on the fish when it came to the table. I personally never would have put the apples with the fish but I truly loved the combination. Each dish was superb on its own, but when combined in a single mouthful the flavor exploded. The wine did come together with the food, but Napa Chardonnay’s typically make my heart sing, especially the Stag’s Leap vineyards. At a retail price of $32 I didn’t hate it, but I found it disappointing and there are better values out there for sure.

Third Course – Agnello

Leg of Lamb marinated with garlic, rosemary and extra virgin olive oil then roasted and accompanied by Italian mushroom risotto served with a 2004 Hestan Vineyards “Meyer” Cabernet Sauivgnon.

If we hadn’t been so full by the time the lamb arrived, it may have been our favorite course. Tender, moist and delicate not at all over seasoned and the risotto at Antonio’s is always a treat so it was a lovely pairing. The wine was a big fruity cab, not at all spicy. The nose had quite a bit of alcohol, but also the expected berry and spice. The texture was pure velvet. While I enjoyed it, I’m not convinced that it is worthy of a $58 retail price tag (which puts it on a restaurant wine list at roughly $140 and absolutely not worth that)

Fourth Course – Crespelle di Ciocolato

Chocolate crepe filled with fresh chocolate whipped chocolate cream and finished with a drizzle of blackberry reduction served with a 2006 Charter Oak Winery “Monte Rosso” Zinfindel.

I can’t possibly improve on the description of the dessert, it lived up to its promise, not too sweet and a big chocolate payoff – need I say more.

The wine is made by hand in a 100 year old basket press and the vines are Sonoma old growth (dating to 1880). The care  taken in producing the wine was evident in the glass. It was a dark hearty wine that stood up to the chocolate and blackberry but didn’t overpower it. It was an excellent pairing. Again, I think the wine was a bit overpriced for what it offered, $57 per bottle retail, but this is a wine that could comfortably take you through dinner to dessert and in that sense I wouldn’t be disappointed if I ordered if in a restaurant.

I hope Antonio’s offers another wine dinner. The food was fantastic and I was able to experience wines I would not otherwise have tasted.

This may seem like an odd post coming from a whineaux but the question I hate most at a restaurant or dinner party is … can you pick a good wine for us.

I feel like saying “maybe.” It’s not that I don’t know my way around the carte vin (wine list) and it’s not that I can’t pick out a wine that Bill and I will enjoy. It’s that a good wine isn’t a wine that someone else tells you is good, it’s a wine you enjoy.

One of my good friends has spent her entire life working hard and now she’s in a position to afford to drink any wine she wants as her “regular glass.” I see some of you oenophiles in the back practically salivating — you want to know what her wine of choice is.

Ok, here it is, Fish Eye Sauvignon Blanc, with ice which is about $9 per bottle in the grocery store and frequently served on airplanes. I know some of you are cringing, but let me take it a little further — Fish Eye Sauvingon Blanc with ice.

Before you dismiss me — here’s the point. That’s a good wine to her. The question can you recommend a good wine is a tough one to answer because it depends on your definition of “good.” Does good mean sweet or dry, fruity or spicy, do you like old world or new world (or do you even know what I’m talking about), white, red or rose? (And I have issued a fatwah against white zinfandel and all “pink” wines in our house so if that’s good to you, I’ll never recommend a wine you like)

Wine used to be for everyone, then we had two categories — the confusing, pretentious and intimidating expensive wines and those from places like Madera California that were sold in over sized jugs for $3 and all but guaranteed a life threatening hangover.

That’s no longer the case. Production techniques have reduced the cost of making wine. There are some very affordable $10 – $15 wines that are consistent and very nice options for pairing with a cozy dinner at home.

One of my favorites is from Turnbull Vinyards in Napa, it’s their Old Bull Red, and it’s what the family drinks as their go to glass.

I am also not a huge fan of tasting notes. “Oh it smells like Forrest mist, black currant and leather” No it doesn’t, somebody told you to say that. It smells like wine. However I have to have some way to tell you what Old Bull Red tastes like.

Here’s how they describe it:
The 2006 Old Bull blends the lush berry flavors of Merlot (44%), the lighthearted red fruit of Tempranillo (18%) and Sangiovese (16%), the power and richness of Cabernet Sauvignon (9%), Cabernet Franc (5%), the black fruit of Barbera (6%), Syrah (2%)

Blends are a nice option because the winemaker can more easily produce a balanced wine that is easy to drink (meaning you don’t have to “acquire” a taste for it) Tannins (the bitter dry taste that hit you as you swallow) are typically lower in a blended wine and no one flavor or note will overpower the glass.

To me Old Bull Red it’s fruity but not sweet and it’s not spicy. It’s light and it pairs well with meat, pizza, Italian food and BBQ. I find I like it best when paired with a large glass.

You have to order this wine — but it’s worth it I think you’ll enjoy it.

Visit the Turnbull Winery website to learn more.

Bill and I at Turnbull