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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 d
rizzle) 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!
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)
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!
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
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!
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!
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!
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 d
rizzle) 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!
