Archive

I was laying in bed last night, listening to the various fireworks shows going on up and down the street from my house (and trying to keep my elderly cat, Sera, from clawing my face off from fright – she didn’t enjoy all the boom-boom’s outside), I was thinking about all of those “where do [...]

The illustrious SWS/Crown rep/DEPS alum, Ray – aka Dr. Gonzo – came by to show off a boxful of Cru Beaujolais from Duboeuf and a trio of kooky bottles from Voga: Georges Duboeuf Mâcon-Villages Domaine des Chenevières 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Nice, light-bodied Chardonnay with crisp green apple, white peach and Bartlett pear notes, some white flower [...]

Yesterday, our Tramonte rep/DEPS alum Devon, came by with some very cool wines: Brut D’Argent Blanc de Blancs NV. Grade=Outstanding. This 100% Chardonnay from the Jura has light effervescence, slight hints of crisp green apple and pear, a bit of mineral and some touches of buttered brioche at the finish. Nice value. David Girard Couer [...]

So the wine blogging world is a weird one, especially when it comes to handing out awards. I have befriended some of the winners, and a lot of the losers (myself included), but the awards that bum me out the most are the one’s doled out by local newspapers/magazines, the ones that local folks nominate [...]

Martin from Martin & Co. Wines came by today with more from Bodegas Benegas and Humberto Canale: Canale Estate Malbec Rosé Patagonia 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Delicious red berry notes with a hint of açai berry and blueberry, some spices and nice acidity. Canale Estate Pinot Noir Patagonia 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Soft, supple and silky smooth with Bing [...]

Staring into the great white nothing, I’ve been busy getting back into the swing of things around here, and the whiteout of my energy and vision is something of a mindbender. I feel at times as though I am going through the motions around here, relying too heavily on my current reservoir of wine knowledge [...]

Our RNDC/Sales Manager, Mike, came by today with Gina from Epicurean Wines, an importer of Australian wines. She brought a lot of new wines I hadn’t yet seen… Big Woop! White Wine South Eastern Australia 2008 (1 liter). Grade=Outstanding. A nice, lively blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Pinot Gris that shows perfumed notes of orange [...]

Today went relatively smooth considering it was time for all those end-of-month deals to wade through as well as seeing what was missed, what was out, etc. etc. I picked the right time to quit drinking soda though - caffeine withdrawal in full-effect. Anyway, a belated congrats to all the winners of this year’s Wine [...]

Catching up on things, as I stare my final day of vacation in the face, I commented Thursday on L’Ecole winemaker Martin Clubb as being partners in both Leonetti Cellar and Pepper Bridge Winery. WRONG! Jamie from L’Ecole corrected me in that he is partnered with the aforementioned wineries in the operation of the Seven [...]

My wife made a comment to me that, after so many years in the food & beverage business, I hadn’t a simple answer. “Why do all chefs smoke?” That would seem to be the case, what with watching Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef, seeing all of these chefs smoking after cooking. And after over a [...]