Cyber Tuesday: Snowpocalypse Edition!

January 28, 2014 / thewinesnob / 1 Comment

Well, it’s noon and I haven’t seen a snowflake yet… But the lists of cancellations and closings just keeps on coming! What better time to surf the interwebs and check out some new wines! Here’s some fuel for your fodder- in another brush with internet fame (err.. it’s my second), these two wines were submitted as samples from www.winechateau.com. They’ve certainly made my weekend a little brighter…

Castello Banfi Belnero, 2010 Italy, Tuscany

The first thing that puzzled me about this wine was that on the website, a customer has posted an (although very favorable) review, referring to it as a Chianti. I would not call this a Chianti. Not to nitpick. This borders on Super-Tuscan status. Which is great! It’s a fun category. I’ve always respected the idea of a Super-Tuscan- I like the “eff this noise, we’re gonna put whatever grapes we want in our wine and DOC/DOCG be damned!” mentality. How can you not?

It’s a dark, rich wine that has a giant nose of vanilla and dark fruit upon opening. It shows nice depth, color concentration and will definitely fill your “big red” niche. Additional layers of tobacco, coffee and mocha offer complexity, followed closely by luscious black cherry, blackberry, fruit compote, roasted herbs and maybe a hint of balsamic. A pleasant grip of acid reminds you that this baby is all Italian. I dig it. It’s one of those New-meets-Old-World styles that accomplishes it’s mission quite deftly. Furthermore, it’s a definite overachiever for the $19.99 pricetag. *please note- as of 1.28.14 this wine is sold out via winechateau.com, but they expect to re-up very soon.*

Fratelli Recchia Ca’ Bertoldi Amarone della Valpolicella, 2005 Italy, Veneto

I was looking forward to this one for two reasons; 1.) it got a 92-point rating from Wine Spectator and 2.) it’s $24! These two reasons in and of themselves are not earth-shattering, but combine them AND consider that this is an Amarone? Cha-ching!! For those that don’t know, Amarone can often be a verrry spendy category. It’s also an interesting style of wine because it can be a bit divisive. There are plenty of people out there who might never like Amarone, stylistically. Speaking personally, I’ve had some that I didn’t care for despite the fact that I recognized them as “good wine.” However… I can say that one of the most, if not *the* most, knee-buckling wines I have ever tasted was an Amarone. Granted, it was a $400+ retail bottle of 2006 Dal Forno. Sort of like saying, “Yeah, I was never the same after I drove that Lamborghini.” Duh.

So what’s the deal with Amarone? Why do I call it divisive? Well, they are made in a specific style- appassimento– in which the grapes (Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara) are allowed to partially dry. This causes them to lose a large portion of their weight, and concentrates their sugar content. Hence, the resulting wine is almost always rich, heady, and just plain intense. And some people just aren’t into that…

But I’ll tellya- you find a good one and it’ll just plain blow. you. the. eff. away. Like seriously, you’ll feel as if one of the secrets of the universe has been revealed to you. In one moment, you’ll comprehend why so many have chased the dream of winemaking like Captain Ahab for so many years. I’m not even exaggerating.

Alright, so that was a fun trip down memory lane, but now on to this wine! And let me start by saying I’ve tasted this wine over the course of three days, and it is still freaking beautiful on day three. Upon first open it was maybe a little restrained; the nose showed typical notes of preserved/dried fruit, cocoa, some nuttiness (nut brittle, even), anise and figs. The palate isn’t weighed down or clumsy in it’s fruit/alcohol content. It’s really a perfect introduction to this style of wine; it doesn’t break the bank and it’s balanced enough to appeal to a broad wine-drinking audience. On day two the wine seemed to relax significantly, and bloomed with some additional spicy notes and fruity finesse. All-in-all, I’d call this wine darn good.

One cool perk about Wine Chateau is that on your first order, you get a coupon for $10 off shipping. Additionally, they offer a Mix-&-Match free shipping on many (not all) wines. As I maintained on my last post that involved wines available for internet purchase- I can’t see myself as someone who would purchase wine online that often, but once and a while it’s fun to mix it up. And sometimes online retailers do offer very competitive pricing, and occasionally exclusives on wines you might not find elsewhere. In the case of one particular wine that comes to mind, it has actually become easier in the last few years to find online than it is for (at least in SC) on-premise accounts to get it. So, I’d be remiss if I did not say- don’t forget about your small, local wine store!!; but there’s room in the wine world for more than one way to purchase.

Alright so that’s it for Snowmageddon morning! Best of luck to y’all in the impending doom. I hope you have enough wine. I sure do!

One Wine to Rule Them All- Verso Rosso Salento, 2012 Italy

November 22, 2013 / thewinesnob / 9 Comments

THIS is your big Winter Red!!

I’m 1000% serious. This is absolutely THE wine you are gonna fall head over heels for during the chillier months that are upon us. The best part? You’ve probably never heard of these grapes. You might not know how to say Verso or Salento (VAIR-so and sa-LAIN-to). Heck, you might not have had an Italian wine quite like this before. But trust me, YOU’RE GONNA FLIP!!

This wine is special for several reasons– first, it comes to us from one of my favorite portfolios, Small Vineyards. In order to be included in Small Vineyards, the wine must be hand-harvested, from a family-owned estate, and be farmed in an ecologically friendly manner. Note the word organic is not in use here; in my opinion it’s a bit irrelevant- you can trust that this wine comes from people that really cares about their impact on the environment as well as making the best wine possible, which I trust over a USDA certification eight days a week.

Raisins are tasty.

Second, this wine is big and sexy for a cool reason; a portion of the grapes (no, I’m not sure which ones) were allowed to “raisin”- which is exactly what it sounds like! Also known as “appassimento”, it is a process of allowing the grapes to hang out and dry a bit- concentrating their sugars. It is a labor-intensive process, which results in the reduction of the yield. A labor of love, I would call it. So it means they end up with LESS total wine to put into bottles, BUT the wine that results is so rich and flavorful it’ll leave you speechless- and (AND!) it it not weighed down with a high alcohol content! This wine comes in at a solid 14% abv. That’s a full 1.5-2 percentage points less than your average Cali Cab, Zin or Shriraz- the typical wines “big red” drinkers tend to like. Balance, people- balance! And it means you can drink a bit more of this guy without that thick, heady feeling you get after two glasses of Zinfandel.

Alright, so I got wine-nerdy there for a minute- so let’s get moving with HOW IT TASTES! Because that’s what’s gonna keep you coming back for bottle after bottle. But before I forget, this wine is a blend of 60% Negroamarao, 35% Primitivo (aka Zinfandel’s parent grape) and 15% Malvasia Nera. A giant nose of figs, cloves, anise, vanilla, raisins (go figure), a hint of olives and black peppercorns, a nice lift of dried flowers and red berries and blueberry. The texture is silky, polished and mouth-coating. There’s some unique spicing at work here that I can’t quite pinpoint… I want to say it’s Sumac, but I can’t be positive. It’s taunting me. The wine finishes with elegance and a tangy little pop.

So I saved the BEST FOR LAST! This bottle will cost ya just $16!!

To add to the fun, this wine is available as part of TURKEY PACK #2 at Cellar on Greene this year! That means you can have it along with three other swell bottles to take to your Thanksgiving feast quickly and effortlessly. Never heard of a Turkey Pack? Well, you must click here and check them out. They’re only our most popular wine club item every year! Good news is, you can absolutely grab them as a walk-in purchase- it’ll take 2 seconds for us to pack you one. So you can leave it til last minute, if you’re at all like me!

Happy Thanksgiving, wine-lovers!

Vaughn Duffy Rose, 12 Sonoma

July 18, 2013 / thewinesnob / Leave a comment

So this is a new thing for me, and I feel like a bit of a celebrity.

In the spirit of full disclosure, this wine was received as a sample from one of my Twitter followers, @wineclubguy, aka Mark Aseltine. Turns out, upon inspection, that he is a co-founder of Uncorked Ventures, a site that in addition to having several convenient wine club options, offers pretty neat lookin’ wine gift baskets.

#goesgreatwith… Sriracha?

So this is a Rose of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Syrah from Sonoma County. I’m fairly certain that @wineclubguy saw one of my many tweets about my love for Rose, and that was how this sample bottle ended up in my life. Did a little research, and I’m pretty impressed with some of the buzz about this wine. Evidently not a lot of it makes it out of California (not too surprising given that it’s just 600 cases made). Sarah Vaughn and Matt Duffy were named on a list of Seven Winemakers to Watch in 2012 by the Insider’s Guide to San Francisco in 2012. Their 2010 Rose of Pinot was listed as the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Wines of 2011. There are also some impressive scores for several of their Pinot Noirs- here is where I got this info- worth checking out. Could they be the next members of the “new school” of California winemakers? Matthiasson, Lioco, Arnot-Roberts? Perhaps.

So a bit more about the wine, as I’m trying to keep this post short n’ sweet; it’s a pretty delicious little quaff, and price-wise ($17 is looking like average retail), it is very decent for a small-production, boutique-y Cali Rose. I would pay it. It has a bright nose of freshly grated orange peel, wild strawberry, watermelon and tropical fruit. Nice acid is combined with a juicy mouthfeel, and a nice thirst quenching, easy-going palate. They describe it on their website as a porch sipper, and it’s pretty darn hard to argue with that. Who doesn’t need a porch-sipper? Or in my case, a couch-sipper? A Monday night watching Jurassic Park-sipper? (this movie is fantastic by the way. don’t even argue with me.)

Truth be told, I’m pretty impressed with the quality of this wine, and I can only assume it is representative of the wines available through Uncorked Ventures (note- this wine was included in their “Explorations” wine club shipment). Since I am super-spoiled and hardly ever have to purchase wine in a retail capacity, I’d say my trust-factor isn’t terribly high on internet wine purchases. But this might have earned my trust, and in my opinion that’s about 75% of the battle. Kudos, fellas.

I don’t think I’ll be making the switch to big-time-online-wine-reviewer anytime soon, but this was a fun departure from my norm.

Sometimes I can’t choose just one…

July 21, 2012 / thewinesnob / Leave a comment

A true story for you, on this Saturday. Most weeks I start out with the intention of picking a wine and writing about it. Duh. But if one were to review my blogging history, you’d see that I hardly ever post back-to-back weeks; there’s usually a spell of a week or two where I am silent. And here’s the reason why: I have too many choices. I like too many wines. Many of them, like these three, I like SO much that I spend a chunk of time bound by indecision, struggling to come up with one unifying or decisive factor that will dictate which wine I will write about.

And then all of a sudden it’s Friday, and I have written nothing. And I feel guilty. And resolve to do better next week. And sometimes that is successful, and sometimes it’s not. Such is the human condition. Many writers probably know the feeling of wanting to write, but when you sit down to do it, the words don’t come. Words are fickle creatures, and you can’t force them. Even when they are not incredibly profound, and all you want to do is blather about wine and impart a bit of silliness along the way.

But today the stars seem to be aligned, and once I elected to just narrow it down to three wines, my brain seemed to cooperate and here I sit, ready to rock it out. These three wines are simply stunning! They are perfection. They are three wines that once open, it’s literally impossible not to keep drinking them. So on with the show…

Muga Rose of Garnacha/Viura/Tempranillo, 11 Spain, Rioja. Retails for $13.

look how frosty and delicious this looks.

Okay, so here’s the thing about Muga Rose: IT’S FAB. This is such an elegant little wine with a microscopic little pricetag, and it’s almost unfair. So if you’re new to Rose, and you still think they’re sweet- this wine begs to differ. It is delightfully dry, with perfect acidity, and yet a soft mouthfeel that caresses the ever-lovin’-shizzle out of your tongue. The nose is flowery and zesty. When it first hits your mouth (especially if it’s a touch too cold), you might think it tastes like nothing. But the mid-palate really explodes with pretty flavors of cherry, watermelon, wild strawberry, rhubarb and an ultra-clean, citrusy finish that makes your mouth water. There’s a touch of strawberries-and-cream on the end, too that round out this wine’s finesse. A lovely expression of a Grenache Rose- many of the ones I’ve had tend to be in-your-face in the fruit content- maybe it’s the addition of Viura (a white grape) that make this one super-perfect. 2011 was a hot, dry year in Rioja- perfect for Grenache. It really shows. Drink up!

Antonio Sanguineti Vermentino, 2011 Italy, Tuscany. Retails for $14.

Next up: a little gem of a white wine from the Small Vineyards portfolio, an awesome collection of wines, mostly from Italy. Small Vineyards imports wine that meet certain criteria: they must be hand-harvested, from a family-owned estate, and earth-friendly. A pretty high standard in the sea of mass produced wines that we swim in. I was fortunate to attend a tasting this past March in Charleston, SC where they presented many of their wines. Duly impressed, I was. This wine in particular really seemed to “sing”! When you consider the standard of quality, and the fact that this is only an 800-case produced wine, it’s $14 pricetag really seems unreal. But it IS real!

So this is a very classic Tuscan white; Vermentino likes sun, so it has a very lively, up-front personality. It is fresh and light, with a buoyant and fun palate of pineapple, white flowers, honeysuckle, apricots and citrus zest. The finish is crisp and lean. This wine’s true appeal, to me, is that it seems very “alive”- a strange thing to think about, but it’s perkiness and silky texture really stand out, and it seems happy to exist. Call me cray, but it’s true. You’ll just have to come taste it.

Finally, a red: Tortarossa “Red Cake” Super Tuscan, 2010 Italy, Tuscany. Retails for $16.

I lurrrrv this label.

This is another wine from the Small Vineyards portfolio. This wine stood out to me upon first taste (and still does) because it’s a perfect melding of old and new-world styles. The category of “Super Tuscan” is not officially recognized as a “thing” by Italian wine standards, so it is something of a rebel category. Piero Antinori was the first to fly in the face of DOC regulations, and aimed to make a “Chianti-style” wine that ignored the need for convention, and incorporated Cabernet Sauvignon into the (now famous) Tignanello bottling. The Tortarossa is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet and 10% Syrah. It drinks like a dream- warm, ripe and very precise and focused. Dark black fruits dominate- blackberry, blackcurrant, and subtle integration of vanilla and oak. The punch of the Syrah is nicely pronounced- adding depth, color and body- making it a touch more appealing to the New World palate- yet maintaining it’s Italian roots. A nice balance of acid make it a great food wine- but I’ve found it to be a perfect solo sipper as well. Also, I love the packaging. It’s whimsical and accessible.

Well I do hope you’ve enjoyed being introduced to these three- they’re all currently By-The-Glass at Cellar on Greene, which means they’re open at all times, should you require a taste or two. Cheers!

Jean Francois Merieau “Le Bois Jacou” Gamay, ’10 Touraine

June 11, 2012 / thewinesnob / Leave a comment

Anyone in need of a perfect Summer red?

I did the hard work for you, and found one!

Granted, it was not really very hard at all- in fact it was easy. A fellow ginger wine nerd friend of mine happens to sell this wine. And we were all like, hey, we need some new juice. And he was all like, hey, this one’s the bomb, y’all will literally feel like a Koala bear crapped a rainbow in your brain if you try it. So we did, and we do, and that’s the story of how we came to have this wine! *ba-dum-chhhkk*

So I’ve visited this wine a few times in the last two weeks (visited is a word I like to use that means DRANK), and it it truly sublime. I’ve only ever written about one other Gamay, the Verdier & Logel Cotes du Forez (see here), which really was one of my favorite wines of 2011. And customers seemed to like it, too. And as I said in that post, Gamay is an awesome Fall red. The flavor profile falls in very nicely with a various sundry of Fall-flavored culinary delights; this is true. But it begs to be mentioned that Gamay is a PERFECT Summer red, too! And egads, do we ever need good Summer reds here in Cola. Seeing as how it lasts almost half the year. Most of you know me to be a huge fan of whites and pinks in the summer, but you can’t escape the need for a nice red now and then, even when it’s 95 degrees.

So why, exactly? Well, first of all- this wine is most delicious slightly chilled. No need to stress about exactly how slight a chill- just stick it in the fridge for 10 or 15 minutes and you’ll be good to go. And if you forget to do that, and you think you might rather have a root canal than wait 15 minutes for your wine to chill- take an ice cube- drop it in the glass with the wine- swirl it around for 30 seconds, and then take the ice cube out. You should be good to go. Some may consider that sacrilegious, but it works.

So now you have a slightly chilled glass of red wine and it’s hot out, and you desire something easy to sip, low in alcohol/high in acid, and fun to drink; since Summer is fun and all. Cha-CHING! This wine is all of those things. What I like most about Gamay in general is that it is incredibly friendly and vibrant. It gives you all it’s awesome right up front. But not in a slutty Lindsay Lohan kind of way. Just a quirky, glad-to-know-ya kind of way.

There are so many fun flavors and aromas to be found; it leans towards darker fruit up front (plums, a hint of black cherry) but also plenty of characteristic Gamay bright red fruit (strawberries, pomegranates, raspberries). The nose is a bit exotic- herbal notes of sage, violets and fresh lavender, followed by a touch of grass, black pepper, and a bit of lemon that gives the finish a nice lift. It tastes like a wine that was grown in a specific place (well- duh, all wine is). But this one really encapsulates it’s terroir beautifully and with spunk. It is fresh and happy to be alive.

So that’s about all I got to say about this wine, and I highly recommend you stop in and try a glass, or take a bottle home for $15. I’m going to keep drinking it and watching The Fugitive. Happy Monday Funday!

a Princess of Value- Rayun Sauvignon Blanc, 2011 Chile

May 24, 2012 / thewinesnob / Leave a comment

Summer. Crack. Juice.

Yes, I said it! It’s Memorial Day weekend, which means summer is pretty much here. Actually it was here in April for a minute, but I’m pretty sure it’s here for good now. Which means- yes, we need to find some Crack Juice. Crack Juice is a technical term used to describe a wine that is equal parts addictive and thirst-quenching. I feel like I’m repeating myself here, as I’m pretty big on thirst-quenching wine. But get used to it, for the summer is long, hot and oppressive, and I’ve only just begun to brush the surface of all the wines that are refreshing and thirst-quenching. And in this one’s case- inexpensive! therefore she has been deemed a Princess of Value!!

meet your new summer date.

When I tell you she costs a mere $9, I know it will get your attention. $9 is a perfect amount of money to spend on a bottle of Crack Juice. Why? That’s sort of a no-brainer, but Crack Juice, as it’s name implies, is addictive. Therefore, it’s extremely convenient when you find one that’s inexpensive. $20 a bottle Crack Juice wouldn’t be fun for terribly long. Although I suppose that would be the true definition of crack. But let’s be serious- we’re really talking about wine. So $9 is good.

Here’s another reason why it’s awesome that it costs $9- not to sound like a hater, but for my money, this wine kicks the ever-loving-doo-doo out of it’s New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc competitors. If this wine were from New Zealand, it would easily cost at least $12, but based on my observation, NZ Sauv Blancs are averaging between $14 and $18 nowadays. I don’t see the point in paying that. Not that they’re not good. But at the end of the day, I’d rather have two bottles of this than one bottle of ANY given NZ Sauv Blanc. I don’t think I’m remiss in thinking that the average person would agree. If you’re like me, you think about almost every dollar you spend pretty carefully, and this is the kind of wine that really drives home the value pretty swiftly.

Ohh, would you look at that. My glass seems to be empty now that we’ve gotten to the taste and smell portion of the day. We can’t have that. I’ll have to get some more!

this is what it looks like, all frosty in it’s glass.

So. This wine is super vibrant, fresh and tart. High acidity make it sharp and racy. Gooseberry makes you pucker just a bit, but also offering that much needed refreshment. Lean notes of green apple, honeydew, and a tiny bit of fresh-cut grass and straw make for an interesting and fun palate. While not the most complex wine I’ve ever had- for it’s price, the one note it does hit is right on time. That’s all I really ask for in an inexpensive wine- just do the thing you set out to do, and do it well. Tart, fresh, and fun. That’s all I need for $9. And that’s all you should need, too. There’s always going to be a place for a wine like this on your shelf or in your fridge, that’s fo’ sho’.

And guess what? this wine is available as part of our $90 Mystery Case this week! Check out other available selections and ordering instructions here. A case of wine for under $100? That’s a bit fat DUH. Plus, they can usually be ready fairly quickly, which means you can be jetting off to the lake with a case of wine in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. How d’ya like them apples? YOU LOVE THEM. Have a great holiday!

Some New Whites!

May 11, 2012 / thewinesnob / Leave a comment

Hey there, white wine. Have I told you lately that I love you? I do. I do, I do, I do. A whole lot. Especially these two! They are both unique and interesting blends that excel in versatility and have the added bonus of being extremely delicious! Well, the delicious part should go without saying, because, really, when was the last time I suggested a wine to you that wasn’t delicious? Never.

It looks to be another gorgeous Spring day here in SC, the sun’s out and there’s a lovely breeze. This kind of day was meant for sipping a white wine late in the afternoon! Especially on a Friday. Beautiful Fridays have a special vibe to them; where you can feel that people have that itch to go out. Or maybe an itch to stay in; either scenario calls for wine. So let’s move on to these two new vinos- Sokol Blosser “Evolution” White blend from Oregon, and Elios Moschofilero/Chardonnay blend from GREECE!

Sokol Blosser Winery is pretty baller. They occupy some of the most prime real estate in Oregon’s Dundee Hills, and they’ve been there since 1971. They practice Organic farming and sustainable business practices. Their philosophy is one of the more “whole-istic” that I’ve come across- meaning that they put a ton of effort into the whole picture; from preventing soil erosion to using natural pest-control. Right down to the micro-detail. I met a representative from the winery last week and was particularly struck by how down-to-earth and genuine she, and the winey, came across. So this is a really feel good wine, not to be cheesy. And it’s also freaking tasty!

So the fun facts about the Evolution white; it is a blend of up to nine grapes, but you don’t get to know the percentages of each. I find that exciting. There will not be a quiz later, but here are the varietals; Pinot Gris, Gewurz, Muscat, Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon and Sylvaner. Phew! Try listing that on a wine list. You can’t! That’s what makes it fun. It’s an extremely aromatic wine, with a nose of tropical fruits, white flowers, golden apples, honey and bright tangerine/citrus. Nice soft viscosity and a beautiful quenchy-acidic finish. You could literally pair this wine with just about anything. A salad with a tangy vinaigrette. Spicy Thai. Slightly sweet BBQ. Fish. Really anything. It sips perfectly on it’s own, too. This is also a Non-Vintage wine, and NO that doesn’t mean they throw last years leftovers into a bottle. There’s a lot of intention here, as it states on the bottle. And a little luck, it seems. Try this wine!! Don’t delay. (Retail $15).

Next up is a fun and interesting wine called Elios that hails from the Mediterranean! It also wins the hard-to-pronounce and I’ll-never-remember-the-names-of-these-grapes awards of the week. Greek grapes have some of the strangest names. This is a blend of Moschofilero, Chardonnay, Roditis and Savatiano. Mos-coh-FEE-ler-oh is how you say the first one. It’s one of the major white grapes in Greece, so it’s worth remembering. Roditis, to me, sounds like an illness or a skin condition. But who cares? the wine is delish!

Incredibly fresh, clean and zesty, this is a perfect wine for a Sauvignon Blanc-lover or maybe an Albarino fan who wishes to branch out and try something new. I doubt you will be disappointed! A crisp palate of green apples, peaches, lemon and lime, followed by pretty floral hints and a touch of melon. A very lively and balanced finish that makes it sublime for hot weather. The best part? It retails for $12! A steal of an everyday wine.

Both of these babies are currently by-the-glass at Cellar, so they’re open for your tasting pleasure at all times. Also, you could come to the Wine Sale tomorrow (5/12) and try them from 12-2, along with tons of other delicious juice! Oh, and remember Mom? She likes wine. And if you’ve saved your Mother’s Day shopping til last minute, you can snag a quick bottle on Saturday and she’ll be none the wiser. In fact, she might be quite thrilled! Happy weekend and happy drinking!

Villa Wolf Rose of Pinot Noir, 2011

April 16, 2012April 16, 2012 / thewinesnob / Leave a comment

First of all, a sincere apology. I’ve been a very bad blogger of late. I can’t believe it’s been since March 12th since I’ve written anything. You may remember I went to Vegas a few days after I wrote that post, and life has been moving at warp speed since then. First of all, we had a few weeks of summer. Where did that come from?? Can’t say I was a fan. And it really threw me off; my Rose obsession kicked in way too early, but I didn’t want to jump the gun and give in to the obsession full-force. So I felt I was in a holding pattern of sorts. There have been a ton of wines that I’ve been *this* close to sitting down and writing about, but somehow it just never happened. Se la vie.

But here I sit, on my freshly cleaned patio on a gorgeous April day with the doors and windows open, after an extremely productive day off and a feeling of immense satisfaction. My hands and feet are dirty from planting herbs and a few succulents, I have dinner made and in the fridge and laundry in the dryer. And this is when it really hits me; ROSE. RoseRoseRose. Need it. Have to have it. I am owed this pleasure.

Also, I am listening to Kesha on Pandora. I’d love to lie and say I’m listening to something cool and amazing like Esperanza Spalding (which I did listen to the other day), but my Kesha Pandora station has been fine-tuned after many trips to the gym, and it just makes me happy. So judge all you want, Judgey Wudgies. I’m loving it. I love that she is unapologetic in her trashiness, and that she literally goes out in public looking a hot mess and, by all appearances, high as a kite. Honey Badger don’t care. And neither do I.

So there ya go- a picture of an average Monday evening at my casa. And this has all been my way of introducing you to this wine. Oh, this gorgeous wine. It was built for RIGHT. NOW. Villa Wolf Rose of Pinot Noir, 2011 vintage hails from the Pfalz region of Germany, a warm, sunny and serendipitous little place where Riesling and various other grapes like to grow. I believe Pinot Noir to be one of the only reds that does fairly well here, but I may be remiss in making that statement. In any case, this wine is made from Pinot and it’s stunning. I absolutely love a very dry Rose, but this one, while not sweet, is not supremely dry. It’s more flirty, soft, and round. But with gorgeous acidic balance, and a touch of fizz on first sip. What I look for in any Rose is quench. I want it to quench my thirst. Because Rose is really what I drink when I want to be refreshed and relaxed and rejuvenated. Which is…. kind of all the time. So, I suppose we have just narrowed down why I like Rose so much. Refresh and relax. Who doesn’t like these things? And who doesn’t want to do that right NOW, at 6pm on a Monday? Why delay gratification?

Back to the wine. Soft, round, flirty- we got that far. Aromatics are owned by the berries- strawberry, raspberry, and bright cherry. A juicy yet crisp palate with hints of apple and red plum. It’s fruit, fruit, fruit and finishes with zing. That is the most succinct description I can come up with. Speaking of fruit, look what popped up on my strawberry plant recently?!

I know, a strawberry! Shocking, right?! Well, the shocking thing is that this plant seems to have thrived on neglect. I haven’t watered it or done anything to it since last summer. But it has returned. So I replanted him today and vowed to care more for my plants this summer. For an awfully responsible person, sometimes I shun plants after my excitement for them has worn off. Not my best personality characteristic. Maybe that’s why I’m single. Huh. Interesting. Fascinating, the things that occur to me after a bit of wine and some rambling.

Some quick stats before I big you adieu; Villa Wolf is currently by the glass at Cellar, so you’re cordially invited to swing in and taste it at your convenience. You can also take a bottle home for $13. How ’bout dem apples?? Now that’s a Monday wine. Or you could stop in and see myself and the Cellar girls this Saturday (4/21) at the Wine Sale from 12-2, and have some then! Oh and PS: LAS LILAS ROSE IS BACK TOO! Oh, happy day.

Also, be sure to check out Villa Wolf’s parent company, Dr. Loosen Wines- they have an active twitter feed worth a follow, too- @drloosenwines. They’ve tweeted me a few times and I feel special.

Have a great week, thanks for reading, and I am strengthening my resolve to be a good (ok, better) blogger!

Goin’ back to Cali, to Cali…

March 12, 2012 / thewinesnob / 3 Comments

First of all, a big THANKS to Seth Long of Seler d’or Wine Consulting/Blog-writin’ for including me as a guest blogger in his “29 Days of Chardonnay” collaborative effort! There were some truly inspired posts about the wondrous little grape known as Chardonnay, and I’m glad to have been a part. For anyone that didn’t read my post, check it out! I was a little intimidated by all the mad knowledge being dropped by some serious heavy-hitters in the Wine World, so I went with a pretty jovial and interactive post, and I was pretty happy with how it came out. So by all means, read it!

In honor of the 29 Days of Chardonnay, I wanted to share an awesome Chard we poured recently, and still have in stock. We also got in a brand new Petite Sirah that I just HAVE to share. So this has turned into a post about California. Good old Cali!

funny name, good wine.

So let us begin with the Stuhlmuller Vineyards Chardonnay, 2009 Alexander Valley. This is by far one of my favorite California Chards I’ve had in a loooog while. A beautiful bright lemony color, it literally be glimmerin’ and shinin’ in the glass. Incredibly clear and clean, just looking at it pretty much makes you want to drink it. Pretty, warm aromas of meyer lemon and other fun fruits like figs, pineapple, kiwi and minerally hints are just gorgeous. Flavors of green apple, citrus and lemon blossom are beautifully and expressively layered. Are you an “oakaphobe?” Try this!! It’s made with just French oak, only 8% of which was new (the newer the oak, the more of its oakiness it imparts). Normal retail on this guy is $22. But if you’re reading this, and you come pick up a bottle (or two or four… til’ they’re gone) at Cellar THIS WEEK ONLY- you can have it for $19. You just have to tell us you read this! Wine Enthusiast gave it 91 points and Robert Parker gave it 89! I actually didn’t know that until I sat down to write this. Props!

Next up is the Ballentine “Fig Tree Vineyard” Petite Sirah, 2008 St. Helena. A bit of background on how I came about this wine; from time to time, I have to suffer through different wine companies Portfolio Shows. I believe I’ve mentioned these before. So basically there’s a big room, or several rooms, full of open bottles of wine in allllll price ranges, and I have to go through and taste them. It’s really the absolute worst part of my job. I mean, open wine and a room full of wine people? Terrible. So I came upon this wine at the very end of a long afternoon of wine tasting, and was completely struck by how good it was AND how reasonable it was in price. This after tasting some serious heavy-hitters. Also, a ton of our regulars adore Petite Sirah- so I was stoked to find a new one to share. True to form, this wine was a favorite at it’s first wine sale appearance two weeks ago, and its currently a by-the-glass pour as well! So you can come taste it any old time you want. But beware- it’s only 1050 cases produced, so that means it very well could go bye-bye at some point, if we keep selling it at this rate!

Speaking of 1050 cases produced, that is another crucial point- a small-production California wine for this price is pretty unheard of (we’re selling it retail for $20!). Now lets move on to how it tastes! A whopper of a palate- big notes of boysenberries, blackberry liqueur, blueberries, a tight core of spice and purple-teeth-inducing density. It’ll be worth having purple teeth to drink this guy up. Meaty and manly, yet with soft edges, remarkable smoothness, and no flabbiness. Nice hints of black pepper, sage, vanilla and caramel. A truly delicious bottle of wine. A dream come true for your next rainy day beef stew, roasted lamb or big ‘ol steak. Enjoy this now while we still have these chilly nights!

Hope you enjoyed this Cali post, I’m gonna wrap it up for today. I’m jetting off to Vegas on Thursday, so if you follow me on twitter, be prepared to hear about all the ridiculous wine I’ll be drinkin’!

Dear Yelp: you are the worst. Here’s why.

February 11, 2012February 11, 2012 / thewinesnob / 6 Comments

Alright, I know. This is a wine blog. You subscribe to this to read about wine. So, apologies in advance for using this slightly inappropriately. But that’s the beauty of free speech! Obviously wine is one of my primary loves in life. But I don’t have a one-track mind. Occasionally I get worked up about something random and I feel I need to get the issue off my chest in writing, like the casting out of a demon. And I just can’t let this one go.

Feel free to stop reading, but I DO encourage you to read this if you’re someone who has posted any number of reviews on Yelp, innocently thinking that your opinion was ever going to be heard. It won’t be.

Background: this all started right before the Holidays. A regular customer of ours at Cellar wrote a nice 5-star review of us, and chose to “share this review” via email, so we received a notification that he had done so. I read it, and it was so very thoughtful, detailed, and well-written that I sent him a personal email thanking him for his business, etc. His 5-star rating bumped our overall Yelp rating to 4 stars. We received a packet in the mail from Yelp, with a lovely sticker to put in our door that proclaimed “People Love us on Yelp!” We were just elated. How wonderful. The packet included some information about advertising.

Soon, we began to receive phone calls soliciting us to advertise with Yelp. We politely declined, as we choose to focus the majority of our advertising efforts locally. Shortly thereafter, sequentially, the following happened: I noticed that the user review that I had previously read and thanked said user for no longer appeared on our Yelp profile. And our overall star rating was degraded to 3.5 stars. I made a mental note that it seemed strange, but allowed several months to pass without investigating.

I sent an email to Yelp (which is a chore in and of itself- they don’t make it easy to locate a feedback email address or phone number), after reading the terms and conditions. This particular review violated none of them, I stated, and I was just wondering where it went. Several delayed responses later, I am informed that perhaps the review was filtered, and I should go view the informative video explaining the filter system. So I did.

I can tell you, with certainty, that this guise they call a filter system is nothing but a cover up for what they are actually doing, which is “filtering” reviews from businesses that choose not advertise with them. Here’s the deal, from where I sit: a total of 26 reviews were written about Cellar on Greene in the past three years. 15 of them- ALL five stars- are filtered out, banished to a separate page that you need eyeglasses and a captcha to view, and do not go towards the overall star rating. They state that their filter software is designed to catch reviews that are both overly positive AND overly negative, on the premise that it’s all too easy for a restaurant to offer free goods in exchange for good reviews, and/or too easy for someone to fly into a rant that is undeserved. That’s what they SAY. They SAY that this software detects users that either haven’t posted more than one or two reviews, have no profile picture, or in their world, are not proper Yelpers.

So this is why you should be pissed, average person that just wants to share a few of your experiences with others, and thinks that’s what you’re doing when you use Yelp: YOUR opinion is being censored if the business in question does not choose to spend $300 a month to advertise with Yelp. You can love a restaurant to pieces and want the world to know, and no one ever will. This is pure, simple deception! I’ve personally written three or four reviews, and it never occurred to me that my experience would just not be published. This is what they’re counting on- they’re counting on YOU not ever thinking about this. They continue to be perceived as a forum where you can find user feedback, perhaps on a place you’re thinking of visiting. But when you view a business’s page, this is NOT what you are getting. You’re seeing advertising dollars at work, or non-existant.

True, most people know not to trust every single thing they read on the internet, not just Yelp. The internet is a far too simple place for jerks to rant about dumb things. So, if you DO take Yelp or any other review site with a grain of salt, you’re doing the right thing. But let’s think about this; no one chooses to put their business on Yelp, it just shows up- and as of today, I’m not entirely sure you have the power to remove your business if you choose NOT to be a part of it at all. For a new business, a few damaging customer reviews COMBINED with the censoring of any GOOD ones can really do some damage. And WHY? Your business should be made to suffer if you don’t CHOOSE to advertise? And it is truly the initial lie that makes the angriest- that the users DON’T KNOW. Which is why Yelp still has all the power, and they can continue to ignore businesses that write to them in protest. They just don’t respond. Lawsuits against them have been dismissed. You can’t prove that they’re doing what they’re doing. They are Goliath, and we are David. It is a complete and total RACKET. Want to share your opinion? Choose a different site! Or don’t post reviews! Just go somewhere and see what happens! Have a disappointing experience? Have a chat with the manager before you leave. Don’t leave mad. If it happens again? Just don’t go there again. The restaurant Gods will sort it out. Truly, they will.

So I’m closing my personal Yelp profile today. They say they want to know why, and I will tell them. If enough people did this, would it stop? I doubt it. They’ve proven that they are an advertising company, not a user-based forum to review accurate information. So that’s what it will go on being. But hopefully you’ll remember that the next time you visit a businesses Yelp page.

Suck it, Yelp.

the wine snob.

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