When it's not volcanic, Lava(vine) is a very good thing

Nothing could be finer than finding another hidden wine gem that's just a quick pedal away from Calistoga. While people have been known to flee from red hot lava, except when rubbernecking at Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, I urge you not to flee from Lava Vine (the winery), and here's why. Sweet indulgence. While I love a good cupcake as much as the next gal, the only thing that trumps that sugar high, is port. We can't technically call this wine a port, but Joe's non-vintage dessert wine isn't fooling this wine scribe. Much like a lamb in sheep's clothing this wine is a port dressed up as a dessert wine. Regardless, this baby sang as it slid down my wine tube. Lightly sweet, yet supple. Well, it made me feel supple while drinking this delight. A hint of this, a hint of that. All I know is that this mish-mash of vintages swirled into one bottle, is divine. The best of many worlds. Joe wouldn't tell me much more than that, but I lost interest in the semantics and gained interest in scoring my own case of this juice. I'd recommend snatching up some of the Cabernet Franc, too. A spicy, bawdy counterpart. The vibe in this tasting room is casual-friendly, with soulful tunes wafting in the background, and vintage photography (the pink caddy photo would do The Boss" proud) pinned to the walls. A good time is prime for the picking at this joint. Wacky WineSense rating: 4.5 Grapes

Bacon Becomes an Art Form

I’m not embarrassed to admit that I am in no way a pork lover; in fact I avoid pig meat at all costs. It could be that I was marred at a young age. My most vivid Xmas memories are of Wilber, cooked and sprawled out on our dinner table, kicking up his poor unsuspecting back hoof. The apple artfully placed in poor porky’s mouth didn’t help. I have avoided pork ever since, until now. But I’m in a safe zone because this plate of bacon is actually an art exhibit, premiering at St. Helena’s Silverado Brewing Company (excuse this redention of the photos, they were taken on my phone with blinking tree lights in the background, you'll have to check them out in person to get the full affect). And while bacon specials are abounding at the brew co in concert with the exhibit, that is not what’s got me excited, it’s the art of the self-dubbed “Bacon Girl,” Bigi Voix. This vegetarian turned pork fiend had a life altering brush with bacon that forever changed her and the local art scene. Bigi accidentally fell off the vegan wagon over a bacon-binge weekend which led to her inspiration for this whacked out (in the best possible way) art exhibit that pays homage to pork, in strip form. Bigi has become all bacon, all the time, turning her exhibit into a calendar that is due out in 2011. Even I, who avoids pork, couldn’t keep my eyes in their sockets in the presence of these portraits. Who needs a muse when bacon is in the picture? The photos go as broad as a fifty’s pinup pool girl with a bee-hive hairdo done up in bacon, to a reincarnation of Bruce Springsteen’s classic Born in the USA album cover, where bacon is stuffed into the Boss’s back pocket instead of a baseball cap. And if that is not enough to wet your arty and pork-filled appetite, some of the more racy renditions feature Bigi and her “unmentionables” sloughed over in bacon. What I love most about this ingenious collection is that it exudes the very essence of what art means to me. All night long I couldn’t stop talking about these off-beat photos. The visuals and their creative concoctions left my mind lingering on the memory of each long after I’d left the exhibit. Who would have thunk it? That someone as anti-pork as me could grow to see pig in a brand new light. So whether you love bacon, hate it or yearn to bring a little of Bigi’s bacon to a home near you, you don’t want to miss out on this one of kind display of art in the making—bacon. Check it out at Silverado Brewing Company for the month of December. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes!
(The actual exhibit version of these photos were shot by Robin Bordow)

Girard = Glee in a bottle

Gleeful. Yes. And I'm not talking about the TV show, though almost as entertaining as a good wine. I'm speaking of how I felt after a mere sip of Girard's 08 Petite Sirah. A deep dish berry pie of a wine. Boisenberry comes to mind. As does the chill that this fine wine sent down my spine. I love it when a wine gives me goosebumps. And this little gem did just that. The wine was as bodacious in flavor as the crowd was lively at this year's Yountville Festival of Lights. It was hard work, but the WineSense crowd, had to troll the streets scooping up as much sampling as our ticket allotment would allow. And after searching far and wide for the top wine of the night, Girard will be the "star" atop my wine tree this year. Make someone merry with some of this magic juice. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

A "Back Room" that rocks while the wine rolls

DOWNTOWN NAPA'S ROCKING BACKROOM WINE SHOP MOONLIGHTS AS A TASTING BAR TOO. WE CAN GET BEHIND THE SIP AS YOU SHOP PHILOSOPHY AS WELL AS THE STORE’S CUSTOMER SERVICE MANTRA “WE LISTEN TO WHAT YOU LIKE, HEAR WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, AND MATCH YOU WITH THE PERFECT WINE.” YOU'LL FIND SOUGHT-AFTER AND HARD TO FIND VINO AS YOU SIP AND SUCK DOWN FEATURED WINE FLIGHTS AND CHEESE PAIRINGS THAT ARE EVER-CHANGING DAILY. LINGER AT THE TASTING BAR OR SLIDE ONTO THE COMFY COUCH AS YOU GIVE YOUR TONGUE A WAKE UP CALL IN THE WINE COUNTRY WAY. SLURP YOUR LATEST INDULGENCE WITH CLASSIC ROCK TUNES BOPPING IN THE BACKGROUND. THEY ALSO HOST SPECIAL TASTING EVENTS (CLICK FOR DETAILS) JUST ABOUT EVERY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT SO YOU CAN KEEP YOUR GOOD TIMES ROLLING RIGHT ALONG WITH THE FINE WINE, MUSIC, AND COMPANY. WACKY WINESENSE RATING: 4.5 GRAPES!

Bears that Dance Wine that Sings – Cakebread’s Dancing Bear Ranch

While you have most certainly heard about the legendary wines of Cakebread, firmly planted into the Napa wine scene for over 35 years and counting, you may not be aware of it's other half. Perhaps due to its “up the mountain” locale, but there is another Cake in town, and boy is it a dandy, well actually a Dancing Bear Ranch. Just a short jaunt up Howell Mountain and its hugging twists and turns will park you in the middle of nowhere, quite wonderfully so. Imagine a Napa Valley without throngs of inhabitants crawling all over our streets. Just pure countryside and roads in their most native state. Close your eyes (after you’ve driven safely up the mountain, of course) and that is exactly where you will have landed in the Dancing Bear Ranch. Infamous bears have been known to dance for their meal of sweet, plucky-delicious grapes found only on this mountaintop. But who could blame them. After one swig of this beyond bodacious 2006 red blend of a wine, well a lady never reveals her secrets but dancing may have ensued. This wine is as hefty as those dastardly bears that once scooped up their fair share of grapes (until Dennis Cakebread, resident bear whisperer/head honcho, showed them who was boss), yet as elegant as a New York ballerina dancing her way through the Nutcraker. One sniff will reveal sweet scents of fig, chocolate and so much more. One sip will knock you off your seat, with the only foreseeable reason to get up being to slog down some more of this wine. But a little more about what one visit will grant…. A)You might bump into a black bear, how cool would that be? Wine country gone wild! B)This 200-acre sprawling vineyard is eye candy for the visually inclined. Steeps, flats, stellar views of the valley below, bird’s eye glance at a lake, and C) for you nature-preservationist out there, this ranch has been dubbed and awarded with the certification of “Fish Friendly Farming Vineyard” – translation they are not only respectful to the art of winemaking but also to the land that is responsible for delivering this special wine. Hats off to the Cakebread clan. You have done oh-so right by this wine swill’in gal. So get off your rump this harvest season and hop on up the hill to see some of the most spectacular views of this valley and enjoy some damn fine wine in the process. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5.0 Grapes!

Wacky Goes Ape, err Gape, with Kirk Venge~Tales from the Trail

Fact. It’s been exactly one year since I moved here and was fortunate enough to find myself hip-deep in grapes during last year’s harvest. I hadn’t lived until I got to stick pinky to arm pit into a vat of freshly picked grapes. As a consummate over-achiever, last year’s 2-day harvest stint with Kirk Venge was going to be a tough act to follow. But I’ve outdone myself, by somehow scoring a full-time gig as assistant grape sampler to Mr. King of the Grapes Venge himself (my nickname, not his, he is far too humble for such nomenclature). And it is the job of a lifetime, especially for someone who spends most waking hours and many late nights writing about and or sip’in on da’wine. But this year I am working for my wine which makes the bounty all the more sweet. While harvest was a little late in getting to the party this season, we are now bouncing off the grape walls. The run down to date. First it was cool when it should be hot, then hot when it clearly should be not. It rained, and threatened to follow on with some good old fashioned fall weather, but not before one last heat snap. What does this mean to those in the grape biz? Premature gray and balding hair, unless you’re like Venge, who appears to thrive under these sorts of conditions. Oh, forgot to mention. He was looking for a few more thrills so he decided to erect a new winery facility(Venge Vineyards) smack dab in the middle of harvest. Living on the edge never looked so good. Nor does the new winery and the grapes within. Note to self: learn some tips of the trade from this kid, he knows his stuff. A quick snapshot into my world, with more to follow in the upcoming weeks. It goes something like this: rise at dawn, wake up before the grapes do (pre-sun swelter), throw on a grape-stain resistant frock, pack up your hound, your grape cooler, some baggies for sampling, some water to rinse the juice, and an eye for the changing tides and tendencies of the grapes. At this hour you encounter only other grape-hounds and we are a mixed breed of a whole lot of something, none of which can be repeated to this PG crowd. We run through the fields, row by row, plucking a wide assortment of grapes from an unbearably long list of vineyards, that truth be told could do a much better job of labeling the vineyard rows and blocks. The iPhone GPS can get you only so far, then you have to rely on good old grape intuition, of which I had none initially, but now I am swimming in its sweet juices. As you are running through the field, fetching samples (methods are secret!), you often trip on dead and gangly vines that pierce skin like a blade, yet these road warrior scars never looked so good! You also get a pretty majestic view tooling down the 29 towards Napa during the wee hours of the morning. Gaggles of hot air balloons descend upon our valley, an idyllic vision if you ask me. If you don’t live here, what are you waiting for? This scene and these scents are like nothing you've ever witnessed, not to mention tasted. After combing the valley up and down for grapes, I hit the chemistry lab (I knew I should have paid attention to this junk in school, who knew?) to put my plucky grapes through a battery of tests to reveal Brix, PH, TA. I sound like I know what I’m talking about, right? Just enough to be dangerous. Then my world class mission continues as I track down my master and deliver our classified info. All of which will tell us if the grapes are ready to move off the vine, or if they need to keep hanging on for dear life. And that my friends, my wine-swilling peeps, is where I will leave you for now. My skin is as thick with stick (grape juice), as it is with sweat. My ankles are beat up and scraped, the bags under my eyes are ever-increasing, yet I can’t wait to get up and do it all again, tomorrow! While slinging ads in New York and making movies in LA all had their glim and glamour, they’ve got nothing on this sweet deal. Check back for the latest rantings...live from the trail. May all your grapes be good ones!

The Mountain Men of Smith-Madrone

Think wine is stuffy and pretentious? Get ready to change your mind.
A visit to Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery grants many pleasures, starting with a thrilling ride up Spring Mountain (brace for narrow roads, sharp turns and scenic vistas). Upon arrival, prepare to be charmed by the men behind the bottles, who’ll regale you with as many stories as you like. The no-frills approach not only adds to the charm but embodies the spirit of the brothers. “I hand them a glass of Chardonnay, tell them to stand where they are and turn in a circle: The tour is over. Now we can get to tasting the wine!” says Charles F. Smith III, winemaker. There isn’t even a tasting room, just a foldout table outside, a salt of the earth barrel room inside and the bodacious scenery. But it’s the company and the wines that keep people coming back year after year.

Up the mountain
When asked what drove him and his brother up the hill and into the wine business nearly 40 years ago, Charles replies deadpan, “I was cuckoo about wine. It was a hobby that got totally out of control, for both of us, really.” Perched at the highest point in the Spring Mountain appellation in St. Helena, looking out over the vineyard and valley floor below, younger brother and general partner Stuart Smith elaborates, “I was at Berkeley in the ’60s, where a food and wine revolution started in the Bay Area. At the time, roast beef wasn’t ‘done’ unless it was gray, vegetables weren’t cooked unless they were limp and exotic cheeses were Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar and Velveeta. All of that started to change.”
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Parallel - A White Wine Worth Waxing-On About!

Oh how I don't typically find myself falling for white wines (especially Chards) once the summer psuedo-swelter stops sizzling, unless I happen to uncork a very good cause. In this cause Parallel Wine's fantabulous 2008 Chardonnay. I'll be brief since I am knee-deep (finally) tending grapes this harvest. In a word-divine. In a longer roll of my taste-filled tongue word: delightful-toasty-pinepple-y sensation. A sweet sip' of a deal. I can't be certain, but I believe I may have detected a bit of what can only be referenced as "toasted-marshmallow bliss" in there somewhere. So when you are ready for something white to wet your whistle this fetching fall season, look no further than this sweet little diddy of a wine. You'll be glad you did. That's all for now folks, I'm hitting the grape trail. Harvest "field" reporting to follow, as the plucky suckers start hitting the bins. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

A Hunter that Bounds to be Better - Bounty Hunter

NOTHING COULD BE BETTER THAN A PIT STOP AT THIS SPOT. BOUNTY HUNTER IS BOUND FOR GREATNESS WHETHER YOU'RE PARKING FOR DINNER OR JUST SIPPING VINO AFTER A TOUGH DAY ON THE TASTING TRAIL. THIS IS ONE HECK OF A WINE BAR AND RESTAURANT WITH OVER 400 BOTTLES OF WINE, 40 AVAILABLE BY THE GLASS. THE BOUNTY OF WINE ASIDE, THE BISTRO FARE AND ARTISAN BEERS WILL KEEP YOU GOING LONG AFTER YOUR BODY POOPS OUT. DESPERATE FOR FUEL? HERE'S A BIRD THAT DEFIES THE NORMS – THE BEER CAN CHICKEN. A FULL CLUCKER PLOPS TO YOUR TABLE ON A NEST OF TECATE BEER, PRIMED FOR A CHOW DOWN. OH HOW SWEET THE WORLD OF WINE AND FOOD CAN BE IN THIS NAPA WINE COUNTRY WONDERLAND.

9/11 - We Will Never Forget

This is the one time of year, where Wacky WineSense head scribe, hailing from NYC, goes serious, to commemorate 9/11. With the passing of each year as our distance to the events grow deeper, it becomes even more important than ever to reflect.....

We Will Never Forget
By: Christina Julian

I don't just remember that tragic day on September 11th, nor when trite references to the horror blip by on the news. I remember it every single day of my life, as do countless others—those of us who were in New York, people all over our world. We saw, we experienced, we lived though something unimaginable, something that couldn't have possibly happened in our lifetime, yet it did.

The smell of its aftermath still lingers large in my memories as does everything about that day: The view of the tip of Manhattan on fire as my brother and I hauled over the Queensboro Bridge to escape. Images of missing persons wallpapered our city. Flyers tacked on subways, walls of restaurants, lampposts, and churches. Flyers of the hundreds and thousands of people that went missing. People that would never find their way home, people who were lost forever.

I remember waking up from the most horrific nightmare, one that repeated for days and years to come. I remember the street side vigils, the gatherings in the park, the countless memorial services. The bomb scares, the evacuations, being stuck on the subway thinking this was it, only to learn of the next threat—Anthrax.

People changed forever.

Children lost parents that they had yet to get the chance to know and love. They lost their innocence in an instant. They grew up overnight without ever knowing it.

Many people just like me were unable to get out of bed, to move out of our apartments, to go to work—to picture our lives moving forward. Yet with every one of those visions, I witnessed something softer. Taxis stopped honking and people started caring. We helped others as we struggled to help ourselves. In an instant a city that was known for its crusty nature cracked to the core, we the people broken. But through all of those experiences, the indelible memories that will never erase, we triumphed in the midst of our tragedies. We were granted the chance to witness and move beyond the unimaginable—buildings melted, people jumped, mushroom clouds danced, heroes fought to rescue. We survived, our world moved on, and we prevailed. My memories will never slip away, yet I am able to move forward.

Grace’s Table - Hands down! The Best Hand Formed Hamburger Around

Let me get this rant-party started. You can feed your food fix morning, noon, and night at the open air eatery, Grace's Table. If you enjoy the great outdoors, snag an outside café table or sneak a seat next to the floor to ceiling window. This family-owned gem has “global comfort food” written all over it. From the gooey-delicious cornbread with lavender butter and grandma’s style pasta and meatballs, to the, wait I am supposed to waxing on about the burger. Sorry, it's hard not to get sidetracked with all the glutonous food that abounds at this glam yet casual joint. The hand-formed burger (made with oh-so-much-care) is a heart breaker. I fell in love all over again with classy, classic, premium red meat. The bun and homemade mustard will wake your palate up as will the not-too pickled fresh-made pickles. And if all the quality cow and cooked to perfection patty aren't good enough for your insatiable tastes, pile on some primo toppings like the Portobello mushrooms and blue cheese. Yum, yum and yum. Top this tower off right with some gigantic O-rings as the icing on top of this divinely delicious meat-cake. The variety and fresh ease of air at this little sweetheart-of-a-spot won’t ever disappoint. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.9 Grapes!

Napa’s Uptown Theater is Anything But Uppity!

When I ditched the boards of Broadway for a leisurely wineward way of life I never expected to pine for my roots. I’d be too busy swilling all that fine wine! But some habits are hard to kick. The longer I’ve been here the more I’ve found myself lingering on past memories of the lullabies of ole Broadway. Thankfully, somebody “up there” has been listening to my wining, and finally delivered a slice of live theater heaven, courtesy of one fanciful Uptown Theater, a shinier, spanking new venue to scratch our live music and entertainment itch. And like a good NYC Broadway counterpart, the acoustics at this jumping joint are worthy of the weight of our wines. Toss in some “arty” eye candy with the stupendous ceiling murals and photos and you’re in for a toast-worthy treat. Lucky for you the Uptown answers that call too as you’re allowed to bring your vino into the theater, enabling you to enjoy your music with our favorite local fruit and pastime on tap and in your hot little hand. So sit back in your comfy cozy seat and soak up the sounds and pleasures of a wine country way of life with a stop off at this smashing spot. Even my piss-poor sing-along ways won’t destroy a bound-to-be-beautiful night at the Uptown. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes!

Swanson’s Sip Shoppe Feeds the Adult Candy Store Fix

At the risk of sounding redundant I will repeat myself for this very good cause. Wine should be fun. Life is serious, wine doesn’t need to be, or so speaks this low-brow wine junkie that will remain nameless (ok it’s me, Ms. Wacksense). Enter Swanson Vineyard’s Sip Shoppe, answering my call for a care-free, unique take on a tasting room. For those high-brow readers in the crowd, defer to Swanson’s formal tasting salon, this "shoppe" is gonna be way too footloose for your tastes. Low-brow readers, here is a wake up call for your peeps and palate. The Sip Shoppe is a wine spin off from the classic soda shop and jerks era (soda jerks, not dating ones), but lucky for us, the “candy” of choice is vino instead of soda pop floats and suckers. The décor is eye candy if I ever saw it with red pinstripe walls and intriguing wall adornments. A delightful outdoor sipping spot. The jovial food and snack pairings conjoined with your wine are downright dizzying (my personal favorite – the Dizzy Lizzy snowball whose garnish is some damn fine Pinot Grigio drizzle) if not bizarre in some instances, but for us here at Wacky WineSense, we thrive at the school of slightly off center, so we felt right at home here. Each wine taste (different tracks available depending on your taste buds) is paired with a tasty morsel of some sort (caviar, snow cones, candy, and more). Another favorite concoction – The 06 Petite Syrah with a slab of Clark’s Bark (a smash up of dark chocolate and toffee, and who knows what else). These folks realize that a day on the tasting trail can be hard work in these parts so don’t forget to ask for a “Rhodie” before you hit the road, and no we are not encouraging drinking and driving, we are talking about a New Orleans style iced coffee delight that’s made up of cold pressed coffee, 2% organic cow juice, and god help us, a dollop of brown sugar. But let us not forget about the real business at hand, the stuff behind the pinstripes, what Swanson has become infamous for – the wines. The Sauvignon Blanc, layered, fruity, crisp – a sheer delight. The Petite Syrah, rich, daunting, and for lack of a better word, dreamy in all of its intensity. The Alexis Cabernet and its drop dead deep fruit intentions will leave you and your loved ones screaming for more. So if it is fine wine you crave, make it point to slip slide into the Sip Shoppe or drop in “announced” to the Salon for a more formal tasting. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes!

Crying for cookies is a sweet deal with Annie the Baker

St. Helena’s weekly Farmer’s Market (Fridays 7:30-12) bears many fruits, but you know that all ready. I'm here to talk about a treat of a less plucky variety, but a much sweeter deal, brought to you by one Annie the Baker, the mind and spatula behind the cookies that taste more like the dough than the finished deal, which is what makes them a steal. Not to be confused with the Steelers football team (easy to do since Annie's booth at the market pays homage to the team in color scheme, the life-sized mascot and flaming yellow VW Beetle (her bakery mobile!), reminding us of her pigskined roots). Annie entertains you at the moment you step into her delicious domain. But all arrows point elsewhere once she slips one of her magical cookies into your eagerly awaiting paw. With one bite of the peanut butter with milk chocolate chip cookie I shed my first tear, and by the time I finished up my taste test I was weeping like a colicky baby. All of her cookies strike a unique balance between sumptuous chewy cookie dough and dense flavorful baked cookie punch. Her newest weep-worthy incarnations are the tuxedo (dark and white chocolate with macadamea nuts) and the newest of all, and another favorite is the Cocoa Loco which is perfect if you are gonzo for the gooey goodness (cocoa powder, milk and dark chocolate and other mysterious but addictive delights). Damn this cookie, adding another notch to my already overstuffed to-do list, as I am now all but forced to make weekly pitstops at the market and Locals' Night at the Oxbow Public Market, in order to snatch up her cookies. I guess it's a good enough cause as any. Better actually as the payoff of these bites is as consistent as they come. Check out her Facebook page (ANNIETHEBAKER) so you won't be left in the sugar dust. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 Grapes! (must eat)

Summer Never Sounded So Sweet

Wine doesn’t have to be the only game in town this summer because for us lucky suckers lurking around the Napa and Sonoma wine country, there is free music to be had. And while I know it is hard to peel your eyes off the plethora of cable TV’s finest: Entourage, Weeds, the raucous Rescue Me, and the final arrival of the hot little ditty, Mad Men, there is a time in life where the outside world must prevail, because as much as I hate to admit it, the days of summer are getting shorter by the second. Thankfully, the technology gods invented DVRs, TIVOs and if you must, VCRs which leaves you no excuse for not leaving your cool indoor summer habitat in favor of the outdoors, where you will find, a bountiful free (Gasp!) summer music scene. I challenge you, not to have a good time, slurpin up the strumming guitars, nature’s natural acoustics, and some sultry singers with this fine mix of music. So over-stuff your picnic basket (no one said you had to forgo wine with your entertainment), pack up your comfy chairs and beach blankets and slide over to the outdoor melody spot of choice. There is something happening on just about every night of the week, so go on, give your pie-hole a rest, and let someone else do the talking, or singing so that you can get back to basics: tunes, food, friends, and wine.
Here’s some of the rundown:

Tuesday nights (weekly) Healdsburg Plaza 6-8PM (go early and hit the fab Farmer’s Market)
Thursday nights (weekly) Calistoga's Pioneer Park 6-9PM (food, brews and vino available for purchase or BYO)
Thursday nights (bi-weekly) St. Helena's Lyman Park 6-8PM
Friday nights (weekly) Napa’s Veteran’s National Park 6:30-10, 3 bands
Sunday nights (weekly) Santa Rosa’s Juillard Park 5-7PM

So, open up your ears, shut your trap and close your eyes, so you can simply enjoy the gabobs of free strumming summer sounds, while they last. Wacky WineSense Rating: 5 grapes!

Summer Swings at Oxbow’s Public Market

It’s about time that us locals (and tourists posing as locals can apply) got a break and the Oxbow Public Market was just the place to provide it. One-stop shopping for all your indulgent food and drink needs. Locals' night (every Tuesday night) serves up a bounty of food, frolic, and slurp-worthy beverages. Too much to cover in one quick swoop, but here are some shenanigans that I suggest you partake in. While I love to slurp wine as much as the next, this Tuesday I found something almost as enticing. Sucking down cheap Hog Island oysters and brew skies. And I don’t mean cheap in the sense that you will spend the night in the emergency room spewing out sullied seafood and PBRs, no siree. Cheap as in succulent oysters ($1 pop – I kid you not) and Class A beer (3.50 a pint) all on the cheap from 5-7PM. And you even get to be entertained as you slurp and suck. Live music (6-8PM) hums in the background ranging from jazz, standards, blues, techno (well, not really) and beyond. I followed up with killer, knock-you-off-your-diet-for-life cupcakes at Kara’s. I thought about eating one of everything she had to offer but opted instead for a Sweet Vanilla (inside and out) and Fleur De Sel. Each made me cry tears of food joy for different reasons. The butter cream frosting was just the right balance by not being overpowered with butter and not so sweet as to make you go into sugar shock. For local's night you can get cupcake minis for $1 (one per/person minimum – so augment with the reg. size). I have it on good accord that the banana caramel one could convert even the most devout non-sugar fiends. Cheese, cheese and more cheese at the Oxbow Cheese Market. Belly up to the cheese bar and order yourself a slice of the Caveman. And I don’t mean that strapping young gent that’s eye chickies from the wine bar, it is a cheese my friends and a damn tart/tangy/tongue defying blue one at that. I had to be peeled off the cheese fridge. Finally when my belly and liver could take no more I slid out to the terrace and planted my butt in a chair and enjoyed the sites of new friends and old dancing in some of the delights that bring this fair city to night – a night where food and drink finds are friendly to the locals that help make this joint and town hop. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5

Ca'Momi - get me some of that pumping prosecco

Last month as I bopped around Harmony Fest, catching up with Lauryn Hill from afar, as makeup melted off my face, I decided a reward was in order. Mine came in the form of an oasis of a wine tent, brought to me by Ca'Momi Wines. And boy what a jackpot I hit. The perfect quench to the summer swelter. Winemaker Dario, who hails from the grand "Boot" of Italy, could teach us Californians a thing or two about sparkling. And don't get me wrong, I love my Mumms and Chandons and the like, but his Ca'Secco prosecco was a little slurp of heaven. Crisp, dry, not too sweet but oh so succulent. A dandy delight that left me, dancing for more. I'm not certain if my "moves" were working for or against my cause of earning more wine, or if they just wanted me to stop, but regardless, I was poured another refill, thankfully. But don't fret if you missed the vino at the festival, you can scoot on down to their Napa tasting room, a pitstop that is well worth the trip. And if all this wasn't reason enough, this Italian friendly bunch will soon be showing off their wares at the Oxbox market. Those wares (housed in an enoteca style wine bar) include homemade Italian pastries, and Neapolitan style pizza. This all made me cry, and start spinning, immediately, so that I can drop pounds to put on more pounds with this fantastic food and fabulous vino. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes!

A Toolbox Worth Its Weight in Wine!

I’m not usually one to get too hung up on gender issues, but when my kind, femalekind, does noteworthy things that do not involve nail polish or high heels I think it’s worth recognizing. My latest diddy, Tool Box Wine Co, is having an on-going ‘coming out’ party at the Gustavo Thrace tasting haunt in downtown Napa. Since I am all about low to no-pretense tasting spots, this one hits the mark all over the place. You can’t help but to frolic balls out all over the place as you sip your wine. If you’re the playful sort this could include engaging in rounds of pinball and darts as you swill your wine and peruse “Bottle Shock” movie memorabilia (whereby Gustavo Brambila was immortalized beyond just his wine). I had a hard time finding a reason to leave this delightful perch. The tasting room peeps are as friendly as you’d expect, except most tasting rooms aren’t that friendly anymore so they defy the norm by being an overly jovial bunch. You’ve got a broad spectrum of wines to wet your whistle, choosing from the Gustavo/Thrace label or the Tool Box collection. I will spend time on the latter, starting with the catch phrase behind this new wine label, using their words, not mine. “Three Napa Valley girlfriends got together to raise a glass, celebrate life & share the importance of a good screw to hold things together.” Their catchphrase, the wine, and the vibe of the tasting room make me smile, as I suspect it will do the same for you. They also understand that financial times are tough these days so every single bottle of Tool Box wine is a mere, are you ready? 14 beans a bottle! And they taste dandy too. The Sauvignon Blanc was crisp, light, and loose, like the ladies behind the wine (kidding, totally kidding). The Cabernet was bouncy. Or maybe that was the pinball, who knows I sucked it down regardless, with great pleasure. So I have to bounce myself (yes I am over the age of 15 and I did just say that, I'm giddy and proud to wear the shoes), but do yourself a favor and make a pit stop at this tasting room for a rollicking good time. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Slurpin Sandwiches (Icy ones) before noon!

Summer is officially here, whether the weather chooses to acknowledge its arrival or not! A wise young tween once told me, when the seasons change so does your wardrobe, no if, ands, buts or bad weather about it. I indulged by wearing my most spring-like togs and hot pink shades to the St. Helena’s Farmers market (Fridays 7:30-12). I continued to screw conventional norms, by skipping all the healthy fruity veggie stands and going straight to the sweets. Partying like a tween seemed appropriate since I was dressed like one. One stop off at The Farmers Market Pantry (corrie@thefarmersmarketpantry.com) fed my sugar-frenzied fix. This particular pantry was stuffed with nothing but cookies and ice cream. After sampling one too many offerings (including a pecan-bacon number, bizarrely delectable!) I went for the Big Kahuna and got a made-to-order ice cream sandwich. I dare you to relive your youth by mixing and matching ice cream and cookie concoctions. This delight was sheer summer time bliss with cookies that were lightly crisp on the outside, with a pinch of chewy dough goodness on the inside. I opted for the cappuccino chocolate chunk cookie, which was laced with gabobs of dark chocolate chunks and espresso. The vanilla bean ice cream ensconced within only made this treat all the sweeter. Some classics are worth their status of ‘simplicity is swell’. Despite being served in the great outdoors, owner/head scooper, Corrie, delivered like only a good ice cream man/woman can, with cream that was as firm as it was tasty. I reached my sugartime coma before high noon. What a way to start the day! You can catch a cookie of your own weekly at the St. Helena Farmers Market (7:30-12PM on Fridays) or at the Thursday Chef’s Market in Napa. Just don’t be left screamin for this dreamy, creamy sensation. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Buccella: Wines that'll make you weep!

There are a few times that I really enjoy a good boo-hoo. Most of them revolve around weep-worthy food, wine, and film. Call me sentimental or downright silly, but when I am moved to the point of tears by a good wine (whether an outward heave or an imperceptible inward display), that is a good day. It’s been a while since I boo-hooed over anything wine or otherwise (is this a sign of maturity or bad moviemaking?) so I was plum-excited when I got to suck down some Buccella wine. I wouldn’t exactly say that I’ve ever been in MER-love, but their Merlot turned over a new grape leaf for me. I fell head over heels in Merlove for their 2007 Merlot. It’s one of the beefiest of its kind that I've slurped as of late. A bodacious mouthful of a wine. A bounty of berry flavors banging around, smooth and hearty (heart pun mildly intended) to the last drop. Frankly, I'm at a loss for words, because it was just that good. I decided to not take notes, and just savior the wine, “in the moment” as they say. So I suggest you do the same, by conjuring up an excuse to celebrate and then using Buccella as your drink of choice. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 grapes

Spin your way to svelte now, so you can slurp wine later!

Stop the flab, rediscover your abs! Wednesdays, 6-6:45PM, at Epiphany Yoga & Pilates Center. Let’s face it, that wine swilling habit of yours is wreaking havoc on your midsection. So here is your chance to work off all that vino from the night before, and or to crush those bad cycling nightmares you’ve been having quicker than a bunch freshly plucked grapes! Never spun before? No worries, that's what teachers are for. Accomplished peddler? I swear on my best bottle of vino, that you’ll sweat yourself senseless. Even Dwight on ABC’s the Office is doing it, proving that getting your spin on can be fun and funny in one breathless pump of the pedals. Bring your yellow goggles if you dare!

If you're still on the fence here are some mantras to kick your bootie off your rump and over the hump…

• Sweat now, svelte later
• Stop swilling, start spinning
• Stop the flab, rediscover your abs!
• Spin now, slurp (wine) later
• Spin your way to thin!

If all of this exercise nonsense is making you squirm, please forward this blog link to anyone that would squeal at the chance to spin on your behalf. For info on classes, location, and online signup, read on:

Epiphany Yoga & Pilates Center (drop in rate $16)
1299 Pine Street Saint Helena, CA 94574
707.963.9642
www.napaspin.com or www.epiphanyyogacenter.com

TAR - bringing theater arts back without busting the bank!

Times are tight and dollars scarce, but that’s no reason to assume the entertainment circuit is faltering as much as the economy. Coinciding with the kick-off of summer, Theater Arts Revival (TAR) is stepping onstage to jumpstart the performing arts scene. How you ask, sarcastically, since the theater scene is dead in these parts, right? Think again my wine swilling peeps. Try TAR's mission on for size: bringing theater and arts programs back to the community without busting the bank and or being bored to tears with tentative shows and the people that attend them. Stand back, catch your foot before you stick it in your mouth. The company’s inaugural show “Pastiche,” is a musical comedy of the absurd. What am I talking about, exactly? If carnivals make you cringe and cackle, these performances will offer a bounty of both, right along with a glimpse into all things good and evil in the wacky world of carnies, and you know how much we here at WineSense love the "wack" factor in all that we choose to promote. But don't take our word for it, the Bohemian voted this stage romp their critic's pick of the week. Here is a taste of what the show will serve up, along with wine, cookies, and a silent auction with many goods up for grabs including sought after garb from Carlos Santana himself. Carnival Pastiche is a second-rate, small time freak show that’s seen better days. A fake Hungarian countess, who may’ve spawned the “cougar” craze sits at the helm of this posse of misfits that includes sideshow attractions, singers, dancers, gypsies, dreamers, and even an Elvis impersonator, none of whom can sing or dance! No, not really, just wanted to make sure you're paying attention. These carnies can croon as good as Sinatra and howl as good as Michael Jackson. When Pastiche’s glossier, alter-ego-of-a-show competitor, Pablo Fanque’s Faire accidentally burns down (foul play anyone?), the fabulous Fanque players (the ones that did NOT get kicked off Dancing With The Stars and America Idol) threaten to replace Pastiche for good. The show is loosely based on characters from the John Lennon song, ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite,' which was written about a real carnival and its performers. So turn off the boob tube, temporarily cork up your wine bottles, and grab your footloose-and-fancy-free alter ego, and prepare to be Razzle Dazzled, as you sing your way through this and other loosely recognizable Broadway show tunes that are sure to make you sizzle and stick to your seat. Performances are set to take off at Calistoga’s Tucker Farm Center at 8PM on Friday and Sat (May 28-29) as well as a 3PM Sunday matinee on May 30th. So go on, shut down your BBQ for a couple hours and get your "wack" on for one night or more. Score some seats now before all the good ones get slurped up!

They came, they went, they CHEER!ed

Frankly, I'm still recovering from all the spellbinding wine, food, and frolic that this month's CHEERS! St. Helena served up. And no, not from too much wine, I'm a professional. I was traveling. Read on for a full wrap-up of the good, bad, ugly, and evil (hint the latter 3 aren't really applicable).Lots of happening things to report. First, CHEERS! was full of frolic just as it was last year, but bigger! Or, as I will now reference the events from this day forward, CHEERS! Full Throttle! Am I dangerously close to sounding over-the-top? Great, I’m doing my job. Random bits of goodness that was uncorked. Gaggles of informal street music performing up and down Main St., in addition to the 3 headlining bands. Thank you CHEERS! for helping the town to rise to this acoustic occasion. We quite literally rocked from blues, to classical, and classics. Well done! Miner (who I lavished on about at the end of last year) poured what I like to call their "pink lady" wine, otherwise known as the Mendocino Rosado. The perfect "lady's lunching/bridal shower wine." Light, fruity, frilly. You feel fancy drinking it. I can't thank you enough Schramsberg, you can "blanc de blancs" me anytime you please. Don't just sit there! Play your seat, won't you? - Chris Vorland, took me up on the offer as he banged bongos and his wood crated seat (is this really a drum disguised as a milk crate?) while strumming a guitar, as he sat tucked in a corner of the always posh Martin Gallery. Between the music, swank decor, and the Orin Swift Prisoners wine that was flowing freely I was hard pressed to find a reason to escape that spot. But more adventures awaited. Varozza Vineyard's Petite Syrah, I hesitate to even get myself started on this wine, as I may never stop yammering on about it. Brevity is the new pink, so here I go: sturdy, zippy, cherry-berry delightful. This wine sings like a Sinatra song. Quintessa's 06 Faust Cab. Rich, robust, rockin. Speaking of rocking (an unexpected new theme for my posting) as I wind down my rantings for the moment. The Odd Fellows' after party bash showed us that St. Helena is not a sleepy wine town after all. When we put our minds to it we can host a shindig when we want to. I'm not sure how they got CRV (CA Rasta Vibes) to play all night long, but thank god they did, they rocked like only a big city band could. Rumor has it that the Odd Fellows might make this post-party thing a stable of the First Friday scene. So CHEERS! to all that showed up, slurped, poured, and opened up shop for one of the highlights of the season. Missed this months rendition? Get yourself together, you have one month to prepare for the next First Friday CHEERS! social. Until then keep your wacky ways about you.

Hop Aboard the Good Times Express – CHEERS!

Time is short and money tight, what better reason to celebrate! Leave the economic woes behind and enjoy where you are – smack dab in the middle of another season of sun, fun, and frolic. The bears have left their winter caves with the promise of a bright and bountiful spring and summer season – exactly what CHEERS! aims to deliver, if you’ll let them. I’ll be concise since there is lots to do before the good time express gets rolling at 6PM tonight, in and around the main drag of the town of St. Helena! Join the Wacky WineSense community as we hit the streets to enjoy wine from gaggles of your favorite local and generous vintners, stroll and shop until you drop, boggie and bop to local bands, learn to juggle and decide to believe in magic for just one night (magicians will be on hand to help you ‘get’ the trick). New in town? Make some friends. Townie local? Outstretch your social wings and introduce yourself to someone new. So sip, mingle, jingle, and jazz. Most of all, toast the town and the onset of another season and reason to CHEER! If your still swinging when CHEERS! rolls up their reindeer games at 9PM, hit the Odd Fellows POST-PARTYto extend your very good time.

Some ODD FELLOWs Keep the Good CHEERS! Flowing with a Post-Party!

For the short attention spanners of the community – CHEERS! after-party this Friday. Read on to learn more! If you live in the Up Valley or threaten to keep up on it’s antics you should be aware that this Friday (May 7) marks the onset of another CHEERS! season of slip, slurp’in, and slid’in good times. If none of this sounds familiar it’s time to step out from under the rock you’ve been sleeping under in your fruitless attempt to ward off the wet season. More on the actual CHEERS! shindig later this week. For now, let’s cut to the “after” party high-jinx. If you’re like me, CHEERS! is so much of a good thing it leaves you yearning for more. Why should a good time have to end at 9PM when most tweens are allowed to stay up well past nine, shouldn’t we, as residents and visitors to St. Helena be allowed to stay up too? Hell Yes!

For those of you that are with me on these sentiments, the good fella’s of the St. Helena chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows are answering our call by keeping the good times rolling this Friday. The after-party kicks up its boots at 9PM, exactly when CHEERS! is rolling up its wine soaked carpet. Here is what ten of your hard or easy earned beans will buy ya:

1. Entrance to the hippest (my words not theirs, they're far too humble to boast) post-party in town (located in the exclusive and often times elusive Odd Fellows Lodge @ 1352 Main Street - entrance between I.Wolk and Martin galleries)
2. Live Music provided by CRV = boogieing and bopping until you drop
3. Fresh Mex plates from Villa Coronoa, beer, and more wine (all available for purchase)
4. Be a part of random acts of kindness - a portion of the proceeds from the event will go back to local communities in need
5. You’ll finally receive answers to your burning questions about what “gentleman’s” clubs like the Odd Fellows are really up to during their secretive meetings.

It’s a tell-all kind of night! So yell and tell everyone you know.

Vercelli – St. Helena’s Savory Sidekick

Hailing from Manhattan where casual, affordable (yes, you heard me!) Italian food haunts are as plentiful as subway rats, you can imagine how shocked I was to find no such establishments (Italian, not rat-filled) in the Up Valley. When I would ask friends, foes and anybody that would listen, where such places were hidden I typically got back blank-faced stares in return. Or, I would be given a rundown of places that serve good homemade pasta (Cook!), and while I certainly love such places, I wanted a truly all-Italian experience – red checkered table cloths, Chiantis, and all! When left to my own devices I finally stumbled into Vercelli Ristorante Cafe on St. Helena’s main strip. I had lowered my expectations considerably since I hadn’t heard much about this joint, though I had walked by it countless times, rubbernecking on the outside looking in, and sometimes lingering around the outdoor cafe. The few tiny tables squished on the sidewalk had Manhattan written all over it. It was then that I decided to give it a taste-test drive. Outdoor, streetside dining is arguably the best way to eat and imbibe in the warm weather months. The ambience at Vercelli was everything I’d come to expect from my east coast dining counterparts. Inside, very cozy, Sinatra and his Rat Pack buzzing in the background, an Italian maitre d buzzing about, and the sweet scent of garlic overtaking the airwaves in the best possible way. The outside section of the restaurant is the closest I’ve come to experiencing true alfresco dining in these parts. If you don’t know what that means, now is your chance to live and learn. Because everything from the service (very friendly, attentive, lacking of all pretense) to the ambience was winning rave reviews, my cynical side expected the food to fall short. Note to self: the times they are changing baby! After a ravishingly good meal I decided to kick my cynicism to the curb, for good maybe. I fell in love, mad, fleeting, food love with the pillow pasta (gnocchi) in gorgonzola cream sauce. As a fellow Italian with a granny that made pitch perfect gnocchi, she also schooled me in all the ways that this type of pasta is done horribly wrong. I did my part over the years by tasting one too many of these “soggy” carb blobs posing as pasta, the type that give pillow pasta a bad name. I can honestly say that my dearly departed granny would give her stamp of approval on Vercelli’s version. They’ve perfected the perfect pillow in consistency, taste, and well, what else is there? The Cesar salad was also a winner. I was weeping by this point so it’s hard to pinpoint what made it so special other than the obvious, superb dressing, gaggles of fresh grated cheese and homemade gigantic croutons. Unfortunately I've started salivating and am at risk for destroying my already aging keyboard, so enough said. If you’ve been craving the perfect pasta in a low-key, casual, and arms wide open setting, do yourself a favor and drop in for some alfresco dining. If you’re lucky Juana will be your server, and serve she will, with a broad smile, all night long until she rolls you out the door in a food coma. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 Grapes!

A “Swift” Kick You’ll Be Glad to Get

It’s possible that you may tire of my cutesy plays on words, but I'm betting you’ll never tire of the wine behind my latest dalliance. Orwin Swift wines, one of them aptly named “Prisoner” are worthy of a jail break to score this juice. Lucky for you such drastic measures aren’t necessary unless that’s the only way you get your kicks. With one sip you’re led down a path packed with a bounty of cherries and berries that guarantees nothing short of a big fruit finish that lingers long after you’ve slurped your goblet bone dry. There’s something in this red wine beaut for just about everyone with an unbalanced blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, and a scant trace of Grenache. What does this mean to you the able-bodied wino? You’ve got nothing to whine about because this stuff will tickle your palate senseless. The Papillon Red, another delight, is a mingling of Cab, Cab Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec. I can’t be certain what you’ll experience when you suck down this wine, but for me, each sip made me feel like I was lying in bed smashed pleasantly between a mixed berry pie mattress and a comforter that smelled like the after affects of a night spent around a smoky, toasty campfire. I could lie nestled in this wine wonderland for days. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.75 Grapes!

Wine and Art Do the Dance at Eric Kent Cellars

Some days (usually those dastardly rainy ones that I thought I escaped when I moved from the Big Apple) I feel like wine has lost its luster. One wine after another, one vine blurring into the next. And sure, it is the wine country, so what did I expect in moving here? Quite frankly-to be WOWED! Continuously. Luckily, rain or shine, there are still spellbinders out there begging to keep my WOW ways alive. Gray weather blues were cured, with just one sip of Eric Kent wine. He was an ad man back in the day, much like myself and that delish Don Drapper on Mad Men, but he, like me had the good sense to leave advertising behind for a far sexier and satisfying sport – winemaking! (I just drink it, he makes it). Not wanting to leave creativity trailing in the dust, him and his other half Coleen have gone on to make it their mission to display works of art on each and every bottle of the wine. So not only was I knocked out of my wine swilling socks because of the grape stuff, but also because of the arty labels swathed across each bottle (each vintage featuring a different artist). Every tasting I go to there are stand outs and fall short-ers. In the case of Kent’s wine, no such bad luck. Every drop I downed was just as dandy as the next. I even, shock to my own horror, liked their Russian River 2008 pinot. If you follow my ramblings regularly you understand the magnitude of me asking for seconds of this wine. It was light, zippy, spicy and flavorful. The 08 Chardonnay was equally alluring with its delectable and decadent pineapple tendencies. Just when I thought I could be wowed no more, I was. Kalen's Big Boy Blend Syrah was just that, a big, beefy mouthful of a wine. Or so I thought until I tasted my favorite of the night, the 2008 Dry Stack Syrah. Everything I dream about in a wine became my reality with this one. Juicy, deep on flavor and finish, sturdy and reliably delicious, sip after sip. Ok one more S, it was downright succulent. Made me want to dance all night long and I don’t even like to boogie unless I am forced to at a bachelorette party. I have sung one too many songs by now on these wines and the art that adorns them, so hip hop your way to the web, and taste for yourself. You too will be busting some moves soon enough. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.8 Grapes

Duckhorn - Beyond Ducky!

As toddlers easily entranced by heated games of duck duck goose, we yearned to be “goose” and cringed when we were just a “duck.” Luckily, we all grow up, and life gets better by the second, or at least that’s what we strive for. Whether your luck, your birthright, or your laurels brought you to the wine country, you’re in a land where “duck” is one of the best tags you can score. Duckhorn’s wine is as ducky in taste as the property is divine. A place where quacks could easily linger along a peaceful pond, and while as of this moment the only ducks you’ll see are on the wine bottles, don’t let that discourage you from enjoying all the happenings at this tranquil yet happening spot. The tasting room provides a great view inside (think chic bustling café) as well as outside on the deck. And while all of that is ducky (last reference, promise) the wine is what rules this coop. This is heady, heady stuff, folks. Every damn drop of every darn wine I slurped caused me to god bless America that I live in such a wondrous land. The Sauvignon Blanc, light and loose on my tongue with a flavorful punch. Perfect for lulling in the springtime sun. The Merlot – berry bomb, one attack you actually wish for. The Howell Mountain Red, a delicious concoction of all your favorites: cab, merlot, cab franc, and petite verdot. This vino brought me to a blissful state akin to childhood days of dancing down the driveway to the Mr. Tastee Freeze truck to score a fruity cherry pop during the dog days of summer in New York. My favorite, though all the others are uber high on my “must have” list, is the 2006 Cabernet. Splish-splash I was taking a fruit-filled bath! Deep on taste, rich finish and long legs, if you care about that sort of thing. In a word – downright ducky! Sorry, promises are meant to be broken when the cause warrants it. So get on out there and check out what all the quacking is about. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.9 Grapes!

You Need Not Know the Pope to Slurp This Vino!

Sure it’s called Pope Valley Winery, but this hometown wine haunt is not restricted to those visiting the Vatican. In fact these wines and this property are down right accessible and friendly too, with a mere haul up the hill. Pooches and people are welcome here and if you’ve always wanted to hone your Bocce skills this is your chance to sip some tasty wine as you scoot balls on the court. I suggest you pack up your pup and a picnic and make a day of it. Lots of enjoyable wines here and no tasting fees apply. I can’t remember the last time I said that. Maybe a decade ago when our valley was a simpler varietal. I was jazzed up about the 2006 Chenin Blanc, of all things, not my normal pick, but pleasantly surprised. Smooth, slick, and fruity with scant traces of nutmeg and pineapple. Delightful! The 2006 Eakle Ranch Sangiovese was a dandy doozey. Smokey-toasty, light and flavorful. This has BBQ written all over it, just in time for spring. They always seem to be serving up some type of festival or outdoor bonanza to make your wine all the more sweet. So skip church (sorry Mom!) and settle in with this Pope instead, and prepare to enjoy some guiltless pleasures. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.5 Grapes!

Skipping for Skewis

I will digress again to a county other than our own, because as I mentioned in last week’s post, there are many scrumptious wines over the hill that are worthy of your attention, not to mention the killer views that are bursting all over the place, equally rivaling our own. If you’ve been following me all these months since my arrival to Napa last summer, you know that I have never hopped aboard the Pinot-by-way-of-Sideways-the-movie bandwagon, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the movie (don’t kill me townie locals!). In my droves of postings I have only written about a pinot one other time, than today. Reason being, pinots never seem to make my palate percolate, but like a diligent pupil I keep on trying. I have a very simple pinot litmus test. Upon slurping, does the pinot remind my of the cough syrups of my youth. If so, I drink no further. This is another example of my low brow approach to wine, but it works for me. Usually, every swig of pinot garners my “icky” face and I move happily onto Cabernet or Petite Syrah. But the friendly folks at Skewis, who were pouring at Acme Fine Wines caused my lips not to curl, and instead dance with delight. Striking news! Not one of their pinots caused the “icky” face (yay!). Instead, I cornered a new look, my tickled pinot face. My favorite was the Peters Vineyard. It was light and zingy on my tongue with a rich and fruity finish. Despite all the plum and blueberry tendencies bashing around in my mouth (super yum) this baby was nothing but smooth sliding down my wine tube. Get your fix quick because this is small lot production stuff. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.4 Grapes!

White Oak Winery – a reason to get off your hump and cross the county line

I have to say, after almost a year of living in the Napa Valley, I don’t get the unspoken and sometimes over-spoken rivalry between Napa and Sonoma. All wines from either of these regions are bounce-off-the-walls delightful, so can’t we just all get along? If Berlin can drop their walls, I think we, as wine country inhabitants, can drop our attitudes about the “other” valley. If you still want to hold on to your grudge out of principal then fine, blame your sojourn to the “other side” on the blossoming trees and mustard that are going on all over Alexander and Knights Valley. Their sights are quite different than what we’ve got going on our side of the hump. Just like the wines, both are dandy in their own right and worthwhile of seeing and experiencing on many levels. Wine aside the 5+ mile long tree tunnel that you will coast through as you approach those valleys is almost as remarkable as Washington DC’s cherry blossoms. So grab your bike or buggy, and a buddy and see what all the fuss is about. I’m done ranting, on to the wine! One of the nice things about White Oak’s neck of the woods is the expansive feel of the land there. Farm country abounding. So when you belly up to the tasting bar, you could just as easily be in a tasting room in Tuscany, in your own little wine world. They have an amazing outdoor setting for casual picnicking, racks for your bikes, and a total "room with a view" inside of the tasting room. As you sip your slurp-worthy delights you can gaze out the gi-normous picture window behind the wine-barista. Cari-Anne my faithful wine dog companion was right at home nuzzling up to winery patrons outside as I imbibed indoors. It’s no secret that I love my hound, but I fell in love with a species of a different varietal on this tasting day. The 2008 Russian River Chardonnay was a scent like no other with a taste to match. Some of the sweet-tart tendencies of apples blended with a smooth wallop of pear - yum, yum. Zingy and smooth, all in one swig. The 2007 Alexander Valley Zinfandel rocked my wine world. If I had to sum it up in one low-brow word I would say “toasty!” If I had more words I would say: toasty, toasty, brown sugar roasty. Light on the tongue yet beyond robust in taste. I wanted to slip-slide-away with a bottle of my very own. When I thought it couldn’t get any better I was poured a taste of the 2005 Alexander Valley Reserve. A dandy desert type of wine, without all the obnoxiously overly sugared hype. It was sweet like candy and caramel corn (that’s what it conjured for me) but smooth and highly drinkable like only a good wine can be. So if you want a light desert style wine this one is a beaut. Well, that’s all, wine folks. For me, I ended the day biking back to where I came from, with a great appreciation for the “other” side of the wine tracks. We are all lucky to be living here in our collective wine country. Whether you’re from the Napa side or the Sonoma side, nobody can argue that we make some of the best wines in the world and we get to enjoy them in one of the most beautiful spots around, so get out there and enjoy all the vino that is just a hop, skip and a scoot away. Wacky WineSense Rating: 4.7 grapes!