Monthly Archive for October, 2008

Where'd the green boxes go?

October 24, 2008 filed in Wine.
Tags: .

Swclogogs3x3_10Friday, October 24, 2008
This morning's inbox contained a brief email missive from D. Rosedahl – a long-time member of our bi-monthly sampling club – who asks

"Where'd the green boxes go?  Same way as Lucky Strikes Green?" 

His first reference was to our recently depleted, chartreuse-colored, logo boxes that faithfully carried wines to our club members for almost four years.  His latter reference is to a long-defunct cigarette brand.

Lucky strike And I'm sorry to say I'm old enough to remember ads for this long-dead brand of cigarettes (click image to purchase from "Prints Old & New").  This old ad makes me hope that wine's much ballyhooed health benefits are longer lived, and viewed more kindly by our progeny.

So yes, our easily-identified green boxes are gone.  We spent thousands to create these cute little wine cocoons, back in our cash-rich start-up days.  Back when the stock market was soaring and we thought we could retire on our home equity.

Today, such an expenditure seems imprudent without passing along the cost to members.  And I think I'd rather put their money towards great wine than great packaging.

What are your thoughts on the topic of packaging?

Amusing Musings on iGoogle or MyYahoo!

I find it less intrusive and time consuming to receive news via my Google or Yahoo desktop than email.  Here's how to receive my latest "Amusing Musings" whenever they come out:

My_yahoo_add_content_2

How To Add (Time required?  ~1 minute):

  1. Highlight and copy this URL http://www.sidewayswineclub.typepad.com/blog
  2. Open a new browser window and go to (or create) your MyYahoo! or iGoogle page
  3. On MyYahoo! - Click on the green plus sign for "Add Content"  (sample image at right is not live, by the way!) Add_rss_feed_button_2Look for the "Add RSS Feed" image towards the bottom of the resulting frame (see sample at right).  Paste the URL from above into the line and click the orange "I'm Done" button
  4. On iGoogle- Click the "Add Stuff" button on the far right, then click the "Add feed or gadget" on the left frame.  Copy the URL into the text box and click "Add".  That's it!

You'll find my latest posting appears within your desktop on a weekly(ish) basis!

Dtwm_color_web_optimized Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com or
Dave@TastesOfTheValleys.com

Today’s Quote:
"More and more products are coming out in fiercely protective packaging designed to prevent consumers from consuming them. These days you have to open almost every consumer item by gnawing on the packaging."
~ Dave Berry (1947 – a long time from now, I hope)

Vote_3

    I Need Your Vote!  VOTE DAILY!

.   Help me continue this free blog by taking 5 seconds to vote here!

0 Comments

Syrah Palin? A wine even Joe the Plumber could love.

October 23, 2008 filed in Current Affairs, Food and Drink and Wine.
Tags: .

Syrah Palin Label2 Thursday, October 23, 2008
There is a wide range of people who enjoy wine.  I've popped corks with delightful people with very different religions, races, socio-economic and political stripes.  So I everything I can to keep my personal politics out of my business.  But when my news readers deliver something like this to my desktop (Thank you Mr. Peare!), I simply can not resist.

This fascinating tidbit of wine news came from a most unlikely source (Fox News).  They had come across a wine suffering a sales decline in San Francisco due to its unfortunate name – the Palin Syrah.  The wine was not created as an homage to a certain hockey mom-come-Veep-candidate.  It's not even pronounced the same way - Pay-LEEN, not PAY-len.  But you can't tell that from the label.

Syrah Palin Full In the complete article about this happenstance, Fox News shines their Fair and Balanced spot light on the fact that the wine is flying off the shelves in "the Republican stronghold of Texas", but suffering in the more liberal city of San Francisco.

The Fox article states "The wine was once a strong seller, but now it's an outcast in the City by the Bay because its name comes way too close to a certain governor from the state of Alaska", says Celine Guillou, co-owner of the Yield Wine Bar.

Given that today's polls a gap between the candidates that ranges from just 1% all the way to 10%, perhaps monitoring sales of the Palin Syrah is a more accurate barometer than hoards of statistical pollsters.

But I think it unwise and unfair to encourage such a thing.  After all, some Chilean winegrower put a lot of time and effort into this wine, and Berkeley Imports is surely sitting on a goodly supply.  Who are we to tie their success to the fortunes of one struggling party at election time? 

Let's just enjoy the wine for what it is – an affordable and enjoyable wine to assist in your November 4th party, whether celebrating the victory or the defeat of this namesake candidate!

                               Get Amusing Musings sent to your desktop!

I find it less intrusive and time consuming to receive news via my Google or Yahoo desktops than email.  Here's how to receive my latest "Amusing Musings" whenever they come out:

My_yahoo_add_content_2

How To Add (Time required?  ~1 minute):

  1. Highlight and copy this url http://www.sidewayswineclub.typepad.com/blog
  2. Open a new browser window and go to (or create) your MyYahoo! or iGoogle page
  3. On MyYahoo! - Click on the green plus sign for "Add Content"  (sample image at right is not live, by the way!) Add_rss_feed_button_2Look for the "Add RSS Feed" image towards the bottom of the resulting frame (see sample at right).  Paste the url from above into the line and click the orange "I'm Done" button
  4. On iGoogle- Click the "Add Stuff" button on the far right, then click the "Add feed or gadget" on the left frame.  Copy the url into the text box and click "Add".  That's it!

You'll find my latest posting appears within your desktop on a weekly(ish) basis!

Dtwm_color_web_optimized Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com or
Dave@TastesOfTheValleys.com

Today’s Quote:
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
~ Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)

Vote_3

    I Need Your Vote!  VOTE DAILY!

.   Help me continue this free blog by taking 5 seconds to vote here!

 

1 Comment

Sideways Wine Club Announces October Selections

October 21, 2008 filed in Wine.
Tags: .

Swclogogs3x3_10 Tuesday, October 21 2008
Historians blame Hubris (excessive pride) for the fall of the Roman Empire.  Hubris is not an attractive trait, whether in powerful governments or Wine Merchants.  And in this particular merchant, my allocatoin of the affliction almost made me dismiss the first wine in today’s list.

I nearly left this rare gem untasted simply because I’d never heard of the varietal, or the vineyard, or the Winemaker.  But in the end I said “What the hell?” and agreed to taste the Winemaker’s samples.  Boy am I glad I did.  Today’s first wine is a rare and unique varietal with sketchy but historic roots in California’s wine history.  And it provides a great lead-in for the rest of this month’s stellar line-up of boutique wines, many of which you’re unlikely to find just about anywhere. 

Case discounts begin at 10% for non-members.

Our October Wine Selections

  1. Fanucchi Vineyards, 2005 Trousseau Gris, $24 - A nearly extinct gem from the last Trousseau Gris vineyard in California.  Try this wine both for the pleasure it gives and its historic significance.  Read the full story here.
  2. Osseus, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, $18.50 - One of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs from a talented Micro-Boutique producer.  Only 250 cases produced!
  3. Andrew Murray, 2006 Syrah "Tous les Jours", $16.50 – In the movie ‘Sideways’, Maya suggests various wines for she and Miles to share, and when she shows him this bottle, Miles responds with "Ahhhh, Andrew Murray", as if he’s just been reminded of an old friend he hasn’t thought of for a while.  I hope this wine attains that same status for you, as it is perfect for your every day house red.
  4. White Hawk Vineyard, 2002 Red Table Wine, $23 – You’ll never see this wine in most stores, as it is the showcase wine used by the owners of this prestigious vineyard, whose fruit appears on the labels of such cult wines as those from Sine Qua Non, as well as Herman Story, Calera, Clos Mimi and Piedrasassi, to name a few. The average price of these wines is around $50/bottle.
  5. Beckmen Vineayrds, 2006 Estate Grenache, $24.50 – A classic Rhone wine from this bio-dynamic estate, though a bit broader in the beam than many wines from this varietal.  Bottled with a bit of CO2, as is often found in the original version of this wine.
  6. RiverBench, 2006 Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, $36 - Crafted by the experienced hand of Chuck Otrman, this is one of his latest projects after selling his Meridian label almost ten years ago.  Chuck bought fruit from RiverBench Vineyards while at Meridian, and is now producing wine from their best rows of grapes.  Already our leading re-order wine.
  7. Labyrinth, 2006 Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyard, $35 - I continue to be pleased by Rick Hill’s wines.  Though only in his eighth year as a winemaker, Rick crams in two vintages per year, flying to the Southern Hemisphere to harvest pinot in New Zealand.  So he has the equivalent of 16 years of winemaking experience.  It is the slow, year-long wait between vintages that led to the saying "One lifetime is not enough to master pinot noir".  Judging from his wines, Rick is well on his way to cramming two lifetimes worth of experience into a single ride on our globe.

                               Get Amusing Musings sent to your desktop!

I find it less intrusive and time consuming to receive news via my Google or Yahoo desktops than email.  Here’s how to receive my latest "Amusing Musings" whenever they come out:

My_yahoo_add_content_2

How To Add (Time required?  ~1 minute):

  1. Highlight and copy this url http://www.sidewayswineclub.typepad.com/blog
  2. Open a new browser window and go to (or create) your MyYahoo! or iGoogle page
  3. On MyYahoo! - Click on the green plus sign for "Add Content"  (sample image at right is not live, by the way!) Add_rss_feed_button_2 Look for the "Add RSS Feed" image towards the bottom of the resulting frame (see sample at right).  Paste the url from above into the line and click the orange "I’m Done" button
  4. On iGoogle – Click the "Add Stuff" button on the far right, then click the "Add feed or gadget" on the left frame.  Copy the url into the text box and click "Add".  That’s it!

You’ll find my latest posting appears within your desktop on a weekly(ish) basis!

Dtwm_color_web_optimized Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com or
Dave@TastesOfTheValleys.com

Today’s Quote:
"The Cardiologist’s Diet – If it tastes good, spit it out"
~ Unknown

Vote_3

    I Need Your Vote!  VOTE DAILY!

.   Help me continue this free blog by taking 5 seconds to vote here!

0 Comments

Ode to David Lett, Eyrie Vineyards

October 13, 2008 filed in Wine.

Eyrie_logo Monday, October 13th, 2008
I sat down at my desk this morning with a million things to do.  I began with a quick review of emails to check for overnight emergencies.  And there I saw the headline "…Eyrie Founder David Lett Dies".  "It can’t be" was my first reaction.  David Lett, the fun, curmudgeonly driving force behind Oregon wines, and producer of my favorite Oregon Pinot.  He was only 69, which at my age, seems far too young to be called home.  (Read the full story in the Oregonian)

David_lett_1_2For those unfamiliar with his history, it was David’s third-place wine in the 1979 international competition that put Oregon Pinot on the map, and attracted the attention of Burgundian producers such as Joseph Drouhin, whose daughter now runs the family’s Oregon winery.

David and I weren’t friends, or even acquaintances.  I like to think it was a potential friendship thwarted by geography rather than temperament or politics.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Lett’s and their wines during our two very brief encounters.  Both took place at ‘Society of Wine Educators’ events held in Oregon, where photos and stories of the Letts seasoned many of the presentations by local vintners and growers.  David was always memorable, as were his wines.

David_lett2 I met the Lett’s during the mass tasting, humbly serving their wines, which stood out even among the impressive line-up.  In the sea of increasingly sweet and extracted wine that is today’s pinot noir market, Eyrie pinots remain elegant, food-friendly and Burgundian – a delightful departure from today’s fad wines. 

Jason_lett

My sadness at today’s news is because I admire what David accomplished, and the way that he did it.  I’ll miss the twinkle in his eye as he delivers a comment, wry and dry.  He will be missed.  I can only hope that his wines will continue.

I read that Eyrie Vineyards will continue under the direction of David’s son, Jason (left).  I send my condolences, warm regards and best wishes for his continued success.  And, not to meddle or anything, but I also send my sincere hope that he continues to craft wines in the delightful and elegant style pioneered by his father.

For those who wish to help me pay tribute to David, I reprint here from his family’s death notice:

"David cared deeply for the land and for his family. In lieu of flowers or gifts, David’s legacy can be memorialized through gifts to “1000 Friends of Oregon”, his favorite land-use advocacy organization, or “Families United”, a local non-profit that supports assisted living for adults with autism and other developmental disabilities."

Dtwm_color_web_optimized Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com or
Dave@TastesOfTheValleys.com

Today’s Quote:
"Diana asked me a couple of weeks ago, “What would you have done differently?” And the fact of the matter is, I would have done it the same way."
~ David Lett, Eyrie Vineyards (1939 – 2008)

0 Comments