Lake County – Just north of Napa Valley. It’s a relatively new wine producing region in California. We thought we would try to check out some of these new wineries. I stumbled across Fortress Vineyards while searching for some Lake County up and comers. I gave them a call a few weeks before coming out to Napa Valley to see if we could visit them. As it turns out, they don’t have a tasting room, but share space at the Frank Family Winery on Larkmead Lane in Calistoga. Barbara from Fortress offered to meet us at Frank Family. No tasting room and sharing space, but seeming to have won a few awards, that’s my idea of an up and comer. Fortress focuses on Sauv Blanc, the 07 we tasted was flat out the best Sauv Blanc I have recollection of... »View More

Added Tuesday, July 7, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

There is a lot of good food in Napa. St. Helena has some very fine restaurants. Usually there are not bar fights in them, but hey, I guess we came during a good time. Nothing like luxury without the attitude. I like that idea. What a night. A four star meal, started with the best mushroom soup on the planet, followed by a steak and “eggs” that that defies description and definitely not like anything you ever had in a French bistro, finished off with bread pudding from another planet. Ok, so the middle of the meal was made interesting by a loud party that was wisely managed out of the restaurant without missing a beat. Real people, in a real restaurant serving world class food, the kind of place a beer guy on wine can appreciate –... »View More

Added Sunday, July 5, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

They serve wine, even good stuff, at the new fancy baseball stadiums! What’s that about? I visited Citi Field, new home of the New York Mets. They have a climate controlled Wine Cellar in the Sterling Club, which is behind the seats the home plate seats. Sorry, wine doesn’t belong at the ball park, get rid of it! Dump it! They are ruining the spirit of enjoying a good ball game. Some people always take things too far!  »View More

Added Sunday, June 28, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

Before California was world renowned for wine on par with the best in the world, it was known for “jug” wine. Called “jug” because it came in gallon bottle with a handle on it. Today, we call it “box” wine. California is still the world’s largest producer of “box” wine. It is what it is, known for its consistency from year to year batch to batch; it’s a testament to the production ingenuity of the big California producers. It was the forbearer of our wonderful California wines we enjoy today, the finest coming from Napa and Sonoma, representing only 2 to 4% of the total California production. Next time someone brings a box wine to put in your wine cellar, don’t laugh too hard. It’s the hard working grandparent that... »View More

Added Thursday, June 25, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

OK, quick lesson from the “beer guy” on wine. Pace yourself when on a pilgrimage to the valley of the gods. That itinerary might have seemed a bit rough and leave a dent in your next day. Not really. Pace Pace Pace is the trick. First and foremost, take in three times the amount of water then wine. Don’t drink all the wine. Face it; it’s all not that good. If you even think you don’t like it, don’t drink it. That’s what that silver bucket on the table is for, us it! You are just tasting it, not drinking it after all. When you pick up that picnic lunch, pack lots of bread! Have some in between every tasting. During the picnic lunch, don’t drink a bottle of wine; there is plenty of wine to drink. Just enjoy the miniscule... »View More

Added Thursday, June 25, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

Let me lay out a typical itinerary for a day in the valley of the gods. Up at 7AM, big breakfast. Out the door at 8AM. Stop by Dean & Deluca or the Sunshine Market. Pack a cooler full of great picnic lunch. First tasting 9AM. YES! 9AM! Silver Oak is open weekdays at 9AM, along with a few others, call it a warm up. Next, it’s up one of the mountains, Howell, Spring, Diamond. Start at the top and work your way down. Make an appointment at one and ask them to refer you to someone else on the way down. Pick the best views to enjoy your picnic lunch. 3 or 4 tastings later, you are on the valley floor again. If you have it in you, stop at another on the way back to your B&B. Back to the B&B in time for late afternoon... »View More

Added Thursday, June 25, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

OK, so it’s been a while since I blogged. I can’t wait any longer. The annual pilgrimage to Napa Valley is coming up in a week. Some people face east when they pray, well . . . we face west. I guess it just depends where you come from. As long as you are facing in some direction where you hope good things will come from, I guess it’s all good. This year’s pilgrimage will include some of the oldies but goodies. We’ll also leave enough open time to just wing it. That’s how you develop oldie but goodies. I think I want to go to Duckhorn. I love those little ducks on their label, and I have developed an appreciation for their classic Duckhorn Merlot. Damn, that’s an expensive merlot, but it’s very good. I wonder what they... »View More

Added Thursday, June 25, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

Many a wine drinker has pondered this question. Well, the real answer is, whatever you feel comfortable paying. Whether you want to admit or not, the amount of money you pay for a bottle of wine has a lot to do with your perceptions of how good it really was or will be. But, at the end of the day, does it really have anything at all to do with it. There are so many things that go into pricing a bottle of wine . . . I don’t profess to know any of it from an industry point of view. Although, I think I have figured some things out from experience. Generally speaking, a bottle of wine that costs less then $5 is going to be in all likelihood, swill. Face it; in today’s economy does anyone really think it is possible to produce something... »View More

Added Friday, April 17, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

Having been a beer guy for so many years you probably wouldn’t expect such a person spending a significant amount of vacation time and money on trips to Paris, France. Paris, Texas maybe – but not Paris, France. Be it, as it may, due to a collision of work assignments and passing interest in art and architecture combined with an appreciation for almost anything old, I had come to grow very fond of Paris. On one of our vacation trips there, I decided to investigate The Hotel Ritz (pre-Diana fame) and one of its infamous haunts within, The Hemingway Bar. Infamous, because lore has it that upon the news of Paris’ liberation from Nazi rule, Ernest Hemingway bought the bar a round and toasted by firing his sidearm through the ceiling. Pssst,... »View More

Added Saturday, April 4, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment

It all started about 25 years ago. I started to enjoy an ice cold beer. Nothing fancy, a can of Bud or maybe for a special occasion I’d go for some fancy import, like a Molson. Back in those days I really liked a Ballentine Ale. It tasted good enough, and it did the job from a buzz prospective. But the best part was the little puzzles on the inside of the cap. Over the years I became an aficionado of watered down American beers, I just loved them. How could you not like something that tasted almost as good from the first one to the 15th! That old Schaefer commercial was right on. You know it “. . . the one beer to have, when . . .” There was even a little dive bar in town that served Bud bottles along with a little glass to pour... »View More

Added Friday, January 30, 2009 in Beer Guy on Wine Add a Comment