Wine Outlook

It’s always sad to see my favorite wines sell out. Part of me is happy that they’ve done well, that other people liked them and wanted to buy them. However, there’s the selfish side of me–the one that will miss having them on the tasting menu, and being able to have some when I want, just for the heck of it.

Such is the case with Rosenblum’s Hendry Vineyard Zinfandel. It’s my pet, my “I love this wine the very most” vineyard. I loved the 2004, and the 2005 filled its shoes nicely. With blackberries and boysenberries. With chocolate, caramel, and toffee. And wafts of smoke.

We will never make it again because George Hendry is a very good winemaker in his own endeavors and wants to use all his grapes. (Yay for him, not so much for me) Therefore, the 2005 Rosenblum Hendry is to be the final one. Ever. So imagine my surprise and my initial disappointment this morning when I found out that instead of the 80 or so cases we had last week when I did the weekly wine order, we now had less than five. Ah! Since the wine isn’t sold in stores, I finally figured it was for the wine club and that they had taken some of the cases we already set side for the tasting room.

Not much left means you can’t get more than 3 bottles and you can only get them on the phone or in the tasting room. Remember, this one won’t show up in a wine shop somewhere. In a word (or two)—don’t wait.

I know it’s an accomplishment when we sell out, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get a little mopey.

Hendry Vineyard Zinfandel, George Hendry

One thing it means is an extra day off! Rosenblum will be closed on Thursday, but there’s still time to come pick up wine today or walk off the turkey coma by coming in Friday or this weekend.

Another thing it means is good food and the license to have several different wines, in order, of course, to find the appropriate pairings.

But what I’m really thankful for is that I’m even here. I was looking at this post from my one-year anniversary in California and about how thankful I was then. And now I have even more things to be thankful for! A better job at a better-known winery, where I seem to be appreciated greatly– where I get to taste and learn about a truckload of good wines, where people are knowledgeable and amusing and genuine, where fun is always at the top of the list. A job that led to a better apartment where I can spread out, show off my wine, have more room to entertain and feed BK and my friends (and maybe get my family out here at some point). Now I have two wine blogs, as well as the regular column, and plans to branch out into more venues once I get some things together.

Who would have thought, almost two years ago, when I came out to California for a visit and to look for a wine job…that I would end up here? That the girl in that picture, wistfully sipping on some Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc, would later be rubbing elbows with winemakers, getting her hands stained with grape juice, writing about wine almost daily, in some form or fashion.

Whew, not me. But I’m sure glad the dream became a reality, even as it changes form and direction…. at the heart of it will always be vino.

Thanksgiving, wine and Thanksgiving, wine jobs

Readers and drinkers, please allow me to get introspective for a moment. I realized that Wine Outlook’s one-year anniversary came and went a few days ago. But this is not to be one of those recaps of how many posts, comments, great experiences, friends made, lessons learned entries. I wrote those kinds of posts earlier on, and I’m not so sure I even feel that way anymore.

Here’s what I’m wondering. Did I shoot myself in the foot? Back in August, I thought I was going to quit this blog and start another. Instead, I decided to do both, except I had already put the idea out there that I was leaving Wine Outlook. The gracious Dr. Debs even submitted the story to Wine Life Today, a site where wine bloggers can read and vote articles onto the front page. My leaving was out there for all the world to read, and it took me a while to be talked into staying. By then, the damage was done. The stats were down and continued to drop. I was posting less, reading less, commenting less. (more…)

Someone sent everyone at work a link to this story, and we couldn’t stop talking about it. I’m still not sure that it’s true myself….

Family and friends are sitting down to have some wine after dinner when a hooded fellow walks in, puts a gun to a young girl’s head, and demands they hand over their money. What happens next is completely kooky. One woman offers him a glass of wine, which he tries and proclaims as damn good. A little bit of wine and cheese later, he’s lamenting his choice in homes and asking for a group hug. A group hug, readers and drinkers! I guess that Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry was something else to make a would-be robber amend his ways.

Moral of this story? Wine is good for your health and your wealth.

Tagged by both Jaime at Fiction Scribe and Megan at Wannabe Wino, I’m supposed to share 7 ( or 8 ) random facts about myself. I feel I do that anyway, but it’s a fun post to write, so here goes. Some wine-related, some not.

1. Sadly, the only time I’ve been to Europe was when I was 16 and had no interest in wine. Italy, Germany, Austria….all that missed potential.

2. I’m absolutely terrified of sharks because I read Jaws when I was in third grade.

3. Inspired by Megan’s # 1, I have to admit I’ve got a picture buried somewhere that shows me back in the day, a plastic cup of white zin in my hand.

4. I was voted Most Intellectual and was valedictorian of my high school, which I think might surprise those familiar with my memory.

5. For ages my compter’s wallpaper has been a picture I took last summer of some Chardonnay grapes, but I just changed it to something non-wine:a funny one of me and my girl, Val, from my March trip to Montana.

6. Thanks to my mom’s habits in gift-giving, a friend and I once spent quite some time counting what I had more of: cat items or frog things. I can’t remember which won. (See #4)

7. I am starting a new project related to my wine writing. More details to come soon, I hope.

p.s. Most of the people I would have tagged have been already, so this train stops here.

I had been putting this post off anyway and then when I was ready to write it, the borrowed computer wouldn’t work nor was mine ready yet. Appropriate. Uncanny, like the song that came on my Ipod when I began writing this the old-fashioned way (pen and paper). Six Feet Under had the most brilliant series finale where Claire drives away from the funeral business and into her future while “Breathe Me” is playing, interspersed with vignettes showing the fragility of life. I couldn’t stop crying, and that song gets me every time.

It mirrored the sadness I feel in something else ending.

Here’s what I haven’t been able to write yet: (more…)

Six Feet Under

Funny that my post about women & wine stirred up Dr.Debs and Catie to address issues with Wine Spectator. Funny because my last column for the Jackson Free Press also addressed the Wine Spectator, except my point was not so much gender-focused but more income-based.

Therefore, I advised readers to look online for free and helpful info, giving special shout-outs to some of my fellow wine bloggers. With only 400 words, I couldn’t get to them all.

But to the ones who did make it in (El Jefe, Josh, Megan, Russ, Dr.Debs, Alder, Beau, and John) and those who couldn’t fit–happy drinking and writing!

p.s. The quotation marks were added later. They make it seem like Vinography and Alder yarrow are two separate blogs. Oops.

Farley Walker

wine bloggers

Everyone always thinks my job is the best gig in the world. Working on top of a mountain, pouring great wine, a lovely view out the window… However, people are people wherever you go. Sometimes that means complaining about prices or the size of the pour, insisting on discounts for no reason, making a mess of the clothing items, or just plain rudeness.

That’s why it’s so nice to have people come in the door that you are truly excited to see. In my case, that usually means wine club members. Having been at the winery over a year now, I’ve gotten to know many rather well. (more…)

Readers and drinkers, everything seems to be just a little off these days. I was outside of the price range for Wine Blogging Wednesday, I was 2 days late with my wine column, and at a private tasting the other night, my normal banter with the crowd was constantly interrupted to be translated into Japanese. It seems appropriate, then, that the picture to the right is a little blurry and that the wine itself was not quite what I expected. BK wanted to share the NV Rymill “The Bee’s Knees” sparkling red from Coonawarra. He’d never had red bubbles before, though I may have mentioned once or twice that I adore them. This particular wine is a blend of 4 grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Shiraz (in order of highest percentage to least). I have to say my first reaction was that it ‘tastes like a Cab,’ which stemmed from the fact it had more tannin and didn’t taste as rich as the red sparklers I’ve had in the past. I got coffee, as opposed to the chocolate I often find, and bing cherry, instead of the more typical raspberry. Once I got past the expectations, I could enjoy the glass(es) based on what the wine was, rather than what it wasn’t. And it was a delightfully dry sparkling red that matched the salty goodness of sauteed mushrooms over bread.

I’m just glad John Innes, the winemaker, decided to share it with all of us, instead of only with family and friends, as it seems those were his original plans for The Bee’s Knees…

NV Rymill “The Bee’s Knees”, sparkling red

Some days it seems like there are more downs than ups. Other days, something will happen that makes you think, “Hey, I am doing the right thing!”

Yesterday, I had one of those moments. Mr. Martella was down in the production area, peering into one of the smaller tanks, and I asked him if he was tinkering with his Sauvignon Blanc. He was, in fact, and called for me to come on down there. I did and we both tasted the wine, commenting on its acidity and residual sugar. Then he asked if I wanted to try his Viognier, which, of course, I did. We stood there spitting and talking, discussing production and price points. And the Martella Viognier? Let’s just say I can’t wait until it’s peachy, flowery contents are in the bottle, so I can buy some.

When I went back upstairs to the tasting room, it struck me how easily unscary that was. And I remembered the girl I was when I first got out here and then when I started writing this blog… ashamed of my palate, terrified of tasting notes, fearful to say the wrong thing in front of people who knew/know more than I. There are still times when tasting wine that I hesitate to spout out what I think. But practice helps, and as you, readers and drinkers, probably know–I’ve had plenty since I moved to California. Whether it’s at the winery working on the tasting menu (and loving it when customers voice their agreement with my notes), scribbling in my book when out to dinner, or with my tasting group, each time builds confidence. Heck, I’m not even scared to argue with my winemaking friends about the flavors I get in the glass.

Michael Martella, palate fears, wine tasting

….Farley Walker

Yesterday I got a very exciting delivery, something I’ve been wanting for ages and finally broke down and ordered. It was “The Chosen Collection”– all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in one boxed set with new special features, interviews, etc. Now. Before you go calling me crazy either because

A) You don’t understand why I would want it in the first place…(Hey, I feel you. I was a doubter once, too, thinking it was a silly kids’ show and would ashamedly buy the dvd’s for my brother. Until I actually watched it and realized the genius of Joss Whedon and his ability to turn plotlines about vampires and demons into metaphors for life)
–OR–
B) You’re wondering what the heck this has to do with 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. (more…)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, collecting

When the Winehiker hit me with my first meme, I thought I had kinda answered the question “Why do I blog?” a few months ago with this post. Except that didn’t really explain why I got started initially.

How Wine Outlook began
Mine is not a romantic tale. Destiny for me was searching Craigslist for freelance writing jobs to help make ends meet. When I replied to 451 Press in its offer to “write about what you love,” I mentioned possible topics as WINE, cooking, hiking, poetry, etc. Thankfully, they gave me the wine blog.

I have since come to find the revenue from the ads doesn’t add up to all that much. So while I might have started to make extra money, that is definitely not the reason I continue to do this (almost) every day.

So here are 5 reasons I do:

~With my terrible memory, it is nice to have a record of the wines I’ve consumed, what I ate with them, and what I thought of them. Pictures usually included.

~The kind words from readers can brighten up otherwise gloomy days. Especially kind words from strangers who have no reason to make me feel better unless they really mean it. (See the responses to above-linked post.)

~I knew nothing about blogging when I got started. Now I’ve come to find blogs I love to read, full of useful information, suggestions, and inspiration. (See sidebar and check out some yourself)….What’s even better is that I’ve come to know some of the people behind the blogs. Sometimes it’s through conversations in comments and e-mails. Or sometimes it’s in person, like when I had a lovely dinner the other night with Sonadora of Wannabe Wino and her husband Matt. Or how I plan on finally making it over to Twisted Oak tomorrow to talk to El Jefe for more than a few crowded minutes. And the meetings that have yet to happen. (Ryan and Ben and Dr. Debs have promised to come tasting with me. Just say when.)

~Blogging brings all kinds of surprises. It could be a random comment from a long-ago classmate or something as delightful as Elsbeth graciously sending me a bottle of the much coveted Petit Verdot.

~Finally, wine writing is my dream, what dragged me from Mississippi to California. This blog gives me an outlet for that. And who knows? Maybe someday the “right person” will read it and give my dreams a more solid (i.e. more financially stable) form.

And now it’s my turn to ask, why do YOU blog? (more…)

When I went over to a friend’s last night for a little wine, I brought with me a bottle of 2003 Concannon Petite Sirah. I was telling her how it was the first bottle of wine anyone in California gave me. At some random off-site tasting, I had a nice conversation with Jim from Concannon, and when he was leaving, handed me a bottle, much to my delight. (That was one sign I had made the right decision in moving to California.)

I had told him how when I came out to the area in December 2005, trying to find a job, I decided to drive to Concannon. I have always had a special place in my heart for Petite Sirah and they produced the first. Perhaps he felt sorry for me because I mentioned it somehow took me 2 hours to make the drive from Palo Alto to Livermore, which should have taken 1. Actually, it was on that trip that I finally accepted my fate as bad with directions. Maybe it was when I had to call and cancel my appointment at Ridge, after driving back and forth on Highway 9 several times, explaining “the map sections of standardized tests were always my lowest score.”

I’ve been saying how I’d like to get, instead of individual AVA’s on separate maps, one map of all the California wine regions. Not that I could use it to get anywhere, but so I can see where I’ve been and where I still need to go.

2003 Concannon Petite Sirah, CA wine map, getting lost

….Farley Walker

I must say, I’ve never had so much fun with a Wine Blogging Wednesday before. (Many thanks to the guys at The Wine Cask for the theme.)

Having already decided I would use wines from the Thomas Fogarty tasting menu– due to budget constraints– it seemed obvious (suddenly, as a light bulb went off on a foggy Saturday afternoon) to enlist the help of customers who came in. Therefore, I made the comparison between the 2003 Thomas Fogarty Chardonnay and the 2003 Thomas Fogarty Reserve Chardonnay a blind one for myself and my guinea pigs.

I chose those particular Santa Cruz Mountains wines–even though it was the last random bottle of the regular and the reserve’s almost gone–because they were the best controlled comparison. The two wines were both blended from the same four vineyards on our mountaintop estate. Both went through malolactic fermentation and were stirred on the lees regularly.The regular version ($26) was aged for 12 months in American and French oak–with 2/3 finished in stainless steel– and was the winner of gold and silver medals at various competitions. The reserve ($38), aged in French oak for about 14 months, was a much smaller production and a winery exclusive.

So what’s the verdict? (more…)

Wine Blogging Wednesday, 2003 Thomas Fogarty Chardonnay, 2003 Thomas Fogarty Reserve Chardonnay

While I sort through pictures and notes to catch up on my writing, this seems like a good time for some heartfelt gratitude.

I want to thank everybody for such a fantastic birthday that it nipped all that ‘woe is me’ mess in the bud. For the kind comments here on my blog. For my family and friends’ sweet messages from home. For the amazing people and the too-fun-for-our-own-good party in Missoula (not to mention the crawfish and dancing). And lastly, for the party here in CA with its tropical decorations, the leis galore, my own freely flowing Sangria, good food, and well, I could have skipped the embarrassing cake, girls (and there better not be any pictures popping up). Oh yeah, and for the thoughtful presents, many of which will help me in bringing more information to you, readers and drinkers.