Amusing Musings From the Wine Road

Featured Wine - Andrew Murray 2005 Grenache

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
Today's wine of the week is from a long-time favorite producer - Andrew Murray - whose Syrah may have enjoyed the best of all product placements in the movie "Sideways".  The producers even worked the winery name into the script, and I can promise you small boutique wineries such as this one get into movies because there's somebody who loves it, not because they can afford product placement fees!

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Andrew Murray 2005 GrenacheBuy It Here! $313.20 a case or $29 a bottle.

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The Wine
This Grenache is a flirty wine.  It loves everybody and everything.  It's a great spring wine, on its own or with foods of the early garden.  And while its "Golden Retriever Enthusiasm" grows tiring after a while, it's often late into the evening, after more than one bottle has been stripped of its cork.  And, better yet, it won't chew on your shoes.  You may have a bit of work convincing this wine it wasn't born to be a room freshener, but then again, you may not want to.

Look for aromas of strawberries, dark cherries and sweet spice note from Andrew's deft use of oak. The Stelvin closure is now a non-news item, and is no longer a surprise on fine wines.  Especially wines like this one, intended to be drunk somewhere between now and three years from now.  It is a medium-bodied wine that provides a pleasant and lingering finish.

The grapes for this wine come from the Brave Oak Vineyard in Paso Robles, which charges a premium for their grapes, especially when they are grown to winery specifications, as these were. The grower trims the “wings” of the clusters in the summertime, an expensive technique used to concentrate the fruit flavors as the cluster ripens and not economical in wines of lesser price.  Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for!

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Andrew Murray 2005 GrenacheBuy It Here! $313.20 a case or $29 a bottle.

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See you there?!
Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
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Today's Quote
"Think of Grenache as Louis Armstrong or the Beatles. Its genius lies in its ability to make wines that appeal to purists and a broad audience alike."  Mick Unti, Unti Vineyards

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This is Pink Out!

Thursday, March 20, 2008
Those who are no stranger to this page know that I carry a soft spot for good dry Rosés.  It's a habit I picked up on a hot day in the South of France.  I highly recommend it.

Whether you're one of the wine drinkers on the leading edge of new trends, and already have discovered the joys of such wines, or a doubter yet to be convinced, I encourage your attendance at the Pink Out! event (always a sell-out) is coming to San Francisco's Butterfly Restaurant.  This year's event is on Tuesday, May 13th.

Get $10 off the normal admission price when you click here to order online!

PURCHASE TICKETS

Where: Butterfly, located at Pier 33 (The Embarcadero at Bay Street)
When: Tuesday, May 13th
Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Tickets: $35 online advance; $45 at door, if available (NOTE: event has sold out in advance every year)

Click Here for full details on the group's website.

*Participating Wineries To Date (subject to change without notice): Alexander Valley Vineyards, Amador Foothill Winery, Angove's, Carol Shelton Wines, Chateau Lassegue, Clos Du Bois, County Line Vineyards, Enjoie, Etude, Famille Ligneres, Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery, Fra Guerau, Freixenet Cordon Rosado, Gloria Ferrer, Goelet Wine Estates, Goelet Wine Estates, Hendry, Montevina Winery, Muscardini Cellars, Pedroncelli Winery, Pisoni Vineyards & Winery, Pretty Sally Wines, Raymond Vineyards, Saintsbury, Segura Viudas, SoloRosa, St. Francis Winery, Tamayo Family Vineyards, Verdad Wine Cellars, VIE, Yangarra Estate Vineyard

See you there?!
Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
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April 15th Wine Class at the Reaves Gallery, San Francisco!

On April 15th, Come Celebrate Your Tax Refund!

(OR Commiserate Over Taxes Owed!)

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Either way, you'll feel better after honing your tasting skills with me during an evening at Reaves Gallery, a great new art space at 2344 Market Street run by my old friend Sharon Reaves (at her gallery, right).  Tickets are $49.

Using exercises I've learned over decades of wine tasting, attendees will first hone their tasting skills to a finer level.  These new skill will then be put to work in the ultimate test - a blind tasting of 5-6 different wines. I'll provide prizes for those who can match each wine to its related profile.

In my classes, I take an informal and informative approach to wine education through stories.  I find this approach appeals to fanatical collectors as much as it does casual sippers. If you plan to be in the Bay area on the evening of Tuesday, April 15th, I'll hope you can join us!

The area around 2344 Market Street has plenty of street parking available, but is also well served by public transportation (a wise choice!)

Join us and give your tastebuds a workout!  Click the box below to purchase tickets at $49 each.

Finding the Reaves Gallery at 2344 Market Street:

• Nearest BART Station, 16th Street, Mission Station (1 Mi. from Gallery)
• Nearest MUNI stop, 16th and Castro (1 block away)

View Larger Map

Hope to see you there!

Dave the Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

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Today's Quote
"The art in using wine is to produce the greatest possible quantity of present gladness without any future depression...."  Thomas Walker

Beer Ads Rock! Wine ads whimper?

I think it's time I came clean and admitted to you that I am, at heart, a marketing geek.  I used to record the Superbowl so I could catalog the commercials in my collection, and if THAT doesn't define "marketing geek" I don't know what does. 

So it is with great frustration that I watch the beer industry (dominated by a handful of major brands and an ever-shrinking number of micro brands) consistently come out with great ads, while the wine industry founders with minuscule ad budgets.  The answer, of course, is that there are over 5,000 wineries, and only the top 100 or so have significant ad budgets.  The other 4,900 wineries do the best with what they have, but most wine ads are as forgettable as a Lite beer.

If wineries could pool together to create ads as memorable as this one, it could go a long way toward promoting moderate wine consumption as a healthy part of daily life.  But stronger advocates than I have failed at convincing producers of this wisdom.

Have another favorite wine or beer ad?  Post the link in a comment or send it to me in an email and I'll post it if I can find it on YouTube, then we can all vote for our favorite.

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
www.SidewaysWineClub.com

P.S. slmost better than the actual ad is the five minut "Making Of" video.  Wathc it here.

Spring Wines. Special Prices!

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Save 10% on Six Spring Wines, now just $118Click Here!

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An Early Easter!!

Ever since I was a candy-hunting kid I've been confused about the timing of Easter.  Adulthood has brought me no clarity - sometimes it's in March, sometimes April.  What gives?

Turns out my confusion was well justified.  The timing of Easter originated with the lunar calendar the Hebrews used to identify the date of Passover, which is why Easter now moves all over our Roman calendar. To determine which Sunday Easter falls upon, one must follow a three-step process.

1. First, find the date for the Spring Equinox - That's Thursday, 3/20/08.  This is also Snowman Burning Day, perhaps not a coincidence.
2. Find the first full moon following that date - Friday, 3/21/08.
3. Identify the next Sunday following the full moon - Sunday, 3/22/08. 

So, this year we'll see the earliest Easter most of us have EVER seen.  It hasn't fallen this early for 95 years, and won't again until 2228.  That's 220 years from now, for those who are counting.  And I think that is worthy of a little celebration...

Six Spring Wines, 10% Savings!
Regardless of your faith tradition, you'll enjoy these wines with the foods of the season - spring lamb, ham, and most vegetable dishes.

1. Heron Wines, 2005 Chardonnay, $11.00  Bright and crisp with some pear notes and a telltale essence of orange peel.  Fruit comes form Carneros, Russian River and Santa Maria.  A tremendous value in a solid wine.  Pair with spring salads (but go light on the vinegar dressings!), most vegetables, or spiced ham.
2. Tudor Wines, 2005 Radog Riesling, $16.00  Monterey county fruit has produced a wine offering nosefuls of classic Riesling character - floral aromas, stone fruits, and that subtle hint of almond.  The classic yin-and-yang of Riesling, the tension between its natural bitterness and its floral fruit aromas, keeps this wine interesting and flexible enough to pair with a huge array of foods.  Beginning to take on some bottle bouquet indicative of Riesling.
3. J. Wilkes, 2005 Pinot Blanc, Bien Nacido Vineyard, $17.60  a zippy wine with mouth-watering crispness.  The perfect oyster wine, but also look to chicken picatta or fish dishes with lots of lemon.  Citrus is the key bridge ingredient here.  Stands up well to salads with vinaigrettes, vegetable dishes, and poultry or ham.
4. Pietra Santa, 2003 Sangiovese, $18.00  Pietra Santa's winemaker, Allesio, is a native of Tuscany, and we think his background shows through in this Italian varietal.  Cherry and raspberry fruit are complimented with deeper notes of earth and leather and cigar box spice.  Very nice with spring lamb and other light meats.
5. Ovene Winery, 2004 Pinot Noir, "The Puzzle" $30.00  Deep cherry and strawberry sit atop hints of smoky oak in this medium-weight wine nearing it's peak.  There aren't many foods that this wine won't compliment, but grilled Rack of Lamb is my favorite, without question!
6. Fiddlehead Cellars, 2003 Pinot Noir "728" $38.00  Deep red cherries and blackberries and hints of old leather tobacco pouch. Long, layered and complex flavors, with ample round fruit with a solid structure.  The classic wine for spring lamb.

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Save 10% on all six Spring Wines, now just $118Click Here!

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Cheers!
Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
www.SidewaysWineClub.com

Quote of the Day
"Forget love.  I'd rather fall in chocolate."
Author Unknown

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Mark Your Calendars for the 2008 Wine Tasting Championships!

The 26th Annual California Wine Tasting Championships
Greenwood Ridge Winery, Anderson Valley, CA
Sat July 26th & Sun July 27th
Sign Up Here!
$45 for Single Competitor, $80 for team of two

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Thursday, March 6th, 2008
Though the weekend of July 26th and 27th may seem a long ways off, it will arrive before we know it.  And when the sun rises on those fateful days, you'll count yourself lucky if you decided to join me at Greenwood Ridge winery, high in the hills of Anderson Valley for the annual wine tasting competition.

Novices, amateurs and professionals compete in three different waves, so no matter what your expertise, you're assured of a good time while "competing" with your peers.  Each class offers two rounds of competition, those making it through the first round moving on to a second, more challenging round.  The winners of each group then compete in the final round, held in front of the seated crowd - the "American Idol" of the wine industry.

Bring a big hat, a blanket, a picnic and lots of sunscreen then wander from the music deck to the food tent to the ample lawns or vineyard of this scenic winery.

Recommended Strategy
There are those who feel it wise to keep their palate unfettered by alcohol between rounds of competition.  Then there are those who just as strongly advocate for the opposite strategy - consuming ample quantities between rounds.  I've seen victors emerge from both approaches.  My approach is to take the abstention lane, as I was once offered a most welcome, thirst-qunching beer between rounds only to blow it in the second round.  Given that I'm almost as superstitious as your average baseball player, I now swear off the intra-round imbibing. 

But last year's winner, the affable Donovan Weir of Southern Wine & Spirits (see photo, and YES, Donny is the one on the bottom) took the opposite tack.  Maybe Donny won because he was well relaxed by his mid-round tipples.  But I must say he gave an impressive performance that day, identifying not only the varietal, region and vintage, but THE PRODUCER on three of the five wines in the championship round.  Good night, turn out the lights, this round is over!

I'd also be remiss were I not to mention consultant Mark Bowery, responsible for the wine list at the Albion River Inn, winner of several "Wine Spectator's Best" awards.  I was humbled while competing at his table, and made a note to sit within eye shot of his tasting notes this year ;-)

Register Today!
This is a nice, relaxing family event, with outdoor music, olive oil tastings, chocolate tastings, vineyard tours, and lots of open grassland.  One year, a couple who first met at this event years ago, and have attended every year since, decided to get married between rounds of the competition.  Even if your summer calendar is already full - find a way to go!

Email Me at dave@SidewaysWineClub.com if you'd like me to send you an application.  Everyone is welcome, and you'll find it difficult to locate a better use for $45 or $80, even in these economic times!

See you there?!
Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
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Featured Wine - Roessler Cellars '03 Pinot, Pisoni Vineyard

Wednesday March 5th, 2008

Roessler Cellars 2003 Pinot Noir, Pisoni Vineyard
$648/Case or $60/Bottle

Roessler Cellars (sounds like "wrestler") is one of our nation's top boutique producers of high end pinot noir.  They produce about a dozen different pinots a year, most of which are vineyard designated, and most of which do not exceed a few hundred cases. 

Along with Siduri and A.P. Vin, Roessler Cellars specializes in pinot noir from our state's best vineyards, including the prestigious vineyards of Widdoes, Clos Pepe, Peay, Sanford & Benedict and several others, including today's featured wine from the famed Pisoni Vineyard in Monterey County. 

The Vineyard

Pisoni Vineyards has been recognized as one of the world's "top ten vineyards" and one of America's five "Grand Cru" vineyards.  With 45 acres of small-block vineyards located at 1,300 feet in the Southern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation, Pisoni sells primarily to artisanal producers of premium vineyard-designated pinot, keeping a small amount for their own production.  The vines grow in poor soils consisting primarily of decomposed granite, stressing the vines, which results in grapes with fuller flavors.  Those who go in for personifying things say the vines "know" they are stressed and may not live, so the vines give their all to the fruit in order to keep the next generation alive.  Whatever, the fact is that the fruit from stressed vines is universally sought the world over.

For those of you who have ever traveled CA Hwy 101 through America's Salad Bowl (a well-deserved nickname for Salinas County, and one they prefer to "Steinbeck Country"), you've unknowingly passed this prestigious plot of land as you passed due West of Pinnacles National Monument at the Gonzales exit (the one with the large round water tower - you can't miss it).  Fruit from Pisoni only ends up in the hands of the most talented producers, though I'm not sure if this is due to his own volition or simply the price Gary Pisoni can demand for his premium fruit.

The Wine

I enjoyed this wine at the Pinot on the River event several years ago, and keep in touch with Roger Roessler to make sure we have an allocation for our upscale readers who collect and enjoy such rarities.  Look for dark cherries and red fruits dominating, with mushrooms, warm earth and sweet spices making up the chorus.  I find this to be the most "old world" style of all the Roessler wines, though those from the Sonoma Coast are also in the running.  It is, without question, a new world wine that will never be confused for a Burgundy, but it does lean towards that side of the spectrum, bringing the best of both worlds together in a single bottle.

And speaking of bottles... with almost five years under its cork, the bottle bouquet is beginning to come to the fore on this wine.  As it approaches its prime, I recommend opening one bottle every six months to see how it is developing.  A great wine I'm pleased to present.

Roessler Cellars 2003 Pinot Noir, Pisoni Vineyard.

$648/Case or $60/Bottle

Cheers!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

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