'Zilla's Weekly Wine and Tunes Pairing

By Joe Colgan

Welcome to Friday! I think it's about time we address the subject of  Steely Dan here at CORKZILLA. Since the early '70's the Fagen/Becker duo have been responsible for producing some of the greatest and sophisticatedly distinctive music in Rock and Pop's history. In the early years the group was mostly viewed as a studio-based band, concentrating on creating near perfection when recording. Intelligent/sarcastic lyrics paired with utilizing an arsenal of top-notch studio musicians from LA & NYC has always been their modus operandi. Some of my favorite musicians have done stints as members of the constantly rotating band roster. As a musician growing up, I viewed the slot of lead guitarist for Steely Dan as being sacred gound. The list of players that have held that position is impressive - Denny Dias , Jeff "Skunk" Baxter , Larry Carlton , Wayne Krantz , Jon Herington , etc…  The tune we're featuring below is a classic and one of my favs. Learning the song's guitar solos off the Royal Scam album was a big goal for me as a kid. It took me a while.

I'm thinking we need to go red, dark, and smokey for this week's pairing. I've had Chappellet's 2007 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon a few times and I think it will go nicely with the mood of the tune. Born in Napa, this cab (76% Cab, 18%Malbec, 4%Petit Verdot, 1%Merlot, 1% Cab Franc) is Chappellet's flagship wine and comes from the rocky soils of Pritchard Hill. It's medium bodied and dark. Lot's of currant and black raspberries on the palate with some very delicious smelling espresso/coca on the nose. Decant and let this one sit for a while. At about $40 it's a great mid-range cab.

 Cheers!

By Ben Heskett

The scene: It's been a long, fruitful evening of wine drinking on a lovely California summer night. Maybe some bubbles, onto a good Pinot, perhaps a Spanish Garnacha, or a Syrah, all part of a fun night of wine and food. With all of those built up tannins in your mouth, wouldn't a nice palate cleanser be just the thing?

This is a recounting of an actual recent event. As the evening was winding down, the music selections turned mellower, and just as J.J. Cale's "Call Me the Breeze" started coming out of the speakers, a solution to our problem was found - The Novy Family Winery (The same folks that bring you Siduri Wines) 2009 Viognier from the Russian River Valley. It was the perfect combination - a Wine and Tunes Pairing fully realized in the moment.

The Novy 2009 Viognier is an interesting bottle, with hints of apricot jam, citrus and overall sweetness, with a long, crisp finish that will wash away your evening of red wines. A white wine as a wrap up? Indeed. Think of it as almost a dessert wine. As a shameless plug for the Siduri folks (One of my Pinot favorites), they're trying to get rid of their 2009s, so there's some deals to be had on the Viognier at the winery and perhaps via the mailing list, if you're on it.

Below is a version J.J. Cale does with Eric Clapton as part of the latter's sometime music festival. For the somewhat mellower version that graced our evening, click here. Enjoy!

Weekly Wine News Around the Web

Wine at any time: A recent study done by our friends at the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University has shown that Millennials are consuming wine at all hours of the day and not necessarily with meals, as reported by Wine Business. Millennials are credited with being one of the key indicators in this country's growth in wine consumption, so marketers in the industry are taking a close look at when and where this age bracket likes to drink. It seems that this particular generation is helping wine become a part of everyday life in the America.

No Alexander Mountain in Sonoma: The late Jess Jackson's bid to rename Black Mountain in Sonoma County next to Jackson's estate "Alexander Mountain" was rejected by the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names. The Jackson argument was that they wanted to honor early settler Cyrus Alexander while the board thought there might be "commercial implication" in the renaming.

Stop Thief!: This news week saw two separate stories about thievery in the wine world. First up is about a NJ man who was recently arrested for stealing a Picasso drawing from a gallery in SF and is now being accused of lifting some pretty high end juice from a wine shop. Bail is set a $5MM.

The second item is about a Lodi grape grower that had his vineyard's irrigation system swiped out from under him last weekend. About $10K worth of equipment was taken and now the vineyards petite syrah grapes are starting to wilt, which will greatly threaten the man's business. Bastards!

More Wine Crime?: California's shippers and packers allege corruption in the state's grape and stone fruit markets and have hired a private investigator to get to the bottom  of it, according to a report on WineIndustryInsight.com.

The Barbeque Bounty - Fourth of July Edition

By Ben Heskett

BENNETT VALLEY, Sonoma County, Calif. -- One of the great things about inviting friends over for a barbeque is the wines they bring. I often find I get into ruts in my wine drinking, in which my natural inclination is to reach for a few favorites, rather than explore new countries or regions, so a sprinkling of new choices is always welcome.

So about a week ago, when I reveled in my good fortune to be able to invite friends to Bennett Valley in Sonoma County to celebrate the U.S. Independence Day, I was struck by the variety of wines available to taste. What follows is a brief overview of three different Sauvignon Blancs from a hot and festive day.

• Matanzas Creek Winery 2010 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc: I was pleased to see this Matanzas Creek varietal on the dining room table for our Fourth celebration. I’ve long been a fan of their Sauvignon Blanc, but have not had occasion to try it for a few years. It has terrific flavor, with peach and citrus notes, with a full-bodied finish. One of my favorites.

• Allan Scott Family Winemakers 2010 Millstone Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc: A new one for me. Allan Scott’s Sauvignon Blanc offers a lot of the classic New Zealand characteristics – Some lime and melon notes in the mouth, with ever-present hints of minerality, some oak, and a nice, lingering finish. What’s also interesting is the 12.5 percent listed alcohol by volume – The lowest among the three wines. Give this one a shot – Not my favorite, but worth a try.

• Dry Creek Vineyard 2010 Sonoma County Fume Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc): The Dry Creek Vineyard chose to call their Sauvignon Blanc “Fume Blanc” as an expression of their intent to make a Loire Valley style white wine. It’s 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc and a real treat – A wine I may not have purchased myself, but will now add to my list of go-to whites. It has terrific grassy elements on the nose and the finish, with citrus, apple and lemon flavors in the mouth.

All three of these wines would be a welcome addition to any summertime event. If I had to rank them, I would put the two California entrants – Matanzas Creek and Dry Creek Vineyard – ahead of New Zealand’s Allan Scott, but that may only be personal preference. Also, the accompanying food choice would play a crucial role - I could see some oysters with the Allan Scott entrant being a perfect match. Give all three a try and let us know what you think.

'Zilla's Weekly Wine and Tunes Pairing

By Joe Colgan

It's the weekend once again… phew!  As we set our focus towards fun & sun, I want to pause and dedicate this weeks pairing to celebrate the birthday of one of CORKZILLA's favorite music figures to come out of the '90s alt rock scene, Beck. Since his major-label debut, Mellow Gold, Beck has continuously reinvented himself making it nearly impossible to categorize his musical style. His ability to creatively and unpredictably fuse genres (e.g.,  pop, folk, funk, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, blues, country, rock, et cetera..) makes his sound limitless and accessible to a wide audience. Seeing him live is always a fantastic/energetic experience, as the vid below can attest to.

This week I'm just going to suggest a wine I've been loving lately that I think would be accessible to a wide audience due to it's performance and value. The 2006 Baronia del Montsant Flor d'Englora Negre Jove is a terrific Spanish Grenache blend bargain that doesn't disappoint. Baronia Del Monstant, located in the Monstant appellation of the Catalonia region, is at a high rocky elevation giving the grapes ample sun and cool nights (check out the pics on their site!). This dark wine is full of black berries, minerals, good tannins, and has a nice long finish. Very tasty and accessible - retails for about $15..  Pour a glass, watch the Beck goodness, enjoy. Repeat. 

How about some bonus Beck, rockin' the slow jamz..

Cheers!

By Ben Heskett

I've been spending a little time in wine country recently - Sonoma specifically. As part of this time, a soundtrack to the day, or the good times, has developed. This Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers gem is one of tunes that's really resonating in the summer heat, among leafy vines, and golden grass. I particularly like this acoustic treatment (Yes, that is Stevie Nicks on background vocals).

On a hot night in rural Sonoma, there's not a lot of motivation to pop a warmer bottle of red wine, so I've turned to a recent go-to choice of mine and one of my favorite Dry Creek winery visits: the Preston of Dry Creek 2009 Rousanne, a beautifully balanced white wine with hints of honey, pear, and melon with a nice finish. As the Preston website is quick to point out, there are only 300 plus acres of Rousanne planted in California (I hope that number is growing) so their 245-case allotment is a real treat.

On a nice August night in San Francisco in 2008, Tom Petty played a similar version of this song at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in Golden Gate Park. It was a highlight of a great weekend of music. Here's that version - Not a high quality video so I've used an alternative.

WINE GEAR: Two Gizmos are Sometimes Better Than One

Editor’s note: CORKZILLA debuts a new feature of the site today, an occasional series of columns called Wine Gear by Jim Louderback, ‘Zilla friend and wine aficionado. We’ll let Jim explain his qualifications, but we’re happy to have him on board and hope you’ll enjoy his insights into wine accessories. Cheers!

By Jim Louderback

Hello, and welcome to the first of a new series of columns from me called Wine Gear. In this space we’ll be reviewing wine accessories – those things that go along with sharing and enjoying wine.

I’ve tried a lot of them, and I intend on trying a lot more. So you might wonder what makes me qualified to test wine products? Well for six years I ran product testing at PC Week magazine, and I hosted the popular Fresh Gear product review show on cable network TechTV for five years – and most recently I was editor in chief of PC Magazine. I know how to test products, and I don’t pull any punches. I hope you’ll enjoy these columns, and make sure you comment, and let me know what you think!

With that let’s get into it.

Although I’m a big fan of wine, I often only want a glass or two with dinner, which leaves a half bottle or more left over. I’ve got a modest cellar, but many of my wines are both ready to drink, and too expensive to throw half away. And there’s the rub – how do I save a half bottle of wine for a day or two without it going flat?

I’ve tried a wide variety of pumps, gizmos, corks and gadgets, but none seemed to work. Finally, a few years ago I settled on Private Preserve - spray cans of inert argon gas that create a neutral layer on top of any remaining liquid.

It worked well, but it wasn’t perfect. Even after one night that really great bottle would often be flat and uninspiring. But it was better than nothing, and at least it worked a good portion of the time. Still, I was loathe to open up any really good bottles of wine, unless I was in a mood to down the whole thing, or friends were over to share it. And so the bulk of my cellar kept aging and aging.

Recently I discovered a new product designed to preserve wine – this time from Australia. The Wine Shield is an odd product, and at first blush it really shouldn’t work. The shield is basically a plastic disc, about the diameter of a wine bottle, with the outer radius sliced diametrically in a radial pattern to allow it to fit different sized bottles. To insert it into a bottle, you wrap it around an included plastic fork, slip it in, and then let it tumble. The disk ends up floating on top of any left-over wine, creating a seal that promises to stop oxidization and preserve the rest of the bottle.

Why would a simple plastic shield work where pumps, sprays and others failed? I was skeptical, but I figured I’d try it – at least I’d be able to check another wine gizmo off the list.

Surprisingly, it worked. Not all the time, but the success rate was about similar to Private Preserve. Great, though now I have two things that work reasonably well, but are still prone to failure. I still wasn’t willing to take a chance on those 2000 Bordeauxs, or that 1995 Merryvale Vineyards Profile I was waiting to drink.

But then I had a flash of inspiration. What about COMBINING the two? Maybe working together they might provide a shield that would reliably work for 24 hours, and perhaps even for a few days or longer. 

So like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, I put two great tastes together and gave it a shot. And it worked better than I’d even hoped. Every single bottle I used with my combo stayed virtually intact for 24 hours. I started stretching it to two days, and the combo held up nicely as well. After that it was hit or miss, but I’ve kept bottles of Tempranillo, for example, for up to four days without losing any body, taste or smell.

So I put it to the test. I grabbed three bottles of Beronia Reserve 2005 and put them to the test. I opened all three simultaneously and tasted them. All good. I poured a glass off from each, and then stoppered one with PrivatePreserve, the next with a WineShield, and the third with my combination. After an hour or so I tasted each of the glasses, and they were in fine shape!

 A day later I came back and poured off a glass from each of the three bottles.  I detected some fading in both the PrivatePreserve and the WineShield bottles, but both were very drinkable. My combo was still going strong.

By the second day, both the PP and WS bottles were noticeably fading - Drinkable, but only barely.  I poured them out. The combo bottle was vibrant and alive, and still tasted like it had when I opened it.  By day three it was still pretty good, but I could easily detect it fading.  By day four I tasted the last glass, but there was very little left. I poured it down the sink.

So there you have it. If you’re like me and are looking for a good way to save a half-opened bottle for a day or two, my combo route offers the best alternative I’ve found to date. Sure it’s more expensive than either alone, but unless you’re drinking Two-Buck Chuck, the price is well worth it!

Jim Louderback is a veteran technologist and media executive, lover of great wines, and follower of great bands and music. You may bump into him at various music venues in the Bay Area and beyond. He's a big fan of everything from Pinot Noir to Cabernets and Syrah, but unaccountably can't stomach Zinfandel.  On the white side he's happiest with Viognier or a Caymus Vineyards Conundrum, can't stand acidic Sauvignon Blancs, but has been known to wax poetic on Rose.  Go figure.  Jim lives in Pacifica, CA, with his wife and son. He can be reached at jim@louderback.com.  

Weekly Wine News Around the Web

Further Alcohol Insights: A good take in the San Francisco Chronicle on more research into alcohol levels in wine, with several interesting insights, including the role the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Canada played in recent research.

Renwood Sold to Argentine Investment Group: Non-subcription details are scant, but Wineindustryinsight.com is reporting that Amador County, CA winery Renwood will soon be sold. More details to come, to be sure.

Party time, Oregon style?: Marketing events at Oregon wineries, such as music, etc. may get new life thanks to legislation passed in late June (Yet to be enacted). From the CORKZILLA perspective, the more events the merrier, but the state clearly has other ideas.

Yet Another Harvest Update for CA: Unusual June rains caused further concern for this year’s harvest, but a Napa County Register report indicates the late rains are more likely to impact the quantity, not the quality of the grapes.

Best Ever Pinot Harvest?: The Wine Spectator is singing the praises of the 2009 class of California Pinot Noirs, claiming the vintage is one of the best ever, based on their ranking system.

One Perspective on the California Syrah Issue

By Ben Heskett

A quick note to highlight a recent post on Palatepress.com about the state of Syrah in California, a varietal that is still findings its way onto the tables of wine drinkers in this country. For years, winemakers in California have predicted a Syrah boom (The distinctive Syrah grape is pictured to the right), which has never quite arrived.

To be clear, there are many terrific Syrahs being produced in California. That's not the problem. The problem is how to market this varietal to the broader wine drinking community that compares Syrahs from California with those Shirazs from Australia that are far cheaper and, therefore, choose labels from Down Under.

As well, a lot of Syrah's success in the U.S. can be found in the many blends that have used depressed prices for the grape as a means to develop interesting red blends, which should be noted as a success for the varietal (Even though many consumers may not know they're drinking a Syrah-based blend).

What do you think? Certainly, some Syrah education in the U.S. is required. A better marketing push would help as well. Perhaps a more balanced approach to planting the grape? A friend in the wine industry recently opined: "blow up Australia." That's probably not going to happen, but the point is well taken - In a global wine market, a varietal needs to have a distinct proposition.

As far as I'm concerned, keep pumping out the good Syrahs and they'll find a home. Let's see what happens in the next 3-5 years with the growth of Rhone-based wines in California and then consider whether Syrah was a good choice as the "next hot grape."

'Zilla's Weekly Wine and Tunes Pairing

By Ben Heskett

It's getaway day for many in the U.S.,  heading out for a long weekend of grilling and chilling. As we celebrate the birth of our nation, a few quick reminders:

- Be safe on the roads, on the rivers, on the lakes, or where ever this weekend may take you.

- Just because it's hot out, doesn't mean your white wines need to be served at temperatures just above freezing. Let those whites warm up a bit to get the best out of them.

- Nothing, and I mean nothing, tastes better after a long day of wine drinking than an ice cold beer.

I've long thought "America the Beautiful" should be our national anthem. It could be debated until doomsday, with no definitive result, but all it takes is one listen to Ray Charles version of this patriotic standard to realize that it might not be such a bad idea.

To go with your grilling, I will recommend a recent addition to the wine cellar, the Big Basin Vineyards 2008 Fairview Ranch Syrah, sure to stand up to whatever you've got on the grill and whatever you're adding to your meal. A terrific, big, bold wine, it has blackberry and related fruit notes with great spice and a luxurious finish.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July everyone...Cheers!

By Joe Colgan

Oh, say can you see the beautiful weather that is priming SoCal for the long weekend right now? Hopefully everyone has plans that involve relaxation and getting together with friends and loved ones to help celebrate our fine nation.. 

We're going to give you a double music dose this week because I feel no other song is more appropriate for July 4th than "America the Beautiful". It tells the story of our nation - it's land, people, and freedom.  Keb Mo's version conveys a raw and soulful side to the story. The associated vid does a fantastic job of showing the beauty of our country as seen through the portraits of Americans themselves.

This week we have to go with a wine to pair with your patriotic backyard bbq firework shindigs! I'm going to suggest a bomb of a Zin, the 2007 Carlisle Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, from Sonoma County. Very dark in the glass and full bodied. Deep with berries and hint of spice with a great finish. Delicious! Got meat on the grill?

Cheers!

Wine in the park

Just a quick CORKZILLA note for all of those in and around LA: The 3rd season of the Barnsdall Friday Night Wine Tasting  is up and running for the summer!  The combination of warm nights, expansive views with setting sun, good music and great wines makes for a fantastic evening. Silverlake Wine will once again be presenting four selections of boutique, small production wines from around the globe. Music provided by guest DJs from KCRW and a selection of LA's specialty food trucks will be on hand. We can't think of a better way to kick off your 4th weekend. Get yer tixs now because they disappear quick !  



Weekly Wine News Around the Web

Edna Valley Sold: E & J Gallo Co. are expanding to California’s Central Coast with the acquisition of San Luis Obispo’s Edna Valley Vineyard. The move continues an effort by Gallo to add premium wines to its portfolio. Edna Valley, perhaps best known for its buttery Chardonnay, and surrounding wineries in San Luis Obispo could reap the benefits of a broader marketing push.

Supply and Demand Strengthens Grape Prices: Prices in California for grapes in 2011 are strong, according to a report in Western Farm Press. The price increases reflect a supply and demand balance due to a variety of factors, such as moderate harvests in other parts of the world and various issues with this year's potential crop in California, such as wacky weather.

Cakebread & China: It seems that just about every day there's something written about how China is becoming more and more of a global wine consumption giant. Bruce Cakebread, president and CEO of Napa's Cakebread Cellars, thinks the Chinese market for Napa will grow the same way growth in the US market did back in the 1970s - through education and smart distribution.

DtC Wine Shipments Up: According to a new report by ShipCompliant & Wines & Vines Magazine, there has been a significant rise in US winery shipments direct to consumers over a 12-month period ending in April 2011, showing 11.5% overall gains. With Napa Valley and CA fronting the impressive increase the DtC channel is poised to continue to rise. Jim Gordon, editor of Wines and Vines Magazine, says "direct shipping is growing faster than the overall wine market." Most impressive.

Adult Chocolate Milk?: Finally, some wacky product observations from the recent New York Bar and Wine Show, courtesy of the Lot18 blog.