The Book

I'm reading what is fast becoming one of the most interesting, compelling & ultimately challenging wine books I've ever read. Great art, & therefore great wine, is supposed to do just that. Challenge. Over my short career in wine my palate has transformed & developed. It has been influenced by countless different wines & a small handful of individuals (not counting the few winemakers I've had the pleasure of interacting with). However, books have always been a sort of refuge. A place to teleport myself, get excited, become someone else & be inspired. Jonathan Nossiter's "Liquid Memory" is something else entirely. While I find it intriguing & intelligently well written, I also find that its challenging some beliefs & mindsets of mine.

Nossiter is a firm believer in "terroir". For lack of a a detailed description this is the mindset that a wine (or any agricultural product really) is, or should be, a direct expression of its place. The climate, soil, sun exposure, mineral content, etc. is what makes a wine. I believe that too. In my experience, some of the best wines I've ever had are indicative of their origin. Nossiter rails against the New World for its "Botoxification" of its wines. Why manipulate a wine to turn it into something that its not? He sings the praises of Burgundy, Jura & especially a small group of French winemakers who carry the torch of terroir that was passed on from their ancestors. To me it almost seems as though he is implying that only a few regions throughout Europe should be producing wine because only these regions make wine thats worth drinking. I have a big problem with that. How many of us can afford to drink, much less have access to, the great Burgundies of Jean-Marc Roulot or Dominique Lafon? I wish that I could drink aged Brunellos, Barolos or Riojas on a regular basis but I don't have access to them & I most certainly can't afford them.

Are New World wines inherently bad or of poor quality? Are they not what wine is supposed to be according to Nossiter? I credit many inexpensive New World wines from Spain, Argentina, Chile & (god forbid) even Australia for helping me get excited & interested in wine. I'm thankful for quite a few of them because having them in my arsenal has helped me excite many customers & has helped me lead them on a path to many different wine experiences.

Throughout the book some of the highlights are when the author is with a winemaker who is sharing an older vintage of their wine. He writes in a very experiential style that transports you to the whatever wine cave he is in. Its quite exciting. But they are mostly drinking wines that most of us will never have the pleasure of drinking or even laying our eyes on. Yes I feel like I'm missing out by not being able to explore Burgundy the way I would like to but I also feel like that isn't the end all be all of what wine is.

Many wine nuts out there don't have deep cellars or deep pockets. We scrape together whats leftover from our paychecks to buy bottles we feel passionately about & if we are lucky we have someplace in our home to put them. We wait patiently for the moment that seems right to open them & we drink them in. More often than not we share them with friends & fellow wine lovers because that to me is utmost expression of wine can be. Sharing can make a mediocre wine taste incredible. Sharing can make a great wine transcendent.

Set A Good Example For Your Children

I just returned from a delicious brunch at an upscale Midtown Memphis restaurant & I just have to blog about it. The food, as always, is fabulous & the service is outstanding. However, the other diners.....not so much. A table of three children & four adults was seated next to us & it didn't take us long to boil over with loathing for them. People should have to take a class before they are allowed to dine out. The parents pulled out a portable DVD player to occupy one of their little demon spawn & the noise from that evil little device was so unbelievably annoying. The other two creatures preceded to squeal the entire brunch. Who in their right mind thinks its ok to disturb other diners with a loud DVD player??? What the hell is wrong with people? That isn't the worst of it. The adults were almost worse. The father rudely demanded chicken fingers for his children to which the server politely responded that they did not have such items. The man became indignant & demanded the wretched little digits saying that whoever he spoke with on the phone said they had them. Then he proceeded to demand(I'm not even kidding, demand...seriously? what an ass!) a grapefruit salad. Again the server apologized & said that they didn't have such a salad. He responded that they did in fact have that salad & it was on their dinner menu. The very patient server responded that this particular salad has not been on their dinner menu for three months. I'm sure these miserable people's children will grow up to be miserable adults if that behavior continues. Why in the world do people think its ok to behave like this in public? They shouldn't be allowed out of their house, seriously.

By the way, the 18 month old child at our table was perfectly well behaved because her mother actually raised her right.

Day 4 Washington Wine Road Trip

On day 4 of Road Trip 2009 I got the opportunity to spend the morning with Chris & Kelly Sparkman of Sparkman Cellars. Their facility is in the "winery ghetto" of Woodinville, WA. Small producers call this area home because of lower overhead & the ability to reach the millions of people right next door in Seattle. I was thrilled to be going here not only because Chris is a sommelier turned winemaker but also because both he & Kelly are fellow Tennesseans! Chris is from Knoxville & Kelly is from Germantown.

While at dinner at Chateau Ste Michelle the night before, Chris & I were discussing his Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet. I love love LOVE Klipsun! He was explaining how hard & tough those grape skins are & offered me the chance to punch some down. Well of course I said yes, I mean why the hell would I pass up that chance? So when we entered the back of the winery I saw it. An open top fermenter full of Klipsun...I nearly wet myself. After taking a stab at pigeage I almost just gave up. I couldn't break through the grapes, it was if I was hitting cement they were so damn hard. After a few tries Chris laughed a little & said "I told you they were hard! C'mon over here & I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself.". He took me over to a vat of fermenting malbec from the Double Canyon Vineyard.







This was much easier, but still a workout. I submerged the cap with the plunger over & over again & really got the grapes swirling around like a cauldron. For me, this was just ridiculous fun. To be a part of the process, to help make wine that I'll be sipping on in a few years was almost overwhelming to me.

After I worked up a good sweat & did my part in the making of outstanding wine we adjourned to the barrel room to taste Kelly's sauvignon blanc. One barrel held a sauv blanc that had finished fermentation & one had not finished. The difference was staggering, one was pure pineapple juice while the other was a perfect stylistic blend of Sancerre & South Africa. I had to return to the back room to look at a deeply purple & bubbling vat of fermenting Boushey Vineyard Syrah.



This was an incredibly hands on experience that gave me a peek into how much hard work it is to be a small family winery. Sparkman Cellars' wines are exquisite & I can't wait until they are in the Memphis market. Meanwhile, we will just have to satiate ourselves with the other insanely delicious Washington Wines in the market, such as Nicholas Cole Cellars.....

Art Opening at the Majestic Grille

This Wednesday head down to the Majestic Grille for a new art opening.

Saturday Night Dinner Alone

Last night I got off work early & after a long walk with one of the dogs I decided to treat myself to a nice dinner. Kelly was at work so all bets were off. I could cook anything I wanted to! At the local Whole Foods I went straight for the butcher & seafood counter. I always prefer to purchase meat & seafood from Whole Foods because both are at LEAST sustainably farmed or sustainably wild caught. The scallops looked fantastic, not all uniformly colored (to indicate bleaching) & large & plump. The fish guy said that their scallops are not treated or injected with anything & that these particular ones were fresh, not previously frozen. I grabbed three, moved down to the meat & got two slices of applewood smoked bacon & one medium sized lamb chop. Hey it was Saturday & I was treating myself so why not?? I knew I had arborio rice at home so I planned on a risotto. All I needed now was some stock, cream, fennel, garlic & a nice little chocolate bar to nibble on.

Upon arriving home I got the stock warming in a pan, browned some butter, reduced some beef stock with parmiggiano rinds (always helps to save those!) & sauteed the onions & garlic for the risotto. Once the risotto was going I chopped up some fennel & threw it in a hot pan to caramelize. Whoever doesn't like fennel should really try this. It is absolutely delicious & very wine friendly. Next I got a cast iron skillet SCREAMING hot & seared off my lamb chop. As soon as it was nicely browned I transferred it to the oven to stay warm while I turned my attention to the scallops. With the skillet still ragingly hot I added a little more olive oil & dropped in the quivering, pale pieces of heaven. Once crusty & brown I took them out, placed them on a creamy mound of risotto topped with the fennel. I took the rinds out of the reduced stock & whisked in the brown butter & some truffle oil. This was just about the most heavenly meal I had made in a very long time. Paired with a Lachini Ana Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005 Dundee Hills, Oregon it just sang. The wine was earthy & laced with bright cherry, mushroom & had a bright elegant acidity.

Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima Valley

There have been few moments in my life when I have felt as if I'm standing on hallowed, sacred ground. Visiting Mike Sauer's Red Willow Vineyard in western Yakima Valley was one of those very moments. When I stepped off the charter bus a sparse quiet surrounded me. Sunlight was beating down & just a faint breeze was evident. I looked up the steep vine covered hill rising up before me & thought "are we in Hermitage?"



David Lake, the father of the Washington Wine industry, passed away not two days prior to us arriving at this vineyard. This was the vineyard that produced the grapes that he fashioned into world class wine which got the attention of the whole world. At some moments it was difficult to keep the emotions from overwhelming me... but then again whats the point of holding back?

As the story goes, David was explaining to Mike Sauer that Red Willow reminded him of Hermitage. So Mike, being religious, decided to build a Chapel or a "La Chapel" so to speak. The syrah grown here rivals the Northern Rhone yet it doesn't necessarily seek to emulate it so much as build on that foundation & become something different, something distinctive, something varietaly correct of course, & definitively Red Willow.



I couldn't help myself so I hiked up a vine row all the way up to the top where the La Chapel was. It was one of the most difficult hikes I've taken. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to harvest this particular parcel of the vineyard site. But the hike brought me closer to the site itself & made me feel a part of it, an appendage I guess.



Once I made it to the top the quietness was interrupted only by my heaving breath & stronger wind than what I felt on the valley floor. It was overwhelming to experience. I looked down through the rows & tried to imagine how many people have been effected by the wines these vines have produced over their lifetime. How many people had a taste altering experience with a Red Willow Syrah from the very spot I was gazing down upon? The beauty was staggering.



Once I was back down on the valley floor I was greeted with a very special wine indeed.



Columbia Winery Syrah 1988 Red Willow Vineyard La Chapel Block. I was stunned by its elegant beauty; leathery, meaty texture; smoky spice & fine grained tannin. What I didn't realize is that I had an ear to ear toothy grin on my face that just wouldn't go away. Its that smile that had been plastered to my face the entire trip & wouldn't leave until long after returning home.

After sipping some wine a group of us climbed aboard a trailer that was hitched to a farm tractor which was about to carry us up the hill back to the Chapel.



Slowly chugging up the hill we passed by the block of nebbiolo that Peter Dow (winemaker/owner of Cavatappi & former owner of Cafe Juanita) talked Mike Sauer into planting many many years ago. The 2003 Cavatappi Cuvee Madellena Nebbiolo from Red Willow was an absolutely incredible bottle of wine. Very Piedmontese if not for the riper fruit but the texture was what was so beguiling. As we passed by the vine rows I leaped off the tractor & grabbed a handful of nebbiolo grapes then ran back to the tractor. I couldn't NOT taste fresh nebbiolo grapes, are you kidding me??



Being in Red Willow & feeling the same feeling for this site that David Lake felt will be something I shall never forget.

Impromptu Tasting

It was Sunday & I was craving some good wine & good wine-based discussion. So a few texts & phone calls later I gathered Richie, Meagan, Lance & Fiona at our home to pop some bottles, snack & chat. Wine always tastes so much better with good friends around. Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of all the bottles we tasted (& we had quite a few) so what I have here is just a selection.



I'd been hanging on to this Loring Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2004 for 4 years. It was the from the very first order I placed with Loring & something made me hold on to one bottle just to see....what it would do. Upon release it was a big, brawny, mouthfilling pinot noir. Almost...well un-pinot like, I guess. After a few years of age it had settled into a luscious wine with earthy barnyard aromas, dried black cherry, & cola. The texture was gripping but supple & silky.

Up next was an absolute treat from Richie. Thank you thank you thank you!!



Quilceda Creek is not only one of the best wines Washington State produces, I think its one of the best wines PERIOD. There was absolutely no concern about the 11 year bottle age. Knowing what we know about QC, we were all excited to see how it had developed. One whiff of this & I could have sworn we had poured a Bordeaux. Notes of cedar, leather, cigar box, dried currant & wild herbs emanated from the glass. The palate was gripping, leathery, herb laden & had a beam of currant fruit that ran straight down the middle. Thank you to Richie's Uncle for sending this along for him to graciously share with us!!



This bad boy was a hedonistic dark beauty. Garretson has never been one to produce a shrinking violet. It had super rich boysenberry & blackberry fruit with pungent tart acidity & succulent bold texture. I wish we had a flourless chocolate cake. It would've paired perfectly.



Last but not least is Ridge Carignane. I must tip my hat to Richie once again for providing a stupendously good wine. I was shocked at how "old-world" this wine was. I've always had the utmost respect for Ridge but this shined a whole new light on what they can do. Spicy, earthy, gripping, & kinda sexy. I shoved my nose deep down into the glass & inhaled. Gorgeous.

Two Blondes Vineyard

I was so absolutely, unbelievably psyched to find out I was going to Chris Camarda's Two Blondes Vineyard. First of all, because the wines that Chris crafts from this special plot of land are incredible. Second, because my very good friend Elizabeth identified the Andrew Will Two Blondes Vineyard in the blind tasting portion of her Certified Specialist of Wine exam. We arrived at Two Blondes a little early & found Chris & a few of his vineyard workers quite busy. As I stepped out of our charter bus I instantly could tell how different this place was. We were quite high in elevation which made it one of the warmest sites we had been to all week. The wind kept up a fairly consistent pace as it whipped around us. Chris led us through a few different blocks of vines including a parcel that had been destroyed by a sandstorm just a week prior. It was startling to see vines that had been stripped bare of everything but a few grape clusters. An audible gasp escaped my mouth when I first walked into a particularly bare row. Chris described how scary it was to first pull up to the vineyard after the storm. This plot of land has been somewhat of a battle for Chris & his crew. After describing the aftermath of the storm he went on to discuss how he has had to replant Two Blondes TWICE! One time was to re-orient part of it to exacerbate airflow & prevent sunburn. As he was detailing these trials we sipped on the '07 Two Blondes. Knowing all the info that Chris just shared with us I just thought "damn! The good stuff doesn't come easy at all!" Chris could have given up on this plot of land but he truly believed that this place would yield something special. It was shocking to taste how expressive this wine was. Especially given the fact that the vines were so young. I love this wine now but I can't imagine how much better they will continue to get as the vines age.

Oregon

Check out my latest article on my excursion to Oregon Pinot Camp. Click here.

Kiona Vineyards & Winery

Kiona is one of those wineries that unfortunately I've just neglected. Their wines are of very good quality but I guess I've just gotten caught up in other Washington wines. So I was very excited when I saw my itinerary for Day 2 of Washington Wine Road Trip & saw that Kiona was my winery exercise for the afternoon. Scott Williams was very down to earth & kind of reminded me of my uncle who is a farmer back home. Scott picked us up from lunch & drove us up Red Mountain to his winery. I still wasn't used to the sparseness of the landscape & how remarkably beautiful the arid region was. As we pulled up near into the estate vineyards I saw Ciel du Cheval Vineyard to my right. Holy crap! We were adjacent to one of the most incredible vineyards in the world, in my opinion. Scott explained to us that this site used to be part of the Kiona Estate but his former partner, Jim Holmes, got this site when they parted ways. On the other side of Kiona lies Patricia Gelles' Klipsun Vineyard, another world class growing site. This was a plot of land that grapes absolutely loved. While Klipsun & Ciel have gone on to become world renowned, Kiona was smack in between producing outstanding wines maybe just a bit quieter.




We entered the vineyards first to grab a few plastic bags to take a grape sample. Scott led us into the vineyard & had two of us do a whole cluster sample & the other two a berry sample. I was gathering berries so my method was to walk deep into the vineyard block & randomly pluck grapes off clusters at different heights & orientations.



With our bags of grapes in hand we went into the lab to do a little analysis on the sugar & pH. Once we had our numbers Scott turned to me & said "we're going into the vineyard probably by the end of the week". I really felt part of the "when do we pick?" process & that to me will be one of the coolest things I've ever done.



I was itching to get down into the barrel room & sample some resting wine. I could feel the temperature drop with each step as I climbed down the steps into the below ground room. I saw a sleeping barrel of petit verdot & absolutely HAD to try it. Instead of shrieking out like a banshee I just waited patiently until Scott asked us if we wanted to taste anything in particular.



Yeah...um...yeah. This was so good I can't even...yeah. It was dark & deep with a concentrated "black hole" color, aromas of blackberry/rosemary sauce, a dusty/earthy note & a rich, viscous texture that was cleaned up & balanced out with super bright acidity.

I quickly crawled over to the next barrel I was aching to taste.



This isn't Chianti or Brunello by any means at all but I don't think that was the point. This wine was like a new world descendant of an esteemed, elegant Tuscan gentleman. I could smell fennel, licorice, cranberry & hint of violet. It had a solid grip to it with a fresh, zingy acidity. I wanted to keep drinking it, however Scott whisked us up to the tasting room to sample his finished wines. Gazing out over the estate with a glass of syrah in my hand, the feeling that this was a very special place for grapes was palpable.



Thank you so much, Scott!

Washington Wine Road Trip, Day 2 Morning

On the morning of Day 2 we piled back onto our bus & sped off to Goose Ridge Vineyards outside of Richland. Goose Ridge is the largest vineyard in Washington at 1400 contiguous acres. They do have more holdings but not attached to this particular plot.



We did a quick tour through some blocks of vines & stood adjacent to one of their mechanical harvesters as it made its way down a row.



This is a huge operation. We made our way through the winery & sampled through pretty much all the wines they produce. I really enjoyed their rieslings & syrahs but especially their G3 bottling.

Notes of hazelnut, jasmine & a luscious round texture. Beautiful
acidity!

Course 1

Reach Island, Deleware Bay & Fanny Bay oysters with citrus essence

Oyster & Wine Pairing at Sole Restaurant

Look at this menu. If you aren't here then it's your own fault.

Dinner at Woodward Canyon

Uh...yeah. This was a crazy good meal.

Washington Wine Road Trip, Day 1 Afternoon part 2

After the riesling comparative tasting we chowed down on tacos & burritos from the La Monarcha taco truck. The burrito was as big as my head, seriously! Sweet Walla Walla onions, beef, peppers & avocado. So good I'm getting hungry right now.

Once we were thoroughly stuffed 4 of us hopped into Jean Francois Pellet's truck & he sped us off to Pepperbridge Vineyards & Winery.




After an espresso pit stop (thanks again, Jean Francois!) we arrived at the winery to begin our winery exercise for the afternoon. J-F led us through each area of his state of the art facility. From the fermenters to the barrel room to the bladder press & so on.



We tasted some press juice & compared it to free run, which was amaaazing. I obviously know the difference & know that free run is better quality...but I never experienced first hand why that is. The free run was so rich & concentrated with complex layers of flavor. Actually the press juice wasn't half bad at all. It had nice grip but was a bit hollow in comparison. Jean-Francois explained that he blends in some press juice into the free run. I need to learn to trust my instincts because before he said what varietal we were tasting I just knew it had to be syrah. Lo & behold it was!

Here's J-F showing us what kind of yeast he likes to use to ferment.


J-F also let us try our hand at punching down some estate merlot, it does need to be done 3 times a day & they could use some free labor!! Here's my new friend Toni Ketrenos from New Seasons Market in Portland working over an open top fermenter.


She's doing a pretty good job, no?

After a serious workout in the winery we retired to the patio to gaze over the gorgeous estate vineyards & indulge in their wares. The afternoon had turned serene, cloudless & calm. The wines were simply stunning. A bright, luscious 2008 Semillon; a vibrant, dark 06 merlot; & a round, supple 05 red blend.

Thanks Jean-Francois Pellet & Norm McKibben!!

Washington Wine Road Trip, Day 1 Afternoon

After an incredible morning at Spring Valley Vineyard we boarded the Born To Run bus & headed back towards Walla Walla. The landscape is beautiful, stark & desolate but beautiful.



We returned to our second day homebase, The Marcus Whitman Hotel, for a comparative tasting of rieslings from Washington & other areas of the world.



Master Sommelier Shayn Bjornholm, Director of Education for WA Wine Commission, was our moderator. The panel consisted of Nicolas Quille, winemaker for Pacific Rim; Jim McFerran, of Milbrandt Vineyards; & Michael McNeil, MS from Georgia's Quality Wine & Spirits. The first three wines we sampled un-blind were all from Washington, while the final 6 were blind & were from Austria, Washington, Australia & Germany. We were tasting for Washington's typicity, or trying to discern one, in comparison to the other regions. I actually wrote myself a note immediately after this tasting to "explore rieslings more".



Tasting Notes (sorry Sam...just kidding):

#1 2008 Milbrandt Vyds "Traditions" Columbia Valley. Nose of lemon-lime, jasmine & persimmon. The wine was bright on the palate with an off dry sweetness, full on acidity, zippy, lemon-lime & a luscious lovely finish

#2 2008 Pacific Rim Organic Columbia Valley. Notes of flowers, rubber & white peach. The acid was very light & even though it wasn't a very sweet wine it seemed so because of the lack of acidity.

#3 2008 Apex Cellars Columbia Valley. Nose of petrol, pine resin, lemon jam. The palate was zippy, zingy, bright with notes of ginger, white peach, orange & a deliciously long & luscious finish.

The rest were tasted blind

#4 It had aromas of smoke, rubber, preserved lemon & a slatey/rocky thing going on. The palate had noticeably high alcohol that was out of balance for sure. It was bone dry & had an insignificant finish. I guessed Australia. It was revealed to be Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling 2006.

#5 A hint of barnyard & creamy citrus with very light acid & a soft orange flavor on the finish. I guessed Rheingau...waaaaay off. It was Owen Sullivan Champoux Vineyard 2007. Hmmm. Interesting.

#6 Notes of citrus blossom, jasmine & lemon peel. There was a bright, vivacious acid with a wet rock/slate texture. It was mouthwatering & delicious. I hypothesized that it was from Austria. Wrong again...Washington! Efeste Evergreen Vineyard 2008.

#7 Aromas of rubber & oyster shell with hints of slate. Definitely the sweetest so far with a supple, luscious finish. I guessed Germany. This was the Selbach Oster 2008 Mosel.

#8 Notes of dried orange peel, clove studded pork & lime curd. The palate was completely dry with a full on acidity, a smoky note & a limestone finish. I guessed Austria...wrong again. Domaine Weinbach 2006 Alsace.

#9 Floral aromas with a creamy/marshmallow thing going on. The palate is vibrantly bright with luscious acid, lime notes & a mouthwatering finish. I really just couldn't gauge this one. Kung Fu Girl Evergreen Vineyard 2008. Very surprising.

Oyster & Wine Pairing at Sole Restaurant

Oysters & Wine? My idea of heaven. Next Wednesday, October 20th, at 6:30 p.m. Sole Restaurant & Raw Bar will be having a Oyster & Wine Pairing. The lovely Elizabeth Mall, CSW will be your host for the evening. She will be guiding us through the 5 dishes & wine pairings as well as explaining how she selected the paired wines. The event is $40 per person plus gratuity. Call 901.334.5950 to reserve a spot.

This is going to be awesome! I'm so there.

Returned

I couldn't let go. Really....I can't. I just got in from a week in the best vineyards & wineries in Washington State & all I want is another glass of some of that incredible juice. So I popped the cork on the Chateau Rollat "Rollat" 2005 Walla Walla. This beauty is comprised of 80% cabernet sauvignon & 15% merlot (both from Pepperbridge Vineyard) with 5% cabernet franc from Seven Hills Vineyard West. It has a nice dark currant & cedar note on the nose with hints of cassis & black cherry. The palate has a dark core of clove, black currant & a linear texture that is getting more plush by the minute. Oh geez....I miss Washington.

Spring Valley Vineyards

On Monday morning I experienced my first vineyard in Washington State.
Just outside of Walla Walla lies Spring Valley Vineyards. Set amongst
steep, rolling wheat fields are some of the best cabernet franc,
cabernet sauvignon, syrah & merlot vines in the country...if not the
world. Serge Laville, a native Frenchman & SVV's winemaker, led us
through some of the oldest blocks of vines they have in order to teach
us about how they manage their canopy & irrigate for this unique
growing area. We are talking about arid, high desert. Nothing could
prepare me for the stark, desolate beauty of the Columbia Valley.
Serge explained that some blocks in their older vines weren't designed
well in terms of their irrigation. They did look a bit sickly but
still had some bunches on them. He said that they had learned quite a
lot from these rows but they weren't the best. To showcase this better
he poured a bottle of wine from the 2003 vintage that contained only
cab franc from those slightly unwell blocks. It tasted hot, unbalanced
& jagged. What a revelation! Serge then explained what was wrong with
the wine, being the vines, & what he was trying to do to in order to
make that part of the vineyard healthy. If we were in Napa the vines
would be manicured to death & they would never pour less than pleasant
wine because in their mind they don't make such a thing. How boring.

SVV's vines weren't the most pleasing to the eye but that's not the
point. It's the health of the vine & the unbelievable wines they can
produce. Thank you Serge.

Out In The Vines

Yesterday we flew from Seattle to Pasco, hopped a bus & immediately
drove to Spring Valley Vineyards. This site is in a desolate part of
eastern Washington set among steep rolling hills & surrounded by wheat
fields. Serge showed us through different aged blocks of merlot &
petit verdot. There is a stark contrast between vineyards here &
elsewhere I've been. They are more vigorous, less clean & more wild,
which I like. They could give a damn about how pretty the vineyards
are as long as what they are doing out there equals good juice. Serge
was open, honest & his passion was palpable.

Born To Run

On the bus from Pasco to Walla Walla. Time to get it started!

Space Needle Tasting

Syncline Cellars is blowing my mind right now as is Walter Dacon's
Syrah Magnifique. I cannot stress how stellar Washington wines are.
Stay tuned.

Sent from my iPhone

Washington Wine Road Trip 2009

I'm in Washington for the week experiencing a full immersion in their
wine industry. I'm so excited to get out in the vines & in the
wineries. I'll do my best to blog while I'm out here

Sent from my iPhone

Big Taste Small Price #2

The next lovely little pinot is the Bluffs $20.99 sourced exlusively
from Russian River Valley. Aromas of ripe bing cherry, cola & tea lead
to a velvet textured, round, luscious body.

Big Taste Little Price

A month or so ago I tasted through a selection of pinot noirs from
Pali Wine Co. all priced at $20.99. The Alphabets is sourced from
vineyards in Willamette Valley. The nose is straight up Oregon. Forest
floor, mushroom, dark cherry & a hint of smoke lead to a silky, supple
palate with lively acidity.

Birthday, Birthday

It was my birthday last weekend. Yes indeed, time is surely flying. 33 years have past by already. Wow.

Kelly took me to dinner at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen in East Memphis. This place is definitely a welcome addition to the Memphis dining scene. Locally sourced product with a authentic Italian flavor. They aren't afraid to really go old school either (read: snout to tail, oh yeah!) I started with a Basil Limonata cocktail made with Ston Vodka, lime, basil & club soda. It was bright, citrusy & lightly spiced from the fresh basil; a perfect aperitif to open up my palate. My first course was a fried green tomato salad with pickled watermelon rind, Allen Benton's bacon, Bianco Sottobosco cheese (mmm, truffles!) & arugula tossed in lemon juice & truffle oil. Damn it was delicious!

My main course was braised pig cheeks with garbanzos, demi-glace & fried pig ears. The cheeks were super tender & melted in my mouth that texture against the snap of the pig ears was perfect. To pair with this lovely dish I brought along a bottle of L'Aventure Optimus 2003 Paso Robles. This beauty has been a favorite of mine & Kelly's for years now. The '03 was my last bottle from my cellar so it was kind of bittersweet but what better time to pop it than Birthday, right? The Optimus was drinking beeeauuutifully! It was blue/purple in the glass with a licorice, blueberry, smoke, black currant & a hint of earthy spice on the nose. The palate was rich & round & supple bodied...all sexy & voluptuous. I know it might be strange to describe a wine as sexy but sometimes that just fits. Instead of just hitting me on the palate it rippled through my body like some sort of sensual, velvet electricity. I know you hear me on this, Sam!

We left the restaurant & headed back to Midtown to lounge in the backyard of our very wonderful friends Marlinee & Max. Feeling festive, I popped the cork on my one & only bottle of Benegas Lynch Libertad Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2003 Mendoza. This 100% Cab Franc is one of the most spectacular that I've ever tasted. It was heady with dark, dried violet & tarragon. The palate was rich, sumptuous & luscious with notes of black raspberry, fennel, clove, violet & vanilla. At 6 years of age it showed no sign of slowing down, in fact I almost feel guilty for popping it. This bad boy could go for at least another 6!

We finished up with a Domaine Tempier Bandol 2006 THANKS RICHIE!!! What they say is true about this little wild number. Its musky, wild, spicy & funky on the nose & I just love stuff like that! The palate was very approachable given the aroma, it had moderate tannins with a dark meatiness, peppercorn & plum notes. I could tell immediately that this wine wanted some braised lamb shanks with black olives. We sipped away on our Bandol, as black as night, & smiled at how lucky we were to be all together on that beautiful night.

By the way, sorry I haven't posted in forever & sorry for no pics on this one. I was too caught up in it all to snap photos.

Dinners

Tonight the Blue Fish will be hosting a wine dinner with Trefethen Vineyards of Napa Valley.

Here is the full email:

Trefethen Family Vineyards Wine Dinner

Wednesday September 23, 2009

Trefethen is an Outstanding
Family Owned Napa Valley Winery.
We are pleased to feature them with an excellent pairing menu.

A Special thanks to Mike Whitfield of United Liquors & Gary Burhop

of Great Wines And Spirits.

First Course: Trefethen Dry Riesling 08
Seared Scallops, Summer Corn & Fingerling Hash, Pancetta Vinaigrette


Second Course:Trefethen Estate Chardonnay 07
Butter Poached Alaskan Halibut & Shrimp


Third Course: Trefethen Double T Red Wine 06
Grouper & Crawfish Cu Bee Yon


Fourth Course: Trefethen Merlot 05
Veal Osso Bucco

Sweet Course: Cannolis

Some '04 Syrah

I've been away & my last post was laced with a bit of, well, umm anger I guess?

I just popped open Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004 Syrah. Absolutely dark & inky with notes of smokey, bacony, blueberry & hints of clove & violet.

On the palate is all rich, voluptuous, dark, smoked meat, blueberry, cinnamon & a supple body. Absolutely hedonistic & delicious.

Get Over It Already!!I

I am really sick of the riesling hatred out there. Seriously. It needs to stop. Get over yourselves & try some riesling. If you like Vietnamese, Thai, Sushi, any spicy herb-laden food really then you should be drinking riesling with these dishes. They are delicious. From top to bottom. Dry styles are tasty & refreshing, sweeter ones are lovely with spice. I guess if y'all don't want to drink them then I guess that means more for me.