Hidden Treasures Sale
Thursday, August 21st, 2008
This weekend, come join us at Rosenblum Cellars for some wines you probably can’t find anywhere else. We’ve unearthed some treasures that are just waiting to relocate to your cellar or dinner table or backpack for a winehiking excursion.
They are available this Saturday and Sunday at the Alameda location, and if there are any left, you can order them by phone starting Monday. Though I wouldn’t risk it. Only 14 bottles of the 2004 Lyons Reserve Zinfandel. Need I say more?? Okay, a few cases of 2005 Rockpile Road Petite Sirah. That should do it….
2004 Lyons Reserve Zinfandel, 2005 Rockpile Road Petite Sirah
The other day at work, I continued my experimentation in sangria making. The time before when I made it with pineapple, mango juice, and peaches, I was struck with the urge to give watermelon a go. Turned out to be a pretty good idea, one worth repeating in your own kitchen.
This post is from a dinner about two weeks ago, but I couldn’t not share. The first course was my second go at a delicious preparation of scallops I got from a trusty wine cookbook: The Perfect Match. You season them with olive oil, sea salt, and thyme, then sear quickly on both sides. The sauce is made with morel muchrooms, sun-dried tomotoes, and shallots sauteed in Chardonnay and a little butter, with more thyme. Therefore, they are ideal dining companions for a slightly buttery Chardonnay.
The main course was courtesy of BK–perfectly seared lamb served with a medley of zucchini and seps (kind of mushroom) drizzled with a bit of the Zinfandel. The wine was another older vintage from Rosenblum, one with a cult following. In 1888, a vineyard was planted behind St. Peter’s Catholic Church up in Sonoma County, within the city limits of Cloverdale, with soil of black loam and its fair share of gravel. Among the wines taken from the library, the 2002 St. Peter’s Church Zinfandel was the most expensive. Quite a splurge, but it was one of my favorites I tasted (and I was reimbursed). This time the nose brought me smoke, vanilla, and blackberry with tons of chocolate, pepper, and spice on the tongue. It was thick and delicious, and I only wish there were more.
Last night’s member appreciation party seemed to go quite well, though I don’t have much to compare it to. At the Fogarty club events, I always had to work in the tasting room, far from the action (and the cookies). However, this time I ran a register, while kind souls brought me little tastes of library wines. I even got to slip outside once, where there was live music and more pouring stations. And at the end of the night, I had the chance to buy some of the older vintages, coming home with two of my favorites: the 2002 Rosenblum Monte Rosso Zinfandel and the 2002 Rosenblum England Shaw Syrah. Spending that paycheck before I even get it!
On another happy note, this was the first Saturday morning I’ve had free since I moved to California. The few that I wasn’t working were taken off for specific purposes, such as the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Today, however, I walked over to the Redwood City Farmer’s Market and took my time browsing through produce, flowers, and other fun items. My trip home was much tougher, loaded down with goodies such as tomatoes, squash, an olive boulot, and peaches that might make it into a cobbler later, maybe with some dessert wine.
Let me explain. I had a brief moment of guilt, when I was slicing through taped cardboard, where I wondered if I was cheating. Part of the joy of collecting is the chase, the search. Whether it’s digging through dusty, unalphabetized shelves trying to find that one book of poetry or trying on 10 pairs of shoes until you find the perfect ones, there’s beauty in the act itself. Now do you see where I’m going? My little wine cooler is (over)stuffed with bottles, but most of those bottles represent memories. Some travelled with me across Mississippi and then across the country, many were bought at wineries after lovely afternoons of tasting, and some were generously given to me by friends or others in the wine biz. Some are old friends and some I can’t wait to try. 
As for my bottle, my mom had mentioned sparkling, and I’m never one to turn down bubbles. I tried to think of something I wouldn’t normally buy myself, so I got the Moet & Chandon White Star. It’s one of those wines everyone knows, and I know I had some ages ago, but can’t really remember what I thought. Although after going to see 
