Not what you're probably thinking when I say cool. I mean, cool as in temperature. My Dad is member of Alpha-Omega so when his latest shipment arrived, the "Wine Assure" packaging caught his attention. In fact, the wines show-up very chilled. Temperature controlled shipping is what Wine Assure delivers. Very eco-friendly packaging insures your wine stays cool even when it's hot outside. Check it out: http://www.wineassure.com/
Weekend Wines: nothing high-end but I did pick-up a Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay Saturday. Always consistent plus under $15 makes this a real bargin. Tried the Jade Mountain 2004 Mourvedre again. I can't tell you enough how tasty this red is for under $20. Great juice. Bought by Chalone so go through their website to order is my best guess.
Weather-wise: cooler with a persistent fog at the coast. Air quality has improved plus it's windy so even inland highs are mostly in the 70s. Looks even cooler tomorrow with local drizzle then some warming inland by Thursday/Friday but nothing we can't handle. Very quiet pattern but lousy beach weather. No sign of any heatwave.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Friday Wine & Weather Updates
First new wines:
Met Michael Karl Trujillo, President/Winemaker of Sequoia Grove and his own private label, Karl Lawrence Cellars, in Walnut Creek on Thursday, July 24th at Artisan Wine Bar. I tried his 2005 Napa Valley Cab first: Three Appellations, great nose then fades after time but still good. Deep purple color, leather, dark cherry and coffee smells. Good food wine, nice balance. Only 1,500 cases made with 80% already gone.
Also tried the 2001 Reserve but it's long gone. Rich, full with Howell Mountain flavors.
Afterwards, owner Lena of Artisan, had me try the following:
Lionheart 2006 Syrah, Santa Barbara: cranberry, strawberry nose with lush, lighter and fruity mouth feel. It's good but way above many folks price point of $40 a bottle.
Donkey & Goat MSG (Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache equals MSG) 313 2006: made in Berkeley??? I do believe. Small label. Roses, flowery almost hint of perfume nose but not overpowering. Tart, dry taste. Big seller by the glass at Artisan.
Cafaro 2004 Emily Elizabeth Vineyard, Napa, Merlot: at $22 a bottle, the nice price. Earthy, dusty, dirt with strong hint of cola/coffee nose. Woodsy, kind of dry with not much fruit but very workable.
White: Walter Hansel 2006 Russian River Valley, Hansel Family Vineyards, Chardonnay: better than the '05. Lots of Pineapple, Guava, tropical flavors, crisp and acidic with an oak, dry taste. I liked it...a lot.
No notes but tasted Old Press Syrah, Paso Robles, at Lark Creek Inn. Very good. Also July is half-price bottle month so great opportunities to try some wine you might not think are worth it at full price. Group next to us had two bottles of Merry Edwards Pinot. Serious juice.
Weather: hazy and warmer today. Lots of smoke filtering in from the north. Fog increases over the weekend for cooler conditions. Warm to hot inland today then cooler.
Met Michael Karl Trujillo, President/Winemaker of Sequoia Grove and his own private label, Karl Lawrence Cellars, in Walnut Creek on Thursday, July 24th at Artisan Wine Bar. I tried his 2005 Napa Valley Cab first: Three Appellations, great nose then fades after time but still good. Deep purple color, leather, dark cherry and coffee smells. Good food wine, nice balance. Only 1,500 cases made with 80% already gone.
Also tried the 2001 Reserve but it's long gone. Rich, full with Howell Mountain flavors.
Afterwards, owner Lena of Artisan, had me try the following:
Lionheart 2006 Syrah, Santa Barbara: cranberry, strawberry nose with lush, lighter and fruity mouth feel. It's good but way above many folks price point of $40 a bottle.
Donkey & Goat MSG (Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache equals MSG) 313 2006: made in Berkeley??? I do believe. Small label. Roses, flowery almost hint of perfume nose but not overpowering. Tart, dry taste. Big seller by the glass at Artisan.
Cafaro 2004 Emily Elizabeth Vineyard, Napa, Merlot: at $22 a bottle, the nice price. Earthy, dusty, dirt with strong hint of cola/coffee nose. Woodsy, kind of dry with not much fruit but very workable.
White: Walter Hansel 2006 Russian River Valley, Hansel Family Vineyards, Chardonnay: better than the '05. Lots of Pineapple, Guava, tropical flavors, crisp and acidic with an oak, dry taste. I liked it...a lot.
No notes but tasted Old Press Syrah, Paso Robles, at Lark Creek Inn. Very good. Also July is half-price bottle month so great opportunities to try some wine you might not think are worth it at full price. Group next to us had two bottles of Merry Edwards Pinot. Serious juice.
Weather: hazy and warmer today. Lots of smoke filtering in from the north. Fog increases over the weekend for cooler conditions. Warm to hot inland today then cooler.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Castello di Amore
Castle of Love! Worth the visit simply to view what $40 mil can buy in Calistoga. Daryl Sattui's sprawling, medieval-style castle and second winery covers 121,000 square feet. Castello di Amorosa, is eccentric and definitely ostentatious but still an intriguing curio. It's a fun date destination too. The Castle's highlights include a dry moat, drawbridge, iron-gated entrance, five towers with battlements, a church, a great hall, gargoyles and wrought-iron sconces. Did I mention a torture room too? No lie. Your day wouldn't be complete without seeing a rack and an antique iron maiden. All good fun but kind of creepy.
The wine is okay but you can do the tour only. Reservations are a good idea but we saw people walking up for the 3 pm tour. The castle tour turns very touristy in the end though.
One of my Favorite Wines:
After the castle visit, we stopped off at Corison Winery. I love their wines with a strong nod to the Cabs. This is serious juice and we were treated to a taste of 1994 Cab which was a great way to end the day. Before the castle tour, we checked out Alpha-Omega. Major renovations continue throughout the winery. The new tasting room looks impressive plus the pond and grounds are very pristine.
The wine is okay but you can do the tour only. Reservations are a good idea but we saw people walking up for the 3 pm tour. The castle tour turns very touristy in the end though.
One of my Favorite Wines:
After the castle visit, we stopped off at Corison Winery. I love their wines with a strong nod to the Cabs. This is serious juice and we were treated to a taste of 1994 Cab which was a great way to end the day. Before the castle tour, we checked out Alpha-Omega. Major renovations continue throughout the winery. The new tasting room looks impressive plus the pond and grounds are very pristine.
From Cool to Warm
Tuesday, July 22nd: Fog returned but it's shallow compared to yesterday so an earlier burn-off can be expected. Temps inland will warm nearly 10-degrees from yesterday's cool highs. Look for more mid to upper 80s in the warmer inland locations. Bay temps will be slower to recover but upper 60s to mid 70s should win out. Too much fog on the coast equals 50s and 60s.
Models continue to advertise a warming trend inland so 90s should return by tomorrow for areas such as Concord, Livermore, Morgan Hill, Calistoga and Fairfield. Probably only the 60s closer to San Francisco though. Fog should increase again by the weekend as a weak system brushes the Pacific Northwest.
Models continue to advertise a warming trend inland so 90s should return by tomorrow for areas such as Concord, Livermore, Morgan Hill, Calistoga and Fairfield. Probably only the 60s closer to San Francisco though. Fog should increase again by the weekend as a weak system brushes the Pacific Northwest.
Wines I Tried & Liked...A Lot!
Frank Family Vineyards, Napa Valley Chardonnay, 2006: spoken along the same lines as Rombauer. 'Nuf said. Tasted many places including Artisan Wine Bar in Walnut Creek.
Patz and Hall “Hyde Vineyard”, Carneros Chardonnay. Heavy hitter on name and price but excellent. Tasted at Prima's in Walnut Creek.
Jade Mountain (now owned by Chalone) 2004 Mourvedre. I love Mourvedre and this one speaks volumes. Great price too. Can be found for near $20. Wonderful with ribs.
Posted by Steven Ross at 11:36 AM 0 comments
July's Gray Skies
From blistering heat a couple weeks ago to well below normal temperatures on the 20th and 21st shows the wide variety of weather the Bay Area can experience during the summer. Ocean temps were running extremely cold, upper 40s, during June. By early July, we lost the upwelling and SST's (sea surface temps) warmed to near 60. By the 21st, some cooler temps were back with low to mid 50s now being reported outside the Golden Gate and off the Marin Coast. Look for a decrease in the fog Tuesday and Wednesday as a more northerly breeze takes over and temps warm a bit. Fog should re-group to cool conditions down again by the weekend.
Of note: torrential thunderstorms dropped .86 on Palm Springs Sunday. Highs in Las Vegas and Palm Desert were barely able to reach 90. Flooding was reported in Palm Springs. Thunderstorms will continue in the Sierra and Northeast California with Flash Flood Watches posted for Reno as well. Tahoe/Truckee are not under the watch but afternoon showers are possible. An area of Low Pressure is moving in off the Mendocino Coast. This is adding the lift and instability. It's also increased the fog for us along with wind for cooler daytime highs.
Posted by Steven Ross at 9:08 AM 0 comments
Napa News
Been to Downtown Napa lately? If not, you might want to reconsider. Things are booming so instead of driving north along Highway 29 without giving Napa proper a look, take a moment to discover what's going on. Lots of options including the new River Walk which recently opened. Napa's version of San Francisco's Ferry Building is Oxbow Public Market next to Copia. I highly recommend the Wine & Cheese Merchant plus wine bar. Ironically, Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle Travel Section (July 20th) highlighted downtown Napa as a tourist destination. Cool wine shops, nice places to eat including critically acclaimed Ubuntu, make Napa, the town, a place to check out, not avoid anymore.
Wines To Consider from Wine Merchant:Red: 2005 Blockheadia Ringnosii Zinfandel Sonoma County, California. Not your typical Zin. Doesn't blow you out of the chair with heavy pepper. Lots of fruit. Really good.
White: 2006 Watershed Chardonnay Margaret River, Western Australia. Under $20 so the nice price. No oak. Screwcap Aussie Chard is crisp and refreshing. More mineral and citrus. A style making major strides as the buttery and okay Chards seem to be losing interest.
Posted by Steven Ross at 8:15 A
Wines I Tried & Liked...A Lot!
Frank Family Vineyards, Napa Valley Chardonnay, 2006: spoken along the same lines as Rombauer. 'Nuf said. Tasted many places including Artisan Wine Bar in Walnut Creek.Patz and Hall “Hyde Vineyard”, Carneros Chardonnay. Heavy hitter on name and price but excellent. Tasted at Prima's in Walnut Creek.Jade Mountain (now owned by Chalone) 2004 Mourvedre. I love Mourvedre and this one speaks volumes. Great price too. Can be found for near $20. Wonderful with ribs.
Posted by Steven Ross at 11:36 AM 0 comments
July's Gray Skies
From blistering heat a couple weeks ago to well below normal temperatures on the 20th and 21st shows the wide variety of weather the Bay Area can experience during the summer. Ocean temps were running extremely cold, upper 40s, during June. By early July, we lost the upwelling and SST's (sea surface temps) warmed to near 60. By the 21st, some cooler temps were back with low to mid 50s now being reported outside the Golden Gate and off the Marin Coast. Look for a decrease in the fog Tuesday and Wednesday as a more northerly breeze takes over and temps warm a bit. Fog should re-group to cool conditions down again by the weekend.Of note: torrential thunderstorms dropped .86 on Palm Springs Sunday. Highs in Las Vegas and Palm Desert were barely able to reach 90. Flooding was reported in Palm Springs. Thunderstorms will continue in the Sierra and Northeast California with Flash Flood Watches posted for Reno as well. Tahoe/Truckee are not under the watch but afternoon showers are possible. An area of Low Pressure is moving in off the Mendocino Coast. This is adding the lift and instability. It's also increased the fog for us along with wind for cooler daytime highs.
Posted by Steven Ross at 9:08 AM 0 comments
Napa News
Been to Downtown Napa lately? If not, you might want to reconsider. Things are booming so instead of driving north along Highway 29 without giving Napa proper a look, take a moment to discover what's going on. Lots of options including the new River Walk which recently opened. Napa's version of San Francisco's Ferry Building is Oxbow Public Market next to Copia. I highly recommend the Wine & Cheese Merchant plus wine bar. Ironically, Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle Travel Section (July 20th) highlighted downtown Napa as a tourist destination. Cool wine shops, nice places to eat including critically acclaimed Ubuntu, make Napa, the town, a place to check out, not avoid anymore.
Wines To Consider from Wine Merchant:Red: 2005 Blockheadia Ringnosii Zinfandel Sonoma County, California. Not your typical Zin. Doesn't blow you out of the chair with heavy pepper. Lots of fruit. Really good.
White: 2006 Watershed Chardonnay Margaret River, Western Australia. Under $20 so the nice price. No oak. Screwcap Aussie Chard is crisp and refreshing. More mineral and citrus. A style making major strides as the buttery and okay Chards seem to be losing interest.
Posted by Steven Ross at 8:15 A
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