Troublemaker? Who me? No the Wine
I’ve been told I’m trouble. I wouldn’t classify myself as a troublemaker but I certainly like stirring things up a bit. The Austin Hope Troublemaker blend is my Wine of the Week (#wowwine on twitter). If you’re looking for something that breaks a few rules and creates a bit of trouble. I highly recommend this Rhone(ish) style blend. NV Austin Hope Troublemaker Producer: Austin Hope Region: Paso Robles Cooperage: Multi vintage; older vintages see about 8 months in oak My Suggested Food Pairing: Chopped Lamb Steak With Garlic and Spinach The Troublemaker was a gift from a friend for my […]
Smells a Little Like Smoke but No Loon
A few weeks back, Ben Hilzinger (aka The Wine Slinger) was rummaging through the pile of un-tasted samples in the basement and said, “Hey, mind if we break open the Smoking Loon Old Vine Zin.” Fresh off my commitment to blog more, I complied. This week’s wine of the week (#wowwine on Twitter) is 2009 Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel. 2009 Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel Producer: Don Sebastiani & Sons Region: California My Suggested Pairing: Sweet & Sticky Baby Back Ribs Price $10 Having had dozens of value California Zinfandel I thought I knew what to expect when I […]
Wagner Family Whites
It is rare that you taste through a lineup of wine where every wine showcases quality and stunning depth. This is my second run through of wines from the Wagner family, makers of Mer Soleil, Conundrum, Meiomi, Belle Glos and Caymus. For the second time, I am blown away. Previous scores for these wines ranged from 3+ to 4+. The 2008 Belle Glos Pinot Noir was my #2 wine of 2010 and my bench mark for Pinot. For this review, I’m embarrassed to share that I drank SIX bottles of Wagner wines…all by myself. Before you schedule an intervention, let […]
V Sattui Parte Seconda Episode 118
Two months ago I celebrated my centennial video with a visit to Napa, California’s V. Sattui winery (the visit was virtual through a wine review). Today, we make a return virtual visit to preview three more of their wines. V. Sattui is in the midst of celebrating 125 years. Established in San Francisco in 1885 by Vittorio Sattui and then re-established in St. Helena in 1975 by Vittorio’s great grandson Dario, V. Sattui is one of the few remaining established family businesses in the wine world. Truly a unique Napa destination winery, V. Sattui is 100% self distributed through their […]
CaliCabs Two Great California Cabernet
Wineries in California had the chance to observe the power of a unified voice on Twitter on February 11. Like a gigantic tasting room frenzy wine lovers, wineries and wine makers converged on Twitter for two hours to focus on California Cabernet. In his effort to promote California wine and show wineries in the region the power of Social Media, Rick Bakas (director of Social Media for St Supery winery) launched the event through word of mouth using Twitter, Facebook and the good old fashion phone call. When I talked to Rick on the phone you could tell that […]