Wacky WineSense

Retail Tactics Go Beyond the Bottle

2012-02-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from Napa Insider column, NorthBay biz magazine
By: Christina Julian

With the preponderance of wineries in Napa County, it’s a wonder any wine-based retail stores survive—yet they do. Bold contenders open up shop in the midst of a faltering economy, while old standbys do anything but stand still.

In much the same way that wine tasting is a personal affair, so too is today’s retail wine business. It’s a matter of mood, price and preference. Who has the juice and service that speaks most adeptly to the “eager to spend” consumer pool? Downtown Napa’s Bounty Hunter (also a restaurant and wine bar) has been at it for more than 17 years. In that time, circulation for the store catalog has grown from 40,000 to nearly 2.5 million recipients worldwide. Its scouts (also dubbed personal sommeliers, Wine Country advisers and, my favorite, wine gurus) taste between 5,000 and 6,000 wines per year. The shop’s mantra: “If it’s not great, we don’t sell it.” Makes sense, given that price-to-value ratio has never mattered more. While Bounty Hunter paved the road, many others have entered the market since, each forming a niche of its own, and all leaving the highfalutin’ wine attitude of yesteryear in the past—where it belongs. Click here for full article

Napa Insider - Year in Review

2012-01-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from: NorthBay Biz magazine
By: Christina Julian

As one year ends and another begins, I can’t shake the urge to reflect. So, instead of bucking it, I’ll embrace it. Here’s the Napa Insider: Year in Review. As with any roundup, there’s lots of ground to cover, and only so many words, so this isn’t meant to be all-inclusive, just some notable mentions.

The year 2011 brought many firsts. One of the most celebrated would have to be the Napa Valley Film Festival, which hosted its inaugural five-day event in November. I’m still recovering from the bevy of events that spanned from Napa to Calistoga, with wine pavilions, cooking demonstrations, countless VIP parties, more than 100 film screenings and celebrities galore. The festival reported total attendance of approximately 25,000 people (5,000 unique visitors), with 50 percent concentrated in Napa, 25 in Yountville, and 12.5 in St. Helena and Calistoga. More than 600 cases of wine were poured. Click here for full article.

NVFF - Is Napa Valley about to become Hollywood's next Sundance?

2011-11-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

Hollywood & Vines

Excerpt from the North Bay Bohemian
By Christina Julian

A fleet of Mercedes-Benzes crawl through downtown Napa. Later, they're motoring through the once sleepy streets of St. Helena, where restaurants boom well past midnight. Crowds jam the streets. Traffic is tight. Harvest is winding down, yet these towns clearly are not. Is this Napa Valley, or some Hollywood film in the making?

According to projections, such a bustling scene may be the future of the Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF), running Nov. 9–13. In its inaugural year, the festival is poised to take over the region with nearly a hundred shorts, documentaries and feature films screening in venues from Napa to Calistoga over five days. Five thousand people are expected to attend, with enough winetasting, VIP parties and chauffeured celebrities to do Hollywood proud—but the question is, will the locals be equally enthused? Click here for full article

It's Always Festival Season

2011-10-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from NorthBay Biz magazine
Napa Insider Column
By: Christina Julian

Welcome to the first new “Napa Insider” column in quite some time. As I take the helm, let me tell you a bit about myself. Before Napa Valley became my favorite pick among the places I’ve previously perched, my writing took other forms. First, working in publishing in New York City, later in advertising out of Los Angeles. To the surprise of many of my former city-dwelling cohorts, none of that compares to the Wine Country way of life. Here, you plant roots, watch them grow, enjoy them while they last, then move on to the next bunch when the fruit dries up. With so many wineries to pluck from, I suspect my life’s work is ahead of me.

Let’s move into this month’s topic: festivals. Is it me, or do festivals seem to be cropping up as feverishly as wineries? Not even I, an avid festival goer, could begin to take a bite out of the feast of fests that are sprouting up all over Napa County. Intriguing, considering some of the area’s long-standing renditions, like the Mustard Festival and Art in the Park, have gone on hiatus. I can’t help feeling guilty every time I attend one of the newbies, as if by doing so, I’m sealing the fate of a predecessor, each fest leeching off the attendance pool of another. Click here for the full column.

Terra Valentine - a storybook setting

2011-10-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from NorthBay Biz magazine
By: Christina Julian

“Storybook” is the only way to describe the view that unfolds as you haul up Spring Mountain and through the gates of Terra Valentine’s castle-like fortress. It’s indeed the stuff fairytales are made of: medieval stone walls, a tower fit for a queen and a grandiose villa to house her highness. A bounty of mountain wines that straddle the moat between subtle tannins, elegant texture and bold fruit flavors—the crown jewels.

When owners Angus and Margaret Wurtele purchased the Wurtele Vineyard in 1995 (followed by the Terra Valentine Estate and vineyard in 1999), a wine-fortress-in-the-making wasn’t evident. “The property had been let go by the previous owner. You could just barely see the view through the trees,” says Angus. Despite the “into the wild” nature of the land, the Wurteles saw its potential. Not even the lack of a reliable water source (aside from a spring) would stop this duo from making their fairytale a reality.

The cowboy heydays

Original owner Fred J. Aves purchased the estate in 1965, leaving behind a legacy of crafty inventions (including old-school car curb feelers and chrome license plate covers) in favor of his dream of owning a winery. Aves built the winery from the ground up, including one-of-a-kind architectural accents, stained glass and wood paneling originally brought over for use in Hearst Castle. But his reclusive nature led him to pull out the bulk of the vineyard plantings in the 1980s, right as they were on the brink of flourishing. Click here and scroll down to continue reading.

Do good glasses make bad wine better?

2011-09-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from The Weekly Calistogan
By: Christina Julian

I remain forever flummoxed about how to drink fine wine.

Whether I’m throwing open my kitchen cabinet or trolling the aisles of Target looking for the perfect wine glass to receive my grape-filled treasure, I’m transported out of bliss and into confusion over which glass I should use and what brand I should buy.

I’ve become so desperate I’ve vowed to never drink wine out of a glass again and to merely pop the cork and drink it straight out of the bottle as the wine gods likely intended.

But my rational side steps in. Will a cheap glass make a great wine bad or can a fabulous goblet make a hack wine worthy?

Wine expert Robert Parker has said, “The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes are those made by Riedel. The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make.”

This is a lovely sentiment, but this man drinks only the best wines from all over the world, for free. As a laywoman, I have a hard time fully trusting his opinion. He steers us to the right wines to drink, but do we really need to rely on him and his type when it comes to our crystal decisions as well?

Perhaps it makes sense to consider the glass holder. Are they a delicate and graceful sort, or a clunky and clumsy someone? If the latter, stemless might be the obvious choice, but if you fall nowhere in between, then what? Click here to continue reading

2011-09-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Last Licks of Summer

Excerpt from the Weekly Calistogan
By: Christina Julian

When I moved to the Upper Valley a couple of years ago, I expected to see people bopping to Sinatra while squishing grapes in large vats and folks dancing to midnight serenades in the vineyards. I would’ve gladly settled for strumming sounds as a sidekick to an al fresco meal. But outdoor entertainment wasn’t as easy to come by as I’d hoped, until I moved to Calistoga. As a former New Yorker, I live for outdoor entertainment come summertime. The fact that dandy weather is as abundant as grapes in these parts doesn’t deter my mission. School is back in session, days are growing short, and time is most definitely running out with only two summer concerts at Pioneer Park remaining. It’s time to get out there and enjoy the last licks of summer. Click here to continue reading.

The height, the site and the fight for Napa's 9/11 memorial

2011-09-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

At 11:30 am September 11, 2011, there will be a commemorative ceremony to honor the 10-year anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The ceremony will include a dedication at the future site of the Napa 9/11 Memorial Garden (click here for location). Read on to learn more about the project.

Excerpt from the Bohemian
Beams Of Honor

Scheduled for completion next year, Napa's 9-11 memorial is already causing a countywide buzz

By: Christina Julian
Photos:Michael Amsler

The star-spangled group gathers, somewhat out of place given that it's a week before Memorial Day. Some push ahead with restless anticipation to get a closer look, others hang back. The uniformed stand at attention, and even the mayor is here, decked out in stars and stripes. Someone shouts, "Can I touch it?"

On a flatbed truck, giant steel beams are packed tight, each revealing a clear notation, scrawled in chalk: "Napa." If it weren't for the charred, gnarly pieces that protrude at whim, one wouldn't think to look twice at them.

But these are no ordinary beams. They're steel beams from the World Trade Center. Artist Gordon Huether walks through the crowd, and all eyes follow as he steps up to the truck. "It's been quite a ride," he says.

Indeed it has. Nearly two years, 30 tons and 3,000 miles in the making, the steel will be put to use for a 9-11 memorial sculpture in downtown Napa, located just off Main Street near Napa Creek. A site dedication ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2011, with an estimated completion of the memorial set for spring of 2012. While some chide the effort and others champion it, the Napa 9/11 Memorial Garden sculpture stands to be one of the largest of its kind, stretching over 23 feet high and weighing over 60,000 pounds.

The project originated in October 2009, when Darren Drake, fire marshal and division chief of the Napa Fire Department, received a communication from the September 11th Families' Association, in concert with the New York and New Jersey Port Authority. The teaming offered local communities around the globe an opportunity to create regional 9-11 memorials utilizing actual steel from the World Trade Center. Drake responded with a formal application, a community coalition formed, and a year later, the group requested the six steel beams that will serve as the nucleus of the Napa 9/11 Memorial Garden. Local trucking company Biagi Brothers donated transport of the steel, which arrived in Napa from New York with a welcoming ceremony on May 21.

Huether and landscape architect Gretchen Stranzl McCann each came into the project during its infancy and solidified their commitment by donating time and services pro bono. Huether went in person to New York Kennedy Airport's 80,000-square-foot Hanger 17, where the steel was housed and archived as crime scene evidence. Click here to continue reading

Going "whole hog" with snout-to-tail cooking

2011-06-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Article excerpt from NorthBay Biz magazine
By: Christina Julian

I may be one of the few meat-eating Americans yet to be seduced by pork’s rise beyond “other white meat” status. And now the “snout-to-tail,” whole animal utilization craze has made pork all the more popular. Who better to tackle the topic with an objective viewpoint than one not so easily swayed by the succulent scent of bacon? The preponderance of pork is hard to deny. It receives primo placement on restaurant menus and on the supper plate, and at wine-centric events like ZAP’s (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) Good Eats tasting in San Francisco, where pork dishes threatened to outweigh Zinfandel pours. Pair that with national pig-out celebrations like Cochon—putting pork at the forefront in exciting and competitive ways. Pork has become a gourmet mainstay.

A name isn’t just a name
Heritage breed pigs are perched at the front of the snout-to-tail movement. These animals descend from bloodlines that date back centuries, to a time when livestock was raised on multiuse, open-pasture farms, and breeds yielded distinct characteristics—from signature marbling and fats to rich and hearty tastes.

Flash forward to the current day, and these same breeds are in danger of being lost forever, because they can’t compete with large-scale, commercial operations. “In the past 40 to 50 years, pigs have been bred to be leaner and leaner,” says Marie Nguyen, one of the owners of Suisun Valley Farm (just east of Napa) that specializes in Mangalitsa, heritage breed pigs.

Luckily, a movement is under foot…er, hoof…with organizations like Cochon 555, a series of annual events with a chief mission to heighten awareness of these breeds on a national level. The initiative started as a way to promote breed diversity among communities through a coast-to-coast competition that connects ranchers raising heritage breed pigs with top chefs known for whole animal utilization. The 555 moniker speaks to the structure of the event that features five chefs, five pigs and five winemakers, each fueled by the mantra: “Eating them to preserve them.” Founder and creator Brady Lowe, also principal and creative director of Taste Network, speaks to the evolution of the touring competition, now in its third year, “When the events started, there weren’t a lot of options in some cities when making chef selections [for the event]. Now everybody is using whole animals.”

Lowe hand selects five competing chefs in each city of the competition (10 total) with an eye on three key ingredients. “First we look for what people are doing in terms of whole animal utilization and if they’re naming farms and breeds on the menu,” he says. “Second, are they a ‘porky’ chef [menus showing dynamic approaches and whole animal utilization]? And third, how do they fit into the food scene? Are they a component of the good food movement, promoting local farms, putting on events and educating? Basically, are they a local ambassador?”

The events continue to escalate in popularity and reach and are receiving widespread, national notoriety while never straying from the initial purpose...Click here to continue reading

von Strasser - a diamond in the rough

2011-06-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

It’s true, in moving out of the concrete jungles of New York and Los Angeles I vowed to end my days of winding curves and working for my wine. Traffic is long and life is short. Part of the reason why I don’t often venture to tall places despite loving the fruits that those mountains bear is my lack of interest in driving anything but a bike. But adventure got the best of me when good weather busted through one day, calling me to make the small climb up Diamond Mountain to von Strasser winery. This was a hike worth taking, and truth be told it wasn’t much of a hike, a mere mile or two up the road. Regardless, I would climb to much higher altitudes to enjoy a sip amid the stars at this swell spot. Gone are the whizzing cars of the 29 and Silverado Trail, replaced with the buzz of the birds and bees and wind whipping up between the trees. Life is good here, and downright country. We are in the wine country after all despite the look of the valley these days. The woodsy setting of the winery is made all the more sweet with a swig of the wine. Many tasty delights from red to white and even some rosé. Despite being unable to correctly pronounce Grüner Veltliner, the wine captivated me anyway, it was so tasty I became quite content to shut up so I could savor this beaut in peace. A swoon-worthy concoction that is both tropically tart and heady with fruit flavors like rhubarb, an A+. Then there is the Sori Bricco Cab, sinful. I was tempted to slurp this down in one slurp, but the serene setting got the better of me, and instead I decided to relax into my day and swig into night. In a town full of perhaps one too many wineries, it’s great to get a side dish of country served with my wine. Von Strassesr - a climb worth making. Wacky WineSense rating: 4.5 Grapes

Molten lava that's hot in all the right places

2011-05-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

While lava can be a beaut to stare at, especially at Hawaii's Volcanoes national park, I typically like to keep my distance, though I found myself making an exception when it came to Brannan's chocolate lava torte. To say this dessert is a flavorful explosion just scratches the surface of this scribe's food wheel. There are a lot of similarities between the real stuff and this confectionary delight. For starters, they booth ooze, Brannan's with deep, dark chocolate, thankfully. Then there is the ducle de leche ice cream that sits on the sideline, begging to be scooped. I vacillate between the two in a chocolate-cream coma wondering why anybody would ever give up desserts. If you, like me, have decided that sugar is the new pork, sidle up to the bar at Brannan's and get yourself a slap of this stuff. You and your soon to be flabby abs will thank me all the way to the gym. Wacky WineSense rating: 4.9 grapes

Westwood Winery

2011-04-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Article excerpt from Northbay Biz magazine
By: Christina Julian
One fine day, John Kelly woke up with the realization that, despite an advanced degree in biochemistry from UC Davis, a career in academia wasn’t exactly how he wanted to spend his days after all. He contemplated his next move over a glass of wine…one sip led to the next. Wine Country boondoggles then led to helping a bio-chem buddy with some garage winemaking. Said friend, Bert Urch, then made the leap into commercial winemaking in 1984 with Westwood Winery. Kelly’s career aspirations in biochemistry melted away, and his roots in the wine world were planted.

Some roots are hard to ignore
“Being able to think as a scientist has let me pursue winemaking in a very focused manner. It’s also let me interact with wine scientists from all over the world,” says Kelly. “I’ve had very fruitful, intellectual contacts with people at the AWRI [Australian Wine Research Institute] and a number of people in South Africa, Italy and France. I’ve been able to discuss wine production issues at a very high level.”

Kelly credits his scientific background for his formal entrée into the wine industry. “My experience in the academic field gave me direct access to jobs at Stags’ Leap and Sonoma-Cutrer,” he says. “They needed somebody who could do research.” Prior to those posts, Kelly managed a high-end wine shop in Davis. It was here he helped sell the first vintage of Westwood Wine, a 1984 Lake County Pinot Noir. click here for full article and scroll down to Westwood Winery

Clif Family Winery and Farm

2011-04-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from NorthBay biz magazine... Nutrition and fitness? A likely pairing. Wine and food? Another winning combination. Health food and wine? A bit of a stretch—or so I thought until my visit with Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, the ever-fit, ever-active founders and owners of Clif Family Winery & Farm. The same dynamic duo that put “taste” into energy bars through another little venture, Clif Bar & Company. Erickson got his start in the kitchen during his high school years under the tutelage of his mother and grandmother. His first commercial endeavor came in 1986, with Kali’s Sweets and Savories, which went on to become Clif Bar & Company in 1992. “I started to enjoy wine when I was in Italy, traveling around the world. I spent several months there, climbing and cycling” says Erickson, “but at every meal, it seemed like someone was having a glass of wine. It was just part of the meal.” Crawford’s start in the business came from a different (yet similar) passion. “I grew up in a family that didn’t drink wine, so my introduction came when I lived in San Francisco as a dancer. I worked at a shop where they made handmade pastas and sold Italian wines. The wines of Italy are how I developed my appreciation for wine.” Click here and scroll down for full article.

Miner'in for wine

2011-03-22T16:16:00.000-07:00

I love when I cry tears of joy. Preferably when it is about good food, wine and let us never forget frolic. My latest sobfest came with a jaunt to Miner Family Vineyards. From the moment I stepped foot into their love cove (they were more than happy to welcome me in the door and into their wine family, after a not-so-friendly step into a winery that will remain nameless, hint: Tre—then, a welcome surprise) I knew I had discovered sweet greatness. Sweet in several senses – first hospitality, one of the most jovial crowds and tasting personell I’ve ever had the good fortune of stumbling into. You would be surprised that in the ever-vast landscape of tasting rooms, dubbed the “hospitality industry,” how all too often I am greeted with anything but. All the more sweet for those wineries that have never lost sight of the basics–pouring fine wine with a smile. After a long, soggy-wet, not totally fun day spent on the tasting trail I have renewed hope for the industry. The next sweet deal was the vibe at this jumpin joint. All I can surmise is that people, just like me, were so damn happy to be treated to fine slurpin wine in a warm and hospitable enviroment that all they could do was bop & hop. The last sweet sensation was the wine. Not a bad taste in the whole lot. I loved them all, fruit forward, and financially affordable. What a smacking good combo! Proving that there is good wine out there that you don’t have to spend a fistful in order to enjoy. The Viognier – splashing and smashing, its light and fruity sensation made me dance. The Chard, not my favorite style wine but this one was downright delectable, a great balance of exactly what I want, more fruity than buttery. The Sangiovese, oft messed up and not given its rightful place in the wine bunch, these folks mined a good one. Light and fruity yet substantial in taste. And the grand daddy of them all (price tag jumps up here) The Oracle. Each year they pick the best grapes of the litter to form this ever-changing Bordeaux blend. Hefty yet smooth, classic tendencies while showing off some distinctly different flare. So, check your ties, nametags and snobby pretense at the door and slide into this sweet little grape of a winery. Then, sit back and enjoy the vino and the company, in the comforts of what feels like the perfect non-dysfunctional familial home that we all strive for (ok me). Wacky WineSense Rating: wine and hospitality 4.8 Grapes!!!

It's A Zin

2011-02-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from Northbay Biz magazine, By Christina Julian

In a region where Cabernet often holds reign, seven like-minded Zinfandel producers are banding together with a collective mission—to give the grape its due.
Zinfandel holds a unique place in the history of American winemaking, dating back to the 1820s with initial plantings in California during the Gold Rush. The grape has continued to dazzle and spice up lives ever since. Now, with the support of organizations like ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) and the anointing (by ZAP) of November 19, 2010, as the first annual “Zinfandel Day,” the varietal is gaining well-deserved attention.

Only about 5 percent of Napa Valley’s vineyards are planted to Zinfandel, but that statistic didn’t deter Zin-loving wineries from forming the Napa Valley Zinfandel Trail in June 2009. Those who opt to hit “the trail” can download a roadmap that includes wineries pouring a range of Zinfandels, whose styles and tastes are as diverse as the settings and proprietors of this hand-plucked bunch. Each of these wineries runs a shoestring operation, where the owners are the winemakers, growers, sellers and tour guides; each one serving up its rendition of Zinfandel while paying homage to the Napa Valley of yesteryear. No quirky ripening patterns, tight clusters or propensity to rapid dehydration and sugar spikes will stop these trailblazers from sharing why Zinfandel is a challenge worth accepting. Click here for full article

Firebelle Lil’ and the wines of Larkmead

2011-01-13T15:09:00.001-08:00

Being a fellow fireball, spitfire, scrappy New Yorker at heart, I immediately bonded with the historical figure behind Larkmead Vineyards, Firebelle Lillie Hitchcock Coit (yes, of that Coit). Good God this gal was a feminist, decades before the “movement,” having been named the first female member of a fire company way back in 1859. Somehow fitting that she would make her way from San Francisco to little old St. Helena. My wine induced romp down memory lane was abruptly halted with a mere swig of Larkmead’s 07 Firebelle Blend, a slow seduction of a wine. A bawdy brew, much like the vino’s namesake. Love at first swig. The intense yet plush layers of this silky delight threatened to make me cry. But I resisted. I didn’t want any of my salty mushy tears to muck up this damn fine wine. I chided myself for cursing about this wine in public, but then I thought better of it. While I only know of Lil from the literature I’ve read, I suspect she would applaud my boisterous side, especially when spewing expletives about the merits of Larkmead wines. The 07 Solari Cab with a scant bit of Petite Verdot was a knock out, too. So lush, so fruity, it knocked me right off my pa-tootie! So go ahead, get off your rump and roll down to Larkmead Lane so you can revel in how good it is to live in the Napa Valley, and if you don’t live here, trust us, and enjoy some of this fine wine. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!

Napa Valley - more than just great grapes

2011-01-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

While wine and farming have always been a way of life in Napa Valley, there is much more that lurks amidst the grapevines, with traditions of food, adventure, and wellness – waiting to be uncorked. Known as one of the “Great Wine Capitals” of the world this fertile and geographically compact stretch, while only a mere 30 miles long, boasts a multitude of things beyond the vino bottle, to quench your thirst.

Napa serves as the gateway to world class culinary traditions that fork out from Napa and Yountville to St. Helena and Calistoga. Whether you crave the perfect pasta to pair with your wine or perhaps you’ve always yearned to poke around in the kitchen and learn from the masters at the Culinary Institute of America, the Napa Valley is guaranteed to feed your fix.

If you’re feeling adventurous, leave your car back at the hotel and opt for peddling your way through the valley. Many hotels like Solage and the Bardessono Inn offer complimentary cycles to their guests and several bike outfitters will customize tasting and town tours read more.

When it's not volcanic, Lava(vine) is a very good thing

2010-12-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

Nothing could be finer than finding another hidden wine gem that's just a quick pedal away from Calistoga. While people have been known to flee from red hot lava, except when rubbernecking at Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, I urge you not to flee from Lava Vine (the winery), and here's why. Sweet indulgence. While I love a good cupcake as much as the next gal, the only thing that trumps that sugar high, is port. We can't technically call this wine a port, but Joe's non-vintage dessert wine isn't fooling this wine scribe. Much like a lamb in sheep's clothing this wine is a port dressed up as a dessert wine. Regardless, this baby sang as it slid down my wine tube. Lightly sweet, yet supple. Well, it made me feel supple while drinking this delight. A hint of this, a hint of that. All I know is that this mish-mash of vintages swirled into one bottle, is divine. The best of many worlds. Joe wouldn't tell me much more than that, but I lost interest in the semantics and gained interest in scoring my own case of this juice. I'd recommend snatching up some of the Cabernet Franc, too. A spicy, bawdy counterpart. The vibe in this tasting room is casual-friendly, with soulful tunes wafting in the background, and vintage photography (the pink caddy photo would do The Boss" proud) pinned to the walls. A good time is prime for the picking at this joint. Wacky WineSense rating: 4.5 Grapes

Bacon Becomes an Art Form

2010-12-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

I’m not embarrassed to admit that I am in no way a pork lover; in fact I avoid pig meat at all costs. It could be that I was marred at a young age. My most vivid Xmas memories are of Wilber, cooked and sprawled out on our dinner table, kicking up his poor unsuspecting back hoof. The apple artfully placed in poor porky’s mouth didn’t help. I have avoided pork ever since, until now. But I’m in a safe zone because this plate of bacon is actually an art exhibit, premiering at St. Helena’s Silverado Brewing Company (excuse this redention of the photos, they were taken on my phone with blinking tree lights in the background, you'll have to check them out in person to get the full affect). And while bacon specials are abounding at the brew co in concert with the exhibit, that is not what’s got me excited, it’s the art of the self-dubbed “Bacon Girl,” Bigi Voix. This vegetarian turned pork fiend had a life altering brush with bacon that forever changed her and the local art scene. Bigi accidentally fell off the vegan wagon over a bacon-binge weekend which led to her inspiration for this whacked out (in the best possible way) art exhibit that pays homage to pork, in strip form. Bigi has become all bacon, all the time, turning her exhibit into a calendar that is due out in 2011. Even I, who avoids pork, couldn’t keep my eyes in their sockets in the presence of these portraits. Who needs a muse when bacon is in the picture? The photos go as broad as a fifty’s pinup pool girl with a bee-hive hairdo done up in bacon, to a reincarnation of Bruce Springsteen’s classic Born in the USA album cover, where bacon is stuffed into the Boss’s back pocket instead of a baseball cap. And if that is not enough to wet your arty and pork-filled appetite, some of the more racy renditions feature Bigi and her “unmentionables” sloughed over in bacon. What I love most about this ingenious collection is that it exudes the very essence of what art means to me. All night long I couldn’t stop talking about these off-beat photos. The visuals and their creative concoctions left my mind lingering on the memory of each long after I’d left the exhibit. Who would have thunk it? That someone as anti-pork as me could grow to see pig in a brand new light. So whether you love bacon, hate it or yearn to bring a little of Bigi’s bacon to a home near you, you don’t want to miss out on this one of kind display of art in the making—bacon. Check it out at Silverado Brewing Company for the month of December. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes!
(The actual exhibit version of these photos were shot by Robin Bordow)

Girard = Glee in a bottle

2010-11-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

Gleeful. Yes. And I'm not talking about the TV show, though almost as entertaining as a good wine. I'm speaking of how I felt after a mere sip of Girard's 08 Petite Sirah. A deep dish berry pie of a wine. Boisenberry comes to mind. As does the chill that this fine wine sent down my spine. I love it when a wine gives me goosebumps. And this little gem did just that. The wine was as bodacious in flavor as the crowd was lively at this year's Yountville Festival of Lights. It was hard work, but the WineSense crowd, had to troll the streets scooping up as much sampling as our ticket allotment would allow. And after searching far and wide for the top wine of the night, Girard will be the "star" atop my wine tree this year. Make someone merry with some of this magic juice. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

A "Back Room" that rocks while the wine rolls

2010-11-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

DOWNTOWN NAPA'S ROCKING BACKROOM WINE SHOP MOONLIGHTS AS A TASTING BAR TOO. WE CAN GET BEHIND THE SIP AS YOU SHOP PHILOSOPHY AS WELL AS THE STORE’S CUSTOMER SERVICE MANTRA “WE LISTEN TO WHAT YOU LIKE, HEAR WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, AND MATCH YOU WITH THE PERFECT WINE.” YOU'LL FIND SOUGHT-AFTER AND HARD TO FIND VINO AS YOU SIP AND SUCK DOWN FEATURED WINE FLIGHTS AND CHEESE PAIRINGS THAT ARE EVER-CHANGING DAILY. LINGER AT THE TASTING BAR OR SLIDE ONTO THE COMFY COUCH AS YOU GIVE YOUR TONGUE A WAKE UP CALL IN THE WINE COUNTRY WAY. SLURP YOUR LATEST INDULGENCE WITH CLASSIC ROCK TUNES BOPPING IN THE BACKGROUND. THEY ALSO HOST SPECIAL TASTING EVENTS (CLICK FOR DETAILS) JUST ABOUT EVERY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT SO YOU CAN KEEP YOUR GOOD TIMES ROLLING RIGHT ALONG WITH THE FINE WINE, MUSIC, AND COMPANY. WACKY WINESENSE RATING: 4.5 GRAPES!

Bears that Dance Wine that Sings – Cakebread’s Dancing Bear Ranch

2010-10-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

While you have most certainly heard about the legendary wines of Cakebread, firmly planted into the Napa wine scene for over 35 years and counting, you may not be aware of it's other half. Perhaps due to its “up the mountain” locale, but there is another Cake in town, and boy is it a dandy, well actually a Dancing Bear Ranch. Just a short jaunt up Howell Mountain and its hugging twists and turns will park you in the middle of nowhere, quite wonderfully so. Imagine a Napa Valley without throngs of inhabitants crawling all over our streets. Just pure countryside and roads in their most native state. Close your eyes (after you’ve driven safely up the mountain, of course) and that is exactly where you will have landed in the Dancing Bear Ranch. Infamous bears have been known to dance for their meal of sweet, plucky-delicious grapes found only on this mountaintop. But who could blame them. After one swig of this beyond bodacious 2006 red blend of a wine, well a lady never reveals her secrets but dancing may have ensued. This wine is as hefty as those dastardly bears that once scooped up their fair share of grapes (until Dennis Cakebread, resident bear whisperer/head honcho, showed them who was boss), yet as elegant as a New York ballerina dancing her way through the Nutcraker. One sniff will reveal sweet scents of fig, chocolate and so much more. One sip will knock you off your seat, with the only foreseeable reason to get up being to slog down some more of this wine. But a little more about what one visit will grant…. A)You might bump into a black bear, how cool would that be? Wine country gone wild! B)This 200-acre sprawling vineyard is eye candy for the visually inclined. Steeps, flats, stellar views of the valley below, bird’s eye glance at a lake, and C) for you nature-preservationist out there, this ranch has been dubbed and awarded with the certification of “Fish Friendly Farming Vineyard” – translation they are not only respectful to the art of winemaking but also to the land that is responsible for delivering this special wine. Hats off to the Cakebread clan. You have done oh-so right by this wine swill’in gal. So get off your rump this harvest season and hop on up the hill to see some of the most spectacular views of this valley and enjoy some damn fine wine in the process. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5.0 Grapes!

Wacky Goes Ape, err Gape, with Kirk Venge~Tales from the Trail

2010-10-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

Fact. It’s been exactly one year since I moved here and was fortunate enough to find myself hip-deep in grapes during last year’s harvest. I hadn’t lived until I got to stick pinky to arm pit into a vat of freshly picked grapes. As a consummate over-achiever, last year’s 2-day harvest stint with Kirk Venge was going to be a tough act to follow. But I’ve outdone myself, by somehow scoring a full-time gig as assistant grape sampler to Mr. King of the Grapes Venge himself (my nickname, not his, he is far too humble for such nomenclature). And it is the job of a lifetime, especially for someone who spends most waking hours and many late nights writing about and or sip’in on da’wine. But this year I am working for my wine which makes the bounty all the more sweet. While harvest was a little late in getting to the party this season, we are now bouncing off the grape walls. The run down to date. First it was cool when it should be hot, then hot when it clearly should be not. It rained, and threatened to follow on with some good old fashioned fall weather, but not before one last heat snap. What does this mean to those in the grape biz? Premature gray and balding hair, unless you’re like Venge, who appears to thrive under these sorts of conditions. Oh, forgot to mention. He was looking for a few more thrills so he decided to erect a new winery facility(Venge Vineyards) smack dab in the middle of harvest. Living on the edge never looked so good. Nor does the new winery and the grapes within. Note to self: learn some tips of the trade from this kid, he knows his stuff. A quick snapshot into my world, with more to follow in the upcoming weeks. It goes something like this: rise at dawn, wake up before the grapes do (pre-sun swelter), throw on a grape-stain resistant frock, pack up your hound, your grape cooler, some baggies for sampling, some water to rinse the juice, and an eye for the changing tides and tendencies of the grapes. At this hour you encounter only other grape-hounds and we are a mixed breed of a whole lot of something, none of which can be repeated to this PG crowd. We run through the fields, row by row, plucking a wide assortment of grapes from an unbearably long list of vineyards, that truth be told could do a much better job of labeling the vineyard rows and blocks. The iPhone GPS can get you only so far, then you have to rely on good old grape intuition, of which I had none initially, but now I am swimming in its sweet juices. As you are running through the field, fetching samples (methods are secret!), you often trip on dead and gangly vines that pierce skin like a blade, yet these road warrior scars never looked so good! You also get a pretty majestic view tooling down the 29 towards Napa during the wee hours of the morning. Gaggles of hot air balloons descend upon our valley, an idyllic vision if you ask me. If you don’t live here, what are you waiting for? This scene and these scents are like nothing you've ever witnessed, not to mention tasted. After combing the valley up and down for grapes, I hit the chemistry lab (I knew I should have paid attention to this junk in school, who knew?) to put my plucky grapes through a battery of tests to reveal Brix, PH, TA. I sound like I know what I’m talking about, right? Just enough to be dangerous. Then my world class mission continues as I track down my master and deliver our classified info. All of which will tell us if the grapes are ready to move off the vine, or if they need to keep hanging on for dear life. And that my friends, my wine-swilling peeps, is where I will leave you for now. My skin is as thick with stick (grape juice), as it is with sweat. My ankles are beat up and scraped, the bags under my eyes are ever-increasing, yet I can’t wait to get up and do it all again, tomorrow! While slinging ads in New York and making movies in LA all had their glim and glamour, they’ve got nothing on this sweet deal. Check back for the latest rantings...live from the trail. May all your grapes be good ones!

The Mountain Men of Smith-Madrone

2010-10-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

Think wine is stuffy and pretentious? Get ready to change your mind.
A visit to Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery grants many pleasures, starting with a thrilling ride up Spring Mountain (brace for narrow roads, sharp turns and scenic vistas). Upon arrival, prepare to be charmed by the men behind the bottles, who’ll regale you with as many stories as you like. The no-frills approach not only adds to the charm but embodies the spirit of the brothers. “I hand them a glass of Chardonnay, tell them to stand where they are and turn in a circle: The tour is over. Now we can get to tasting the wine!” says Charles F. Smith III, winemaker. There isn’t even a tasting room, just a foldout table outside, a salt of the earth barrel room inside and the bodacious scenery. But it’s the company and the wines that keep people coming back year after year.

Up the mountain
When asked what drove him and his brother up the hill and into the wine business nearly 40 years ago, Charles replies deadpan, “I was cuckoo about wine. It was a hobby that got totally out of control, for both of us, really.” Perched at the highest point in the Spring Mountain appellation in St. Helena, looking out over the vineyard and valley floor below, younger brother and general partner Stuart Smith elaborates, “I was at Berkeley in the ’60s, where a food and wine revolution started in the Bay Area. At the time, roast beef wasn’t ‘done’ unless it was gray, vegetables weren’t cooked unless they were limp and exotic cheeses were Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar and Velveeta. All of that started to change.”
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Parallel - A White Wine Worth Waxing-On About!

2010-09-22T11:46:00.001-07:00

Oh how I don't typically find myself falling for white wines (especially Chards) once the summer psuedo-swelter stops sizzling, unless I happen to uncork a very good cause. In this cause Parallel Wine's fantabulous 2008 Chardonnay. I'll be brief since I am knee-deep (finally) tending grapes this harvest. In a word-divine. In a longer roll of my taste-filled tongue word: delightful-toasty-pinepple-y sensation. A sweet sip' of a deal. I can't be certain, but I believe I may have detected a bit of what can only be referenced as "toasted-marshmallow bliss" in there somewhere. So when you are ready for something white to wet your whistle this fetching fall season, look no further than this sweet little diddy of a wine. You'll be glad you did. That's all for now folks, I'm hitting the grape trail. Harvest "field" reporting to follow, as the plucky suckers start hitting the bins. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

A Hunter that Bounds to be Better - Bounty Hunter

2010-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

NOTHING COULD BE BETTER THAN A PIT STOP AT THIS SPOT. BOUNTY HUNTER IS BOUND FOR GREATNESS WHETHER YOU'RE PARKING FOR DINNER OR JUST SIPPING VINO AFTER A TOUGH DAY ON THE TASTING TRAIL. THIS IS ONE HECK OF A WINE BAR AND RESTAURANT WITH OVER 400 BOTTLES OF WINE, 40 AVAILABLE BY THE GLASS. THE BOUNTY OF WINE ASIDE, THE BISTRO FARE AND ARTISAN BEERS WILL KEEP YOU GOING LONG AFTER YOUR BODY POOPS OUT. DESPERATE FOR FUEL? HERE'S A BIRD THAT DEFIES THE NORMS – THE BEER CAN CHICKEN. A FULL CLUCKER PLOPS TO YOUR TABLE ON A NEST OF TECATE BEER, PRIMED FOR A CHOW DOWN. OH HOW SWEET THE WORLD OF WINE AND FOOD CAN BE IN THIS NAPA WINE COUNTRY WONDERLAND.

9/11 - We Will Never Forget

2010-09-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is the one time of year, where Wacky WineSense head scribe, hailing from NYC, goes serious, to commemorate 9/11. With the passing of each year as our distance to the events grow deeper, it becomes even more important than ever to reflect.....

We Will Never Forget
By: Christina Julian

I don't just remember that tragic day on September 11th, nor when trite references to the horror blip by on the news. I remember it every single day of my life, as do countless others—those of us who were in New York, people all over our world. We saw, we experienced, we lived though something unimaginable, something that couldn't have possibly happened in our lifetime, yet it did.

The smell of its aftermath still lingers large in my memories as does everything about that day: The view of the tip of Manhattan on fire as my brother and I hauled over the Queensboro Bridge to escape. Images of missing persons wallpapered our city. Flyers tacked on subways, walls of restaurants, lampposts, and churches. Flyers of the hundreds and thousands of people that went missing. People that would never find their way home, people who were lost forever.

I remember waking up from the most horrific nightmare, one that repeated for days and years to come. I remember the street side vigils, the gatherings in the park, the countless memorial services. The bomb scares, the evacuations, being stuck on the subway thinking this was it, only to learn of the next threat—Anthrax.

People changed forever.

Children lost parents that they had yet to get the chance to know and love. They lost their innocence in an instant. They grew up overnight without ever knowing it.

Many people just like me were unable to get out of bed, to move out of our apartments, to go to work—to picture our lives moving forward. Yet with every one of those visions, I witnessed something softer. Taxis stopped honking and people started caring. We helped others as we struggled to help ourselves. In an instant a city that was known for its crusty nature cracked to the core, we the people broken. But through all of those experiences, the indelible memories that will never erase, we triumphed in the midst of our tragedies. We were granted the chance to witness and move beyond the unimaginable—buildings melted, people jumped, mushroom clouds danced, heroes fought to rescue. We survived, our world moved on, and we prevailed. My memories will never slip away, yet I am able to move forward.

Grace’s Table - Hands down! The Best Hand Formed Hamburger Around

2010-09-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

Let me get this rant-party started. You can feed your food fix morning, noon, and night at the open air eatery, Grace's Table. If you enjoy the great outdoors, snag an outside café table or sneak a seat next to the floor to ceiling window. This family-owned gem has “global comfort food” written all over it. From the gooey-delicious cornbread with lavender butter and grandma’s style pasta and meatballs, to the, wait I am supposed to waxing on about the burger. Sorry, it's hard not to get sidetracked with all the glutonous food that abounds at this glam yet casual joint. The hand-formed burger (made with oh-so-much-care) is a heart breaker. I fell in love all over again with classy, classic, premium red meat. The bun and homemade mustard will wake your palate up as will the not-too pickled fresh-made pickles. And if all the quality cow and cooked to perfection patty aren't good enough for your insatiable tastes, pile on some primo toppings like the Portobello mushrooms and blue cheese. Yum, yum and yum. Top this tower off right with some gigantic O-rings as the icing on top of this divinely delicious meat-cake. The variety and fresh ease of air at this little sweetheart-of-a-spot won’t ever disappoint. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.9 Grapes!

Napa’s Uptown Theater is Anything But Uppity!

2010-08-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

When I ditched the boards of Broadway for a leisurely wineward way of life I never expected to pine for my roots. I’d be too busy swilling all that fine wine! But some habits are hard to kick. The longer I’ve been here the more I’ve found myself lingering on past memories of the lullabies of ole Broadway. Thankfully, somebody “up there” has been listening to my wining, and finally delivered a slice of live theater heaven, courtesy of one fanciful Uptown Theater, a shinier, spanking new venue to scratch our live music and entertainment itch. And like a good NYC Broadway counterpart, the acoustics at this jumping joint are worthy of the weight of our wines. Toss in some “arty” eye candy with the stupendous ceiling murals and photos and you’re in for a toast-worthy treat. Lucky for you the Uptown answers that call too as you’re allowed to bring your vino into the theater, enabling you to enjoy your music with our favorite local fruit and pastime on tap and in your hot little hand. So sit back in your comfy cozy seat and soak up the sounds and pleasures of a wine country way of life with a stop off at this smashing spot. Even my piss-poor sing-along ways won’t destroy a bound-to-be-beautiful night at the Uptown. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes!

Swanson’s Sip Shoppe Feeds the Adult Candy Store Fix

2010-08-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

At the risk of sounding redundant I will repeat myself for this very good cause. Wine should be fun. Life is serious, wine doesn’t need to be, or so speaks this low-brow wine junkie that will remain nameless (ok it’s me, Ms. Wacksense). Enter Swanson Vineyard’s Sip Shoppe, answering my call for a care-free, unique take on a tasting room. For those high-brow readers in the crowd, defer to Swanson’s formal tasting salon, this "shoppe" is gonna be way too footloose for your tastes. Low-brow readers, here is a wake up call for your peeps and palate. The Sip Shoppe is a wine spin off from the classic soda shop and jerks era (soda jerks, not dating ones), but lucky for us, the “candy” of choice is vino instead of soda pop floats and suckers. The décor is eye candy if I ever saw it with red pinstripe walls and intriguing wall adornments. A delightful outdoor sipping spot. The jovial food and snack pairings conjoined with your wine are downright dizzying (my personal favorite – the Dizzy Lizzy snowball whose garnish is some damn fine Pinot Grigio drizzle) if not bizarre in some instances, but for us here at Wacky WineSense, we thrive at the school of slightly off center, so we felt right at home here. Each wine taste (different tracks available depending on your taste buds) is paired with a tasty morsel of some sort (caviar, snow cones, candy, and more). Another favorite concoction – The 06 Petite Syrah with a slab of Clark’s Bark (a smash up of dark chocolate and toffee, and who knows what else). These folks realize that a day on the tasting trail can be hard work in these parts so don’t forget to ask for a “Rhodie” before you hit the road, and no we are not encouraging drinking and driving, we are talking about a New Orleans style iced coffee delight that’s made up of cold pressed coffee, 2% organic cow juice, and god help us, a dollop of brown sugar. But let us not forget about the real business at hand, the stuff behind the pinstripes, what Swanson has become infamous for – the wines. The Sauvignon Blanc, layered, fruity, crisp – a sheer delight. The Petite Syrah, rich, daunting, and for lack of a better word, dreamy in all of its intensity. The Alexis Cabernet and its drop dead deep fruit intentions will leave you and your loved ones screaming for more. So if it is fine wine you crave, make it point to slip slide into the Sip Shoppe or drop in “announced” to the Salon for a more formal tasting. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes!

Crying for cookies is a sweet deal with Annie the Baker

2010-08-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

St. Helena’s weekly Farmer’s Market (Fridays 7:30-12) bears many fruits, but you know that all ready. I'm here to talk about a treat of a less plucky variety, but a much sweeter deal, brought to you by one Annie the Baker, the mind and spatula behind the cookies that taste more like the dough than the finished deal, which is what makes them a steal. Not to be confused with the Steelers football team (easy to do since Annie's booth at the market pays homage to the team in color scheme, the life-sized mascot and flaming yellow VW Beetle (her bakery mobile!), reminding us of her pigskined roots). Annie entertains you at the moment you step into her delicious domain. But all arrows point elsewhere once she slips one of her magical cookies into your eagerly awaiting paw. With one bite of the peanut butter with milk chocolate chip cookie I shed my first tear, and by the time I finished up my taste test I was weeping like a colicky baby. All of her cookies strike a unique balance between sumptuous chewy cookie dough and dense flavorful baked cookie punch. Her newest weep-worthy incarnations are the tuxedo (dark and white chocolate with macadamea nuts) and the newest of all, and another favorite is the Cocoa Loco which is perfect if you are gonzo for the gooey goodness (cocoa powder, milk and dark chocolate and other mysterious but addictive delights). Damn this cookie, adding another notch to my already overstuffed to-do list, as I am now all but forced to make weekly pitstops at the market and Locals' Night at the Oxbow Public Market, in order to snatch up her cookies. I guess it's a good enough cause as any. Better actually as the payoff of these bites is as consistent as they come. Check out her Facebook page (ANNIETHEBAKER) so you won't be left in the sugar dust. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes! (must eat)

Summer Never Sounded So Sweet

2010-07-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

Wine doesn’t have to be the only game in town this summer because for us lucky suckers lurking around the Napa and Sonoma wine country, there is free music to be had. And while I know it is hard to peel your eyes off the plethora of cable TV’s finest: Entourage, Weeds, the raucous Rescue Me, and the final arrival of the hot little ditty, Mad Men, there is a time in life where the outside world must prevail, because as much as I hate to admit it, the days of summer are getting shorter by the second. Thankfully, the technology gods invented DVRs, TIVOs and if you must, VCRs which leaves you no excuse for not leaving your cool indoor summer habitat in favor of the outdoors, where you will find, a bountiful free (Gasp!) summer music scene. I challenge you, not to have a good time, slurpin up the strumming guitars, nature’s natural acoustics, and some sultry singers with this fine mix of music. So over-stuff your picnic basket (no one said you had to forgo wine with your entertainment), pack up your comfy chairs and beach blankets and slide over to the outdoor melody spot of choice. There is something happening on just about every night of the week, so go on, give your pie-hole a rest, and let someone else do the talking, or singing so that you can get back to basics: tunes, food, friends, and wine.
Here’s some of the rundown:

Tuesday nights (weekly) Healdsburg Plaza 6-8PM (go early and hit the fab Farmer’s Market)
Thursday nights (weekly) Calistoga's Pioneer Park 6-9PM (food, brews and vino available for purchase or BYO)
Thursday nights (bi-weekly) St. Helena's Lyman Park 6-8PM
Friday nights (weekly) Napa’s Veteran’s National Park 6:30-10, 3 bands
Sunday nights (weekly) Santa Rosa’s Juillard Park 5-7PM

So, open up your ears, shut your trap and close your eyes, so you can simply enjoy the gabobs of free strumming summer sounds, while they last. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 grapes!

Summer Swings at Oxbow’s Public Market

2010-07-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

It’s about time that us locals (and tourists posing as locals can apply) got a break and the Oxbow Public Market was just the place to provide it. One-stop shopping for all your indulgent food and drink needs. Locals' night (every Tuesday night) serves up a bounty of food, frolic, and slurp-worthy beverages. Too much to cover in one quick swoop, but here are some shenanigans that I suggest you partake in. While I love to slurp wine as much as the next, this Tuesday I found something almost as enticing. Sucking down cheap Hog Island oysters and brew skies. And I don’t mean cheap in the sense that you will spend the night in the emergency room spewing out sullied seafood and PBRs, no siree. Cheap as in succulent oysters ($1 pop – I kid you not) and Class A beer (3.50 a pint) all on the cheap from 5-7PM. And you even get to be entertained as you slurp and suck. Live music (6-8PM) hums in the background ranging from jazz, standards, blues, techno (well, not really) and beyond. I followed up with killer, knock-you-off-your-diet-for-life cupcakes at Kara’s. I thought about eating one of everything she had to offer but opted instead for a Sweet Vanilla (inside and out) and Fleur De Sel. Each made me cry tears of food joy for different reasons. The butter cream frosting was just the right balance by not being overpowered with butter and not so sweet as to make you go into sugar shock. For local's night you can get cupcake minis for $1 (one per/person minimum – so augment with the reg. size). I have it on good accord that the banana caramel one could convert even the most devout non-sugar fiends. Cheese, cheese and more cheese at the Oxbow Cheese Market. Belly up to the cheese bar and order yourself a slice of the Caveman. And I don’t mean that strapping young gent that’s eye chickies from the wine bar, it is a cheese my friends and a damn tart/tangy/tongue defying blue one at that. I had to be peeled off the cheese fridge. Finally when my belly and liver could take no more I slid out to the terrace and planted my butt in a chair and enjoyed the sites of new friends and old dancing in some of the delights that bring this fair city to night – a night where food and drink finds are friendly to the locals that help make this joint and town hop. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5

Ca'Momi - get me some of that pumping prosecco

2010-06-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Last month as I bopped around Harmony Fest, catching up with Lauryn Hill from afar, as makeup melted off my face, I decided a reward was in order. Mine came in the form of an oasis of a wine tent, brought to me by Ca'Momi Wines. And boy what a jackpot I hit. The perfect quench to the summer swelter. Winemaker Dario, who hails from the grand "Boot" of Italy, could teach us Californians a thing or two about sparkling. And don't get me wrong, I love my Mumms and Chandons and the like, but his Ca'Secco prosecco was a little slurp of heaven. Crisp, dry, not too sweet but oh so succulent. A dandy delight that left me, dancing for more. I'm not certain if my "moves" were working for or against my cause of earning more wine, or if they just wanted me to stop, but regardless, I was poured another refill, thankfully. But don't fret if you missed the vino at the festival, you can scoot on down to their Napa tasting room, a pitstop that is well worth the trip. And if all this wasn't reason enough, this Italian friendly bunch will soon be showing off their wares at the Oxbox market. Those wares (housed in an enoteca style wine bar) include homemade Italian pastries, and Neapolitan style pizza. This all made me cry, and start spinning, immediately, so that I can drop pounds to put on more pounds with this fantastic food and fabulous vino. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes!

A Toolbox Worth Its Weight in Wine!

2010-06-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

I’m not usually one to get too hung up on gender issues, but when my kind, femalekind, does noteworthy things that do not involve nail polish or high heels I think it’s worth recognizing. My latest diddy, Tool Box Wine Co, is having an on-going ‘coming out’ party at the Gustavo Thrace tasting haunt in downtown Napa. Since I am all about low to no-pretense tasting spots, this one hits the mark all over the place. You can’t help but to frolic balls out all over the place as you sip your wine. If you’re the playful sort this could include engaging in rounds of pinball and darts as you swill your wine and peruse “Bottle Shock” movie memorabilia (whereby Gustavo Brambila was immortalized beyond just his wine). I had a hard time finding a reason to leave this delightful perch. The tasting room peeps are as friendly as you’d expect, except most tasting rooms aren’t that friendly anymore so they defy the norm by being an overly jovial bunch. You’ve got a broad spectrum of wines to wet your whistle, choosing from the Gustavo/Thrace label or the Tool Box collection. I will spend time on the latter, starting with the catch phrase behind this new wine label, using their words, not mine. “Three Napa Valley girlfriends got together to raise a glass, celebrate life & share the importance of a good screw to hold things together.” Their catchphrase, the wine, and the vibe of the tasting room make me smile, as I suspect it will do the same for you. They also understand that financial times are tough these days so every single bottle of Tool Box wine is a mere, are you ready? 14 beans a bottle! And they taste dandy too. The Sauvignon Blanc was crisp, light, and loose, like the ladies behind the wine (kidding, totally kidding). The Cabernet was bouncy. Or maybe that was the pinball, who knows I sucked it down regardless, with great pleasure. So I have to bounce myself (yes I am over the age of 15 and I did just say that, I'm giddy and proud to wear the shoes), but do yourself a favor and make a pit stop at this tasting room for a rollicking good time. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Slurpin Sandwiches (Icy ones) before noon!

2010-06-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially here, whether the weather chooses to acknowledge its arrival or not! A wise young tween once told me, when the seasons change so does your wardrobe, no if, ands, buts or bad weather about it. I indulged by wearing my most spring-like togs and hot pink shades to the St. Helena’s Farmers market (Fridays 7:30-12). I continued to screw conventional norms, by skipping all the healthy fruity veggie stands and going straight to the sweets. Partying like a tween seemed appropriate since I was dressed like one. One stop off at The Farmers Market Pantry (corrie@thefarmersmarketpantry.com) fed my sugar-frenzied fix. This particular pantry was stuffed with nothing but cookies and ice cream. After sampling one too many offerings (including a pecan-bacon number, bizarrely delectable!) I went for the Big Kahuna and got a made-to-order ice cream sandwich. I dare you to relive your youth by mixing and matching ice cream and cookie concoctions. This delight was sheer summer time bliss with cookies that were lightly crisp on the outside, with a pinch of chewy dough goodness on the inside. I opted for the cappuccino chocolate chunk cookie, which was laced with gabobs of dark chocolate chunks and espresso. The vanilla bean ice cream ensconced within only made this treat all the sweeter. Some classics are worth their status of ‘simplicity is swell’. Despite being served in the great outdoors, owner/head scooper, Corrie, delivered like only a good ice cream man/woman can, with cream that was as firm as it was tasty. I reached my sugartime coma before high noon. What a way to start the day! You can catch a cookie of your own weekly at the St. Helena Farmers Market (7:30-12PM on Fridays) or at the Thursday Chef’s Market in Napa. Just don’t be left screamin for this dreamy, creamy sensation. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Buccella: Wines that'll make you weep!

2010-05-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

There are a few times that I really enjoy a good boo-hoo. Most of them revolve around weep-worthy food, wine, and film. Call me sentimental or downright silly, but when I am moved to the point of tears by a good wine (whether an outward heave or an imperceptible inward display), that is a good day. It’s been a while since I boo-hooed over anything wine or otherwise (is this a sign of maturity or bad moviemaking?) so I was plum-excited when I got to suck down some Buccella wine. I wouldn’t exactly say that I’ve ever been in MER-love, but their Merlot turned over a new grape leaf for me. I fell head over heels in Merlove for their 2007 Merlot. It’s one of the beefiest of its kind that I've slurped as of late. A bodacious mouthful of a wine. A bounty of berry flavors banging around, smooth and hearty (heart pun mildly intended) to the last drop. Frankly, I'm at a loss for words, because it was just that good. I decided to not take notes, and just savior the wine, “in the moment” as they say. So I suggest you do the same, by conjuring up an excuse to celebrate and then using Buccella as your drink of choice. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 grapes

Spin your way to svelte now, so you can slurp wine later!

2010-05-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Stop the flab, rediscover your abs! Wednesdays, 6-6:45PM, at Epiphany Yoga & Pilates Center. Let’s face it, that wine swilling habit of yours is wreaking havoc on your midsection. So here is your chance to work off all that vino from the night before, and or to crush those bad cycling nightmares you’ve been having quicker than a bunch freshly plucked grapes! Never spun before? No worries, that's what teachers are for. Accomplished peddler? I swear on my best bottle of vino, that you’ll sweat yourself senseless. Even Dwight on ABC’s the Office is doing it, proving that getting your spin on can be fun and funny in one breathless pump of the pedals. Bring your yellow goggles if you dare!

If you're still on the fence here are some mantras to kick your bootie off your rump and over the hump…

Sweat now, svelte later
Stop swilling, start spinning
Stop the flab, rediscover your abs!
Spin now, slurp (wine) later
Spin your way to thin!

If all of this exercise nonsense is making you squirm, please forward this blog link to anyone that would squeal at the chance to spin on your behalf. For info on classes, location, and online signup, read on:

Epiphany Yoga & Pilates Center (drop in rate $16)
1299 Pine Street Saint Helena, CA 94574
707.963.9642
www.napaspin.com or www.epiphanyyogacenter.com

TAR - bringing theater arts back without busting the bank!

2010-05-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Times are tight and dollars scarce, but that’s no reason to assume the entertainment circuit is faltering as much as the economy. Coinciding with the kick-off of summer, Theater Arts Revival (TAR) is stepping onstage to jumpstart the performing arts scene. How you ask, sarcastically, since the theater scene is dead in these parts, right? Think again my wine swilling peeps. Try TAR's mission on for size: bringing theater and arts programs back to the community without busting the bank and or being bored to tears with tentative shows and the people that attend them. Stand back, catch your foot before you stick it in your mouth. The company’s inaugural show “Pastiche,” is a musical comedy of the absurd. What am I talking about, exactly? If carnivals make you cringe and cackle, these performances will offer a bounty of both, right along with a glimpse into all things good and evil in the wacky world of carnies, and you know how much we here at WineSense love the "wack" factor in all that we choose to promote. But don't take our word for it, the Bohemian voted this stage romp their critic's pick of the week. Here is a taste of what the show will serve up, along with wine, cookies, and a silent auction with many goods up for grabs including sought after garb from Carlos Santana himself. Carnival Pastiche is a second-rate, small time freak show that’s seen better days. A fake Hungarian countess, who may’ve spawned the “cougar” craze sits at the helm of this posse of misfits that includes sideshow attractions, singers, dancers, gypsies, dreamers, and even an Elvis impersonator, none of whom can sing or dance! No, not really, just wanted to make sure you're paying attention. These carnies can croon as good as Sinatra and howl as good as Michael Jackson. When Pastiche’s glossier, alter-ego-of-a-show competitor, Pablo Fanque’s Faire accidentally burns down (foul play anyone?), the fabulous Fanque players (the ones that did NOT get kicked off Dancing With The Stars and America Idol) threaten to replace Pastiche for good. The show is loosely based on characters from the John Lennon song, ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite,' which was written about a real carnival and its performers. So turn off the boob tube, temporarily cork up your wine bottles, and grab your footloose-and-fancy-free alter ego, and prepare to be Razzle Dazzled, as you sing your way through this and other loosely recognizable Broadway show tunes that are sure to make you sizzle and stick to your seat. Performances are set to take off at Calistoga’s Tucker Farm Center at 8PM on Friday and Sat (May 28-29) as well as a 3PM Sunday matinee on May 30th. So go on, shut down your BBQ for a couple hours and get your "wack" on for one night or more. Score some seats now before all the good ones get slurped up!

They came, they went, they CHEER!ed

2010-05-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

Frankly, I'm still recovering from all the spellbinding wine, food, and frolic that this month's CHEERS! St. Helena served up. And no, not from too much wine, I'm a professional. I was traveling. Read on for a full wrap-up of the good, bad, ugly, and evil (hint the latter 3 aren't really applicable).Lots of happening things to report. First, CHEERS! was full of frolic just as it was last year, but bigger! Or, as I will now reference the events from this day forward, CHEERS! Full Throttle! Am I dangerously close to sounding over-the-top? Great, I’m doing my job. Random bits of goodness that was uncorked. Gaggles of informal street music performing up and down Main St., in addition to the 3 headlining bands. Thank you CHEERS! for helping the town to rise to this acoustic occasion. We quite literally rocked from blues, to classical, and classics. Well done! Miner (who I lavished on about at the end of last year) poured what I like to call their "pink lady" wine, otherwise known as the Mendocino Rosado. The perfect "lady's lunching/bridal shower wine." Light, fruity, frilly. You feel fancy drinking it. I can't thank you enough Schramsberg, you can "blanc de blancs" me anytime you please. Don't just sit there! Play your seat, won't you? - Chris Vorland, took me up on the offer as he banged bongos and his wood crated seat (is this really a drum disguised as a milk crate?) while strumming a guitar, as he sat tucked in a corner of the always posh Martin Gallery. Between the music, swank decor, and the Orin Swift Prisoners wine that was flowing freely I was hard pressed to find a reason to escape that spot. But more adventures awaited. Varozza Vineyard's Petite Syrah, I hesitate to even get myself started on this wine, as I may never stop yammering on about it. Brevity is the new pink, so here I go: sturdy, zippy, cherry-berry delightful. This wine sings like a Sinatra song. Quintessa's 06 Faust Cab. Rich, robust, rockin. Speaking of rocking (an unexpected new theme for my posting) as I wind down my rantings for the moment. The Odd Fellows' after party bash showed us that St. Helena is not a sleepy wine town after all. When we put our minds to it we can host a shindig when we want to. I'm not sure how they got CRV (CA Rasta Vibes) to play all night long, but thank god they did, they rocked like only a big city band could. Rumor has it that the Odd Fellows might make this post-party thing a stable of the First Friday scene. So CHEERS! to all that showed up, slurped, poured, and opened up shop for one of the highlights of the season. Missed this months rendition? Get yourself together, you have one month to prepare for the next First Friday CHEERS! social. Until then keep your wacky ways about you.

Hop Aboard the Good Times Express – CHEERS!

2010-05-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Time is short and money tight, what better reason to celebrate! Leave the economic woes behind and enjoy where you are – smack dab in the middle of another season of sun, fun, and frolic. The bears have left their winter caves with the promise of a bright and bountiful spring and summer season – exactly what CHEERS! aims to deliver, if you’ll let them. I’ll be concise since there is lots to do before the good time express gets rolling at 6PM tonight, in and around the main drag of the town of St. Helena! Join the Wacky WineSense community as we hit the streets to enjoy wine from gaggles of your favorite local and generous vintners, stroll and shop until you drop, boggie and bop to local bands, learn to juggle and decide to believe in magic for just one night (magicians will be on hand to help you ‘get’ the trick). New in town? Make some friends. Townie local? Outstretch your social wings and introduce yourself to someone new. So sip, mingle, jingle, and jazz. Most of all, toast the town and the onset of another season and reason to CHEER! If your still swinging when CHEERS! rolls up their reindeer games at 9PM, hit the Odd Fellows POST-PARTYto extend your very good time.

Some ODD FELLOWs Keep the Good CHEERS! Flowing with a Post-Party!

2010-05-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

For the short attention spanners of the community – CHEERS! after-party this Friday. Read on to learn more! If you live in the Up Valley or threaten to keep up on it’s antics you should be aware that this Friday (May 7) marks the onset of another CHEERS! season of slip, slurp’in, and slid’in good times. If none of this sounds familiar it’s time to step out from under the rock you’ve been sleeping under in your fruitless attempt to ward off the wet season. More on the actual CHEERS! shindig later this week. For now, let’s cut to the “after” party high-jinx. If you’re like me, CHEERS! is so much of a good thing it leaves you yearning for more. Why should a good time have to end at 9PM when most tweens are allowed to stay up well past nine, shouldn’t we, as residents and visitors to St. Helena be allowed to stay up too? Hell Yes!

For those of you that are with me on these sentiments, the good fella’s of the St. Helena chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows are answering our call by keeping the good times rolling this Friday. The after-party kicks up its boots at 9PM, exactly when CHEERS! is rolling up its wine soaked carpet. Here is what ten of your hard or easy earned beans will buy ya:

Entrance to the hippest (my words not theirs, they're far too humble to boast) post-party in town (located in the exclusive and often times elusive Odd Fellows Lodge @ 1352 Main Street - entrance between I.Wolk and Martin galleries)
Live Music provided by CRV = boogieing and bopping until you drop
Fresh Mex plates from Villa Coronoa, beer, and more wine (all available for purchase)
Be a part of random acts of kindness - a portion of the proceeds from the event will go back to local communities in need
You’ll finally receive answers to your burning questions about what “gentleman’s” clubs like the Odd Fellows are really up to during their secretive meetings.

It’s a tell-all kind of night! So yell and tell everyone you know.

Vercelli – St. Helena’s Savory Sidekick

2010-04-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hailing from Manhattan where casual, affordable (yes, you heard me!) Italian food haunts are as plentiful as subway rats, you can imagine how shocked I was to find no such establishments (Italian, not rat-filled) in the Up Valley. When I would ask friends, foes and anybody that would listen, where such places were hidden I typically got back blank-faced stares in return. Or, I would be given a rundown of places that serve good homemade pasta (Cook!), and while I certainly love such places, I wanted a truly all-Italian experience – red checkered table cloths, Chiantis, and all! When left to my own devices I finally stumbled into Vercelli Ristorante Cafe on St. Helena’s main strip. I had lowered my expectations considerably since I hadn’t heard much about this joint, though I had walked by it countless times, rubbernecking on the outside looking in, and sometimes lingering around the outdoor cafe. The few tiny tables squished on the sidewalk had Manhattan written all over it. It was then that I decided to give it a taste-test drive. Outdoor, streetside dining is arguably the best way to eat and imbibe in the warm weather months. The ambience at Vercelli was everything I’d come to expect from my east coast dining counterparts. Inside, very cozy, Sinatra and his Rat Pack buzzing in the background, an Italian maitre d buzzing about, and the sweet scent of garlic overtaking the airwaves in the best possible way. The outside section of the restaurant is the closest I’ve come to experiencing true alfresco dining in these parts. If you don’t know what that means, now is your chance to live and learn. Because everything from the service (very friendly, attentive, lacking of all pretense) to the ambience was winning rave reviews, my cynical side expected the food to fall short. Note to self: the times they are changing baby! After a ravishingly good meal I decided to kick my cynicism to the curb, for good maybe. I fell in love, mad, fleeting, food love with the pillow pasta (gnocchi) in gorgonzola cream sauce. As a fellow Italian with a granny that made pitch perfect gnocchi, she also schooled me in all the ways that this type of pasta is done horribly wrong. I did my part over the years by tasting one too many of these “soggy” carb blobs posing as pasta, the type that give pillow pasta a bad name. I can honestly say that my dearly departed granny would give her stamp of approval on Vercelli’s version. They’ve perfected the perfect pillow in consistency, taste, and well, what else is there? The Cesar salad was also a winner. I was weeping by this point so it’s hard to pinpoint what made it so special other than the obvious, superb dressing, gaggles of fresh grated cheese and homemade gigantic croutons. Unfortunately I've started salivating and am at risk for destroying my already aging keyboard, so enough said. If you’ve been craving the perfect pasta in a low-key, casual, and arms wide open setting, do yourself a favor and drop in for some alfresco dining. If you’re lucky Juana will be your server, and serve she will, with a broad smile, all night long until she rolls you out the door in a food coma. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!

A “Swift” Kick You’ll Be Glad to Get

2010-04-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

It’s possible that you may tire of my cutesy plays on words, but I'm betting you’ll never tire of the wine behind my latest dalliance. Orwin Swift wines, one of them aptly named “Prisoner” are worthy of a jail break to score this juice. Lucky for you such drastic measures aren’t necessary unless that’s the only way you get your kicks. With one sip you’re led down a path packed with a bounty of cherries and berries that guarantees nothing short of a big fruit finish that lingers long after you’ve slurped your goblet bone dry. There’s something in this red wine beaut for just about everyone with an unbalanced blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, and a scant trace of Grenache. What does this mean to you the able-bodied wino? You’ve got nothing to whine about because this stuff will tickle your palate senseless. The Papillon Red, another delight, is a mingling of Cab, Cab Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec. I can’t be certain what you’ll experience when you suck down this wine, but for me, each sip made me feel like I was lying in bed smashed pleasantly between a mixed berry pie mattress and a comforter that smelled like the after affects of a night spent around a smoky, toasty campfire. I could lie nestled in this wine wonderland for days. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.75 Grapes!

Wine and Art Do the Dance at Eric Kent Cellars

2010-04-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

Some days (usually those dastardly rainy ones that I thought I escaped when I moved from the Big Apple) I feel like wine has lost its luster. One wine after another, one vine blurring into the next. And sure, it is the wine country, so what did I expect in moving here? Quite frankly-to be WOWED! Continuously. Luckily, rain or shine, there are still spellbinders out there begging to keep my WOW ways alive. Gray weather blues were cured, with just one sip of Eric Kent wine. He was an ad man back in the day, much like myself and that delish Don Drapper on Mad Men, but he, like me had the good sense to leave advertising behind for a far sexier and satisfying sport – winemaking! (I just drink it, he makes it). Not wanting to leave creativity trailing in the dust, him and his other half Coleen have gone on to make it their mission to display works of art on each and every bottle of the wine. So not only was I knocked out of my wine swilling socks because of the grape stuff, but also because of the arty labels swathed across each bottle (each vintage featuring a different artist). Every tasting I go to there are stand outs and fall short-ers. In the case of Kent’s wine, no such bad luck. Every drop I downed was just as dandy as the next. I even, shock to my own horror, liked their Russian River 2008 pinot. If you follow my ramblings regularly you understand the magnitude of me asking for seconds of this wine. It was light, zippy, spicy and flavorful. The 08 Chardonnay was equally alluring with its delectable and decadent pineapple tendencies. Just when I thought I could be wowed no more, I was. Kalen's Big Boy Blend Syrah was just that, a big, beefy mouthful of a wine. Or so I thought until I tasted my favorite of the night, the 2008 Dry Stack Syrah. Everything I dream about in a wine became my reality with this one. Juicy, deep on flavor and finish, sturdy and reliably delicious, sip after sip. Ok one more S, it was downright succulent. Made me want to dance all night long and I don’t even like to boogie unless I am forced to at a bachelorette party. I have sung one too many songs by now on these wines and the art that adorns them, so hip hop your way to the web, and taste for yourself. You too will be busting some moves soon enough. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes

Duckhorn - Beyond Ducky!

2010-04-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

As toddlers easily entranced by heated games of duck duck goose, we yearned to be “goose” and cringed when we were just a “duck.” Luckily, we all grow up, and life gets better by the second, or at least that’s what we strive for. Whether your luck, your birthright, or your laurels brought you to the wine country, you’re in a land where “duck” is one of the best tags you can score. Duckhorn’s wine is as ducky in taste as the property is divine. A place where quacks could easily linger along a peaceful pond, and while as of this moment the only ducks you’ll see are on the wine bottles, don’t let that discourage you from enjoying all the happenings at this tranquil yet happening spot. The tasting room provides a great view inside (think chic bustling café) as well as outside on the deck. And while all of that is ducky (last reference, promise) the wine is what rules this coop. This is heady, heady stuff, folks. Every damn drop of every darn wine I slurped caused me to god bless America that I live in such a wondrous land. The Sauvignon Blanc, light and loose on my tongue with a flavorful punch. Perfect for lulling in the springtime sun. The Merlot – berry bomb, one attack you actually wish for. The Howell Mountain Red, a delicious concoction of all your favorites: cab, merlot, cab franc, and petite verdot. This vino brought me to a blissful state akin to childhood days of dancing down the driveway to the Mr. Tastee Freeze truck to score a fruity cherry pop during the dog days of summer in New York. My favorite, though all the others are uber high on my “must have” list, is the 2006 Cabernet. Splish-splash I was taking a fruit-filled bath! Deep on taste, rich finish and long legs, if you care about that sort of thing. In a word – downright ducky! Sorry, promises are meant to be broken when the cause warrants it. So get on out there and check out what all the quacking is about. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.9 Grapes!

You Need Not Know the Pope to Slurp This Vino!

2010-03-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Sure it’s called Pope Valley Winery, but this hometown wine haunt is not restricted to those visiting the Vatican. In fact these wines and this property are down right accessible and friendly too, with a mere haul up the hill. Pooches and people are welcome here and if you’ve always wanted to hone your Bocce skills this is your chance to sip some tasty wine as you scoot balls on the court. I suggest you pack up your pup and a picnic and make a day of it. Lots of enjoyable wines here and no tasting fees apply. I can’t remember the last time I said that. Maybe a decade ago when our valley was a simpler varietal. I was jazzed up about the 2006 Chenin Blanc, of all things, not my normal pick, but pleasantly surprised. Smooth, slick, and fruity with scant traces of nutmeg and pineapple. Delightful! The 2006 Eakle Ranch Sangiovese was a dandy doozey. Smokey-toasty, light and flavorful. This has BBQ written all over it, just in time for spring. They always seem to be serving up some type of festival or outdoor bonanza to make your wine all the more sweet. So skip church (sorry Mom!) and settle in with this Pope instead, and prepare to enjoy some guiltless pleasures. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Skipping for Skewis

2010-03-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

I will digress again to a county other than our own, because as I mentioned in last week’s post, there are many scrumptious wines over the hill that are worthy of your attention, not to mention the killer views that are bursting all over the place, equally rivaling our own. If you’ve been following me all these months since my arrival to Napa last summer, you know that I have never hopped aboard the Pinot-by-way-of-Sideways-the-movie bandwagon, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the movie (don’t kill me townie locals!). In my droves of postings I have only written about a pinot one other time, than today. Reason being, pinots never seem to make my palate percolate, but like a diligent pupil I keep on trying. I have a very simple pinot litmus test. Upon slurping, does the pinot remind my of the cough syrups of my youth. If so, I drink no further. This is another example of my low brow approach to wine, but it works for me. Usually, every swig of pinot garners my “icky” face and I move happily onto Cabernet or Petite Syrah. But the friendly folks at Skewis, who were pouring at Acme Fine Wines caused my lips not to curl, and instead dance with delight. Striking news! Not one of their pinots caused the “icky” face (yay!). Instead, I cornered a new look, my tickled pinot face. My favorite was the Peters Vineyard. It was light and zingy on my tongue with a rich and fruity finish. Despite all the plum and blueberry tendencies bashing around in my mouth (super yum) this baby was nothing but smooth sliding down my wine tube. Get your fix quick because this is small lot production stuff. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.4 Grapes!

White Oak Winery – a reason to get off your hump and cross the county line

2010-03-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have to say, after almost a year of living in the Napa Valley, I don’t get the unspoken and sometimes over-spoken rivalry between Napa and Sonoma. All wines from either of these regions are bounce-off-the-walls delightful, so can’t we just all get along? If Berlin can drop their walls, I think we, as wine country inhabitants, can drop our attitudes about the “other” valley. If you still want to hold on to your grudge out of principal then fine, blame your sojourn to the “other side” on the blossoming trees and mustard that are going on all over Alexander and Knights Valley. Their sights are quite different than what we’ve got going on our side of the hump. Just like the wines, both are dandy in their own right and worthwhile of seeing and experiencing on many levels. Wine aside the 5+ mile long tree tunnel that you will coast through as you approach those valleys is almost as remarkable as Washington DC’s cherry blossoms. So grab your bike or buggy, and a buddy and see what all the fuss is about. I’m done ranting, on to the wine! One of the nice things about White Oak’s neck of the woods is the expansive feel of the land there. Farm country abounding. So when you belly up to the tasting bar, you could just as easily be in a tasting room in Tuscany, in your own little wine world. They have an amazing outdoor setting for casual picnicking, racks for your bikes, and a total "room with a view" inside of the tasting room. As you sip your slurp-worthy delights you can gaze out the gi-normous picture window behind the wine-barista. Cari-Anne my faithful wine dog companion was right at home nuzzling up to winery patrons outside as I imbibed indoors. It’s no secret that I love my hound, but I fell in love with a species of a different varietal on this tasting day. The 2008 Russian River Chardonnay was a scent like no other with a taste to match. Some of the sweet-tart tendencies of apples blended with a smooth wallop of pear - yum, yum. Zingy and smooth, all in one swig. The 2007 Alexander Valley Zinfandel rocked my wine world. If I had to sum it up in one low-brow word I would say “toasty!” If I had more words I would say: toasty, toasty, brown sugar roasty. Light on the tongue yet beyond robust in taste. I wanted to slip-slide-away with a bottle of my very own. When I thought it couldn’t get any better I was poured a taste of the 2005 Alexander Valley Reserve. A dandy desert type of wine, without all the obnoxiously overly sugared hype. It was sweet like candy and caramel corn (that’s what it conjured for me) but smooth and highly drinkable like only a good wine can be. So if you want a light desert style wine this one is a beaut. Well, that’s all, wine folks. For me, I ended the day biking back to where I came from, with a great appreciation for the “other” side of the wine tracks. We are all lucky to be living here in our collective wine country. Whether you’re from the Napa side or the Sonoma side, nobody can argue that we make some of the best wines in the world and we get to enjoy them in one of the most beautiful spots around, so get out there and enjoy all the vino that is just a hop, skip and a scoot away. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 grapes!

Reeling Over Relic

2010-03-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

Yes I love red wine. So, I’ve said it, again. And again. When I grow tired of speaking it, I just smile. More times than not the evidence is written all over my grape-stained teeth. I may not be a proud woman but I’m an honest one. I’ll use this next moment to share some more of my honesty around red wine. While the word Relic can conjure images of craggy old cobwebs and dirt, and stinky old people, the name now conjures something so much sexier ever since I got the chance to slurp some of Relic’s wine. My personal favorite is the Artefact. You can start to see trend with naming conventions but don’t let that sway your wine swilling ways. This hot little Cab, Petite Verdot, Syrah blend is a dandy one. It is stacked in flavor, berry and licorice among them, and it’s downright chewy. I was tempted to slam it down in one, not-so-smooth swig, but I was surrounded by other, more polite wine swillers, so I resisted the urge and sipped and then savored it. So dust off those dated memories around relics and revel in some of these wines. You’ll be glad you did. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.6 Grapes!

Brussels Sprouts Aren’t Just for Babies!

2010-03-05T10:16:00.000-08:00

I’ve always been a broccoli and green beans kind of gal, but as time passes the more whimsical I find myself. As such I started dabbling with sprouts. Alfalfa, Brussels, more Brussels. Damn those things are tasty boiled up in the comforts of my own home, where nobody would mock me for eating such an unglamorous veggie. Then as I frolicked about town, trying to be the taste of my town I noticed an odd movement in the restaurant world. One that involved (gasp!) Brussels sprouts. These went well beyond your average bake and boil varieties that I had been toying with. These were sexy and saucy sprouts. Buttery and basking in bacon in some instances. I am no longer a closeted sprout fan. I figure if they’re a semi-regular menu offering at such St. Helena culinary hot spots like Cook and Press I am safe to admit my addiction and I suggest you do the same. While you can find these delightful mini-heads of lettuce looking vegetables all over, these two varieties are my favorites. Cook is in the number one position with Press coming in as a close second. I don’t know what the heck they are actually doing in the kitchen with this stuff, I just pray it’s legal. Here’s what I taste. Cook’s variety: sliced and sautéed in butter and lots of garlic, then grilled in some type of contraption so that they are lightly crisp and toasty on the outside while not being mushy or overdone on the inside. Surely there are other spices and secrets rolling around in there, but I get so lost in the explosion in my mouth I loose my train of thought while eating. Press’s variety: almost as equally buttery, toasty brown, though not crisp like Cook’s. There are big chunks of bacon (sans all the fat, heavy on the pork) laced within, likely scored fresh off the bacon bar. I will tangent for a moment. I never thought I would live somewhere that ups the standard oyster and cheese bar ante for something like a bar full of piggy delights, who knew! Anyhow, either place you sample this oft overlooked veggie you’re in for a treat. I suggest you shovel some gushy spouts in the toddlers' mouths and get out there and score some of your own. Wacky WineSense Ratings: Cook: 4.9, Press: 4.7

Sparkling red need not be relegated to Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers

2010-03-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Sure, all that glitters is gold (at least that’s what us gals hope to be true), and sparkling is for diamonds, 4th of July sparklers and the American’s version of champagne. I love all of the above and especially when they happen all in one sitting on a very good night. Keeping this in mind you can see how ecstatic one might get when confronted with the prospect of being tickled red (we’re talking about wine here) instead of white or rose. Luckily that's exactly what happened when I slid into Mumm Napa to celebrate a birthday that will remain numberless. I was enchanted by the view which was a given, as I sat perched on café style tables ensconced in sun and mustard. If only they served appetizers and chocolates with my bubbly I might have camped out all weekend long at this spot. But there were many notches on my tasting trail to be checked off so I kept my visit brief and got right down to business. I loved, loved, loved all things Cuvee M – especially the Cuvee M Red. It was sparkling and red and not soda which in and of itself was remarkable. But that’s nothing compared to the taste. A jammy explosion of decadent cherry-cranberry fruit flavors with an ever so sweet tendency. This is the kind of wake up call I love to answer. My snoozing taste buds were awoken with this baby. The regular shaded variety of Cuvee M was also a delight. Creamy and dreamy. Sweet without being too sweet if that makes any sense at all. If it doesn’t it just trust me or truck your way to Mumm and taste for yourself. I’m pretty certain you won’t be disappointed regardless of which bubbly you decide to slurp down. I left feeling utterly giddy with my last taste of the DVX 2000. Creamy finish, browned toast scent and a delicious toasted marshmallow figgy essence lingered on my mouth at the end of my very pleasing and all too short taste of this bubbly. Mumms need not be the word when it comes to the sparkling wines at this joint. Blab all you like, that’s what I plan to do. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes

Riding the Rubicon Wave

2010-02-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

While the winery name has long since changed (from Niebaum-Coppola) and Godfather memorabilia has vacated the premises, one thing hasn’t changed – the wine. Still good, reliable, tasty pours to be had at Rubicon Estate. And while I was as sad as anyone to see all signs of Francis leave the building, his legacy of winemaking still lingers large. Just don’t come here looking for signs of Hollywood because they have all but been relocated to a more Northern zip code at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. But fear not wine-horts. The grounds are still gorgeous if not more sparse than you might remember, and a lot of the rubber neckers that use to linger large on the property hoping to get a glimpse of the filmmaking icon have stopped lurking, leaving a more serene experience behind. But onto the vino, there are many to mention but I am going to focus on one of my favorites – the 2006 Cab Franc. For some reason just typing its name makes me all heady and tingly. Old world charm, new school buzz. That’s what came to mind as I sucked this savory delight down. A fruity plush cherry-berry mouthful with a bang. And I would be remise to not mention the hint of spice that bounced off the walls of my wine goblet, all of which caused me to remember one too many nights of sucking down fine red wine during my Godfather 1,2,3 day/night long showings. Some memories are hard to forget and maybe that’s how it’s meant to be. So enjoy this wine amidst the comfort of your own home and boob tube or any which way you like it. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!

Franciscan - Flipping the Wine Lid

2010-02-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

A fabulous lotus-like fountain greets you as you enter the grounds of the Franciscan's welcoming wine spot. The layout offers many nooks and crannies to get lulled into, from the main tasting room that’s anchored by a-frame ceilings and a roaring fire place, to the more studious wine library (great for group tastings and special events). I immediately found myself drawn to one of the cozy outdoor cabanas where you can linger a little or a lot as you soak up the scenery and sip fine wine. Book this baby up if you have a hen party or male bonding extravaganza on the horizon. In doing so you'll be able to sip like an elitist at a red velet rope club, but better. You're nestled in the wine country with real friends, what could be better? Well the damn fine wine for starters. I was feeling whirly and whimsical so I made it a white wine affair (though there is much red to choose from too). The Cuvee Sauvage won my aching heart, instantly. It was a pear, apple, honey extravaganza. balancing both light and savory tendencies. It slip-slided right down my wine tube with glee. Yum, yum, yum. The Sav Blanc was a sheer delight too. A limey-lemony-melon moondance of a vino that caused me to bust a move right out to my very own wine cabana. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Pineapples Are Flying Like Pigs - But Tasting Dreamy

2010-02-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Admittedly when I decided to visit the famous Tedeschi Vineyard, otherwise known as Maui's winery, I was wary, and downright snotty. I expected to be grossed out by cheap, overly sweet pineapple wine. I was expecting something along the quality lines of my Mad Dog wine era in college. I was caught with my bikini down, and quite pleasantly surprised to suck down the Hula O' Maui Sparkling wine. The hula girl on the bottle just confirmed it would be nothing more than wine fluff stuff. I had to slurp down more wine just to be certain, then I had to eat my words because the bubbly was downright delish. Light, tingly, refreshing, not too dry, not too sweet with the ever-so-slight essence of pineapple. I have to ask myself why we can be so judgemental (ok me!) about wines from other parts of the globe. Writing them off as nothing more than frilly counterparts. Thankfully this wine woke up my tastebuds and opened up my mind to a world of wine beyond our own Napa Valley. The Mele Syrah was not too shabby either. It woke up my dozy island tongue on an early morning wine call right before I hiked up Maui's famed crater. Both were spellbinding in their own way. So if you happen to find yourself traveling, or you feel like letting your fingers do some walking to the web, check out the Hula Sparkling wine. It'll change your mind about wines that are mined from prickly fruits that have been relegated to Pina Coladas, which in case your wondering, are also quite dandy here, along with the honus (Hawaiian Sea Turtle). Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.3 Pineapple Grapes!

Frank Family Brings a Bit of La La to our Land

2010-01-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

While the Franks hail from Hollywood, their Calistoga winery leaves the pretense of Tinsel Town behind. I get tingly just thinking about it and all their juicy, sparkling wine. I was so giddy I forgot to take diligent notes, but what I do know is the wine flight I tasted (many sparkling and flat) sent me rolling into the rooms of the winery with glee. You'll feel right at home with this casual and jovial crowd. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy the grounds as you watch the world (some still on LA time) buzz right on by. Sip at the fizzy bar or at one of three other tasting areas. Traces of Hollywood still linger with celeb photos and art painting the walls. Even though this is not encouraged I tinkered around with some super cool old school filmmaking memorabilia that's tucked about. It and the experience with the Franks was a real hoot! Hit them on a Friday afternoon and fun is sure to follow. Wacky WineSense rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Celani – a family that keeps on giving on!

2010-01-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

I’ve inadvertently started my year off with a bang. Thankfully Acme Fine Wines has resumed their Fab Fridays, where they invite a different winery each week to pour as we, the visitors get to taste freely from 5-7PM. That was the first good thing of 2010, the second was the Celani Family that served as guest host. I gulped down everything that they were pouring, and still couldn’t get enough though they were quite freely pouring, even the 2005 Adore Cab that costs some pretty pennies ($195/bottle). Let me start here. This wine was so damn fine. And yes I vowed to stop cursing in print as a New Year's resolution, but those damn things are made to be broken! This vino was so damn rich with fruit, light in tannis and ripe with a big walloping finish. I could not get enough of it. The 2007 Tenacious was just as nifty. Still big, bold, and bodacious, my kind of wine, my kind of man! So make a date with these peeps if you yearn to be wine-wowed down to the last drop you slurp. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.9 Grapes!

The year in wine, food, and frolic

2009-12-31T18:48:00.000-08:00

Favorite wines….I once stated that Venge wines are Vi-vi-licious, and I stand by my words and then some. These folks make some damn fine wine. If my word isn’t good enough for you, if you must, then at least trust Robert Parker. He and I apparently see eye to eye on this one, especially when it comes to the Family Reserve Cab (a big winner of our blind wine tasting). Not sure which to try? Try and buy them all as I for one can’t begin to pick a favorite because they are all so damn slurp-worthy. Good news is coming to a town near year as 2010 breaks ground on the Venge’s Calistoga winery. Cavus, the 2004 and 2005 Cab. This wine was so hefty, heady and downright delicious they had to peel me off the walls of the tasting room of Acme Fine Wines (a great spot for Friday happy wine hour, pouring new vineyards each week). These folks enjoy a wineward way of life and it shows with each and every sip of their wine that you slurp. There is a god in Zinfandel heaven and his/her name is Chase Vineyards. Their Zins are as good as they get as is their home town hospitality. The fact that they throw a damn good party (July Fest, harvest and beyond) is just icing on top of an already death-defying cake. Best event of the season, this should come as no surprise – CHEERS! St. Helena. I have sung their praises so many times I am making myself sick, but I’ll do it again because good deeds should go noticed. Each and every first Friday of the season (May-Oct) these folks topped themselves time and time again by bringing together the community, entertaining the visitors, and giving just about everybody a reason to celebrate, what with all the wine (60+vineyards), street food, bang up bands and so much more. I can’t wait to get me some more of this action come spring time. Best restaurant desert – Jolie’s coconut cream pie. Dark chocolate, twirled with caramel, fresh vanilla cream, hand shaved coconut, and crust created with care make this desert a weekly staple. Best side dish – Press’s truffle macaroni and cheese, paired with the creamed spinach. This mac n cheese melts in your mouth all night long, cooked to perfection and coated in only the finest cheese. To die for, and well worth it to score this savory delight. Best cookie in the Valley, Annie the Baker’s peanut butter drop cookie. It made me cry on my first weekend in Napa, and every time I have the pleasure of sucking down one of these blissfully decadent delights I slobber all over myself. More “best ofs” to follow, I need to give my fingers a break. But get busying on the list so far if you missed out on any or all of the above. I dare anybody to top this stuff in 2010, go ahead, make my year!

James Cole - Wine that Rocks and Rolls

2009-12-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

If you hail from the house of classic rock you'll feel right at home with the folks at James Cole as you jam with this mighty fine wine. They’re known for making 100% petite verdots and Malbecs. You’ll also be enthralled by the sights which include signed guitars and music videos playing on the walls of the barrel room on a lucky day. The cabernet is the “bomb” busting with throaty hefty flavors that will make you scream right along with the rocking tunes. If my wine word is not good enough to sway you, maybe Mick Jagger’s will be. Him and his Rolling Stone mates loved this juice so much they commissioned the winery to make up a special brew just for them. It is just that good. The ice wine just about put me over the edge, in a very good way. So break out your toothbrush/air mic, slide on your skin-tight flared pant rocker uni-tard and prepare to, “get what you need.” Trust me, you need to get some of this. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!

Jumpin for Joey Phelps Wines

2009-12-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, perhaps Joey is too informal for this classy winery and its oh so heavenly wines. I have been a bad girl these past few weeks, since it has been way too long in between blog posts. Hopefully Santa is not watching, it’s the holiday season, and this scribe is behind on just about everything, so forgive me I have “zinned” onto the wine! I can’t say enough about this vino, so I will settle by saying a few very short and sweet things. I could draft a very long holiday list for these guys, because their wines have been very good to me, take note St. Nick. I can’t list everything so boiling it down like only I can never seem to do (New Years resolution, type less, say more!)... Insigna – the flagship Bordeaux blend instantly lulled me back to my fine days in France where I romped about the wine country on a scooter thinking I had died and gone to an Irish Catholic’s heaven (where wine bottles dance in the background). This hefty red was nothing short of a religious experience for me, but oh so much better than church. Robust in all the right places and smooth in the others, a mouthful that I never wanted to end. I buttoned up my gluttonous wine tasting experience with the Eisrebe, a vivid, lush, pineapple bomb of a desert wine, though not nearly as sweet as you would expect which was why it was so damn refreshing. I literally slurped the entire glass down and licked the inside of my glass. It was one of the best unexpected presents of my wine season. Let the reindeer games never end! Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 grapes for both!

Miner’in for Wine? Look No Further

2009-12-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

I love when I cry tears of joy. Preferably when it is about good food, wine and let us never forget frolic. My latest sobfest came with a jaunt to Miner Family Vineyards. From the moment I stepped foot into their love cove (they were more than happy to welcome me in the door and into their wine family, after a not-so-friendly step into a winery that will remain nameless, hint: Tre—then, a welcome surprise) I knew I had discovered sweet greatness. Sweet in several senses – first hospitality, one of the most jovial crowds and tasting personell (especially head tastemaster Steve Gage) I’ve ever had the good fortune of stumbling into. You would be surprised that in the ever-vast landscape of tasting rooms, dubbed the “hospitality industry,” how all too often I am greeted with anything but. All the more sweet for those wineries that have never lost sight of the basics–pouring fine wine with a smile. After a long, soggy-wet, not totally fun day spent on the tasting trail I have renewed hope for the industry. The next sweet deal was the vibe at this jumpin joint. All I can surmise is that people, just like me, were so damn happy to be treated to fine slurpin wine in a warm and hospitable enviroment that all they could do was bop & hop. The last sweet sensation was the wine. Not a bad taste in the whole lot. I loved them all, fruit forward, and financially affordable. What a smacking good combo! Proving that there is good wine out there that you don’t have to spend a fistful in order to enjoy. The Viognier – splashing and smashing, its light and fruity sensation made me dance. The Chard, not my favorite style wine but this one was downright delectable, a great balance of exactly what I want, more fruity than buttery. The Sangiovese, oft messed up and not given its rightful place in the wine bunch, these folks mined a good one. Light and fruity yet substantial in taste. And the grand daddy of them all (price tag jumps up here) The Oracle. Each year they pick the best grapes of the litter to form this ever-changing Bordeaux blend. Hefty yet smooth, classic tendencies while showing off some distinctly different flare. So, check your ties, nametags and snobby pretense at the door and slide into this sweet little grape of a winery. Then, sit back and enjoy the vino and the company, in the comforts of what feels like the perfect non-dysfunctional familial home that we all strive for (ok me). Wacky WineSense Rating: wine and hospitality 5 Grapes!!!

Groth – Gaggles of Great Wine!

2009-12-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

The name, Groth, threw me at first. Doesn’t slide off the tongue or sound the least bit sexy, but none of that actually matters as you slurp down this stuff. As I inhaled the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc I got over myself and my silly sex and name hang-ups because this lush-fruity-affair of a wine was dandy. Delicious and equally charming with its floral tendencies. I can’t be certain but I looked sexier having consumed this beverage, good wine does that to a gal. Moving on to the other side of the grape vine, I fell, knees to the floor, for the 2006 Reserve Cab. I was embarrassed at first being in a skirt and all, but I got over myself again because I was blown back upright with one swig of this divine wine. This baby is a gentle beast of a wine that is equally slick as it is smooth. It is at once robust and demure with its heady fruit flavors and rich finish. I never wanted the slurpin to stop, but I had to be cut off, as this baby ain’t a cheap date, but I tell you, it is worth every bit of its price tag. I bought this as a lovely gift for an even lovelier friend, but then I decided to keep it for myself, as I wanted to feel lovely all year long, which I do, every time I slurp down this wine. Please, somebody, buy me a trough of this Groth! Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes

Terra Valentine Forever Has My Heart

2009-12-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to squeak into 2009's last CHEERS to Taste (the hospitality arm behind CHEERS St. Helena) function at Terra Valentine. These folks get the meaning behind "the season of giving." They gave all night long, starting with a sparkling moonlight view of the valley below and continuing by hosting a bounty of cheer-givers including (all served up gourmet edibles) Go Fish, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, Martini House, Meadowood and private chef Christopher Greenwald, of Bay Laurel Culinary, as well as the sweet and soulful sounds of former CHEERS! cohort, Doug Streblow, but it was the wine itself that was the most sparkly star of all. There is so much to comment on, but I must widdle it down to a few of my favorites. I almost lost track, there were so many vinos to choose from. It was borderline confusing and most definitely enthralling as they poured wine all over the place and out of a bounty of nooks and crannies through the maze of a winery, which only added to the fun. The 2008 Russian River Viognier was light and fruity yet oh so satisfying, a sweet opening to an otherwise heady night. There was the 2007 Amore, Sangiovese, a super Tuscan style wine that I loved almost as much as the town itself. This darling was as divine as it was deep, a welcome surprise. Fruity and slick on the finish with an ever so slight trace of spice. I could go on forever but I’m running low on time so I will close with my passion for the 2006 Wurtele Single-Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, while it is single vineyard, this wine will never be lonely, not with the deep cheery fruit tendencies and smooth yet bold finish. Who needs men when you can drink a wine like this? This winery is one Valentine worth celebrating, day after day, year after year. So get your butt up Spring Mountain for the sole pleasure of the damn fine wine and equally awesome view. Terra Valentine, won’t you please, please, please be my Valentine this year? Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes!

Proud to Be Picky About My Pizza

2009-12-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

While I cringe at the thought of being called a wine snob (not very likely since I so often talk about slurping wine), I am not at all bashful about labeling myself a pizza snob and with good reason. Nothing against the West Coast, this coastline is arguably much prettier than the nameless coast that I grew up on (east – keep this hush) but when it comes to pizza pie this side of the country could stand to learn a thing or two from the Right coast. I don’t have time to get into a pizza smack down with everyone, but one of my assignments as a food columnist in New York City was to troll the streets of the city for an entire year looking for the best slice in town, so as far as credibility, I know of what I type/speak. I have been pretty unimpressed as far as slices go, especially in Southern California, none down there are really worth mentioning, though I do remain ever-hopeful. As far Napa goes, I’ve mentioned numerous times that the food here rules! I kept my nose held high and snobby for just a few short weeks when I moved here, trying to scrounge up some good pizza, until I tumbled into Pizzeria Tra Vigne. It doesn’t really count as NYC style pizza, not much does, but TV’s is a variety all its own, a damn good one. Knowing that I’m quite biased when it comes to traditional standards like cheese and pepperoni pizza, I went in a different tasting direction and tried the Vespa. Let’s start with the crust, as that is at the heart of any good pizza. This one is doughy, dense and crisp, all essential qualities. I can’t tell you how many soggy crusts I have sunk into, it is embarrassing for everyone involved, and downright disturbing when you are the taster. Note to all pizza makers - when the crust is floppy you can’t call it crust and you most certainly can't call it pizza! Period. So, thank you Tra Vigne for getting the consistency balance right, no easy feat. As far stacking a flavor punch, you get an A in that department too. Fancy and flip topping combos are oft over done and downright stupid most of the time, but not the case here. The Vespa’s chicken apple sausage, smoked mozzarella, oven roasted onions and spinach concoction is a dandy one. A delectable mix that’s fresh, flavorful and admittedly just a tad fabulous. The cheese-to-sauce-to-toppings ratio is right on the mark. There is a secret nameless ingredient that makes this pie dance down my throat, to me it tastes like nutmeg or cinnamon or a bit of both, but it brings the pie all together. Thankfully, this pizza has tided me over, week after week, and month after month, until I finally make my way back home to good ole NYC. Until then, keep up the good work TV, this gal’s pizza palate is hard to please and right now, I am very, very, pleased. If anybody out there in the blogsphere knows of a pizza pie that you deem worthy of a taste, please email me ASAP. I challenge you to find one that will make me cry tears of food joy. This is one smack down that I would kill to be a part of. May all the good pizzas in town rise to my occasion and attention. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!

Blind Wine Tastings Rule!

2009-11-30T17:21:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year I decided to “trade up” on my typical Turkey Day pastimes. It’s the wine country. There is more to life than football in these parts – namely wine! I would like to claim that I came up with the brilliant idea of holding a blind wine tasting but the credit belongs to an up-and-comer of CIA’s culinary program - give this kid A+ for overachiever! Each guest at the orphans/out of towners Thanksgiving Dinner that I attended was instructed to bring one bottle of 2006 Cabernet in addition to a soggy green bean crunch casserole type side dish. Buying wine as a new resident of the Napa Valley is a stressful affair because I’m forever out of my own league. After one too many hours spent trolling the aisle of BevMo and Trader Joes I gave up and opted for a brand name that I was familiar with – Rodney Strong. I thought I would impress and annoy people by bringing a wine from the Alexander Valley. Napa people don’t seem to drink or talk too much about “the other” valleys that make up the “wine country.” I hoped the ensuing controversy would cloud my ineptness. When I arrived at the party, while most clacked away in the kitchen the two ringleaders of our blind wine tasting were hard at work collecting the Cabs, plastering them with tin foil to hide the obvious details, logging wine name, region, and price and finally tagging each bottle with an identifying number. We had eight wines in total with eight people tasting (2 wusses remained nameless when it came time to tally the votes). When all the evidence was hidden the wines were placed on the dinner table, ready to be tasted before we dove into our bird. Up until this point I was dining with an admittedly cordial and friendly crowd. Twenty minutes into our taste test tensions began to rise. While I expected to learn something about wine I did not expect to learn unsightly things about human nature, which is exactly what I soon got. The more that we tasted the more vocal people became. Booze does that to people I guess. We were each given simple wine ballots with a numbered list to write notes next to each wine bottle contestant and to ultimately rank our top 3 favorite wines in order of preference. Some were more reserved with their comments “good nose, nice balance, yummy…” others not so much “thin, no good, 2 Buck Chuck, light weight pansy wine, yuck!, sucks!” Ours was not a diplomatic crowd. As the heckling began things got even more interesting. The dainty soon talked trash and the boisterous got demur when some surprising trends started to unfold. As a mildly objective by-stander I made it my business to observe human behavior. I took notice of the following facts. People were wildly polarized in their passion about their favorite and least favorite wines. There was also unity amongst two wines that almost everybody agreed on, as stellar and tasty (my translation not their words). Then, as far as all the other wines in between, people had vastly differing opinions about what they liked and disliked. Not to speak in clichés but one person’s passion was another’s poison. That is where the heckling high-jinx started to unravel further. One of the wines that I was waving my fork at with glee was being poo-pooed by several of my neighbors and a wine or two that others thought were “rank” and disgusting” (their words, not mine) someone else thought was “divine.” People bordered on belligerence when someone suggested ripping off the foil that hid the bottles true identity prior to everybody finishing their taste testing. I can’t be a hundred percent certain, but I am about 99.9% sure that some flicked forks, others flung food and certain people had to pin down other people when they threatened to taint the results too soon. I also noticed that some of the less boisterous of our bunch seemed to get swayed over time by the opinions of others, some sort of twisted drunken peer pressure that caused people to back down from their wine choices when friends balked, while others hopped on a wine’s bandwagon when folks waxed on about their preferences. OK, I guess I have dragged out the suspense for too long by this point so wait no more. For obvious reasons I will not get into specifics about the wines that were not in the top 3, because, well I value my life. What I will tell you, is that you would be surprised to learn what wines were dubbed “rank” among many other randy references and how expensive those wines were (upwards of $99). I will note that price points ranged from $3.99-$125.00.

Here are the vinos that ran off with top honors of the night:
#1 – Rodney Strong’s Alexander Valley 2006 Cab $25.00 (yes Virginia there is a Wine Clause)
#2 – 3 – there was a tie for second and third favorite:
Venge Vineyards 2006 Family Reserve $125.00 & Mica’s 2006 Cab $60.00

Other brands that were in the running included Bennett Lane, Rare Earth, Reverie, Rockbrock and Sbragia. And you cynics in the crowd, in case you’re wondering, I had nothing to do with the voting I’m just reporting on it.

For me, the most remarkable result of all, the one that should be your key take away from this ranting and rambling story, is this. Wine is very much a personal game and even more of a personal preference. When we are not biased by the media, our neighbors and even our birth right, something remarkable happens. People simply drink and enjoy wine the way it was meant to be – one sip at a time, for the sheer pleasure and joy of it. In all the hubbub here in the Valley it seems that we all too quickly forget that wine was meant to be one of the simple pleasures in an otherwise complicated world. Just like people, no two wines are created equally nor do they hold the same meaning for anyone, other than yourself. So stop reading all the wine mags, shut the lip of that needling neighbor of yours, knock your mate out of your ear and listen to the only voice of reason that matters – yourself. You’re the one drinking it so, so slurp whatever you damn well please and enjoy it!

And in closing (finally!) I will admit it here first. Apparently, I am a cheap date. One of my top three wines was rock bottom on the price and popularity scale. I blushed for only a moment when I learned of the results, and then I reminded myself of something important. I moved to the wine country to get rid of all the “woulds and shoulds” of my world in favor of living my own version of the American Dream, one which includes drinking the wines of my own choosing.

Heart attack inducing food that is worth the risk – Press’s Truffle Mac’n Cheese

2009-11-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

Sure, aside from all the wine I slurp, I usually strive to keep my diet heart healthy, at least on the weekdays. But by the week’s end I grant myself permission to give into my vein clogging food tendencies. A girl has gotta have some fun, especially when we’re talking about the heart pounding side dish delights at St. Helena’s Press. Comfort food never felt more sexy than at this joint. I’m not sure if it is the angular glass vaulted ceilings, the sleek outdoor fireside patio or merely the heart pounding food that ignites my engine, but it doesn't really matter, it’s all good. I have sampled mac’n cheese up and down this coastline, across the country, and from Manhattan to the Florida panhandle. Not many are worth their weight in raw cheese poundage, but as far as mac-y cheese attacks waiting to happen in the Napa Valley, Press’s takes home the prize. Their truffle mac side dish isn’t fooling anybody, it eats like a meal, a big, fat, gourmet gooey cheesy one. I’m not sure what else they slip into this dish but I don’t much care. This mac sings its way all the way down my food tube. While rich in taste and texture it isn’t overpowering, quite the opposite – obnoxiously satisfying when eaten as I recommend, in its entirety, in one sitting. Since I’m jolting my heart already I take advantage of the situation by sucking down the creamed spinach too. Equally dizzying and rich, but healthy, as only a vitamin chocked cream soaked veggie can be. I prefer to belly up to the bar for my relaxing feast, ordering a great glass of vino to coat my stomach and accompany this veg-friendly culinary duo. It is a match made in food heaven, one that is so damn good, it’s worth the heart clogging risk. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes!

Forget Pie-in-the Sky at JoLe – their pie is knocking on heaven’s gates

2009-11-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Exemplary deserts on the California Coast are a lot harder to find than one might think. I hate to be a NYC snob, but until recently I had been hard-pressed to find a sweet delight (aside from Annie the Baker’s peanut butter bomb cookie) that was worth texting my food friend in the middle of the night about, but then JoLe’s dream-inducing coconut cream pie slipped magically onto my plate. The desert sky parted and my tongue melted well into the thick of the night. This is hands down the best desert I have tasted to date since moving to the Napa Valley this spring. I go to the restaurant regularly just to eat this pie. I get out of my fuzzy flannel pjs to get me a slice of this thing when late night cravings knock me out of a deep winter’s sleep. Follow me into this whipped cloud of sweet creamy delight. Macadamia crust - fresh, flaky, flavorful, crisp. This same crust is layered with a thin swath of bittersweet dark chocolate which drips beyond the pie and on to the plate which is drizzled with the same plus some caramel. Then a secret blend of coconut and cream and I can’t imagine what else short of fairy dust makes up the guts of the pie but it is light and sweet and flavorful and, well, magical. If all of that isn’t enough to bring you into pleasant sugary convulsions the pie is topped with vanilla bean fresh cream and then topped even further (this part literally flipped me off my stool and onto the ground where I laid squealing in pie bliss), with candied fresh coconut. While my waistline will never forgive me and 24 Hour Fitness will love me forever because I have added two extra spinning classes so that I can continue to feed my addiction, it is all worth it to get me a slab of this stuff. I have sampled my way up and down the desert menu of this joint and all of them are remarkable, but this one stands as my favorite. I may never eat real food ever again so I can keep an open space in my belly for this baby. This pie far exceeds the sky and shoots right up to desert heaven. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5.0 Grapes!

Christmas Came Early this Year with Cavus Wines

2009-11-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

I had the jolly good fortune of stumbling into one of Acme Wines Fun Friday Tastings. I was immediately consumed by the Cavus Vineyard Cabs that were being poured. A bounty of superior and slurp worthy wines. I spent the evening bouncing back and forth between their 2004 and 2005 Cabs. One minute I was the biggest fan of the 05 and then seconds later I was sucked into a savory wine oblivion by the 04. The 04 is the heftier of the two with deep dark fruit tendencies and a touch of spice while being oh so smooth. The 05 was super strong and tasty too with quite a bit of heft but in a totally different way. A slick and serene style bounding with a fruity berry-licious bang. In the end I came to only one conclusion: the owners and wine maker of this fine boutique winery make damn good vino in a new fashioned way. One that is all about enjoying life and drinking stellar wine in the here and now. I will drink to that, especially if my glass if full of Cavus. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.9 Grapes!

Dandy and Dancing at Dutch Henry

2009-11-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

Whoever said that dancing was dead clearly missed the rocking good time that Calistoga’s Blues and Jazz Festival offered, especially the “wine in the vineyard” segment. For the good or bad of that event I started at Dutch Henry (one of the six vineyards participating), and never made it elsewhere because I had such a ducky-good time. I’m always talking about the wine so I want to start by first noting the ambiance at this jumping joint of a winery. Bocce ball courts, pristine new wine caves, charming barnyard tasting and backyard boogying, what could be better? They have left the pretense back where it belongs (LA, anyone?). Everybody feels at ease at this place, whether you want to relax and picnic, tour the brand spanking new caves (I got lost they were so fascinating), or sip fantabulous wines in a welcoming and comfortable barn-style tasting room that smells all wine and no barnyard poop. It’s charming all the way around, as is the wine. Down right slurp-worthy. They were all delectable. Here are two of my personal favorites. The Argos – a Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot blend that had me at BING! cherry. Deep and substantive. I would like to cuddle up and sip this baby fireside with a fat book and a warm slab of beef. The 2003 Cabernet made me howl, literally. I’m not sure why, but its sturdy complexity might have had something to do with it, or maybe it was the day of tasting and boogying to blues that did it. No the wine was just that tasty. So get your ducks in a row and make a quick dash to Dutch Henry. You’ll be glad you did. Wacky WineSense Rating for wine and frolic: 4.75 Grapes

Finally, a Pinot that I didn’t want to Poo-Poo!

2009-11-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

I will admit that as soon as everybody became bitten by the Pinot bug I became instantly, not. I never like to give into trends and in the case of the softer gentler varietal, Pinot never floated my wine boat. I know I will get shot and put out of business for saying this but I like to be honest so I will say it and risk banishment. Most Pinots, to me, taste like cough syrup. Even the good ones, until an unlikely chance encounter with a dandy little Peirson Meyer Pinot changed my mind. This baby was downright bawdy with layer after layer of bold berry flavor, not to mention what I could only call a sweet smoky essence that reminded me of toasted marshmallows at summer camp. This vino had a consistency that was light on the outside and hefty in the middle. Half the time I don’t even know what I’m talking about, but wine does that to me. It brings about change that you never thought was possible. I can finally understand a little bit of all the fuss that the bus full of Pinot people are always partying about. Some things, when done differently and right can make even the most cynical, believers. There is now a place on my palate for Pinot, when it’s brought to me by the fine folks at Peirson Meyer, until then I will wait impatiently for another worthy Pinot to step up to the plate. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Slipping and Sliding Around the Olive Tree Maypole

2009-11-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

Sure, I enjoy slathering my best breads in olive oil. And yes, I have been known to double dunk. I also revel in bathing my lips in slippery stuff. That being said you could understand why I stampeded into the Wine Country Inn to partake in their “Ode to the Olive” last week. Sounded like my kind of party. I imagined that I would be dunking my fingers and bread into smooth and scented oils all day long. Not a bad way to spend a fall day. I was shocked to learn that bread with your olive oil can actually be offensive in some parts (Italy!). When I heard that the best way to taste the essence of a good olive oil is to slurp it, I knew I had found a new home at the Inn, since we, at Wacky WineSense, are all about slurping, though typically good wine. I gave myself free liberties to slurp the oil when invited. I soon realized that there are a lot of similarities between growing grapes and growing olives. There is a harvest time for both and olives need to be nurtured in the same ways as grapes. You need to pick and pluck when the fruit has hit its prime. Much like fine wine, acidity levels play a heavy handed role in the quality and taste of good oil. Heat, air and humidity also play vital roles. Unfortunately, the olive counter part is not regulated like wine so you need to be careful when you buy under the guise of true virgin olive oil. It, like vino can get corked. This means that your coveted bottle of extra virgin oil from Italy that you’ve been saving for the last ten years hoping to hang onto to those heady memories of your romps in the Tuscan sun, may not be fit for table time. Nobody wants stanky olive oil at their holiday gatherings so avoid such a fate by ensuring that you make use of your oil within two years of the harvest date. Oil can oxidize like vino so slurp it down soon after opening (2 weeks is ideal). Diane De Filipi of Ask Diane Hospitality was our hostess for the day and this gal knew her stuff. Screw boring Tupperware and Pampered Chef parties in favor of a slipping sliding good time. Who knew olive oil could be such a hoot! The question that everyone wanted to know and that she soon answered was, what makes one oil virgin and another dead-end used baggage? The answer - acidity level. To reach “virgin” status look no further than the label. Your virgin goods should not exceed an acidity level of .08%. If your slippery sack shows more, you’ve got tainted, less than honorable and pure goods. So, buyer beware when it comes to those over-priced, teases. While scents are nice when slathered all over your main squeeze, the same cannot be said for virgin oils. Lets say you buy one of those gourmet pups infused with lemon. Sounds savory yes, but what that tartly fruit is doing is actually robbing your oil of its acid. Diane says to skip the infused varieties and go "pure" all the way, baby. I choked down some damn good stuff at my party full of virgins, and according to our divine hostess, if you slurp a good olive oil it should make you cough, which I did, all day long. The best oils will also give your taste buds and nostrils a wake up call in the form of a bounty of flavorful scents and spices. But, if you’re slurping a virgin hack (those dastardly finds often seen in the clear bottles at your supermarkets), your sniffer will stay on snooze and you’ll get nothing but a greasy finish. I now know that I want my olive oil just like my men - pure and untainted but aged and harvested to perfection. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!

BBQ that Boogies!

2009-10-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

Eat.Drink.Boogie. That’s the tagline for the newest BBQ catering company to hit the brix of Napa Valley. Having partaken in a pork-filled extravaganza at one of the last BBQs of the summer/fall season, I can honestly say that CROOKED PORCH BBQ gave me something to boogie about. They have earned the right to keep on keeping on with that oh so accurate catch phrase. I’m striving to simplify my life and my write ups so I’m cornering a new phrase to sum up the fine eats that resident Pit Master/Owner Nick Heinrich (707-256-9226, nickheinrich@gmail.com) had to offer – smoky with a side of sass. That’s what came to mind as I slurped down his pulled pork and beans. I can’t quite place my paw on the root source of the flavors I tasted, other than the food left me feeling much more sassy than how I felt prior to the pig fest. The side dishes reigned in my opinion. Finally, some not so typical takes on otherwise standard fare picnic and bbq eats. The chicken yellow crunch cole slaw was downright crackly – crisp, flavorful and nutty. Those pining for the mayo-dripped soggy type slaw would be better off making a pit stop at KFC because the Pit Master’s version is so far off that varietal it may as well be on Jupiter. Heinrich’s take reminded me why slaw, if done right, is the perfect compliment to a forkful of tangy, sauce-slathered meat. The potato salad won me over too. Also sans mayo which almost made this entire meal heart-healthy. The spuds were farm fresh and cooked to non-picnic perfection. They were firm without being undercooked and packed a walloping flavor twist with a sweet nip of spice. If you yearn for gooshy near-mashed mayo soaked spud salad and overcooked meat, you should avoid Crooked Porch all together because all you’re going to find is a whole lot of high quality BBQ and home spun sides that are crooked in the best possible way - guaranteed to get your arse off the couch and onto the dance floor. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Random Bits I Learned from a Cheese Monger

2009-10-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have called myself a cheese whore one too many times than I wanted to admit, until I met John Raymond, the Cheese Monger. In a short afternoon spent nibbling large hunks of mind-altering cheese, I decided to embrace my inner cheese hound. There is nothing to be ashamed about in loving a mound of cheese. It, unlike my parental unit, doesn’t talk back or judge me for my indiscretions. Some interesting things I learned from The Monger….

A “cheddar man” talks only about acid (either he had an awesome trip on LSD back in the day, or cheddar contains a fair amount of acid)
All cheeses are “He/Male”
The “rind” of a cheese tells you what is going on in the mind of the cheese
Cheeses have “eyes” and their peeps, just like ours, tell you all you ever wanted to know about those tasty slabs of melted madness
In hosting a party, if you put more than (5) types of cheeses on a plate, you have “insulted” the cheese
Blue cheese needs to be needled - just what you would think, jabbing a selected needle (sewing, knitting, etc.), into the cheese repeatedly, it opens up the cheese for maximum flavor
Natural cheese rinds are gentle, not aggressive

In closing, I hope I don’t screw up this quote from The Monger, “Finding a cheese that you deem worthy to 'sleep with' is almost as tough as finding a loved one worth sleeping with, but once you do, you'll know why it was worth the wait.” On my cheese tasting day at Venge Vineyard, with The Cheese Monger (John Raymond), I found way too many cheeses that I wanted to sleep with (I guess that is why I am a self-dubbed cheese whore) - bed space was limited, so I just ate them all. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Not all wine, all the time – especially with October beers abounding!

2009-10-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

Yes we’re called WINE Sense, but that doesn’t prevent us from talking about other things. Especially when it’s beer time! October marks the coming of fall and all the foods and drinks that come with the season. Namely all things pumpkin in my book (pie, cheesecake, scones, cupcakes, seeds, cider rum punch - I’ll stop before I embarrass myself by salivating right out of my office). I don’t want to be remiss in mentioning another one of my favorite passions of the season - Silverado Brewing Company’s Octoberfest beer. This joint is known for cranking out some of the best brew in the valley, but I am partial to the seasonal Octoberfest one. It speaks to me on so many levels, and I wouldn’t even call myself a beer fan, though I do jump onto this 'hopy' team during this candy-fueled month. Don’t let the deep amber color of this boo-full delight fool you. I typically shy away from beers that look too heady for me to handle and spank of bitterness. While this beer looks the part, it certainly doesn’t taste that talk. It’s hearty, substantive and light all on one swing, but not wimpy; it is a mouthful of flavor despite the sense of being light. I realize that this description is a long-winded contradiction, but it fits the bill of this tasty delight. The brewski is also crispy like the leaves that are dropping from our trees and vines, just in time for winter. The ribs aren’t too shabby either, they’re actually a fabulous complement to all of their beers (my second fav being the blonde, the ale, not that strapping fella I saw swilling beer at the other end of the bar). The ribs are a meaty tangy sweet and sweaty delight. Good right down to the bone. So come on in and grab the Octoberfest brew while you can, it won’t last long! Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.70 Grapes!

CHASE-ing - no stalking Chase Cellar's Petite Syrah

2009-10-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

In everyday life, it is never good to be female and stalker-ish. I’ve decided, in the wine world this is not a bad thing, at least in the eyes of the proprietors. I am no stranger to touting Chase wines. I’m downright smitten with these people (Pam Simpson & Jeff Blaum – the dynamic bro/sis duo) and their wine. You may know these peeps for their succulent and slurp worthy Zin, and believe me I can’t ever seem to get enough of those droplets of wine gold, but I thought I would take a moment to blow my wind up a new wine goblet. My stalk-worthy victim - the 2005 Petite Syrah. The night after I tasted this beast, spicy and sweet wine plums danced in my head all night long, and it ain’t even Xmas yet. This vino delivers a bursting punch of dark cherry if you ask me. It is smooth, substantive and a surefire delight on a wet rainy day, a hot and spicy night, or actually any damn day of the year. I typically don’t like to curse but some wines delight me to such a degree I am inclined to spew obscenities that would make my dad proud. So sorry Chase, I will now and forever be one of your most diligent stalkers. Sorry, but the wine is just that good. So rain or shine get your arse out of bed and slide on over to Chase. If you’re lucky you might just catch Jeff and Pam puttering around the property and tasting room. Not only do they make bang up wines but they frequently throw grape-busting parties (JulyFest, Harvest, Summer BBQs). It is the vineyard that keeps on giving long after you down that bottle of wine you just bought. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes!

The end of a very good year - bon voyage CHEERS! St. Helena

2009-10-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

The fat lady has sang her last tune. The CHEERS! season has left the building. What do we have to show for our months of support? We will always have the memories. Blocked streets, streets with meat and treats. Bopping bands, lovers holding hands. More wine in a two block radius than one man or woman slurp in a year. But most of all we will be able to look back on a time where the oft quiet and sometimes stuffy streets of St. Helena opened up her arms to embrace the community that supports her. I regretfully write the last of my event wrap-ups for the 2009 season. With a pilot season like this, we can be sure that the CHEERS! show will be renewed for next year (or lets sure as hello hope so). Woodhouse Chocolates. We all know how good they are. Christ, people come to St. Helena just to score some of that magical gooey sweetness, not the mention the bonafide chocolate themed art sculptures that rival the Sax 5th Avenue windows during holiday season in NYC. But just because we know, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remind everyone how truly delicious they are. As a confirmed choco-holic I can confidently say that the rock-salt milk and dark chocolate caramels that they have served up for free, yes free, each and every CHEERS! social are almost orgasmic. Not almost, they are. Slick, smooth, crunchy, chocolate with a sultry kick. Sweetness that just keeps on giving long after the taffy has been sucked down your food tube. I guess it is safe for me to come clean. Each month I would eat my ration – one milk, one dark. Then I would wait an hour or so, and despite being at the other end of the strip, I would haul it back to Woodhouse to slip another helping of those chocolate pillows down my throat. Two more of the dark chocolates. Then I would get some of my party people to give me their ration. My waistline might never forgive me, but my belly will forever thank me. The boy scouts of our fair city served up birds, lots of bbq birds. Protein that I was in dire need of, to soak up all the wine I was feverishly tasting. It was the last night of CHEERS! 2009, somebody had to do it. Yay Scouts! Service with a suited up smile. On to the wine! I never see or get enough Meritage. But I found a spanking good one from the folks at Ehlers. A light yet bold bowl of fruit comes to mind. Also, a little tweet of tang. Their Meritage made me merry! The Eagle Eye wine, dubbed Voluptuous, that's its name, and it was a voluptuous red blend both dry and sweet-tart, plus the bottles themselves were a work of art, yest art on a bottle. A husband and wife team, he masterminds the wine, and her the art that paints each and every bottle. Tom Scott Vineyard’s Barn Burner Cab. This baby went so well with my dark-choco bites (Woodhouse), at $125 not an economic stimulus wine, but worth every penny. The fact they were giving away this stuff for free was downright dandy. Smooth with a kick. It was as pretty in color as it was in taste. A workhorse of a wine! Five Vintners Zin. A roll off the tongue fruity tootie pie delight! I don’t even fully understand what that means, other than damn good wine. Orin Sift Cellars never cease to surpise my each and every social. Their wine is like young love, every day you discover something new to adore. One month I love Prisoners, then another I salivate for the Papillon, which was my love this CHEERS! I fell under the spell of this blueberry-dipped chocolate of a wine. I was so under its magic, I think I might have started kissing radom people to the left and right of me at the tasting counter. Or maybe I was just tongue kissing the glass and the wine that it was holding. Who cares, it was love at first slurp. I want to cuddle up with this vino on crisp fall and winter nights. Divine to the last drop. And last but not least Turley’s Howell Mt. Zin, a wine that I am no stranger to, but it never ceases to amaze me in its brilliance. Spicy, slick and smooth, just like I enjoy my m_n, well you don’t need to know that. So in the end, as sad as I am to see my CHEERS! social scene draw to a close, it was time. Just like my former home of New York, it is always good to leave people loving you as opposed to remembering you in a less appealing light, because you didn’t say goodbye soon enough (Sorry Seinfeld, as much as adored you I wished you said “when” just one episode sooner). So I raise a glass to good times past. Until next year, 3 cheers for CHEERS! Wacky WineSense rating: 5 grapes x 5 grapes x 5 grapes, forget it - good times all season long!

Waking Up the Grapes w/Kirk Venge and Elvis

2009-10-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

I woke up today at 6:30AM to get the first pick of the season with Napa’s resident Pluck Meister – Kirk Venge and his posses of pickers. I was dubbed an honorary picker for the day, though I am angling for life-long picker status.The grapes, those lazy-bum-slackers, didn’t start to “wake up” until about 9:30/10ish. To their credit, once they did finally wake up they glowed and oozed of the sweetest sexiest juice you’ve ever smelt or tasted. And yes, grapes are sexy at any time of the day, unlike us human folk. I guess the grapes, like my former city self need a good night’s sleep in order to perform (performance=delivering bang up juice for some of the pluckiest wines in the world) at their peak. By the time the grapes woke up and joined the party we had already plucked 5 tons of those rolly polly suckers and the morning was still young. We were able to move that many mounds of grapes despite the Pluckster's tussle with Elvis, his S.O.B of a 4-wheeler. At the crack of dawn Elvis went all “rock-king” ego-manic, by attempting to show The Pluck Meister (Kirk Venge) who was boss, by tossing him in an end-over the handle bars. King of the Grapes Venge soon went on to show Elvis that the King of Rock is dead now. All I heard was “Elvis is coming at me!”. I saw the buggy flipped to its side and Kirk standing on all 4s. He, like a very good cat, landed on his feet with a smile. Elvis did not look so hot. He got a swift kick in the tires and finally got to work, but was promptly renamed Matilda. She offered a smooth and stable ride through the grape fields as we picked and plucked like there was no tomorrow. She became our chariot out in the field, hauling grapes to the people. The Pluck Meister’s wine phone rang no less than 30 times during our pickfest, all before the average Joe had even bothered to get out of bed. I trust I have wet your whistle enough to get out of bed and get yourself a glass of wine. I’m gritty, grimy, sweaty and sweet all at the same time. One lick confirmed that I taste good today. I blame it on the grapes. That’s all for now folks. Tomorrow will be another day of wine country heaven, a breed like no other. You haven’t lived until you’ve plucked a grape and had the insane good fortune of being ensconced in the sweet smell of freshly picked grapes.

Que Sera, Sera and Arividerchi baby to CHEERS! St. Helena

2009-10-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Well I thought this day would never come, yet it has. We are being asked, somewhat begrudgingly, to kiss the CHEERS! parade good-bye for the rest of 2009. Parting truly is such sweet sorrow in this case. I hit myself over the head with a wine bottle once again to remind myself that all good things do come to an end and I better just face it and get over it. So it is time for us to lay our overactive emotions to the side so that we, as a community, can help send out this last CHEERS! social in style. If you’re up for the challenge start things off early by hitting the first hour of Acme Fine Wine Friday. Then you will be first in line to collect your wine sampling wrist band ($35) when the flood gates open at 6PM. Whether you want to connect with all of your CHEERS! friends new and old, or you want to finally conquer your goal of sampling wine and buying trinkets at every single place on the CHEERS! roadmap, go for it. Do whatever you need to make the most of this last social, that is what I plan to do. Hitting the Venge grape picking trail Saturday morning will be a tough one, but I will prevail, for the greater good. The food court will still be sporting edibles from your favorite food haunts (and hopefully the Kara's Cupcake mobile will be trucking along Main St.) and the good tweens and teens of the St. Helena High Band will be kicking up beats at the Hunt Street friendship lounge. So, my CHEERS! compadres, you know the drill by now, so I won’t bore you with too many of the details. Just get your butt out there and enjoy this last CHEERS! like there’s no tomorrow, because come Saturday morning, CHEERS! will be a distant yet memorable blip of the past. Check back early next week for my tear-felt recap of the night and my season wrap-up which will highlight the best of the best of the entire 2009 CHEERS! season.

Failla wines never fail

2009-09-24T19:25:00.001-07:00

When you step into the tasting room at Failla Wines you’ll feel a bit like you slipped into your best friend’s cozy living room on a cold winter’s night. Contently comfortable and unwilling to budge from your seat, especially when you start drinking their wine. It is loaf-inducing. They are all about their pinot as many already know. It is everything you have heard and so much more, but since I am wacky and typically choose to go against the normal grain I will talk about everything other than the pinot. I almost busted a gut, when I slurped down the Phoenix Ranch Syrah. It was so heady in taste I almost passed out dreaming of pork bellies. Deep, rich, meaty, delicious. Good to the last thick drop. The Keefer Ranch Chard was no slouch either. It was a flavor collision – smack your lips together tasty – I know this will sound crazy but imagine pineapple pie with smatterings of caramel corn. A tasty delight of a wine. So pick up any one of their pinots and match it up aganist these other goods. Then find your own cozy couch to nuzzle up to and enjoy the good life that this wine has to offer. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!

Some random bits I learned on the wine trail with Kirk Venge this week

2009-09-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

During one of my romps around the grape fields with our resident expert Kirk “the grape meister” Venge I picked up a lot of random bits of info and some wine lingo basics (note to self: buy winemaking for dummies book to get up to speed on the obvious, before my next day in the field). Granted, a lot of this information may be obvious to the rest of the valley and world, but I am pretending we are all wine virgins for today. I am here to impart my new found wine wisdom. Harvest season in these parts is typically from September 1st-November 1st, but subject to change due to weather patterns. Rain, as long as it is gentle enough and not consistent, will not harm the grapes, but it will slow things down in getting the suckers to a state of readiness for plucking. I am still a bit bitter about not getting to pick yet. I learned that wine is all about patience. I have none so I am not sure how much of a career I will have in this biz. White wines are usually prime for the picking earlier than their ruby red counter parts. Kirk and I were collecting lots of baseline samples from all his different vineyards. We also met up with another strapping grape meister from the fine family, Atinori Vineyards. In fetching samples we were darting in and out and around all the different rows of grapes getting random samples. We had to eat those samples and spit out the seeds. A critical part of my assignment in this endeavor was what he called the “5 bite crunch test.” Not 4 crunches not 3, but 5. This gives you the optimal amount of juice and sensation to see where the grapes are in readiness. Then you're supposed to spit out the seeds. I would suck them down because I didn’t want to be wasteful. I suspected that Kirk expected better from me, but being a gentleman he let my dalliances slide. I’m not sure what exactly I was looking for as I crunched. One grape tasted better than the next. Nothing made me gag because of tartness or vomit because of grossness. I would say that from a laywoman’s point of view all of these grapes were prime and almost ready for greatness. I told Kirk as much. He seemed to value my opinion, or maybe he was just being polite. Other miscellaneous information that I found fascinating. Brix. Brix signify how much sugar is present in the grapes. Never enough in my book being a sweet fiend. Apparently, per the Grape Meister there is a sweet spot in brix which also impacts the alcohol content. If I were to ask my parents’ opinion they would say “there can never be too much alcohol in our wine!” 20-25 brix is nice for whites. I think. I hope I wrote down that stat correctly. If it is not accurate, blame the wine reporter not the source. The average life span of a grape vine is approximately 25 years but there are old vines that live on almost to eternity. If only I could live the life of a vine. I would be revered forever. When you are lucky enough (good god how did I get here!) to charge your arms into a fermenting tank you will feel like you have ended up in heaven. It is cool in there and as the grapes and their juice envelop your arms, it is better than the most expensive mud bath arm massage (sorry Calistoga – it is). I thought about jumping into the fermenting tank and taking a nap, but Kirk stopped me before I did so. Not on his watch. I may return when the sun goes down. The tank looked a lot like a small hot tub from the outside. It smelled super fine too. That’s all for now folks. My plucky pal Kirk and his cronies continue to mine the grapes as if they were diamonds. Waiting for the perfect pick. I plan to be there when it happens. Night or day and even during happy hour if need be. I am just that committed. To hell with diamonds being a girl’s best friend. That is so nineties. Grapes and the wine they produce will now and forever be this girl’s best friend. Wacky WineSense rating for my day in the life: 5 Damn Good Grapes, and then some!

Day 1: "Chasing Grapes" on Kirk Venge’s Wine Trail

2009-09-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Pinch me. Pinch me again. Kick me. Kick me hard. Shove me. Knock me over. Drop a wine bottle on my head. I am awake. This is my life. I am not dreaming. I had the very good fortune of falling onto the wine trail during harvest with none other than Kirk Venge. I know they are always saying that Brad Pitt is super nice and Megan Fox, ok, bad example, not as nice. George Clooney, good looking, charming, sexy, funny and wow, nice guy. And Bruce Springsteen, super sweetie, accomplished musician, wizard of sound, financially solvent, tune-making genius that has spanned the decades and still continues to churn out popping music year after year, from one decade to the next. Sort of like Bono, but without the burly Irish accent. I bring all this up because I predict a similar path for Mr. Venge - only vino instad of music, though I hear he belts out some kicking tunes at Anna's after a night of bocce. While I don’t really posses authentic crystal ball caliber skills despite what my former articles might lead you to believe, I do have a mighty powerful gut instinct about these sorts of things (I knew that the Internet would have great promise one day!). So I will go out on a wine branch and predict that Kirk Venge, winemaker, everyman’s good guy appeal, may just be the Springsteen of the Napa Valley wine scene (if your not a Springsteen fan – insert another legend). Year after year from as far back as his days in diapers he has been steadfastly building his cred, honing his winemaking skills, and surpassing many of his peers (young and old) in the process. And I hate to bring age in the picture, but I am old enough to do so. Most guys that I know that are his age are still trolling city streets looking for America’s next top model and the “new” Jagermeister bomb. Instead of succumbing to such a fate, Kirk has quietly laid down the bones (wine vines) and added the fleshy grapes on top to produce and make smashing wine, up and down and all around this valley. For this installment of my “day in the life of a wine master” I will dub him the Pluck Meister, for now, knowing that his nickname will change as we transcend into the different segments of the wine making process. The rain has slowed things down just a tad so I escaped picking grapes today, much to my own devastation. But we did something that I could argue was just as fascinating. We galloped from vineyard to vineyard, region to region (because he lays claim as the resident wine maker for vineyards all over town) plucking a grape here, a grape there, a grape just about everywhere, all in the sport of “sampling”. In layman terms that’s taste testing grapes to determine how close those roly poly delights are to being ready to be picked. Some will tell you that sampling and making the perfect wine is all about science. How many brix, how much acidity, tannins, yada, yada, yada. Others kick it more old school style by relying strictly on the good old fashioned taste buds. A slurp here, a gobble there, a suck there, all to get an assessment on how close those plumpsters are to being prime for the picking. But for the Pluck Meister (keep up! it’s code for Kirk Venge for Christsake!) it’s a hodgepodge of many things, including a smattering of science plus a whole lot more. I was lucky enough to watch him squash grapes, baggie them, preen juice, and then dump a little bit of many things into some beakers, followed on by a thorough examination of said contents underneath a winemakers microscope gadget. That process was more interesting than the sum total of one-too-many years in my high school and collegiate science programs. And while all of that business is well and good, he says a lot of it comes down to instincts as to “when” prime-time picking hour has arrived. The key to good wine is the grapes, right? Even I know that much. But according to the Pluckster it actually comes down to “getting the pick” (my translation: part science, part instinct, part magic) as he calls it. Maybe my picky nature will finally serve me in life? His “getting the pick” has garnered him a fruitful wine career for many years to come. The secrets to his "picking" mojo are going to stay between him and his happy hound Lucy, for now. It is sort of like good hair. Either you have it or you don't. You can't really teach it to grow hip and stylish, it just is. I hope I have made you salivate, or perhaps caused you to seriously consider a mid-life career change to the field of wine making, or, if nothing, else maybe I have enticed you to open up your mind, your wallet, and your palate to slurp some wine, or at a minimum to pop open your keyboard to learn a bit more about the making of that sinful delight we call wine. Today’s ramblings represent about one (1) hour of a day in the life with the Pluck Meister. I don’t want to give away all his secrets in one post. So stayed tune. I dare you. I challenge you. I invite you to pinch yourself. When you confirm that you are alive and awake and not dreaming with the sandman, log on and get your winemaking fix for the day at Wacky WineSense. Come along for this wild grape-filled ride as Kirk and I “chase grapes” all harvest long (his words not mine, how thrilling does that sound?) You’ll be glad you did. And if I am worth the weight of my electronic pencil you’ll learn a thing or two about this glorious time of year we call harvest in the Napa Valley. Fall is life changing on the East Coast, just another day in LA, spellbounding in the Rockies, and well,l I have run out of references, but here in The Valley fall is a snap of time that transports you to somewhere you will never want to leave, in smells alone.

Smashed sandwiches and salty sweets

2009-09-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

I’ve found that securing a worthy sandwich is not as easy as one might think. Having trolled the streets one too many times I finally found a delight worth talking about. Scoring one of these babies, the BBQ chicken sandwich at Oakville Grocery is going to require some effort, jockeying a place in line on a weekend afternoon is nothing short of sapping, so call ahead and avoid the hassle, though, I can honestly say the approximately 30 minute wait (peak lunch hour) is truly worth the wait. I can’t explain why the simple ingredients of grilled sliced chicken, pepper jack cheese, and a tangy tasty sauce squashed between homemade baguette bread and pressed until the contents pop out through the sides taste so damn good, but it does. I repeatedly smacked my lips together trying to glean every last morsel that might have gotten wedged between my teeth and tongue. Sure, I looked retarded but it wss worth the exercise to get one more shard of this killer sandwich. Top off this pocketful of pleasure by scooping up a handful of the store’s homemade sea salt caramels. Buttery but light with sea salt in every bite. Candy need not be for kids alone, especially these little wrapped suckers of sticky goodness. And to prove my commitment to these grocery goods, I make the trek from Calistoga to Oakville in the dead of Napa Valley’s version of traffic to get this pressed concoction just about every week. Wacky WineSense rating: 4.75 Grapes!

Rembering New York eight years ago

2009-09-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

When I think back to eight years ago today, I remember it like it was yesterday, a cliché but true. I don't just remember that tragic day, today; I have remembered it every single day of my life since, as do countless other people. People all over our world. People who were in New York. We saw and experienced and lived through something unimaginable, something that couldn't have possibly happened in our lifetime, yet it did. The smell of its aftermath still lingers large in my memories as does everything about that day. The view of the tip of Manhattan on fire as my brother and I hauled over the Queensbourough Bridge to some form of safety. We remember a city that was wallpapered with people. Flyers of the hundreds and thousands of people that were missing. People that would never find their way home, people that were lost forever. We remember waking up having had the most horrific nightmare. But soon realized that it was as real as we were. We remember the street side vigils, the gatherings in the park, the countless memorial services. We remember the bomb scares, the evacuations, being stuck on the subway. And we learned what anthrax was. People were changed forever. Children lost people that they had yet to get the chance to really know and love. They also lost their innocence in an instant. They grew up overnight without ever knowing it. Yet we became a part of something amazing, something that I never thought I would witness in Manhattan. We saw an outpouring of love on the streets. We saw strangers helping each other.The taxis stopped honking. We saw people unable to get up, to move out of their apartments, to get up off the street to move across it, all part of our days in the months that followed. And for every one of those visions we saw people, helping people. We tried to help ourselves. In an instant a city that was known for its resilience was cracked to the core very literally, and we the people were too. But in all of that something amazing happened, yet another thing I thought would never be possible at the time. We survived, our world survived, our people survived. We got to move on. It was the most unimaginable thing during that time of my life. But here I sit. We are here. We are still kicking. Our world in all of its craziness, has prevailed. May it do so for the rest of eternity.

Best in Show at September’s CHEERS! St. Helena

2009-09-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

On the first Saturday of every month I wake up feeling foggy and fine all at the same time. Mainly because I got to partake in a bounty of fun – from fabulous wine, titillating food, bopping music, and impulse shopping, all in the comfort of my own neighborhood. It’s the wine country’s version of the American Dream, and I’m here to tell you it’s a good one. Sadly, all things come to an end and September’s CHEERS! marks the end of this era of fun Fridays. While there is one more CHEERS! social in October, it will be more understated, mainly because it will be inside, as opposed to the blocked street varietal we’ve become accustomed to. But fear not, it will surely send off the series in style nonetheless. But enough boo-hooing, onto my wrap up! That marching band certainly made an entrance. It also told me that anything is possible in St. Helena, if you want it bad enough. Despite trying to throw myself into the band to relive my youth, they weren’t having it, which was probably for the best. I would have dragged these cats down. While we’re on the music front, I will linger just a little bit longer. Wristrocket reminded me how fortunate I would have been to grow up in the 60ies. Unfortunately I did miss that calling by just a year or so, but I remain forever in awe of classic rock. Regardless of my decade of birth it will always rule my music roost, as will this band! I thought I was hallucinating when I saw a, brace yourself, CUP CAKE TRUCK (Kara’s)! Someone revived me with wine and I came to realize it was not a mirage, the folks at CHEERS! brought me the only other thing that could make me holler almost as much as wine – sweet bakery treats (cupcake love better than true love?), right to my hot little hands – street side no less. The food options where kicked up big time. Not just street meat anymore folks, everything from steak sandwiches, tex mex, fancy Italian sodas, pizza, meatballs, pulled pork and much, much more. The Terraces 2007 Napa Valley Zinfandel was on the top of my list wine-wise. A sweet tart essence that made me pucker and then retreat as I slurped in the suble richness of this vino. Then my lips pushed themselves down to my glass for more of that goodness. A cherry crevasse that I never wanted to climb out of. Parallel’s 2006 Estate Cab was a phenom in my wine notebook. This stallion of a wine had winter legs, hefty and beefy too, with more of that smashed up cherry sensation that I love so much. And last but not least, each and every CHEERS! I have had the good fortune of pulling my wine glass up to receive the consistently stellar Petite Syrah that is brought to me (and you) by the good folks at David Fulton Winery. This wine is all swank, all the time. Deep, rich, succulent. After drinking it I find myself thinking and saying “whoosh” as it flies oh, so heavenly down my wine tube. Fantabulous! So go on my wine-horts. Get out there, and start slurping and gobbling up some of these tasty delights that are right in your own backyard, if your lucky enough to live in the Napa Valley - if not drive or fly here, yes, it is that good. Thanks CHEERS! you can be my BF any hour of any day of the week. You always lift me up and never bring me down (except when you board up your social for winter :0( ) Thanks! Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes!

Venge Wine is Ve-vi-licious!

2009-09-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure, as a wine reporter, if it is ok to make up words, but I am taking blogging liberties in support of a good cause. If I had to break it down to one legit word for Venge wine, it would be very delicious ( you say potato – so I can say Ve-vi-licious, it just sounds sexier, sort of like their wines make you feel). So many tasty wine morsels too little time, but let me try to put my over-achieving to good use just this once, by babbling on about as many of their wines as possible in one small blurb. Here were my favorites for the day (hint – I’ll need them to invite me back for more!). Champ des Fleurs. I drank this beaut of a wine when it was at least 107 degrees in Calistoga. Viognier is my favorite style of white, second only to Sav Blanc. This white gave me a bit of both (10% V / 60% SB) and then they tossed in some Chard (30%) to keep things bouncing - mainly my taste buds. Pineapple upside down cake, dry, crisp, deep and flower-filled. I’m hoping that some strapping young gent will give me a bouquet of this wine, so much better than flowers. I tasted two Sangioveses, Penny Lane and Atlas, they were both delicious, but the later was my fav. It’s sharp, hefty and dense all at the same time, a “Chianti” style wine right here in Calistoga (though we can’t reference it that way). If you like a little BBQ with your red wine, Scout’s Honor, a zippy Zin blend, is the perfect mate to your carnage. He’s a peppery, meaty mouthful. Bite burger, slurp wine, suck steak, slurp more wine, you get my drift. And while I am throwing metaphors all over the place I will regress to my childhood for just a moment. The next two wines are likened to Beauty (Gladys’ Syrah) and the Beast (Muhlner Steps Syrah) but oh so much better than Disney’s version. I challenge you to dub yourself a beauty or beast. Then taste these wines side by side. It will be clear which you are by the wine your lips gravitate to. For me the more hefty the wine the better, but on that scorcher of a day I enjoyed the calmer, quieter, smoother and serene tones of Gladdy. She was the bomb, a cherry bomb, but a polite one. The Beast (Muhlner) was not shabby either, spectacular actually. Tomorrow I may become a beast, who knows. It was scrappy, deep, a massive bounty of dark fruits with just a ding of expresso (or perhaps I was just jonesing for coffee?). So if you’re ready to wake up your wine taste buds, beg, borrow, steal, give you kiddies away, whatever it takes to score a visit or some of this wine. I’m going to be hopefully optimistic, and assume they will be pouring at the upcoming CHEERS! St. Helena - Social this Friday!. If they are, you’ll know where to find the scribe behind this wine babble madness. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.9!

Catch a good thing while you can - CHEERS! St. Helena is coming to town this Friday

2009-08-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

Thankfully the feel-good folks at CHEERS! are back at it this week (Friday September 4th / 6-9PM) with the best excuse yet to celebrate the onset of harvest and everything that goes with it. If that’s not a good enough reason to get in on the action, it’s Labor Day which means you have ample time to recover from all of the food, wine, and frolic that this month’s swing around the CHEERS! maypole is sure to instigate. The formula doesn’t change (which is a damn good thing – why mess with a job well done?) so we can expect wine pours from hottest grapevines in town (70+), music from our local vintner-musician set Wristrocket (playing until 10PM), bluegrass from The Flat Earth String Band, merchants opened late night (6-9PM), a bounty of street meat and food, and of course social interaction with a few thousand of your closest friends, tourists and neighbors. Rumor has it you might even spot a 50-person marching band trolling our town's streets. Admission is free and open to the public. If you want in on the wine tasting magic $35 beans grants you free tastes from all those that are pouring for the occasion. And parents need not be concerned because just like last month childcare and activities will be on deck for the little and mid-sized set. If you’ve yet to hop aboard the CHEERS! good times express (or the Napa Valley Wine Train) what are you waiting for? Time is literally running out. This is the last rendition where streets will be blocked off for the outdoor event action, and October marks the final social of 2009 (yes grab you’re hankie and pray for some sort of social miracle – like extending the frolic for months to come). So go ahead, even you commitment phobe types (you know who you are!) get over yourselves and commit to a rollicking good time this Labor Day weekend. You'll be glad ya did.

If only every day were a Hall – O – Day!

2009-08-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

TGIF! It has taken me a week to recover from the wine goodness that Hall Vineyard threw my way last week. Go for broke on these bottles baby! No, seriously. They’ve got their Napa Valley collection and the Artisan collection (these gems are sold in small lots). Jack’s Master Piece Cab is just that, a masterful work of wine art (both the bottle and its contents). I was fortunate enough to taste its lush yet light richness (yes these traits all contradict one another, which is probably why this wine works so well), sadly not lucky enough to score a bottle of my own, as this pup is sold out. I’m not sure what you would need to do and with whom to score some of this, but start by joining their wine club and mailing list so you’re in the know for the next batch. Darwin was another dilly of goodness in its 80% Syrah/20% Cab blend, rich, smooth, silky with mucho berry bravado. My favorite of the night was the Diamond Mountain District Cab, also in limited release – so get some now! If you like a cheery/blackberry mash-up in your wine, with a sensuous bite to it, smack your lips all over this one and enjoy basking in the aftermath. And the Napa Valley estate collection is banner too. The Sav Blanc was dry, crisp and fruity, and the Cab is deep and jammed tight with cherry, currant, and spicy goodness. So go ahead, declare today a Hall – o – Day and hit the wine trail in search of the good folks and grapes at Hall, where every day feels like Friday. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.70 Grapes!

Steve Lucky & the Rumba Bums at Bodega Festival

2009-08-26T12:10:00.001-07:00

This Saturday and Sunday brings the Bodega Seafood, Wine, Art and Music fest, all antics that are my middle name. I've never been personally but the street cred on this ditty is strong. One thing I do know about is a kicking hep cat band Steve Lucky & the Rumba Bums that will be playing at the fest on Sunday 12:45-2pm. This is worth the drive in and of itself. The lead vocalist and guitar beast is a woman no less (Carmen Getit - even her name is hep to the jive) who can whip any fool out on the dance floor. So hit the the not so long trail out to Bodega (summer is drawing to a close so catch the waves while you can!), slurp some wine and food, get artsy for the day, and slide onto the outdoor boogie flooor and remind yourself that life out in these parts gives you something to dance and sing about just about everyday of the year.

One redeeming morsel from LA's Venice Beach

2009-08-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

It is rare (ok next to never) that I ever have anything nice to say about my former stint as an LA resident (6 years too many), and especially on the food front. While it is one of our biggest cities I have never been wowed by the food, not even close. And believe me I wanted more than anything for there to be something that would offset the many not so cool things about living there (smog, traffic, more smog, plastic people, and more smog). Unfortunately the food was not that something. But on a recent jaunt back I finally found something worth typing about at a hip (aren't they supposedly all in La La land) Venice Beach haunt in the Abbot Kinney district called Gjelina. Folks clamour to get into this place at all hours of the day, and for once, it is rightly deserved. Everything here from the rustic minimalistic communal table style decour on up to the fresh small plates, cut to order cheeses and meats, smart and savory takes on veggies, mussels that made my own explode just by sucking these babies down, and their uber thin crispy pizzas (my fav was the lamb agiaso). All cry worthy, as were a handful of wines. But all of that goodness aside the desert that draws me and calls me to make the blessedly long journey to SoCal is the Butterscoth pot de creme. It sounds like a simple dish, and one I would typically pass up, not being a huge fan of butterscoth, but this thing is, there is not other way to put it (children hide your eyes), simply orgasmic. And it's impact and memory last well into the night. The rock salt garnish tops off this decadent delight just right and reminds me of a super gourmet pay day bar without the nuts. It is so rich that you could share, but so damn god I would never dare. After 6 years in LA I finally found something to shout about. If you find yourself subjected to the area, Gjelina is a must stop, but call and book ahead. Otherwise you'll be left staring from the outside in, which is an eye candy better than any wannabee BranJelina could ever be.

Brown (Estate) my new favorite wine color

2009-08-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

I had the fortunate luck of stumbling into the folks and the fine wines of the family owned and operated Brown Estate at Acme Wines Friday tasting. While Zin is my middle name and the future name of my would-be-dogs and children, not all Zins are created equal nor are Chardonnays and crazy concoctions called Chaos Theory (a 60/40 cab/zin blend). While I typically scoff at those that criticize me for conjuring up chaos in my life, in this instance I take that tag as a compliment. The name of this vino (Chaos Theory) lives up to its reputation – a chaotic explosion of rich and heavy fruit, along with floral and cappuccino tendencies, with god knows what else, all colliding in my mouth, a place that I wanted to spend the rest of my night in. While this wine was paws down my favorite, I came back for seconds, thirds, forths, yada, yada for the lot of them. The 2007 Zin (Chilies Valley) was a lively jammy-bold fruity concoction. The Chard was the type I can get behind, more pineapple fruitiness than tangy grapefruit, with scant traces of oak and butterscotch – I wanted to pour it over my hand and suck it for desert (and remember I’m not a fan of whites). And as if all of this goodness wasn’t enough they spoke to my rambunctious side with the little ditty called “Arrested” Zin (code name for desert style wine). This speaks to those that like their sweet wine not so sweet – it was rich without being overpowering. I attempted to sip this for the rest of the night but the tasting sadly had come to a close, and I was forced (not really) to vacate the premises until next Friday. I had visions of sweet wine sugar plums dancing in my head well into the thick of the night. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.75 Grapes!

Acme Fine Wine Fridays

2009-08-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to lead you off the tasting trail and into your Friday-night-happy-hour-pre-dinner extravaganza? Look no further than St. Helena’s Acme Fine Wines. This joint takes the wine store concept to sultry new levels. The minimalist-industrial-swank style décor make you feel more like you're in a hip sun-kissed lounge than a place to buy primo wines. I felt cool just by the association of standing in their shop. They showcase sought after and slurp-worthy wines on a wall shelving unit that bordered on looking like a piece of fine art, as opposed to being a wine perch for displaying the vino. Acme hosts weekly Friday tastings from 5-7 (get on their PULSE mailing list to learn what's up each week), where they fetch up a new winery each week, that brings their tasting room to you, in the comfort of Acme's vibe'in shop. Whether you come in for the tasting or to shop for a great wine in hopes of wooing a neighbor or would-be suitor, the owners of this establishment are there to serve you in more ways than one. They offer a bounty of wine club options from choose-your-own, collectors club, and the big Kahuna. I’ll let you do some digging to find out what that baby is all about. Hang out, buy, sip, slurp or just slide into a bench and soak up the ambiance. Shopping never felt so fine - this from the proclaimed anti-shopper. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.75 grapes

Summer Swings at Oxbow’s Public Market

2009-08-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

It’s about time that us locals (and tourists posing as locals can apply) got a break and the Oxbow Public Market was just the place to provide it. One-stop shopping for all your indulgent food and drink needs. Locals night (Tuesdays) serves up a bounty of food, frolic, and slurp-worthy beverages. Too much to cover in one quick swoop, but here are some shenanigans that I suggest you partake in. While I love to slurp wine as much as the next, this Tuesday I found something almost as enticing. Sucking down cheap Hog Island oysters and brew skies. And I don’t mean cheap in the sense that you will spend the night in the emergency room spewing out sullied seafood and PBRs, no sire. Cheap as in succulent oysters ($1 pop – I kid you not) and Class A beer (3.50 a pint) all on the cheap from 5-7PM. And you even get to be entertained as you slurp and suck. Live music (6-8PM) hums in the background ranging from jazz, standards, blues, techno (well, not really) and beyond. I followed up with killer, knock-you-off-your-diet-for-life cupcakes at Kara’s. I thought about eating one of everything she had to offer but opted instead for a Sweet Vanilla (inside and out) and Fleur De Sel. Each made me cry tears of food joy for different reasons. The butter cream frosting was just the right balance by not being overpowered with butter and not so sweet as to make you go into sugar shock. For local’s night you can get cupcake minis for $1 (one per/person minimum – so augment with the reg. size). I have it on good accord that the banana caramel one could convert even the most devout non-sugar fiends. Cheese, cheese and more cheese at the Oxbow Cheese Market. Belly up to the cheese bar and order yourself a slice of the Caveman. And I don’t mean that strapping young gent that’s eye chickies from the wine bar, it is a cheese my friends and a damn tart/tangy/tongue defying blue one at that. I had to be peeled off the cheese fridge. Finally when my belly and liver could take no more I slid out to the terrace and planted my butt in a chair and enjoyed the sites of new friends and old dancing in some of the delights that bring this fair city to night – a night where food and drink finds are friendly to the locals that help make this joint and town hop. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5

AUGUST CHEERS! – standouts of the night – so many to count!

2009-08-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

All I can say is to give those chaps behind CHEERS! St. Helena a raise! Good clean small town fun is hard to find, and even harder to rely on, but month after month CHEERS! has delivered a bang up time and then some. With only 2 more socials left for the season (the doors close in Oct.) I challenge us town-folks to ban together and instigate a riot. The point? To inspire the gang at CHEERS! to rustle up a new social incarnation to transport us through the stone-cold nights (ok how cold can it really get here?) of wineward winter. Who’s with me on the crusade? But back to some of the showstoppers of the night. So many wines grappling for attention and more than a handful got mine. Here is the run down on wines that I was more than happy to slurp. Faust's Cab, in one word – sinful. In a few words, ruby red rich berry goodness. Petite Syrah – how I love these, Raymond's won my heart. I’m not sure about you but I tasted deep smooth black currant goodness as I slid it down my wine tube. I love when a white wine sidles up to me and knocks me off my red wine high horse. Joseph Phelps’s Sauvignon Blanc did the trick. Beautiful pineapple explosion! Chappellet’s Merlot turned my blushing cheeks in their direction. It was light and beefy (if wine can be such things), quite a pairing in one smooth slurp. And not to leave out the price busting find of the night in the quirky Quixote’s petite syrah. Dry, kicking, tasty and downright spunky – despite a night spent power-tasting, it brought my taste buds back to life and the affordable price is downright delightful. And since CHEERS! has much more to offer than just wine the tunes of the night are worth a mention, especially Taylor Brown and his sway-worthy acoustic sounds. I hate to make comparisons but if you hail from the Jack Johnson side of the music house, check this kid out because he gives old Jack-O a run for his strumm’in money. I can't be certain but that guy next to Taylor looked a lot like Doug Strewblow from the CHEERS! gang, regardless, he’s got some pipes too. And I wanted to raise just one more glass to the folks at Martini House for hosting (unofficially) the post social after-party, not sure how many people is reasonable to squeeze into that tight little bar space, but the crowd was beyond CHEER-ful. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes!

Boutique really is better when it comes to the Wine Country Inn

2009-08-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

People are ever-confused when they visit Napa which leaves most staying at over priced under-performing hotels in the heart of the city as opposed to seeking out quaint gems tucked between hilly grape-filled countryside towns like Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford and Yountville. The Wine Country Inn gives you a little bit of a lot under one beautifully posh yet cozy-comfy B&B nestled into nature giving you a real slice of wine country life. You've got stellar views, outdoor patios, along with superior bungalows and suites that can make even the crabby content. If that ain't enough they top things off with home cooked breakfasts that go well beyond B&B norms (homemade apple sauce, granola, cobbler and an army of other tasty delights including baked breads, create your own waffles and European coffee that put hair on my girly chest). And they don’t stop there folks! They offer up a custom wine tasting tour that’s built to your own interests and wine preferences and they continue the magical madness with their afternoon wine, app/snack social. It transports you out of your tough day on the tasting trail and ushers you into the next phase of the day. Every day they hand pluck select vineyards to pour stellar wine in the comfort of the Inn. Nothing short of rejuvenating and readying you for a tasty night out at some of the best bite joints around. They can score reservations at the hottest tickets in town from the intimate to the scene-y or whatever else in between). Hospitality, spa services, amenities, and concierge with a heart filled of grapes are why folks get hooked into life-timer status at the Wine Country Inn. They all but had to kick me to the wine curb (though they were too kind to do so), because, if given the chance I might've shacked up as a permanent resident amidst the bliss that busted through the grapes of the Inn’s grounds. Wacky WineSense rating: 5 grapes!

The reindeer games start early this year…CHEERS!

2009-08-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

Even though the blissful days of winter are months away the reindeer games are kicking into gear later this week. Friday (August 7th) marks the 4th installment of CHEERS! St. Helena where a bounty of good clean fun comes riding into a neighborhood near you. If you’re adverse to driving out of your own town comfort zone just hop aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train that is porting peeps to the party from Napa and Yountville, allowing just about anyone who wants to, get in on the festivities. On the first Friday of every month (through Oct. 09) St. Helena’s main strip closes down to car-folk and opens up to street-folk. Standard crowd pleasers stand including wine pours from 70+ vineyards that graciously set up their makeshift tasting rooms inside and out of the hottest shops in town. Get slightly snockered while you shop (don’t mention that you heard that here)! Hang out for free at the friendship lounges located at each tip of town (Hunt & Adams St. closures) and catch live tunes at Ana’s Cantina and outside Neiman’s Motorcycles. The CHEERS! gang has even set up a kiddie corner and (child care for the small fries, activities of the older tots) bike valet so leave your four wheeler safely parked at home and get your butt on a bike. The antics start at 6PM and end at 9. This is your chance to meet an estimated 3000 other reindeers that have decided life is too damn happening to hibernate at home. Admission is free. If you want in on the wine, individual pours are available for purchase, but I recommend the evening pass for $35 beans. What more of a stimulus do you need - 70 swigs in a two block radius. Having attended every CHEERS! since my arrival in town, I’m going rate this bash before it even happens because that is how much of a good time you are guaranteed to have. Wacky WineSense rating: 5+ Grapes!

Things are Happening at Havens!

2009-07-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

The wines at Havens Wine Cellar are down right heavenly. Starting with a crispy little ditty of an Albarino. It was like being in the middle of a citrus smack down. I was converted, if only for the day into a white wine lover. The Bourriquot had smatterings of Cabernet Franc accented with blueberry bliss goodness. It’s a wine with a mind of its own, delighting you down to the last droplet. I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on the Hudson Vineyard Syrah. This baby smelled and tasted like savory raw beef: bold, brazen and beautiful, loved it! Their wine pad is tucked away from the hubbub of the main drag and nestled beneath a posse of leafy trees, so between the wine and the setting you'll realize just how close you to a slurp of Napa Valley heaven. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 grapes!

Wine with the family

2009-07-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Arger-Martucci is a family run gem of a vineyard offering up gaggles of fun and fabulous wine. If recent wine tasting and tours have left you feeling more like a fly on the pavement at the Tour de France, as opposed to special wine tasting being you might want to make a pit stop at A-M. This boutique family winery brings you into a land where friends can go into business together with sparkling results: a bounty of fruitful vino offspring. The Arger and Martucci clans joined forces over ten years ago and in that short span of time they’ve produced a bounty of slurp-worthy wines. Their goods run the gamut from a spicy bone-dry Viognier (succulent on hot summer night), to an award wining Atlas Peak Syrah (rich in texture, long in finish, bursting with cherry goodness), and the red god-like goodness just keeps on building. A red blend dubbed Odyssey was their flagship Bourdoux blend and with one sip I felt like I was in transported to another country and another time. They sealed my wine tasting deal with a mountain of hefty reds (too many to count) ending with a Cab Franc and Petite Syrah. By this point in the tasting I was so far under the spell of their vino I can’t tell you which was my favorite because they were all so damn good down to the last strong supple and oh so sweet swig. And if good wine wasn’t enough, they pull you into their own backyard, amidst swaying oak trees, a pristine pool peppered with picnic tables, proving that fine wine, friends and family do mix. And if you still don’t believe me, you will once you stop off and meet the friendly folks at Arger-Martuccci, you’ll feel like one of the family, if only for the day. Wacky WinSense Rating: 4.75 grapes

Fab food and wine....together at last!

2009-07-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

So, I’ll admit it. The prospect of pairing fine food with my wine was nothing short of stifling for a wine country neophyte like myself. But I let the heat and my newness to town sway me from my natural born tendencies. I allowed myself to be wooed into making a turbo Beatle climb up the precarious sloping mountain streets of Sage Canyon Road as I made my way to Kuleto’s St. Helena Estate. My purpose: sidling up next to a multi-goblet & platter extravaganza of wine and food delights, otherwise called "wine and food pairing" in these parts. I have no idea what in the hell is and isn’t apropos to start with, so screw the formalities. It’s worth mentioning, before I get too far ahead of myself, that their 2004 estate Cab can be slurped on a “no food required” basis, in the best possible sense. But that said, I don’t want to diminish the savory goodness that resident Chef Janelle Weaver whipped up in the kitchen, nor do I want to do a disservice to all of the other wines (equally sippin and slurp worthy). This old kitty, despite her set-in-her-ways wine tasting spots, was sucked under the spell of a sweet little 2006 berry-licious Zin, and while I love zin, it typically never rules my wine roost, until today. And that’s the great thing about a wineward way of life in The Valley, you’re never too old, or young to realize that the person that you thought you knew, can turn out to be nothing short of a “stranger” when it comes to discovering your new food and wineself. There is way too much to call out in one posting, so I will touch on a few of my personal favs, the stuff that most wouldn’t bother to comment on, but hell, someone should, so why not me? I start with my hates, typically one of my all time favorite personal pet food peeves is none other than the deviled egg. Maybe it has something to do with those not-faint-enough memories of awkward thanksgiving days filled with nail biting college football and too-long-of-a-holiday weekend with my family, but I digress. On this fine day, I was shocked to find that in the land of deviled eggs, fresh hatched, does make a difference, as does a sumptuous blend of cream fraiche and a healthy sliver of smoked king salmon, which all but squashed my no-egg yolk tendencies. Then, trying to keep with my light and loose wine/food pairing order, I matched it with their chardonnay, again not my first choice always one to hail to the red wine gods, but I was bit by this wine bug. Food brought this butter baby to a state of fruity pineapple smash, and coming from a self-proclaimed no-chard zone, it continued to cement my sentiments that you’re never too old to learn something new about yourself. I can’t be certain, but a gal or two may have clucked on demand in an effort to get her some more of that stuff. And while we are discussing feathered farm friends, I can’t fail to mention that a duck confit taco with home grown apricot-chard preserves caused me to temporarily lift my no-duck moratorium (sorry childhood duck friends Charlie and Charlotte!). Light, sprightly, but packing a savory punch. And I don't want to forget the chutney, a fruity bouncing delight, I'm not sure what she puts in that stuff, but it sings and could easily be slathered over just about anything. As far as the rest of the food, veg-heads beware, you might want to pitch your vegan selves back to Los Angeles, or wherever you happen to hail from, because if not, you will miss some of the wizardry that Chef Weaver has to offer. On to more meat! Hanger steak hooking up with “baba ganoush”? Yes, you heard me right. And while I pride myself on being a virgin steak hound (no accoutrements required – aside from wine) this little ditty was a pleaser. Who would’ve thunk to pair eggplant, onion and a bit of baba with your beef? Random bit of info, when rosemary is in the house, rub it down! Why? Because, we said so. It smells good and reminds you why food is meant to be savored and sniffed. Especially when Ms. Rose Mary is dropped atop your lamb & plum sausage w/Anson Mills polenta cake and then complemented with a fruity, smooth,spicy, flavorful Zin (sorry, it was my surprise find of the session), you too would think about grabbing a hanky to wipe away some fine food and wine tears, from your sockets. But hold the hankie because there were a few more finds. I don’t know about you, but I like my steak (hanger) and syrah (2006) racy, young, and succulent. If you’re bobbin your noggin to this beat, check this shite out, cause it'll fit your fancy. And sad to say, the day did have to come to an end. But lucky for me that equated to sitting perched in a wood rocking chair, amidst a bounty of grapes, with a wine world beneath me, smooth truffle chocolate in one hand and the 2004 estate cab stuffed in the other. Since my move to these parts, I’ve yet to feel closer to heaven than now. Slurpin never looked, tasted, or felt so fine. Learn more about upcoming wine & food pairings. Wacky WineSense rating: 5 Grapes (all the way around).

Summer never sounded so sweet!

2009-07-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Wine doesn’t have to be the only game in town this summer because for us lucky suckers lurking around the Napa and Sonoma wine country, there is free music to be had. And while I know it is hard to peel your eyes off the plethora of cable TV’s finest (HBO’s Entourage, Showtime’s Weeds, the tail end of FX’s raucous Rescue Me, and the pending arrival of TNT’s hot little ditty Mad Men) there is a time in life where the outside world must prevail, because as much as I hate to admit it, the days of summer will be getting shorter soon enough. Thankfully, the technology gods invented DVRs, TIVOs and if you must, VCRs which leaves you no excuses for get your cool indoor summer habitat and out in to a free summer musice scene. I challenge you, not to have a good time, slurpin up the strumming guitars, nature’s natural acoustics, and some sultry singers with this summer's finest mix of music. So over-stuff your picnic basket (no one said you had to forgo wine with your entertainment), pack up your comfy chairs and beach blankets and slide over to the outdoor melody of choice. There is something happening on just about every night of the week, so go on, give your pie-hole a rest and let someone else do the talking, or singing so that you can get back to basics: tunes, food, friends, and friends.
Here’s some of the rundown:
Tuesday nights (weekly) Healdsburg Plaza 6-8PM (go early and hit the fab Farmer’s Market)
Thursday nights (weekly) Calistoga's Pioneer Park 6-9PM (BBQ, brews and vino available for purchase or BYO)
Thursday nights (bi-weekly) St. Helena's Lyman Park 6-8PM
Friday nights (weekly) Napa’s Veteran’s National Park 6:30-10, 3 bands
Sunday nights (weekly) Santa Rosa’s Juillard Park 5-7PM

So, open up your ears, shut your trap and close eyes and enjoy the gabobs of free strumming summer sounds while it lasts.Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 grapes!

July Jams at Chase Family Cellars

2009-07-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure where you were Saturday night, but if you weren’t at the Chase Family Cellar’s July Fest extravaganza, frankly you missed the taco boat, pardner. And while white men supposedly can’t dance, and women only eat chocolate after dark, and wine can’t be slurped only savored, and 80’s music is as dead as Elvis, this summer showdown stomped out all of those crazy notions, because for the good and bad of it, white men did dance, WRISTROCKET proved that 80's rock will surge regardless of the decade, and slurpin a bounty of fine wines is A-OK in the presence of good company and a downright majestic wine farm setting. Sombreros off to Mitchell's Taco Truck (they perkily served up mind blowing tacos and burritos for a crowd of 500+) and to the grand old folks at Chase, thanks for welcoming us into your family if only for the night. If you yearn to keep the lovin feeling alive all summer long scoop up as much of their zippy Zin that your hot little hands can handle! Wacky Winesense Rating: 5 grapes!