US-of-A

Kung Fu Girl Riesling, 2009 Columbia Valley

/ thewinesnob / 1 Comment

Man oh man am I loving life right now!  It’s gorgeous out, it’s not even noon, and I am sipping on one of my all time favorite wines!  And as an added bonus, I get to go pour wine at an art show opening at Frame of Mind (1520 Main St) http://www.artofeyewear.com/ from 6-9 tonight!  Thus today is off to a good start.  Unlike yesterday, when I ran out of gas on the way to work.  Could’ve used a glass of wine then. 

I have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of this wine all week! 

And here she is!  I’m fairly certain many of you will recognize the label on this one- as I’ve said before, I love a great wine label and genius marketing, both of which are at work here.  So many people remember the Charles Smith wines, and in particular the Kung Fu Girl, because of the sleek, sexy packaging.  Ain’t nothing wrong with that- especially when the wines are awesome, so it’s not like you’re being tricked into buying something because of the label- which I detest.  And I’m sure most of you would agree.  No one likes to be tricked.  Here’s a better look at Miss Fu:

And yes, I’ve done it again- chosen a summer white to write about this week.  To all you people who think you don’t like white wine, or think that white wine is for sissy’s- hopefully you’ve been reading this blog for a while now you’re starting to get over it.  White wine is fantastic.  And if you live in South Carolina and you don’t like white wine- well, have mercy- because nothing gets you through a hot SC summer quite like a refreshing white.  Kung Fu Girl is no exception.  A lovely, aromatic riesling with a nose of white peaches, tangerines, flowers, and a handful of wet stones that you have just plucked out of a body of water in the Columbia Valley that looks something like this:

I stole this picture off of a “hike of the week” website for the Washington Trails Association.  Now, I do not hike- but if I did, it would be in a place like this!  And to all those outdoorsy types that I went to college with that made me feel guilty for not really enjoying hiking- let me say this; I love to be outside.  And I have nothing against exercise- I do it with frequency, actually.  But if I want to enjoy a lovely day outside, I don’t want to have to work hard.  I just want to chill.  So that’s why I don’t hike.  I’m not ashamed of it anymore.  I think Nalgene bottles are sort of gross (but I like reusable water bottles made of other materials), and the stickers that cover them that are supposed to show off all your pursuits, hobbies, passions, etc. are irritating to me.  I hate roof racks, I hate huge backpacks, and I think clothing made of special materials to wear outside are a rip-off designed for elitists.  Phew- that was something of a rant that had aboslutely nothing to do with Riesling… sorry about that!  It’s who I am. 

So more tasting notes would be helpful, I suppose- since this is a wine blog!  This is the third vintage that I’ve tasted of the Kung Fu Girl, and I’d say it’s definitely the best.  2009 was apparently a “near perfect” year in Eastern Washington, and in my humble opinion, this is as close to perfect of an expression of Washington state Riesling that you can purchase for $13.  Most of the fruit is up-front and on the nose, so by the time you get to mid-palate, you’re left with a fantastic dose of lemony-lime tartness, with perfect minerality and an edge of slate.  It’s light and racy, much like a Mosel-style Riesling from Germany, but softer.  It’s an extremely clean wine, that might fool you into thinking it’s wimpy based on it’s near-translucence- but definitely don’t underestimate- she has a-plenty of sophistication.  It’s like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Riesling.  This is how I picture her:

My gosh Michelle Yeoh is beautiful, isn’t she?  But she kicks ass, too.  At least she does in that movie.  Much like Kung Fu Girl Riesling!  So give ‘er a try!  She will be at the Wine Sale at Cellar this Saturday April 3rd from 12-2.  Yes, the free one!  They’re all free!  So stop in, say hi, taste wine, and enjoy your Saturday.  Hope to see lots of you then!

Michael David “Petite Petit,” 2007 Lodi

/ thewinesnob / 3 Comments

I’m suffering from something of a “wine whiplash” today- a term we cleverly invented last night to describe the drastic switch from all my delicate, refreshing summer white picks of the last few weeks to this week’s pick- the gargantuan behemoth of a wine that is Michael David’s ‘Petite Petit.’  A very cool blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot from the Lodi region of California.

**pause to admire my new desk set-up!  You can’t see it that well, but it’s pretty sweet and I feel very official.  Wave to the picture of my friend Greg in the background- blowing up a balloon and wearing a birthday hat.  Now if I could just organize it so that random pieces of mail, cameras, screwdrivers, water glasses, paint cans, broken staplers… and a few other things weren’t all over it, I’d be a real grown-up.  One day.  Moving on…

This wine has been something of a showstopper for the last few weeks at Cellar and Mr. Friendly’s- we’re both pouring it by the glass, and it’s been one of our best retail sellers.  Just last night a gentleman came in raving about his dinner at Mr. Friendly’s, and did we sell the wine he just drank?  the one with the carnival on the front?  I said, yes of course- $16  bottle- and fetched him a bottle.  He paused… and then said- “On second thought, just give me a case.”  Like I said- it’s popular.

And with good reason- this thing has atomic-like levels of fruit, oak, spice, bacon- yes, bacon!- all up in it.  Parker gave it 88 points- a reasonable score, but I think considering the fact that it’s so reasonably priced it deserved a 90.  Just sayin’.  On first whiff you get a massive hit of cloves, vanilla, a little hint of flowery-violets, and then- whoah!  BACON!  mmmmmmmm,  yes- bacon in a glass.  Does it get better than that?  Juicy cherries, cedar, blackberries and maybe a bit of fig follow.  Parker calls it a “civilized” Petite Sirah- a grape that is notorious for being too tannic and feral for it’s own good.  It’s used as a blending grape in a lot of circumstances- especially with Zinfandel to tone down and tighten up it’s jammy quality.

In the course of writing this I stumbled into this cool website devoted entirely to fans of Petite Sirah- worth a look-over, it’s pretty funny…. http://www.psiloveyou.org/

Here’s a better look at the image on the front of the bottle.  Elephants are a good choice for a graphic- this wine is big and burly like an elephant, but also smart and purposeful.  Did I mention I love elephants?  Always have.

In conclusion, lest you think I do anything without a good reason- I didn’t switch up from my summer wine kick completely- this wine, although massive, is ALSO a great summer wine!  Know why?!  One word- BURGERS!  Summertime means grilling out!  And with the smokey bacony characteristic of this wine it would be absolutely SUBLIME with a burger.  I even have a perfect burger, one that I devoured last night and thoroughly enjoyed… I don’t know the name of it, but it was from Pawley’s Front Porch and it was blackened with bacon and pimento cheese and it was heaven!  And how convenient- you can place a take out order from Pawleys, run up to Cellar and pick up a bottle of Petite Petit, and then head home to feast on the couch.  At least that’s what I would do.  Just an idea.

It would also taste pretty darn good with the famous Bacon Wrapped Filet with French Quarter Pimento Cheese from Mr. Friendly’s, just in case you thought I had forgotten my allegiances completely.  Ask for Daniel.  He will take good care of you.  And if you’ve never had the oysters from Mr. F, (which would be shocking, to say the least) Daniel will make sure you get two different sauces on the side so you can decide which one you like better.  (That was for you, Fomby).

Well happy drinking, happy Spring, and happy grilling out!  Enjoy the weather!  Seacrest out.

Michael David “6th Sense” Syrah, 2007 Lodi

/ thewinesnob / 1 Comment

Once again I find myself sipping wine at a fairly uncivilized hour.  This is becoming a pattern. Today it’s not even noon!  But really, I am just sipping a sip or two to refresh my memory on this wine, as I have sipped on several glasses at more normal sipping times during the past week.  As I often say to the staff at Cellar, I am “revisiting” this wine this morning.  “Revisit” is a term I invented when for there are no official “new” wines to taste, but we are in need of a, as Stump Johnson would say, “Motivator.”  That will strike those of you who know Stump as funny- and if you don’t, and you don’t get the joke- well, you just need to get to know Stump.  Do yourself a favor.  Here, I will post a picture of him so you know what you’re missing:

He is a man of many talents, but most of all, he is a drinker of fine German riesling.  It is actually somewhat blasphemous to include a shout-out to him in a post about Syrah, but I don’t think he’ll mind!  And if you ever lose your earring at Cellar, he will find it and hang it on his hat.

But moving on to said Syrah- this killer little bottle is from the Lodi region of California, a place known for making some pretty darn delicious Zinfandel, among other varietals.  Anyone remember the 7 Deady Zins that we poured by the glass at Cellar a while back and people couldn’t get enough of at the Wine Sales?  This is made by the same folks.  Lodi is about an hour south of Sacramento and has much hotter summers than the more northern wine regions in Cali.  I think wines from Lodi are a perfect fit for Columbia, SC- because we know what it’s like to be overshadowed by a neighboring city (hint: starts with a Chuck and ends with a Town).  I’ve never been to Lodi, but I think I would love it.  The people there seem to have a lot of pride for their wine in a way only an area that has played second-fiddle to Napa-the-great could have.

So as it turns out, Lodi makes awesome Syrah as well as Zin!  And such a bargain!  This 6th Sense Syrah will retail for $16 at Cellar, and it is packin’ some serious heat for that kind of cash.   Dark, dark in color, it’s nose will knock you out with aromas of tobacco, smoke, cedar, blackcurrants, plums, plums, plums and ohh a lovely little hint of smoked bacon, too.  A perfectly smooth, velvety texture and light pepper on the finish round it out pretty darn well.  This is a great winter wine- it will warm you to the bones.

Here is is on my ottoman/coffee table aside my latest People magazine.  I almost included my feet in the picture, so you could get the full effect of what I do when I’m at home writing… I do like to create a visual, but hesitated when I realized that my toenail polish is in dire need of reparations.  I can admit to it, but admitting it and photographing it are two different matters entirely.  You’re welcome.

We have about a case of this in stock right now (Wednesday the 27th) so I anticipate we will have some at the Wine Sale this Saturday for your tasting pleasure- but feel free to come down and pick up a bottle before then!  I don’t think you need to try it- just trust yours truly, I don’t think I have ever led you astray.  Happy Drinking!

Chamisal Stainless Chardonnay, 2008

/ thewinesnob / 1 Comment

So, here I am in the office.  It’s barely noon as I write this, and yet I am dipping into a magnificent glass of wine.  I know, I know… I am at work, and it’s early.  But tonight is my night off!  and this wine is just too good.  I couldn’t possibly write about it thoughtfully without drinking some.  Surely impossible, and inauthentic.  So I consider it an occupational hazard that I must endure for the time being.  Poor me. 

It occurred to me this morning that I have not blogged about a Chardonnay yet.  This is literally a perfect choice to break that spell.  I will also let it be known that I LOVE a good Chardonnay.  Emphasis on the good.  Likewise, I also loathe (in my opinion) a nasty Chardonnay.  In all of 2009, I can’t really say I found a California Chard in this price range that I loved- the last one I recall loving for $14 was  a French Chard called Les Morizottes that we poured by the glass at Cellar and Solstice for quite a while. 

**pause to pour a bit more wine in the glass**

The reason Chardonnay is such a cool grape is that it can take on so many different characteristics.  I read somewhere that it has been called the “chameleon” of grapes because of this.  I find that for my taste, a nice light unoaked chardonnay is where it’s at.  Chardonnay has a natural mineral content that is really beautiful when it is expressed well.  Most people don’t associate this with Chardonnay, as California has made a habit of producing very rich, buttery, oaked Chardonnay.  As Jerry Seinfeld would say, “not that there’s anything wrong with that.”  I like a rich, elegant Chard too- but from my experience it is harder to find one that is “good” by my standards in the $15 or so price range. 

See?  here it is, in the office with my paperwork…

Which was a loooong winded way of saying (sorry, I get wordy when I drink wine at noon) that this Stainless Chard from Chamisal is DELICIOUS!!!  Fresh, lively, clean and vibrant.  Notes of pineapple, honeydew melon, green apples, citrus, and a nice light spice on the finish.  This is a cheerful, sunny, pretty wine.  Also, on the plus side, it is one of those wines that looks a lot more expensive than it is.  The packaging is simple and tasteful and they call it “stainless” rather than unoaked, which for some reason makes it seem more high-tier.  Sounds like a genius marketing team was at work here, which truthfully, is okay with me.  I love to think about the reasons people buy things, and something as simple as a different wording is enough, psychologically speaking, to boost sales.  Fascinating. 

We will have this at the wine sale tomorrow, Saturday, January 16th from 12-2 at Cellar on Greene in Five Points for $13!!  And I’d venture a guess that we will put it on by the glass starting next week.  If you stop in, ask me for a taste and be prepared to have your ear talked off (in a good way).  Thanks for reading and Cheers to Friday!  Hope you all started off your weekend at noon like I did…