Saturday's Imbibing

Saturday night I met with my poker crew actually not to play poker, but to enjoy dinner, wine and conversation. We had some Belvedere Chardonnay, which was pretty good for a chard. Not too oaky or buttery (which I used to love, by the way) but not too acidic (which I'm starting to like more but not quite there yet).

Overall, this was pleasureable to drink, a little bit of refreshment after a long week.

2.9 corks for overall ok-ness, but in general it was a little too boring.

Celebrity Wines - Chapter 1

Lil John has decided to take his private label-only wine and go mainstream. Awesome. Here is his official statement:

"I'm not no 'drink wine every day' kind of dude. I'm not like an expert, so don't ask me no questions ... I just like the taste. The wine is more nature: I wanted to not just have a direct connection, but make it just alittle bit more upscale than regular Lil Jon. This is not no ghetto Boone's Farm; this is some real wine."

(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=25464)

If I had cash like that, and the means to create random wine labels, Iwould too. At least it's not "no ghetto Boone's Farm." Hey wait, what's wrong with a little Boone's?

4.7 corks just because this is so random.

My New Rating System

I'm going to add in a rating system here...I'm thinking that since I love corks, and tend to keep them when I can, I'll just use those!

1 cork = No thanks, can I have a beer?
2 corks = Just ok, probably will not drink again.
3 corks = Good, will order/buy again, has enough going on to keep me interested.
4 corks = Yummy, will definitely order/buy again, fun things happening to explore.
5 corks = Divine. Will tell you everything you need to know about this wine.

Finally...

...I got to visit the very elusive-to-me Pizza Azzuro. I have to say, it was well worth the wait! Having moved to Main Street recently, Pizza Azzuro stepped it up in decor and location. With its blue & white striped outdoor curtains and long frabric shades, to the black woodwork and large mirrors, everything about this place says "stay here and enjoy." And that I did.

I met a friend there this evening to catch up, have a glass, and share some stories. We both ordered the Siduri 2005 Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley in Oregon. It started out rather astringent, but opened up beautifully and was a pleasure to imbibe. Soft tannins and smooth mouthfeel welcomed a teeeeeny bit of spice and a lot of killer fruit flavors with open arms. (I know no one actually says "mouthfeel" in real life, but it's such a perfect description! I'm all about texture, and mouthfeel is the perfect term for my version of wine texture.)

A swing dance partner to my sweet onion and goat cheese pizza, this wine held its own, even with the powerful flavors of my delicious, patiently-awaited Pizza Azzuro dinner.

Rating: 3.5 corks

Hello, Pinot

Last night, a friend and I went out to dinner at Uva here in Napa. Great place, good food, fun atmosphere. I brought along a bottle of my favorite wine - the 2004 Wren Hop Pinot Noir from Holdredge. I know this blog is supposed to be about wine tasting in general, not just the same wine over and over, but this wine is delicious. I was saving my 2004s of this pinot for a special occasion, and my friend moving across the country was reason to break out the good stuff as a goodbye for her. This vintage, 2004, is my absolute favorite so far. It was everything I remember it being - round, smooth, and cherries all over the place.

We had that with dinner, then took a bottle of 2004 Passalacqua Old Vine Zin to the bar. Again, delightful, fun, jammy, chewy....all things that zin should be. Nothing can trump my Holdredge pinot, but that zin was delectable. Sort of made me want toast with jam. Interesting.

Oooo a Test.

Far too many people are wine snobs. Some people, especially those in the Millennial generation, think that because a bottle of wine is $30+, it's automatically good, and better than anything under $15. I do concede that many, many bottles over $30 are good, but I don't think it's a hard and fast rule. Unlike many generations before, Millennials and Gen Xers tend to buy more expensive bottles, and either hold on to them for "special occasions" or drink them as everyday wines. Everyday wines at $30 a bottle? That's $7.50 a glass. For that price, someone had better be serving me that glass of wine and offering me bread service.

There are many good bottles of wine that are under $30. I will make that statement now. As a test, I will host some dinner parties, decanting some under $30 wines, and see how my guests react. As often as I can until the end of the year, I'll test a $20 bottle, a $15 bottle, a $10 bottle, and then something under $10. Fascinating.

Of course, if you're reading this, you're probably invited to dinner because I probably know you pretty well. This test is on you. Have fun.

One more thought....

I forgot to write about my adventure across the street today, from Holdredge to Davis Family. If you've been down Front Street in Healdsburg, you know that on the left there are five wineries (Holdredge, Camellia, Christie, Sapphire Hill, and Huntington) and across the street there is the one with the metal sculpture of the lady. The very large sculpture. Yes, that one - Davis Family Vineyards.

I wandered over there this afternoon for a taste of their barrel wines, as well as a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - these usually are more lavish and lingering than California Sauvignon Blancs, which have a tendency to be crisp and fruity with very little to play with after. For a red-only drinker (this is sloooooowwwwllyyy changing), I did like the Sauvignon Blanc at Davis, however I was much more taken with the dry Riesling out of the barrel. Not only did the sign on the barrel entice me (it said if you were a wine geek, to ask what was in the barrel....I did. I'm a geek on so many levels), but the wine was GREAT, a white I would actually drink! Mark the day! It was soft on the nose with no overt flowers or sickly sweet aromas, and the palate welcomed acidic fun and refreshing flavors. Home run, baby. Home run.