The Wine Commonsewer

Ferrari-Carano Cabernet: Back From The Big City

Gentle Readers,

The rich guys buzzing the Casa with their vintage P-51 Mustangs Saturday morning at six didn't much care that we got in from the Big City some time after one AM.  And, of course, the deck-mounted Ack Ack gun I bought from Acme Corporation for just these occasions is back ordered, so I was reduced to standing in the street flipping them the bird as they flew by at 400 mph.

The upside is that the worthless squawking parrot (lives down the hill with the donkeys) hates airplane noise. Every time the Mustangs swooshed down from the plateau to rocket across the lake, that bird went off the deep end. Does my heart good, too. Rotten bird. Dam screech is shrill enough to shatter crystal wine glasses (inside the cupboard, inside the casa, with the windows shut). Is it Live? Or Is it that good-for-nothing bird Memorex?

Hooked up with some old friends Friday night at Cafe del Rey. It was pricey, the service was superb, the steaks weren't as good as mine, but the conversation was lively. Still can't figure out why that Brent guy was drinking some yella-colored martooni lookin' thing when there was Ferrari-Carano Cabernet to be had [shrugs]. Didn't make sense, the man has a killer wine bar.

The Ferrari-Carrano, served in perfectly suited glasses, was superb. Later, the remaining four of us adjourned to the Ritz Carlton for port. Actually, I waved the port away in favor of a Stags Leap Cab. Muy Bueno. Got up to use the lobby, I mean, the lobby-size men's room, and Shikha wanted to watch me walk. Go ahead, I want to watch you walk. Flattering except I'm pretty sure she wasn't thinking, hmm, nice butt. Just wanted to see if I could do it. Which is iffy, even on a good day. Sit around for an hour or so and the power steering gets sticky.

Hot Tip: Speaking of pricey, To Avoid Sticker Shock, I invariably make the Old Lady pay the bill. Computers and cell phones might be cheap these days but restaurant tabs sure ain't. Gotta get out more I suppose. Well, [shakes head in disbelief] at these prices, maybe not.

I'm down with the rabbit that hopped up onto the barstool and ordered a draft beer. Bar tender figures, how bright could a rabbit be? He triples the usual price.

That'll be fifteen dollars please.

Later the bartender, looking a bit puzzled, mentions that we don't get many rabbits in here. The rabbit glances up at him from his beer.....

That doesn't surprise me at these prices.

As sunlight began to fade across the marina, Arthur, who is from Michigan, remarked on the clarity of the light, wondering if we locals even notice. Yes. We do. Sometimes.   

On another note, Happy Anniversary Darlin', that may have been our anniversary date. Could have been worse.

As Ever,

TWC

Robert Mondavi 1913-2008, Gratzi

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Prohibition decimated the California wine industry, setting the evolution of US winemaking back five decades. Once the ban was lifted, surviving wineries focused primarily on producing cheap jug wines. Until Robert Mondavi's dynamic vision of winemaking on a par with the best of France, Spain, and Italy that is. Mondavi's legacy is nothing short of the astonishing plethora of delightful wines filling the shelves of grocerias and specialty shops across the land.

Whole thing here.

Salud!

As Ever,

TWC

Tip of the glass to NoStar   

2005 Big Yellow Cab: Took Away My Old Man

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

You'd expect to find the wine in the cellar at Louie's. Not to mention the explicit violation of TWC's cardinal rule that states: the cool factor of the label is inversely proportional to the quality of the wine. None the less, I was sucked in by the sheer marketing genius. Big Yellow Cab. I mean, this is better than Screaming Yellow Zonkers!

Apparently, Big Yellow Cab is what happened to Parducci Wines. Frankly, it's better than I anticipated, but rather fumey, which is TWC talk for reeking of alcohol. Decanting it helped a lot. There is some solid black cherry and other fruit there but as time progresses it might feel a bit like thick cough medicine. On the up side, at least, we're spared the indignity of sickly sweet.

At nine bucks (U.S.), the wine is okay, drinkable, meant for a little fun, so take it to a party. It'll make for some interesting conversation. Indubitably.

Probably won't get you hooked up with your dream date though.

Winemaker's Notes:

This cab carries black fruit aromas of plum and berry, and a whiff of toasty oak mingled with flavors of juicy pomegranate, tangy dried cherry and a light touch of clove spice. Big Yellow is the perfect vehicle for any number of fares.

A soft smooth ride inspired by a vintage taxi cab. That luxurious, sophisticated 1940s style seemed just right for what we had inside the bottle, so we put it on the outside, too.

Bonus:

Bob James here. Joni here.

As Always and Forever Shall Be,

TWC

2005 Five Rivers Cabernet Sauvignon and a Nobel Prize in Economics

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Last week, TWC was fortunate enough to spend the better part of a quintessential So Cal spring evening at a great party, er, reception welcoming Nobel Prize winner Vernon Smith to his new post at Chapman University. Got to catch up with friends I hadn't seen for a while, including that other French Chick (and her editor hubby).

I'd been to Rodger Cosgrove's waterfront house once before, which dates to Gatsby and is just flat gorgeous, so this time I brought the camera. Without the card. Duh.

The Five Rivers Cab they served is surprisingly well done, yet another decently priced wine from Paso Robles that blows the doors off of some of the better wines from, ah, elsewhere. Like this one, and it's 2005 incarnation, priced at $23.99 US. Five Rivers? Around ten bucks.

Hot Tip: Do not visit the winery website if you've ingested any hallucinogenic substance, suffer epileptic seizures, are dyslexic, prone to flashbacks, detest psychedelic art, or are into your second bottle of wine. To be sure, the site is memorable, but, Jesus Chrysler, it's memorable in the way that the cover art from Days of Future Passed is memorable. [shrugs]

Note to Mom: Put the bar of Ivory away, I did not swear just then.

Speaking of Paso, a big shout out to my good friends at Sunset Ridge! Great Petit Sarah. I'm not just saying that neither.

Winemakers Notes:

This all Paso Robles Cab.....(is) deep, dense and rich. This wine emphasizes aromas of hazelnut, currant and black plum, with evident toasty oak from the mélange of French, American and Hungarian oak barrels carefully selected for the fruit.....you'll find a juicy entry featuring a full mouth-feel, with dense, almost plush tannins and flavors of plum and a lingering tobacco finish.

The wine is made, in part, from estate grown organically farmed grapes with additional fruit from Robert Hall and Steinbeck.

There are two simple measures of a good wine. Does the first sip elicit surprise or delight at how tasty the wine is? When the wine is gone, do you feel like she slipped away a little too soon that rainy Sunday morning? 

Late in the evening, long after handing Mrs TWC the keys, the bartender found me another bottle. Tried a nice tip, which she absolutely refused, offering nothing more than a broad smile in return.

Bonus: The Moody's Tuesday Afternoon.

As Ever,

TWC

 

Tip of the glass to Melissa, nicely done, thanks. 

Virtual Education is the Future

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Mrs TWC is speaking today at UCSD about the exciting future of virtual education.

PDF is here.

As Ever,

TWC

Happy Birthday Pop

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

When TWC was just a kid, dad drove a Diamond T truck for Knudsen Dairy Products.

Most mornings, at zero-dark-thirty, he sat down with a bowl of hot Cream of Wheat before leaving the house. Later, he'd drop in at a hole-in-the-wall joint for a couple of donuts, still hot from the grease fryer, pairing that with a quart of half and half for a mid-morning snack (Knudsen, of course, The Very Best).

Dad was burly, schlepping hardwood and steel milk cases around like they were nothing (plastic was at least 15 years off). Last time I saw him, I noticed he still had a couple stashed in the back of the garage.

Coolest thing ever was that Dad delivered those little five cent cartons of milk that our elementary school pre-heated to lukewarm before serving at lunch. Sometimes I'd see his truck backed up to the service doors of the cafeteria......

Look Dick! Look Jane! See that truck? That's my dad.

Talk about status. Boy Howdy, ain't nobody prouder than a first grader showing off Dad's important job.

As Ever,

TWC

1999 Clos Du Val Cabernet

Gentle Readers,

Wrapping up this Mother's Day 2008 with a mini wine review.

I've never been a big fan of Clos du Val, in every case I've found these wines to be, at best, mediocre. Being a Stags Leap District producer, the wine should be better than it is and the 1999 retails for as much as $65.00 U.S.

Is it good? Decent enough. Is it worth the price? Not a chance.

The wine benefits from the time it has had in the bottle, but in the end, well, for the money I'd go with two bottles of Dry Creek Meritage.

We paired the Clos du Val with mesquite grilled ribs; roasted potatoes (tossed with olive oil, fresh peppers, and rosemary from the gardens of Casa de las Rocas Grandes), sugar snap peas, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

TWC enjoyed the wine, and although it began life with a mere 88 from Parker, the ensuing years haven't morphed it into any more than a fifteen dollar wine. Tops.

As Ever,

TWC

Happy Mother's Day

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

One warm day in 1939, someone in St Paul accorded us a peak into the life of three barefoot girls. Later on they'd be wives, moms, and aunts, but my cousins and I would never know the little girls plunked on the stoop that day, wiggling their toes in the cool grass.

My mother is in the middle with Buff. That's my Aunt Jeanne shushing everyone up. At six or seven years old, Aunt Betty didn't know she was destined to learn the accordion, a talent that fascinated me as a child.

TWC didn't realize that the House Blond favors Ma until I saw this picture. There's something a bit unnerving yet profoundly moving about seeing a bit of your child’s face in your mother’s. That something may well be deeply rooted in the biology of family or it may just be important because we value it for it's own sake.

When I was a wee lad church services on Mother's Day always saw a big turnout. Everybody wore a flower in honor of the moms. Fine so far, but tradition dictated a red flower, rose or carnation, if your mother was living and a white flower if she had passed. I always thought: what the heck? Not quite on par with digging up bones for a picnic, but still, just a bit morbid for my childish sensibilities.

May this day be just what you imagined it might be.

As Always,

TWC

Time Has Slipped

Gentle Readers,

Las Vegas may be the very epitome of creative destruction.....

Elvis made his Las Vegas debut at the Frontier, second resort built on the strip. No, despite the outright fabrication that was Warren Beatty's abject crap of a movie, The Flamingo was not the first resort on the strip. Like much of our lives, the story of Bugsy Siegel and the Flamingo is ever so much more intriguing than the shallow fantasy of a screenplay that became the movie Bugsy.

Oh, TWC is harsh, Bugsy the movie wasn't entirely filled with inaccuracies, the Flamingo existed, Virginia Hill was real, and somebody shot Bugsy Siegel. But beyond that......

Thought me and Mrs TWC enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of Eggs Benedict by the pool at the Frontier on our honeymoon, but now I'm thinking it was the Desert Inn.

TWC promised Ms Châtelaine that this was much cooler than it turned out. That's the inherent problem with guy-promises. IRS calls it substance v form.

As Ever,

TWC