The hunt for Red October….red wine, that is. In search of some new big bold reds, that is my motto this month. You know the ones I am talking about, the ones that stand up to rich foods. Tonight we grilled T-bone steaks before the rain moved in and I said, although it is Monday and I normally might skip wine during the work week, I really wanted a nice red with my steak. I guess it because we rarely eat red meat so when I do have a nice steak, I want a nice red wine to accompany it. This month has brought us some outstanding reds such as a 2004 PreVail West Face Red. A very bold yet smooth red that we recently tried for the first time. PreVail is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend grown on the West facing slopes of PreVail vineyards.... »View More
Added Monday, October 27, 2008
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I’m talking about olive oil when I say the “other” Napa tasting. Well, to be honest it is not just Napa, but it is another popular product from Napa and other parts of California. Olive trees are quite common in California and some of the best olive oils are produced there. Much like wine, olive oil is tasted and rated. The varieties of olive oil available today is huge. Some restaurants even have olive oil menus similar to wine lists. Like wine, olive oil is rated on it’s appearance, aroma, mouthfeel and flavor. Most times a bland or “country” style bread is used for tasting purposes when sampling olive oil. Appearance is the color and clarity. Most olive oils are somewhat cloudy. The color can... »View More
Added Monday, October 27, 2008
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Venge Vineyards returns at their new location in Calistoga! After the original location in St Helena, the historic Rossini Ranch property was sold last May, Kirk Venge owner/winemaker took the opportunity to go it alone with the Venge label. Kirk purchased the 12.6 acre Berlin Ranch in North Calistoga and recently opened his offices there. Kirk is the son of legendary winemaker Nils Venge who now owns Saddleback Cellars located in Oakville. Nils has a long history working for some of the top wineries in the valley. In 1985 while a minority partner in Groth Vineyard Nils received the first 100 point perfect score from wine critic Robert Parker. His 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon earned Nils the title “The King of Cabernet”. Nils left... »View More
Added Saturday, October 25, 2008
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Almost all Napa districts are reporting the 2008 harvest is over. A few are taking advantage of warm dry weather for a little more hang time, and will finish up with steady picking in the next two weeks. Reports across the board are of low crop yields maybe down as much as 40-50%. Lack of early rain in February, March and April, the history making frost and a prolonged heat spell during bloom all contributed to the low yields. Yet those factors also may have a positive effect on the quality of the fruit with small berries and excellent flavor density. Winemakers are optimistic that quality will be very high with some going so far as to say this could be a great vintage. Lee Hudson of Hudson Vineyards summed up harvest 2008 by saying “Harvest... »View More
Added Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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Wine Spectator magazine reports in their November 2008 issue that Amazon.com is jumping into the wine business. The largest online retailer is launching a new Web site dedicated to wine. Consumers in 25 states will be able to purchase wine on the site by mid autumn, with expansion to other states in the future. A Napa wine executive who has spoken with Amazon stated “I think their intention is to have nearly every wine available on their Web site”. Started in 1994 as an online book seller they moved into many other products including electronics, clothes and movies. Amazon has enormous resources with revenues over 17 billion reported last year. Amazon has tried to recruit scores of Napa Valley estates. Details on wine producers and... »View More
Added Monday, October 20, 2008
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Fall cleaning seems like an odd title for wine babble, and no, I am not cleaning out my wine cellar.
Although, that could be fun. I am actually talking about my magazine rack and my bookshelves and the stacks of magazines in the corner of the office. The old editions of Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and Food and Wine. I decided we need to take charge of the magazine situation around this house and start clearing out the number of magazines before they take over all of our living space. That being said, I vowed to pick up a few magazines each day and thumb through to remove any interesting article or recipe I might want, rip out the page, and toss the rest of the magazine. Well, actually I look, rip my pages, then pass it to my husband... »View More
Added Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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Wine of the month for October is reflective of my wine tastes of late. I am all about the blends. Of course, I still love my Cabernets and Zinfindels, but I am really digging the blends lately. Source Napa 2004 Heritage Sites Napa Valley Red Wine is the October wine of the month. The 2004 is the latest release of the Heritage Sites produced by Davies and Gamble. The winery was originally founded in 2000 by Bill Davies (the Davies family owns Schramsberg Vineyards) and Tom Gamble (the Gambles have farmed in Napa Valley since 1916). As you can see between the two family names there is a lot of Napa Valley history behind this label. The Heritage Sites 2004 vintage is a blend of 62% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2%... »View More
Added Monday, October 6, 2008
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The web site Appellation American states that “ Pennsylvania has an ideal climate for a mid-Atlantic state to become a major player in the North American wine world .” With mild winters and a long moderate growing season minus the problem causing heat spikes, and enough natural precipitation to nurture vines, a climate similar to that of Germany. Add the rolling hills south eastern Pennsylvania is known for and you have some natural drainage and ideal southern exposure. The state boasts more than 90 wineries, spread across the state, with five being classified as American Viticultural Areas, and a wine trail in about every part of the state. Pennsylvania is the nations eighth largest producer of wine and fourth largest grower of grapes.
There... »View More
Added Saturday, October 4, 2008
in Us Wine Regions
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Having arrived home from our wine weekend in Chadds Ford Pennsylvania. I wanted to quickly get down my thoughts on a fun and educational trip. We began our trek on Friday afternoon leaving at around 4:00 PM. The weather report for the entire weekend was for rain heavy at times as a tropical type storm was quickly moving up the east coast. Having already decided rain was not about to dampen our weekend, we were off for a fun time. The drive down was a little on the frustrating side, the newly purchased Maggelin GPS unit was set to a selection of least use of freeways. You know, a nice, easy, stress free drive on less traveled roads. Well… that added about an hour and a half extra to the trip, we hit just about every red light in the state... »View More
Added Thursday, October 2, 2008
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As I sit here with a glass of Chaddsford Cabernet Sauvignon that we purchased this past weekend while visiting the winery, I am thinking about the statement wine is a way of life. That is a catch phrase that we so often hear, whether it be quoted by someone or printed on a cocktail napkin, I know it is frequently used. “Wine is a way of life”- what a statement. It means something different to all of us, for the winemaker/vineyard owner we spent time with this weekend, it really is his whole life. For me, wine is something I enjoy as part of my life. I also think about the book I am reading, the Far Side of Eden by James Conaway; also author of Napa: the story of an American Eden. The book is subtitled New Money, Old Land, and... »View More
Added Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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