La Canada or Bust Part 2

Remember the ABC Wide World of Sports Theme?

"The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat"

Then they show that poor skier going down the long jump crashing and burning at the end. Yeah! It was kinda like that. My wine crashed and burned.

The best part of it though was once again getting together with a great group of Wine Lovers that love tasting wines blind so that we can chop them down one by one until there is but one standing. Good job Jon! You won fair and square. 2006 Kaesler Cabernet from Barossa Valley was a great choice for a wine that we had the chance to taste twice. Can someone say unfair handicap. Just Kidding! Hey at least my palate didn't let me down there. Numbers 8 and 9 were the same wine and I was right. Of course that was after I re-tasted them. And yes! I agree that my choice, Felino 2007 Cabernet was the worse wine of the night. Since I had drank the wine just 2 days prior, I recognized it right away when I tasted it but I couldn't very well vote it down. I had to pray that another wine would be worse. Number 5 was close. Which ever wine that was. Perhaps if I would of gone with my other choice which was Novelty Hill Cabernet from winemaker Mike Januik, I would of fared better. http://www.noveltyhillwines.com/wines-releases.html This was a wine that I had tasted and had past experience with. Plus Mike Januik's other project was represented last night. http://www.januikwinery.com/ and realistically I thought was the best wine of the night. Perhaps if I would of brought another Washington Beefy Cabernet, I would be celebrating instead of crashing and burning. Oh well!

I am very thankful to Jon for introducing me to such a fun group of wine lovers that follow the same guidelines as myself. I often think as a wine lover how much wine I have collected and consumed. ALOT! But in reality I collect memories of bottles to come and bottles that have been shared with friend and families over the years and years. To me it isn't about "Hey! Check out my wine collection!' But more about "Hey lets make this bottle memorable" I believe we did just that last night.

A special thanx for our host of the evening Chris Poole for allowing the new guy to pick another bottle to share from his locker. 1996 Silver Oak was the first bottle that I actually bought to collect many many years ago. I probably only have 1 or 2 left of the 96 vintage buried somewhere in my locker. It is a wine that brings back both good and sad memories every time I taste it. The 1996 Silver Oak Napa was still tasting great. I will also correct myself in calling out The Orin Swift's Papillon as a Paso Robles Wine. Trust me I have made dumb mistakes like that in the past. That bottle appeared later in the evening and was just another cherry on top of a great night of tasting wines.

Oh one last thing!!

Thanx Chris for recognizing the Charles Shaw before any of us started saying how great it was.

Man! I dodged a bullet there!

Cheers!

Twin Killers!

Did Someone say "Terroir" Again?

As a wine lover it is always so much fun tasting new wines from fellow wine lovers and hearing the story of how they come to love this winery and there wines. My thanx again to my friend Jon for telling the tale of Dumol and how he fell in love with this small boutique winery and there wines.

The first bottle of Dumol I ever tasted was a gift that Jon had given me. It was the 2005 Russian River Pinot. I took the wine up to Central Coast last year to celebrate my 40th birthday. I wasn't really sure if I would even open the bottle, but a very interesting moment happened while tasting wines at Tantara Winery with the owner and winemaker. http://www.tantarawinery.com/ I allowed them to taste the Dumol wine blind. The owner Bill Cates instantly stuck his nose in the glass and said "Russian River" and also mentioned that it was either 04 or 05 Vintage. They didn't guess the winery correct but knowing that they got Russian River right tells me again that California is developing a "Terrior" of there own. Ever since then I try really hard to remember those certain blackberry and plum flavors plus the earthy characters of mushroom, nutmeg, and star anise.

The 2006 Dumol Pinot Noir - Finn delivered on all those points. These are flavors that I believe represent the Terrior of The Russian River Valley. The aromas and flavors that stick in my mind since that day in Central Coast. This wine is the Estate Single Vineyard release while the wine I had last year was the spring release Pinot that is more affordable. Big bold flavors and aromas are what to expect when drinking any Russian River Wine.

The 2007 Dumol Chardonnay is also no exception. This wine was another beautiful gift from my friend Jon. Jon allowed me to choose either the pinot or the Chardonnay and since I had already tasted the Spring release Pinot last year. I decided on the Chardonnay. I have said it before that I am really not a big Chardonnay guy not to mention that California has a way of over-oaking there wines to the point of tasting nothing else. Few great Chardonnays come to my mind. Of course Tantara and Rombauer, are just a few that I love. The Dumol falls into that almost there category for me. The wine has Crisp acids with lemon, orange and nectarine notes. On the palate come tons of citrus again with a good lingering finish. What didn't come screaming threw more than I wanted were those butter undertones that I have come to love soooo much in certain chardonnays. Perhaps I should of aged this wine a bit more, but like my friend Jon I too have a wife that loves Chardonnay and this was the bottle of her choice for a quiet night of movie watching and popcorn at home. Either way Dumol is a solid producer of very limited wines and I look forward to continue tasting them in the near future.

Thank you again wine buddy!!

Cheers

"Twin Terrors"

Or did I mean "Terroir"

This native Californian wants to still believe in the Pinot "Wine Dream" I mean I waived the white flag years ago to Bordeaux when it came to those varietals. Why can't they just give us this one.

I want to thank my wine friend Peter from Vinatero Wine Shop for allowing me a taste of these 2 beautiful 2003 Burgundies. Terroir is exactly what they expel. "Hands over fists". Both wines produced by Domaine Michel Gros show very different characteristics. The Nuits Saint Georges showed heavy Cranberry flavors with very sharp Tannins while the Chambolle Musigny had a more familiar forest floor character similar to some Californian and Oregon wines plus a heavy lingering finish. Both wines had the perfume aromas of flowers, cherries that I would be able to distinguish blind. Yep! That is a pinot!

I have always said that I have very limited experience with wines produced in Burgundy. Pinot is just a grape that I only found recently in the last 5 years fun and exciting to pair meals with.

Can this Native Californian be swayed to the "Dark Side" of France once more?? Thank god that I have an open mind and palette for just those things. There really isn't a wine that I hate. It is just the fact that to enjoy a real good bottle of wine from any country, is to focus your attention on what may or may not taste great with the wine in question. Some Coq Au vin, lightly poached Salmon or stuffed mushroom caps will do just fine.

"Viva Le France"

Cheers!!

Shhhhhhhh! I like Beer too!

http://www.lbhb.org/

http://www.steinfillers.com/

I recently got invited to attend a meeting of the Long Beach Homebrewers Club. They are a members club based out of the city of Long Beach that gets together once a month to taste beers and share there recipes. All the beers are handcrafted by Home Brewers. Good friends of mine Monica and John whom are both home brewers themselves thought I would get a kick on how passionate these people are about making beer as any experts are about producing quality wines. Of course everybody knows me as a "Wino" and not a beer guy. But lets face it; alcohol is a "Gateway Drug" You always start with some cheap beer, wine, tequila or whiskey, then you move on up the ladder to bigger and better things and I don't mean narcotics. Beer was just my first choice for a legal drink in my early days. Budweiser (yeah I said it), then some Canadian beer like Moosehead.

Nowadays if I am really in the mood for an ice cold beer, I go straight for the Micro-Brew stuff like Stone or Lagunitas. Watching all the Beer aficionados pour and get up there and talk about there products that night was really neat. They all shared there recipes for the beers they produced that day. We all got a taste of each and everyone. Like some wines, some of the beers were just not my style, but it was so much fun getting to try so many different ones that night.

Sometimes I wonder how much fun it would be to make my own wine. Yeah there are services out there that let you buy some fruit and a kit to help you in the process right in your garage, but I am talking about owning the land and farming it. Then seeing the fruits of your labor in the bottle. I will stop dreaming now and leave that hard work to the experts while I continue to drink them.

Then again I do love to cook! and some beer brewing kits are under $100 bucks.

Thanx Monica and John! Now I just might get an itch that I have to scratch.

Cheers!

"Cheers"

The 6740

6740 Greenleaf Ave. Whittier, California

From the first time I ever walked into this little pub in uptown Whittier over 8 years ago till yesterday. Only it's interior has changed, but the lifetime of memories, friends and clients will live on for the rest of my life. Lets face it! I am a social butterfly! My best friend Jr. Duarte and I use to find places to meet after a long day working just to hang out. Several different places we frequented from West Covina to El Monte. Then came the day when my buddy was working at an office in the City Whittier back in 2001. He called me up and said "Hey! I found this little pub on Greenleaf that is really kool. You gotta come down and check it out one day." Sometime later that week Jr called me again and said I am chillin in Whittier watching the Dodger game. Come on down and I will buy you a beer! Hey!! I can't turn down a free drink and it was a slow day anyway. Why not! I still remember the first words uttered to me by Mike Kachoeff who is one of the owners of The 6740. I walked in wearing a New York Yankee baseball cap and he told me that if I was gonna be wearing that I had to leave. Thanx Mike for being brutally honest!

Pubs like the 6740 are an anomaly. Whether it is the tight knit community of Whittier that makes this place special or just the fact that 3 Gentleman, Mike, Dave and Audi just have the knack for welcoming anybody into there home like family. I have never left now for over 8 years. I have gone on a camping trip with Dave. I have played golf and drank wine with Mike! I even have a close connection with Audi! We are both Cubanos. Three business owners that I now consider close friends.

So many memories stand out for me here like my 35th birthday party! The big giant card signed by many that my wife got the day she was having surgery for Uterine Cancer or the day I cracked the seal on a box of Montecristo #4 Cigars from Cuba right at the bar and passed them out to anybody who wanted them to honor my mother passing away just 2 days before.

The friends and clients I have made here. Russ, Todd, Ed, Big John, Steve C., Terry, little Joe, Marc, Tony, Mr Baley, and Martin to name just a few. They all have different stories to tell about this little Pub as I have done, but there is always a "hello! How are you" every time I step foot in here.

Great owners and Great friends! These are the reasons that I come all the way out from El Monte just to sit back in a chair, have an ice cold glass of Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball or Stone IPA and relax the rest of my day away. You always wish you could find a friendly neighborhood bar where everybody knows your name! Yeah I am a kid of the 80's! I saw the show!


I believe that I have done just that.

Cheers!

Attack of The Mermaids

"Legend"

To: Grandmother Jerry - Big Anitra and Baby Anitra

thank you so much for making my day fun and making me smile remembering some great family moments!

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history. Is Heidi Peterson Barrett a legend. I have mentioned her name before. Yeah! something about how the women of wine rule the world.

Today I was fortunate to taste 2 of Heidi's wines. Her 2007 Moscato Azul - Muscate Canelli and her 2005 Napa Valley Syrah. I met Mrs Peterson 2 years ago at a tasting in Los Angeles. She herself was pouring the wines at the event which I attended with my big brother. Of course as we approached her booth, I wasn't even aware of who I was meeting. Just another wine maker pouring there wines. No!!!!!!! My big brother had to put me in my place and tell me just a little of her history. Okay the biggest part of her past history, which was her being winemaker for Screaming Eagle. Yeah!! That Screaming Eagle!! That is something you better learn if you are a wine buff or historian. Either way I was thrown back on how approachable Mrs. Barrett was in speaking about her wines then. A class act that needs no introduction to this wine lover ever again.... Fast forward 2 years later and nothing has changed. Mrs Barrett's wines are still a home run.

The First wine I tasted was her Napa Valley Syrah. Dark ruby color in the glass with aromas of Dark Chocolate, Currants and raspberry jam. On the palate perfectly integrated tannins with great length. Pure intense fruit flavors come forward. I was more impressed this time around with this wine then I was 2 years ago when Mrs Barrett poured the wine herself to me. Overall this wine is a winner.

The second wine tasted was the 2007 Moscato Azul. This is a Dry Muscat Canelli. I really don't have much experience with this grape varietal other than the sweet variety. Which I don't really like! That being said, tasting this wine makes you think of so many lingering sweet grape varietals like Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Gris. All of whom I do love very much. The wine appears almost white in the glass. Strong Peach and flower influences on the nose. On the palate come small hints of sweetness and lots of the same characteristics from the nose of peach and tropical fruit with hints of vanilla. The wine is very clean and crisp which would make it pair so well with sweet shell fish. Both wines can be purchased at Vinatero Wine shop. www.vinaterowineshop.com

Today I tasted 2 wines produced from a "LEGEND".

Tomorrow I shall wish I can drink more!

Give Them A Try!

Cheers!

80 to 120 Year Old Wine!

How do they do it?

How do they produce a wine in Spain from 80 to 120 year old vines, that only produce one ton of fruit per Hectare of land. Bottle it, Label it, and Ship it to the United States and only charge us $15.99 per bottle. This is a super wine for that price. I actually tasted another Grenache produced here in the United States this past week, that was $30.00 per bottle. Atteca was just as good if not better to drink right now.

The Spaniards have a magical way of producing high end, quality wines for a fraction of what they would cost here in the US or other European countries for that matter. I love reaching out for 2 of my favorite varietals, Tempranillo or Grenache from Spain. Well produced ones should cost you in the range of $12 to 20 dollars a bottle. What wino wouldn't want to pay under $20.00 bucks for a great wine that is ready to drink the minute you pop the cork.

Atteca has a beautiful dark purple color in the glass. Heavy blueberry and stone on the nose with a bit of graphite. Dark fruit like blackberries and plums come out on the palate with just the right amounts of wood.

This is an absolute perfect wine for sweet pulled pork BBQ or beef brisket. With July 4th being tomorrow, a match made in heaven. I tasted and bought this wine at Vinatero Wine Shop.
www.vinaterowineshop.com

Give it a Try!

Cheers!