Blind Wine Tastings Rule!

For Thanksgiving this year I decided to “trade up” on my typical Turkey Day pastimes. It’s the wine country. There is more to life than football in these parts – namely wine! I would like to claim that I came up with the brilliant idea of holding a blind wine tasting but the credit belongs to an up-and-comer of CIA’s culinary program - give this kid A+ for overachiever! Each guest at the orphans/out of towners Thanksgiving Dinner that I attended was instructed to bring one bottle of 2006 Cabernet in addition to a soggy green bean crunch casserole type side dish. Buying wine as a new resident of the Napa Valley is a stressful affair because I’m forever out of my own league. After one too many hours spent trolling the aisle of BevMo and Trader Joes I gave up and opted for a brand name that I was familiar with – Rodney Strong. I thought I would impress and annoy people by bringing a wine from the Alexander Valley. Napa people don’t seem to drink or talk too much about “the other” valleys that make up the “wine country.” I hoped the ensuing controversy would cloud my ineptness. When I arrived at the party, while most clacked away in the kitchen the two ringleaders of our blind wine tasting were hard at work collecting the Cabs, plastering them with tin foil to hide the obvious details, logging wine name, region, and price and finally tagging each bottle with an identifying number. We had eight wines in total with eight people tasting (2 wusses remained nameless when it came time to tally the votes). When all the evidence was hidden the wines were placed on the dinner table, ready to be tasted before we dove into our bird. Up until this point I was dining with an admittedly cordial and friendly crowd. Twenty minutes into our taste test tensions began to rise. While I expected to learn something about wine I did not expect to learn unsightly things about human nature, which is exactly what I soon got. The more that we tasted the more vocal people became. Booze does that to people I guess. We were each given simple wine ballots with a numbered list to write notes next to each wine bottle contestant and to ultimately rank our top 3 favorite wines in order of preference. Some were more reserved with their comments “good nose, nice balance, yummy…” others not so much “thin, no good, 2 Buck Chuck, light weight pansy wine, yuck!, sucks!” Ours was not a diplomatic crowd. As the heckling began things got even more interesting. The dainty soon talked trash and the boisterous got demur when some surprising trends started to unfold. As a mildly objective by-stander I made it my business to observe human behavior. I took notice of the following facts. People were wildly polarized in their passion about their favorite and least favorite wines. There was also unity amongst two wines that almost everybody agreed on, as stellar and tasty (my translation not their words). Then, as far as all the other wines in between, people had vastly differing opinions about what they liked and disliked. Not to speak in clichés but one person’s passion was another’s poison. That is where the heckling high-jinx started to unravel further. One of the wines that I was waving my fork at with glee was being poo-pooed by several of my neighbors and a wine or two that others thought were “rank” and disgusting” (their words, not mine) someone else thought was “divine.” People bordered on belligerence when someone suggested ripping off the foil that hid the bottles true identity prior to everybody finishing their taste testing. I can’t be a hundred percent certain, but I am about 99.9% sure that some flicked forks, others flung food and certain people had to pin down other people when they threatened to taint the results too soon. I also noticed that some of the less boisterous of our bunch seemed to get swayed over time by the opinions of others, some sort of twisted drunken peer pressure that caused people to back down from their wine choices when friends balked, while others hopped on a wine’s bandwagon when folks waxed on about their preferences. OK, I guess I have dragged out the suspense for too long by this point so wait no more. For obvious reasons I will not get into specifics about the wines that were not in the top 3, because, well I value my life. What I will tell you, is that you would be surprised to learn what wines were dubbed “rank” among many other randy references and how expensive those wines were (upwards of $99). I will note that price points ranged from $3.99-$125.00.

Here are the vinos that ran off with top honors of the night:
#1 – Rodney Strong’s Alexander Valley 2006 Cab $25.00 (yes Virginia there is a Wine Clause)
#2 – 3 – there was a tie for second and third favorite:
Venge Vineyards 2006 Family Reserve $125.00 & Mica’s 2006 Cab $60.00

Other brands that were in the running included Bennett Lane, Rare Earth, Reverie, Rockbrock and Sbragia. And you cynics in the crowd, in case you’re wondering, I had nothing to do with the voting I’m just reporting on it.

For me, the most remarkable result of all, the one that should be your key take away from this ranting and rambling story, is this. Wine is very much a personal game and even more of a personal preference. When we are not biased by the media, our neighbors and even our birth right, something remarkable happens. People simply drink and enjoy wine the way it was meant to be – one sip at a time, for the sheer pleasure and joy of it. In all the hubbub here in the Valley it seems that we all too quickly forget that wine was meant to be one of the simple pleasures in an otherwise complicated world. Just like people, no two wines are created equally nor do they hold the same meaning for anyone, other than yourself. So stop reading all the wine mags, shut the lip of that needling neighbor of yours, knock your mate out of your ear and listen to the only voice of reason that matters – yourself. You’re the one drinking it so, so slurp whatever you damn well please and enjoy it!

And in closing (finally!) I will admit it here first. Apparently, I am a cheap date. One of my top three wines was rock bottom on the price and popularity scale. I blushed for only a moment when I learned of the results, and then I reminded myself of something important. I moved to the wine country to get rid of all the “woulds and shoulds” of my world in favor of living my own version of the American Dream, one which includes drinking the wines of my own choosing.

Heart attack inducing food that is worth the risk – Press’s Truffle Mac’n Cheese

Sure, aside from all the wine I slurp, I usually strive to keep my diet heart healthy, at least on the weekdays. But by the week’s end I grant myself permission to give into my vein clogging food tendencies. A girl has gotta have some fun, especially when we’re talking about the heart pounding side dish delights at St. Helena’s Press. Comfort food never felt more sexy than at this joint. I’m not sure if it is the angular glass vaulted ceilings, the sleek outdoor fireside patio or merely the heart pounding food that ignites my engine, but it doesn't really matter, it’s all good. I have sampled mac’n cheese up and down this coastline, across the country, and from Manhattan to the Florida panhandle. Not many are worth their weight in raw cheese poundage, but as far as mac-y cheese attacks waiting to happen in the Napa Valley, Press’s takes home the prize. Their truffle mac side dish isn’t fooling anybody, it eats like a meal, a big, fat, gourmet gooey cheesy one. I’m not sure what else they slip into this dish but I don’t much care. This mac sings its way all the way down my food tube. While rich in taste and texture it isn’t overpowering, quite the opposite – obnoxiously satisfying when eaten as I recommend, in its entirety, in one sitting. Since I’m jolting my heart already I take advantage of the situation by sucking down the creamed spinach too. Equally dizzying and rich, but healthy, as only a vitamin chocked cream soaked veggie can be. I prefer to belly up to the bar for my relaxing feast, ordering a great glass of vino to coat my stomach and accompany this veg-friendly culinary duo. It is a match made in food heaven, one that is so damn good, it’s worth the heart clogging risk. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes!

Forget Pie-in-the Sky at JoLe – their pie is knocking on heaven’s gates

Exemplary deserts on the California Coast are a lot harder to find than one might think. I hate to be a NYC snob, but until recently I had been hard-pressed to find a sweet delight (aside from Annie the Baker’s peanut butter bomb cookie) that was worth texting my food friend in the middle of the night about, but then JoLe’s dream-inducing coconut cream pie slipped magically onto my plate. The desert sky parted and my tongue melted well into the thick of the night. This is hands down the best desert I have tasted to date since moving to the Napa Valley this spring. I go to the restaurant regularly just to eat this pie. I get out of my fuzzy flannel pjs to get me a slice of this thing when late night cravings knock me out of a deep winter’s sleep. Follow me into this whipped cloud of sweet creamy delight. Macadamia crust - fresh, flaky, flavorful, crisp. This same crust is layered with a thin swath of bittersweet dark chocolate which drips beyond the pie and on to the plate which is drizzled with the same plus some caramel. Then a secret blend of coconut and cream and I can’t imagine what else short of fairy dust makes up the guts of the pie but it is light and sweet and flavorful and, well, magical. If all of that isn’t enough to bring you into pleasant sugary convulsions the pie is topped with vanilla bean fresh cream and then topped even further (this part literally flipped me off my stool and onto the ground where I laid squealing in pie bliss), with candied fresh coconut. While my waistline will never forgive me and 24 Hour Fitness will love me forever because I have added two extra spinning classes so that I can continue to feed my addiction, it is all worth it to get me a slab of this stuff. I have sampled my way up and down the desert menu of this joint and all of them are remarkable, but this one stands as my favorite. I may never eat real food ever again so I can keep an open space in my belly for this baby. This pie far exceeds the sky and shoots right up to desert heaven. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5.0 Grapes!

Christmas Came Early this Year with Cavus Wines

I had the jolly good fortune of stumbling into one of Acme Wines Fun Friday Tastings. I was immediately consumed by the Cavus Vineyard Cabs that were being poured. A bounty of superior and slurp worthy wines. I spent the evening bouncing back and forth between their 2004 and 2005 Cabs. One minute I was the biggest fan of the 05 and then seconds later I was sucked into a savory wine oblivion by the 04. The 04 is the heftier of the two with deep dark fruit tendencies and a touch of spice while being oh so smooth. The 05 was super strong and tasty too with quite a bit of heft but in a totally different way. A slick and serene style bounding with a fruity berry-licious bang. In the end I came to only one conclusion: the owners and wine maker of this fine boutique winery make damn good vino in a new fashioned way. One that is all about enjoying life and drinking stellar wine in the here and now. I will drink to that, especially if my glass if full of Cavus. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.9 Grapes!

Dandy and Dancing at Dutch Henry

Whoever said that dancing was dead clearly missed the rocking good time that Calistoga’s Blues and Jazz Festival offered, especially the “wine in the vineyard” segment. For the good or bad of that event I started at Dutch Henry (one of the six vineyards participating), and never made it elsewhere because I had such a ducky-good time. I’m always talking about the wine so I want to start by first noting the ambiance at this jumping joint of a winery. Bocce ball courts, pristine new wine caves, charming barnyard tasting and backyard boogying, what could be better? They have left the pretense back where it belongs (LA, anyone?). Everybody feels at ease at this place, whether you want to relax and picnic, tour the brand spanking new caves (I got lost they were so fascinating), or sip fantabulous wines in a welcoming and comfortable barn-style tasting room that smells all wine and no barnyard poop. It’s charming all the way around, as is the wine. Down right slurp-worthy. They were all delectable. Here are two of my personal favorites. The Argos – a Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot blend that had me at BING! cherry. Deep and substantive. I would like to cuddle up and sip this baby fireside with a fat book and a warm slab of beef. The 2003 Cabernet made me howl, literally. I’m not sure why, but its sturdy complexity might have had something to do with it, or maybe it was the day of tasting and boogying to blues that did it. No the wine was just that tasty. So get your ducks in a row and make a quick dash to Dutch Henry. You’ll be glad you did. Wacky WineSense Rating for wine and frolic: 4.75 Grapes

Finally, a Pinot that I didn’t want to Poo-Poo!

I will admit that as soon as everybody became bitten by the Pinot bug I became instantly, not. I never like to give into trends and in the case of the softer gentler varietal, Pinot never floated my wine boat. I know I will get shot and put out of business for saying this but I like to be honest so I will say it and risk banishment. Most Pinots, to me, taste like cough syrup. Even the good ones, until an unlikely chance encounter with a dandy little Peirson Meyer Pinot changed my mind. This baby was downright bawdy with layer after layer of bold berry flavor, not to mention what I could only call a sweet smoky essence that reminded me of toasted marshmallows at summer camp. This vino had a consistency that was light on the outside and hefty in the middle. Half the time I don’t even know what I’m talking about, but wine does that to me. It brings about change that you never thought was possible. I can finally understand a little bit of all the fuss that the bus full of Pinot people are always partying about. Some things, when done differently and right can make even the most cynical, believers. There is now a place on my palate for Pinot, when it’s brought to me by the fine folks at Peirson Meyer, until then I will wait impatiently for another worthy Pinot to step up to the plate. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Slipping and Sliding Around the Olive Tree Maypole

Sure, I enjoy slathering my best breads in olive oil. And yes, I have been known to double dunk. I also revel in bathing my lips in slippery stuff. That being said you could understand why I stampeded into the Wine Country Inn to partake in their “Ode to the Olive” last week. Sounded like my kind of party. I imagined that I would be dunking my fingers and bread into smooth and scented oils all day long. Not a bad way to spend a fall day. I was shocked to learn that bread with your olive oil can actually be offensive in some parts (Italy!). When I heard that the best way to taste the essence of a good olive oil is to slurp it, I knew I had found a new home at the Inn, since we, at Wacky WineSense, are all about slurping, though typically good wine. I gave myself free liberties to slurp the oil when invited. I soon realized that there are a lot of similarities between growing grapes and growing olives. There is a harvest time for both and olives need to be nurtured in the same ways as grapes. You need to pick and pluck when the fruit has hit its prime. Much like fine wine, acidity levels play a heavy handed role in the quality and taste of good oil. Heat, air and humidity also play vital roles. Unfortunately, the olive counter part is not regulated like wine so you need to be careful when you buy under the guise of true virgin olive oil. It, like vino can get corked. This means that your coveted bottle of extra virgin oil from Italy that you’ve been saving for the last ten years hoping to hang onto to those heady memories of your romps in the Tuscan sun, may not be fit for table time. Nobody wants stanky olive oil at their holiday gatherings so avoid such a fate by ensuring that you make use of your oil within two years of the harvest date. Oil can oxidize like vino so slurp it down soon after opening (2 weeks is ideal). Diane De Filipi of Ask Diane Hospitality was our hostess for the day and this gal knew her stuff. Screw boring Tupperware and Pampered Chef parties in favor of a slipping sliding good time. Who knew olive oil could be such a hoot! The question that everyone wanted to know and that she soon answered was, what makes one oil virgin and another dead-end used baggage? The answer - acidity level. To reach “virgin” status look no further than the label. Your virgin goods should not exceed an acidity level of .08%. If your slippery sack shows more, you’ve got tainted, less than honorable and pure goods. So, buyer beware when it comes to those over-priced, teases. While scents are nice when slathered all over your main squeeze, the same cannot be said for virgin oils. Lets say you buy one of those gourmet pups infused with lemon. Sounds savory yes, but what that tartly fruit is doing is actually robbing your oil of its acid. Diane says to skip the infused varieties and go "pure" all the way, baby. I choked down some damn good stuff at my party full of virgins, and according to our divine hostess, if you slurp a good olive oil it should make you cough, which I did, all day long. The best oils will also give your taste buds and nostrils a wake up call in the form of a bounty of flavorful scents and spices. But, if you’re slurping a virgin hack (those dastardly finds often seen in the clear bottles at your supermarkets), your sniffer will stay on snooze and you’ll get nothing but a greasy finish. I now know that I want my olive oil just like my men - pure and untainted but aged and harvested to perfection. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!