I'm baaaaaack!

Hey Y'all,

Yes, I have been MIA, but...let's see, where to begin? Okay, grad school, going well. The pain associated with research, annotated bibliographies of no fewer than 300 journals, articles, book chapters, interviews and endless, mind boggling, pointless, but necessary, reading of long winded, egomaniacal, "I need to be published, or I'm going to die!," rhetoric, feels good! It is finally coming together. Now, we begin the first of many in depth research projects that focus on my true passion, nuclear physics. Just kidding. It is obvious where my passion flows,wine. Literally and figuratively. (I actually know quantum physics...just sayin')

As I navigate through the myriad of peer reviewed journals associated with all things grape, I will be sharing my findings with a broader audience. Please keep following.

Until next time,

Salute!

Got to love "FREEDOM" of speech!

I recently participated in a discussion on the validity of amateur wine bloggers as journalists, versus traditional journalist, and came away with a few tidbits of interesting information. But, before I go into what was learned, please, before you stop reading, let me say that bad or improper writing, especially writing that is full of grammatical and typographical errors is never enjoyable to read. In my opinion, and by the way, this blog is all about my opinion, anyone, who at least warmed a chair in a primary english class, should recognize proper writing skill.

Using personal opinion based on the true or false question format, here are my findings. Please note that the discussion involved a small group of highly experienced, so-called wine experts with a collective dislike of traditional journalists.

1. Amateur wine bloggers, who write while partaking of the grape juice make a tremendous amount of typographical errors...and are proud of it! True.

One such blogger who participated in the discussion, was unapologetic about her lack of skill in writing and proud of the fact that she could read and fully comprehend her numerous typos and blatant grammatical faux pas. She was especially astute at making these errors while ranting about a wine she did not like. She further explained that the best way for her to develop a clear evaluation of a wine, was to consume the entire bottle in one sitting and write about the offensive, vile, liquid while she had the frame of mind to do so. Remind me NOT to read too much into what she shares with her audience. Just sayin.'

2. Professional journalist who visit two or more wineries in their lifetime...which is all of 24 years for one in particular, do have the necessary skill to inform the public that they are wine experts. True.

There is nothing more enjoyable than being bored to death by a journalist who has been handed an assignment to go "wine tasting" and report what they found interesting about a particular wine.
The participants in the discussion took great care in ripping this J-guy to pieces. Admittedly,  I took a few below the belt shots at him for writing skills that would send a wine drinker to the nearest beer tavern. Seriously, J-folks...and this is an acronym for journalists,  unless you write copy for the wineries visited, acknowledge plagiarism and don't repeat the tasting notes word for word...without citations! By the way, not all Chardonnnays...(Yes, that's how he spelled it) have an oaky clairvoyance, that is indicative of innumerable months spent in oak casks made from oak trees grown in oak forests. Moving on..

3. Amateur wine bloggers, especially those who just started writing their blogs...and drinking wine, because they recently went wine tasting and have always wanted to write a wine blog, know everything about writing a wine blog because they have always been told that they can write, and should write about something that they know very little about, but enjoy nonetheless. True.

I suddenly understand how my college english professors could check their emails, update their Facebook posts and balance their checkbooks while listening to endless, mind boggling, unapologetic, poorly written essays as they are presented by chair warmers who suck the life out of their classmates who actually DO know how to write! I wanted to friend this lady on Facebook just to become her personal grammar Nazi as well as someone who would tell her that she should perhaps try writing after a glass or two of something a little stronger than wine. Just sayin.'

4. Professional journalists hate wine blogs, wine bloggers, and social media writing with it's influx of acceptable bad grammar and spelling errors...(got to love those tiny keyboards and the abundant amount of space between each letter), but have been forced to learn the intricate nature of Tweeting which has made it perfectly fine to LOL and say WTF, it's just grape juice! True.

Many self respecting journalists do hate bloggers...simply because it is now acceptable to be a bad writer...and get away with it! Nuff said.

5. Lastly, blogging is not going away. True.

Until hell freezes over and heaven requires that one pass an english grammar class before entering the pearly gates, bloggers will continue to expose us to all things grammatically incorrect. Additionally, we will have to accept that after a glass or six of a good Chianti, those bright red underlines beneath misspelled words seem to enhance a bloggers inability to care whether caps lock is perpetually stuck in the on position or if the word or words are actually misspelled. (Admit it, have any of us ever paused and questioned spell check?)

Admittedly, I do make a lot of grammatical mistakes, and occasionally do battle with spell check. However, at the end of the day, I am, a blogjournalist, and proud of it!

Until next time,

Karen

...and my favorite winery is? Todd Taylor Wine.

I have mentioned this a thousand times, my life sucks! Ok, not REALLY, but it is pure joy visiting as many wineries as one can in the space of a year. In all of my travels, I have met some of the most interesting wine makers. Their stories of why they do what they do, are varied. However, their passions are very similar. Of them all, Todd Taylor stands a notch above many in his own unique way.

Why?

Well, the guy can cook. Emeril Lagasse, look out! Members of the wine club at Todd Taylor wines are treated to a release party at least twice a year. What is a release party? As members of the wine club, whenever a new wine is released, whether it is a new vintage of a previous offering, or something that Todd has never made before, (we'll go into that later. Think barrel tasting), Todd throws down...(this means he can SERIOUSLY cook) on the grill. With the help of his son, T.R., and his wife Gloria, there is no end to what culinary feats he can create.

On a recent visit...who am I kidding, I stalk this winery, Todd and Gloria happily allowed me to use them as guinea pigs for my new skill of video production and editing. As compensation for my efforts, I was treated to a phenomenal lunch of Grilled pork loin and brussels sprouts. Just my luck, I was not feeling well this day, thus I was only able to nibble on a little of the food. Worse yet, I could not enjoy any of his awesome wine. One small sip, and, uhhh, where's the sandbox?

As I mingled among the guests and tasting room folks, Todd gave me a history lesson in his humble beginnings. Believe it or not, he hails from an exciting career as a package salesman! Oh wait, it gets better. His first wines were made in his garage, and...he never intended to make his blessing a life long vocation. I'm so glad that he did. He doesn't take himself too seriously, which is refreshing, and underneath his mellow personality belies a man who seriously enjoys spoiling his wine club members. Note: Everyone who enters the tasting room is equally spoiled, wine club member or not.

I could go on for days about Todd and Gloria's good natured, old fashioned kindness, but I really want all of you to enjoy this production. This is the first time that I am embedding a full length video into this blog. Please, do not bite your PC screen while watching Todd and his son prepare a feast for their wine club members.

As you can see, Todd can cook! Lord, I wish I had some aluminum foil for a to-go plate! Anyhoo, about those barrels? Yes, Todd sells his wine as futures. What are futures? Well, when a particular wine becomes popular and people begin to deplete it's supply, wineries will sometimes pre-sell a wine before it is finished. Why? Usually it is because the previous vintage was stellar, and wine connoisseurs...or those who just love wine, will buy a wine based on the prospect that the new vintage will be better, different, unique, etc. The reality is, they get first dibs and usually a healthy discount if they buy the wine as a future. The good news is, that if the wine turns out to be a whole lot better than the previous vintage, the price usually goes up. This means that a person who invests in a "future" could be the holder of a rare and unique vintage of a particular wine. (Note: futures are often sold in case (12) quantities which is why they are sometimes discounted)

Ok, enough about futures. Did you like the video? I hope that you did, because I plan to add these little productions to future blogs. A lot of work goes into putting these promo's together, and some feedback would be appreciated.  Thanks to Todd, Gloria and T.R for sharing their day with me, and thank you everyone who reads this blog.

PS...visit Todd Taylor Wine in the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg. He is open Saturday and Sundays or by appointment.

Until next time,

Cheers!

Karen

They came; they were charged a tasting fee. They didn't like it, but they will be back.

On a recent visit to a nearby winery, a change in personnel resulted in a few customer service glitches. Because of this, I will withhold the name of this winery and only write about my experience. Unlike previous winery visits, where I would visit a winery as a novice wine taster, I approached this winery as an aspiring researcher. My goal was to fine tune a few skills in information gathering and to practice video taping. Although I was able to get a few good clips of footage, the experience of being on the inside of the operations of this particular winery were troubling.

The initial idea of this blog was to experience wine tasting on the other side of the tasting bar as an African American woman with several years of wine server experience.  It is obvious to anyone who frequents tasting rooms that people of color are rarely if ever seen working in tasting rooms. Having visited more than 245 wineries, I have only witnessed three African Americans working  as wine servers within the last year. Since that time, none of these individuals currently work in the tasting rooms where I observed them. With the recent exception of people of Asian descent, I have not seen any other easily identifiable peoples of other racial groups serving wine. I am not saying that they do not exist; there are more than 3400 wineries in California*.  I am only writing from personal observation.

On a recent visit to the aforementioned winery, I noticed that the tasting room had several new people working. I was pleased to see that two of the new people were of Asian decent. This was very positive as I am well aware that American wines, particularly California wines,  are fast becoming popular in China. Several wineries have recently forged strategic alliances with large Chinese companies to provide them with some of the best California wines. Having firsthand experience with a winery that is actively forging alliances, California wines will be prominently consumed on major airlines and enjoyed in the best restaurants in China.

Entering the winery, it was difficult not to notice that the atmosphere seemed heavy, and everyone in attendance seemed anxious. Unlike before, where this tasting room felt warm and inviting, the tension among those working was almost smothering. Incidentally, I only returned to do more research due to receiving a complaint from an associate that I had referred to this winery. When I entered the tasting room, those who were familiar with me were cordial. The two new people though, were suspicious, aloof and watched...yes, I said watched, every move that I made. Of the two, the person behind the tasting bar never acknowledged me, never offered wine and seemed to be frozen in place. The other repeatedly looked up from working at the computer to ear hustle every word spoken between the manager and myself. Perhaps being a new employees, there was some nervousness. However, observing from an adjacent corner of the shared tasting room, it was obvious that this person was more cordial to other customers...who were not people of color. Perhaps they were familiar with the people observed, but after 20 minutes and several waves of customers, this was most likely not the case.

The media has parodied the relationships between Asian business owners and African American's in movies such as Friday, and Don't be a Menace (to south central while drinking your juice in the hood).
Produced, and gleaned from personal experiences, by African American actors Shawn and Marlon Wayans, the films depict Asian business owners as being rude, suspicious and confrontational towards African American patrons. Having seen both films, I can acknowledge that the depictions were a bit over the top. However, in the past, I have a few personal experiences with these type of behaviors, thus, I do not believe that I was being overly sensitive to the treatment received from the new hires.

 To further understand this experience, I spoke on the condition of anonymity to someone who was familiar with the winery and who expressed concerns about the new hires. The racial identity of the new employees was not a concern of this person; it was their age. Both appeared to be in their early twenties, and that working hours for long term employees were being reduced to accommodate the new hires. With several years of experience in wine sales, customer service and hospitality, it appeared to this person that the more mature wine servers were being squeezed out in favor of younger employees.They also indicated that the new hires had no experience in wine sales that they were aware of, and little in the way of customer service.

Additional validation for a lack of customer service, came with a complaint from a group of people that I referred to the facility that this winery is located in. The group of people was comprised of African American's visiting from Sacramento and New Jersey. They reported to me that as they walked past the tasting room of this winery, they were accosted by a employee who lead them into the tasting room to taste wine. They were seated, and served cheese and crackers. After sampling most of the wines on the tasting list, they were coldly informed that they owed $20.00. This caught them off guard. Had they been informed that there would be a tasting fee beforehand,  they indicated that they may have elected to not visit this particular winery. However, after protesting the fee, they were still willing to buy wine. They paid the fee and bought a bottle of wine. (At some wineries, tasting fees are waived if a bottle is purchased. In this case, it was not)

In hindsight, one of the people in the group informed me that they felt that the person was probably new, but also added that they did not see anyone else paying a tasting fee. This annoyed them, as they had never wine tasted before and did not know that tasting fees are becoming a standard protocol. However, as they visited a few other tasting rooms nearby, they were informed before being served that there would be a tasting fee. (note: the group was not familiar with wine club member protocol; tasting fees  are usually waived. It is possible that some of the people observed not being charged a tasting fee may have been wine club members of the winery being visited) It should also be mentioned that at no time were any members of this group offered the opportunity to join a wine club. They all agreed that no one at any of the wineries engaged them in conversations or educated them about wine. By their observations, none of the tasting rooms were overly busy or  appeared to be understaffed.


Fortunately, this experience did not deter the group from considering a follow up visit to this and other nearby wineries. As first time wine tasters, the experience was eye opening, but not discouraging. Additionally,  one of the members of the group stated that their behavior was exuberant and loud and that perhaps the wine servers that they encountered on this day may not have had experience in dealing with these behaviors. It should also be mentioned that their complaints were brought to the attention of the winery manager who promptly offered a complimentary bottle of wine to be forwarded to the group.

Good save manager X!

Until next time,

Karen


*2010 statistics found here:

 http://www.wineinstitute.org/resources/statistics/article124

Sippin' suds...at a winery?

Breaking news; There's beer at that there winery! 

Yes good people, there is beer at Draconis winery in Clarksburgh, California, and oh my, is it GOOD beer! (...and their wine is really good too!)

Logo design:
Galt High School students

By now, if you read this blog regularly, you know that my car is named "Kenji." So, Kenji and myself are on one of those research trips looking for all things wine and anything remotely interesting that we can sample and then share with all of you. We pull into one of our favorite locales, "The Old Sugar Mill," and discover the newest addition to the family of eclectic little wineries.

Tucked way in the back next to what used to be the boiler room of the now defunct mill, is a rare gem of a winery. Rare because owner/wine slut, Matt Powell not only makes some slap mama upside the head good wine, but he also enlists the expertise of a team of brewmasters to craft a pair of beers.

APA/IPA or IPA/APA whatever?

But, before we talk all things beer...at a winery no less, let's spend a few minutes talking about how and why we like this place, and Matt,  SOOOOOOOOOO much! (He is so freekin' HOT!...just sayin.')

To begin with, entering this sweet, (no pun intended) little derelict of a sugar shack, Matt openly expressed his delight of my presence by clapping and screaming, "YAAAAAAAYY! Mind you, there were only a handful of people in the large, empty, crashpad of iniquity, thus to be greeted so genuinely warm and fuzzy by the owner/wine slut, I knew this was going to be a great experience.

Matt Powell is a local dude made good. His self effacing sense of humor conceals that he is the holder of several degrees in subjects ranging from neuroscience to quantum physics. He is charming, HOT, energetic, HOT and articulate to a fault with a vocabulary peppered with expletives. What I love most about this childhood Dungeons and Dragons junkee, is that by his own admission, he considers bowling as the pinnacle of his college education.

He chose the location at the old mill because of it's wide open double doors that give him a view of the large heaps of leftover demolition debris as well as the opportunity to see tow trucks dragging vehicles along the adjacent and precarious River Road. With so much enthusiasm and charm...and HOTNESS, I think it is only best to let Matt tell us a little about his wares.

Was that cheesy or what? Matt was such a caught off guard good sport in making this little video blurb. Thanks Matt! We should also mention that Matt does what he does with the help of two awesome chicks named April and Lee Ann.

Queen April

April is a transplant from Santa Rosa. This up and coming barista, (she works for those java peeps from Seattle as well) is a natural behind the tasting bar. (Did you catch in the video that the bar is named, Bob 1 and Bob 2?) She is calm, cool and conniving in how she encourages (bends the will of) people to buy wine. Note: Do not stare into those large blue eyes, it's a trap. 

Lee Ann, AKA, "The Pouring Wench,"and purveyor of high quality dog food, is equally conniving. Her dry humor, ebullient demeanor and shyness are evident as soon as you enter the door. She, like Matt, greeted me warmly  as if she had known me for at least 30 seconds. In fact, I get all giddy thinking about how she repeatedly asked me what my name was.
Nonetheless, everyone in attendance was exceptionally well behaved.

Pouring Wench Lee Ann

On to the Beer!

With a combined resume of more than 20 years of experience, the brew dudes make an IPA and an APA style of beer. What's the difference?  Re-watch the video!

 Personally, the triple Belgian APA was my favorite. I have come to enjoy Belgian beer, and favor the hops being added in the beginning of the brewing process which leaves a slightly citrussy, (is this a word?), sort of sweet taste. The mouthfeel is almost buttery and you can hardly hear the contents of your stomach sloshing about after knocking back a few. Additionally, the process of adding the hops in the beginning eliminates the after bite associated with IPA beers.

Incoming!

On to the wine

Draconis produces currently about 300 cases of wine. Offerings include a Petite Syrah, Syrah and a Zinfandel. Each contain 100 percent of the listed varietal and are sourced from nearby...within 50 miles give or take, leased vineyards.

Drink this wine!

 Matt does not rack, fine or filter his wines, (Google these terms, it's cool information) and he also steadfastly refused to reveal his methode de madness on camera. Beginning with the Petite Syrah, and a personal favorite, blah, blah, blah, blah, was really good. The Zinfandel, blah, blah, blah, blah, was also good. The Syrah....well, it was orgasmically good!

How they measure up!

Never allowing my glass to be empty, but mindful that a acceptable pour should be no more than two ounces...or less, I was spoiled rotten with good conversation, unpretentiousness and killer chocolates provided by a neighboring winery. The atmosphere was warm, fun and engaging. For those who may be intimidated by a lack of wine knowledge, wine speak is only spoken to visitors from other planets.( There is ample space to land a spacecraft among the rubble in nearby fields.)
The totally cool thing about this winery.

Having visited more than 200+ wineries in the last 22 months, (seriously, my life sucks!), Draconis was genuinely the coolest. Here's why.

 Autonomy is something that everyone in the working world would like to aspire to. However, due to the handcuffs of political correctness and the fear of a bad Yelp review, everyone at Draconis was, without fail, well behaved...snicker, snicker, snicker. Seriously, I have never experienced a tasting room where the mastery of smartass-dom and off the cuff, politically incorrect banter...without crossing any blurry lines or offending anyone, (yes, it is a skill) was the norm.

 Everyone had their own way of relating to whoever was in front of them without any preconceived judgements. It was refreshing to see wine people put aside their egos and just pour wine. No complicated verbiage, no noses in the air, and a willingness to say, "hmmm, I have no idea what you are asking me, but here, let me Google that on my iPad." In short, this place, ROCKED!



Final thoughts...and Captain Jack Squirrel.

After sampling...and I do mean sampling, wine tasting is not an opportunity to get your free buzz on, two beers and the wine offerings for the day, it was time to depart. The ladies made sure that I was well taken care of and shared their contact information if I needed to follow up. (I had to. All of my notes were lost  on my stupid-assed smart phone!)
As I bade farewell, I could not help but notice a pair of eyes following me out the door. (Okay, the wine was VERY good!) Somehow attached to the heavily painted brick interior wall was a picture of a squirrel in a pirates hat.

Meet Captain Jack Squirrel! According to Matt, he spotted the campy art piece at a show and thought it was the ugliest thing that he had ever seen. Naturally, and to the chagrin of the artist, he had to buy it. It now hangs proudly, and far enough away behind  tasting bar, Bob1, so that incredibly good eyesight is needed to see just how tacky it is.

Great beer, awesome wine and a squirrel in a pirate's hat are just a few reasons to visit Draconis Winery. Future plans call for the installation of large stuffed chickens, a beer counter...probably named Bob3, and other works of art. Matt is excited about the direction the winery is headed and can't wait for you to visit so that he can steadfastly refuse to tell you how he does what he does.

I give Draconis three slaps upside the head...and that's a good thing,  for their mastery of all things customer service and un-snobbish, (is this a word?) way of making everyone feel at ease.

Until next time,

 BUUUUURRRP!

Karen

Connecticut transplant does Paso Robles winery right!

Three days of rest and two wine bars later, it was time to leave Paso Robles. Loading up Kenji and checking out of the Norman Bates like motel, we drove to the coast to soak up a last minute salt water intervention. As we drove along, I thought about all of the wineries that were visited during this road trip, and realized that Paso Robles is one of my favorite wine regions. For some reason, the climate, proximity to the ocean, people and the great wines that come from this central coast appellation agree with me. If I really had to say what it is about Paso Robles that made the trip memorable, it was everyone that served me at the various wineries.

The most memorable experience of wine tasting occurred at the last winery that was visited. Referred by another winery and located over the river, through the woods, up the side of the hill and precariously nestled among a huge grove of stately oak trees lies Starr Ranch. The ranch consists of approximately 15 acres of grapes and 85 acres of walnut, persimmon and other fruit trees, is owned by a Connecticut transplant named Judy Starr.

Judy is a spry, perky, adventurous, mature women who does it all on her ranch. She reminds me of someone with their own PBS television show who can make something out of anything and enjoys nothing more than sharing her passions with others.

Arriving at the ranch, you may need to gather your bearing as the ride leading up the hill is a bit colorful. The road is curvy with several surprises that seem to lurk around every corner. One such surprise resembled a demonic version of Wilbur, the pig in the book "Charlotte's Web." Having never seen a feral pig, I nearly took out the wayward oinker as it darted out in front of Kenji. (For those reading the blog for the first time, my car is named Kenji.)

Locking up the brakes and watching the evil, undercooked, spiral ham escape under a fence, we continued the drive up the side of a hill with a near 90 degree incline. Kenji was not happy with the uphill slope and begged to be shifted into a lower gear. As we pushed against gravity, the surrounding landscape was hard to ignore. The vines dotted the hillside facing towards the sun for maximum exposure. This was exciting to see because my favorite types of grapes (varietals) all require an abundance of sunshine to produce excellent quality fruit.

We parked next to the winery and enjoyed the view for a few moments before the chill in the air became too much to endure. As I walked to the front door, a small welcome sign shaped like a bucket and capable of holding flowers was nailed to the door. This put a smile on my face and eased my still shaking form the drive nerves.
The tasting room had a look and feel of an artists studio. Two separate counters beckoned visitors to sidle up and sit a spell. The rest of the room served as office and storage space.

The feel of the room was warm and comfortably familiar. As an artist, a space well lived in and slightly cluttered with your "stuff" provides a homey, relaxing atmosphere. Just think of a friend that you visit often who makes no effort to tidy up before you arrive. There was not a lot of effort to conceal the inner workings of the winery and this made me feel quite at home.

Judy Greeted me after a few moments and I walked over to where she was pouring for a young couple. She immediately made me feel as if this was not a first time visit. It is only right to mention that the referring winery painted a picture of her as being a tough as nails, take no prisoners, frontier woman who could have easily been a member of the Donner party. (We all know what happened to the Donner party, right?) Moving forward.

Judy was warm, gracious and humble. She spoke freely about her desire to move west and begin anew as a gentlewoman, farmer. As she spoke, one could begin to see her tough, tenacious interior, but the contagious smile on her face belied a lady who was quite pleased with where she was in life. She preferred dialogue and was more interested in what her guests had to say then dominating the conversation with wine speak. I was in awe of her tale of a woman in midlife who tossed caution to the wind and moved west. She had not formal training in farming, nor did she have a degree or extensive knowledge of winemaking. What she had was a visceral (this means guts!) sense that she wanted a change in her life and she always wanted to be a farmer. Thus, in a tale that sounds uniquely familiar to the Beverly Hillbilly saga, she literally loaded up her family and moved west.

By the seat of her pants and with no fear of getting dirty, Judy has carved out a reputation in Paso Robles as a hard working, humble, and forthright business woman. She is consistently learning something new and accepts the unpredictable challenges that a life in agriculture can sometimes create. She encouraged me to follow my dreams and to always look at life from a positive point of view. One could sit at her feet and listen to her sage wisdom endlessly. She is definitely proud of her accomplishments and makes no apology for the well earned dirt under her fingernails.

 Like any good hostess, there was an abundance of munchies to accompany the small selection of artisan wine. As mentioned earlier, there were two counters to taste wine. The other is occupied by winemaker, Bob Fuller. Bob is one of small group of winemakers who produce and market small lots of wine under their own label through the winery. His label, Deodoro Cellars, produces a selection of extremely small, (think a barrel or two of each), red and white wines. He also makes Judy's wine. Now, let's talk wine.

Judy mentioned that all of her wines were red, and this suited me just fine. Beginning with the 2010 Supernova, a Rhone blend of Grenach, Mourvedre and Syrah, the wine presented with a touch of smoke and vanilla to my eagerly awaiting olfactory senses. (In lay terms, the wine smelled good!) Easy to drink and layered with complexity, this wine was like no other tasted in Paso Robles during this visit. To be kind, we'll call it an atomic fruit bomb.
Next, Judy poured a wonderful Bordeaux blend called "Marriage." The 2010 vintage was produced in honor of her son and his soon-to-be bride. Consisting of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine nearly exploded in my mouth. The only words that can accurately describe this wine are immensely orgasmic! Considering that I am the poster child for commitment phobia, a long term relationship could happen with this wine.

Merlot has never been a favorite grape, but when blended in a Bordeaux style wine with Cab dominating the relationship, this vino diva could easily entertain the thought of one day walking down the aisle into holy matrimonial bliss.(Not!) Moving forward. This wine really had something special going on in every sip. Dark cherry,blah, blah, blah...the wine was awesome!

Next in the line-up was the reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. OMG! I nearly had to slap myself into the present. Allowing my eyes to roll back into their sockets and inhaling deeply, all things terroir burst through the crystal glassware. Btw, the quality of the glassware can and does affect the way wine tastes, I digress.

Dirt; not soil, dirt. There was nothing earthy about this wine, it was purely full of luscious, loamy, mineral laced, dirty, dirt. It would not have been a surprise to see pebbles and fossils pour out of the bottle. As Judy poured the wine, the odoriferous terroir (this means stinky dirt) wafted from the bottle causing me an insatiable desire to wallow in mud. Spicy, fruity and oh so dirty, this bottle was reminiscent of some of the best Napa Cabernet's in my vast, ever growing collection of wine without the Napa price tag. To be convince my palate that it was not being deceived, Judy poured a nice, heavy pour and continued to do so until Bob reminded us that he too had some wine to share.

Tearing myself away from Judy's counter and savoring a last taste of Marriage, no pun  intended, Bob lead me over to his wares.

Beginning with the Windansea Great White, a easy drinker, and classy white wine, it was tasty and refreshing. I must remind everyone that white wine is not my forte, but I am always willing to try something new. Next he poured the Pantheon Red blend. Yummy, and so affordable.

The coupe de gras,  Syrah. Dark, silky and blah, blah, blah, you will have to make a trip to this lovely little off the beaten path winery to find out for yourself.

Bob was the consummate, laid back, professional at all times and perfect gentleman host. His passion for winemaking bordered on an obsession with allowing wine to become wine and not doing too much fiddling around with a formula that works. He also does not take himself too seriously and his dry humor was infectious.

I will be returning to Paso Robles in the next few weeks, and will gather more information about this rare gem of a far out winery. Because I too am a lady, I will not offer my usual two slaps upside the head accolades for a winery that does well, but I will say that Starr Ranch is worthy of a road trip visit. Plan to spend some time with Bob and Judy. Their wines stand out among several great places that I visited.

Until next time, Salute'.

Karen

Shooting the Sh@# @ Chronic Cellars

Day three of "Get out of Dodge before you kill someone," road trip was beginning better than the latter two days. By now, I was beginning to relax and the much needed salt water intervention had eased my stress. It was time to do some serious wine tasting.

My buddy Denise, AKA Road Dawg, had suggested a visit to a small winery named Chronic Cellars.

The winery is located northwest of what is known in Paso Robles as the "Far Out" wineries. This group of tiny axe murderer type domiciles offers some of the most unique wines in the area far removed from city life. The owner/winemakers/body concealers (Just kidding) are twin brothers Jake and Josh Becket, who create some unique ( a safe description) wines with a lean toward Rhone varietals.
Unlike many wineries that load the tasting room with all things gift shop, it was refreshing to see artwork that could have easily been confused with a rampant comic book collectors eclectic tastes. A large  round, booth like couch that could easily seat 10 people  and a pool table also occupied the space.

The room was dimly lit, warm and festive. Good Karma, yes, but where this place truly shined was in the behavior of the tasting room staff. Awesome!
 My host, Kevin, was a true pro at providing a memorable experience. Why was the experience memorable? Simply because, well, unfortunately, the wines were not. Ok, before you go and get your panties in a wad, hear me out. The wine was not bad; a little on the unfocused side, but not bad. Drinkable, but not bad. Cool labels, but not bad.

Being a Rhone lover as well as a blend lover, and letting Kevin know this, he suggested a selection of wines that were in line with my taste preferences.  As he poured the first selection, a blend of Syrah and Zinfandel, I could not take my eyes off of the skeleton on the label. The wine was called Purple Passion. It was dark, definitely purple and well, let's just say that it was uhhh, it was, purple? Kevin could sense that my palate was searching for some hint of a reason to say anything about this wine, but nothing happened. Like a pro, and a very honest person, (he was so nice), he offered the words that eluded me. " A bit varietal unfocused, wouldn't you say?"

Uh, huh, those were the words that escaped my vocal chords. My face must have began to look like the graphic on the label, and Kevin explained how the winemakers developed this purple liquid. My mind went blank during the explanation, but Kevin was so nice. At all times, he was warm, honest and understanding of the effort it took to say something, anything about this wine. In truth, there was not much to say. It was though, very purple. On to the next bottle.

Still in a fog about the first sample, it dawned on me that maybe my mood had something to do with the inability to taste anything unique in the Purple Paradise. When Zinfandel and Syrah are blended together, the flavors play on one another to create a nice dark, spicy fruit forward wine. Maybe the next offering would have something additional to bring out these favorable traits.

It did! The Unteachables; a blend of Petite Syrah, Syrah and Zinfandel. Just what the doctor ordered. Now we are talking. The nose was leathery, sweet and had just a hint of smoke. This would be the one. I could hardly wait to let it flow over my tongue, rest in the deep orifice of the floor of my mouth and tickle the uvula in the back of my throat. Yes, this was going to be the wine that would find it's way into my collection. It was going home, today!

No, it didn't even come close to what my nose detected. Eagerly anticipating the flood of fruitiness, the wine settled limply on my tongue. Kevin could see my disdain and immediately suggested that he open a new bottle as this one had been open more than 24 hours. As he went about doing everything to make me feel comfortable, (he was so nice), a thought bubble must have appeared above my head, and Kevin could read the content; "She is not enjoying this wine!"
As he poured from a fresh bottle, he laughed a little and was completely unapologetic. After all, this is wine tasting, and one cannot expect to like every wine that is available. He simply smiled and offered another selection...which I must say was redemptive.

Suite Petite! 85% Petitte Syrah, 15% Syrah. We are in Rhone heaven, yes? Sort of. At least there was no skeleton on the label. Kevin detected a glimmer of acceptance on my face. I'm sure he was silently saying to himself, finally, she likes...SOMETHING?

Yes, this wine was a more than drinkable. Dark, smooth and full, two of my three favorite grapes played well with one another. The only reason this one did not come home, price. No need to get into that.
 Seizing the chance to make me very happy, Kevin poured another heavy handed sample and left momentarily to greet some guests from Texas. (He was so nice!)

It was time to bring out the ultimate in a Paso Robles blend.
Sofa King Bueno! 75% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre, 5% Petite Syrah, 4% Grenache. This was the wine that Denise wanted me to try....along with Spritz and Giggles sparkling wine. (We're not going to talk about the bubbles)

Kevin returned and was still smiling and taking good care of me. He poured a healthy amount of the wine in my glass and without hesitation described how much he liked this particular wine and it's popularity among locals. As he talked more and more about the wine, I could not help but to notice that the graphic on the label reminded me of Norman Bates' mother in Psycho. There was not much in the way of flavor, but the dryness of the wine was appealing...and Kevin was so nice.

After visiting more than 200 plus wineries in the last three years, it is expected to not enjoy every wine that is consumed. It is also acceptable to disagree with a winemakers style, and many winemakers value the feedback that customers give. It is however NOT cool to insult a wine. The wines at Chronic Cellars were different, not bad, just different. (and that's okay!)

 The time spent at Chronic Cellars was an exercise in learning to be in disagreement with the taste of a wine, and to not blow the disagreement out of proportion. During this visit, any disagreement was remedied by the treatment received and the attitude of the people who work in the tasting room. Kevin was a true professional. He could read my body language and offered the opportunity to sample several wines above what was being poured that day. The tasting fee was also waived. (That was so nice!) This said to me that he cared, or that he feared that I would slam him and the wines in this blog. (Nope!) His honesty, generosity and knowledge of the surrounding area were impressive, but what impressed me most was his steadfast support of the winemaking team at Chronic Cellars. The more he spoke of them and their passion for what they do and how they do it, it was easy to accept that this was just one of those wineries where nothing really appealed to my taste. (and that's okay!)

 Would I suggest a visit to Chronic Cellars? Absolutely.  I give Kevin two big slaps upside the head for his outstanding customer service. (He was so nice!)

When in Paso Robles, visit Chronic Cellars. Bring your pool cue and a sense of adventure.

Until next time,
Salute'

Another cool place in Cambria!

Picking up where I left off in the last blog, I walked over to this place to escape the smell of charred animal flesh. No, I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian; I simply do not like the smell of seared meat on a near empty stomach. The cheese, crackers, apples and pretzels devoured at Wise Owl were rapidly being converted into sugar in my stomach, and the overload of carbs only made the hunger worse. Sensing that I was either going to pass out or attack a tourist, the phrase "gourmet foods" caught my eye on the sign for the little shop of horrors called, "Fermentations."

Shop of horrors? Hardly. Gourmet foods? Lots of carbs in this place. (Just what I didn't need) The array of food stuff consisted of various jams, spreads, dips, and other high carbohydrate loaded goodies. Thus, the wine bar would be where my appetite would have to be satiated. (it wasn't)

Brittany was my vinista (made this word up. Just sayin') for the day. She was a recent transplant to the central coast, and her warmth, humility and aaww shucks, golly gee demeanor was delightful. I can appreciate someone who readily admits that they do not know everything and that they are learning on the fly. (Nothing like those uber know it alls who take random road trips to escape stressful situations. I digress) She taught me a thing or two about a few grapes that were not familiar to this road tripper.

Beginning with the white wine selections. For those who are not familiar with this road trippers' palate, white wine is not consumed on a regular basis...regardless of what is being eaten. However, we never say that we don't like something until we try it...unless it has any trace of curry, or was prepared near anything that touched curry or comes from the same family as curry, I digress again.

Anyhoo, Brittany poured a delicious Pinot Blanc from the Sierra Madre Vineyards located in Santa Maria Valley.
Okay, so what is Pinot Blanc? Pinot Blanc is a white wine grape varietal also called Klevner from the Alsace region of France. It is best consumed young and along with Sylvaner, another grape from Alsace, it produces some of the lightest, dry, fruit forward wines of the region. Pinot Blanc vines cover nearly 20 per cent of the Alsace region.

Amazing! Easy to drink and quite tasty. The wine had a peach like taste and was not too dry. Served just a tad colder than room temperature, this wine would be excellent for white cheese, apples, pretzels and crackers. (imagine that) Moving forward.

Brittany suggested the Chardonnay next. Explaining that my preference for Chardonnay consisted of wine that is so buttery and oaky that your lips slide off the glass while you spit twigs, she produced a wine called none other than, "Butternut!" 

Yep, needed to floss for splinters after this one. Buttery, is an understatement. Somebody pass the popcorn? Rich, creamy and just the right amount of fruit forwardness. It's a shame that this one did not come home. Maybe next time.

 On to the red wine. OMG, a central coast Barbera? Why not...or should I rephrase this as, "Why?," "Not!" Oh don't get your panties in a wad, it wasn't that good...I mean bad, really. It's just that the Barbera's from the northern foothills of Shenandoah Valley pack a little more punch. Whereas the Zinfandels of Paso Robles give the high octane fruit bomb Zinfandels of the Shenandoah Valley reason to feel ashamed, the Barbera's of the central coast lacked in all things character. (at least this one did, and two more at different wineries in the area) Just an observation Barbera lovers. Save the hate mail.

Goes well with Marvin Gaye music!

Moving forward. Speaking of Zinfandel. This one knocked it out of the park for me. The name alone gets kudos, "Sexual Chocolate!" Seriously, how could anyone skip this wine? Conceived by two college student buddies, the wine is a blend of Zinfandel and Syrah. The guys bought left over fruit pulp from local wineries and pressed out the juice to make this erotic concoction.
Can we all say, yummy? Fruit forward, cherry, blah, blah, blah, this is an excellent wine and moderately priced. Although it is available in the San Francisco bay area...this what they call northern California, really?, it is a worth addition to any collection. The guys now have a company called, SloDown Wines and rumor has it that they are up to creating some new offerings. Check them out at: http://www.slodownwines.com/contact-us

Liquid Sin

Time for desert! Now we have discussed this before, this road tripper is not a Port drinker. However, Brittany was up to no good when she pulled out a port wine made from Sangiovese. In truth, any wine grape can be made into port style wine. Traditionally, port comes from, you guessed it, Portugal, and was made with six distinctive varietals. (1) Touriga Nacional, the dominant. (2) Tinta Cao, (3) Sousao, (4) Bastardo,  (5) Tinta Roriz, and (6) Touriga Franca.
The process of making port wine goes back a zillion...ok maybe not that far, but dates back several hundred years. True Port is made exclusively in the Douro region of Portugal. Fortification, the addition of a neutral grape spirit is added to wine just before the fermentation process completes leaving residual sugars and elevating the alcohol level. Thus Port wine is by nature, sweet. The wine can be made dry, semi-dry and in a white form.
Enough about the process. Sangiovese grapes which are high in acid created a Port that was semi-dry, but still too sweet for my taste.
 Not to be left hungrier and a little jittery from ingesting way too many carbs, Brittany tried to hammer one more nail into my coffin.

Pairs well with anything!

Uh huh. Yes this is chocolate milk laced with Cabernet Sauvignon. Think Bailey's Irish Cream for the vino types. I wasn't sure what to make of this stuff; Serve it cold, yuck! Serve it warm, double yuck! Buy it and make it a great conversation piece...yes! I have enough  chocolate loving friends who would be willing to choke this  happy soccer mom beverage down.

 So, what would you do with this brew hah hah? Brittany said that she added it to coffee. Hmmm? Stay tuned for more info.

Just as a diabetic coma nearly consumed my nutrition deprived body, Brittany had one last port to sample. By now my eyes were crossed. Had it not been
for two ladies standing next to me who just happened to be from Lodi and knew where any form of protein was available nearby, no more port would have crossed these lips. My taste buds were numb. The only discernible flavor in the wine was pure alcohol and figs. Into the dump bucket with aplomb, Houston, we have a problem. The lights were about to go out like the Superdome during the recent Super Bowl.

Not one to toss the cookies in a crowd, (there were hardly any cookies to toss) we bade Brittany farewell with a healthy tip, acquired a new wine glass and bottle of chocolate yucky, and headed for the door. The smell of searing flesh was no longer present in the air, and I didn't care if curry wafted into my desperately in need of air lungs. I needed food. The two Lodian's, yes, that is what they are called, grabbed me by the arm and lead me to a bakery that thankfully had sandwiches.

The turkey croissant sandwich set my credit card back nearly $15.00. Perhaps a larger than usual tip was added to the bill, and the chips that were supposed to come with the sandwich never materialized. It was good! Lights are coming back on, just need a bottle of water and a nap!

When consciousness and the ability to drive safely returned, Kenji motored us down to Pismo Beach.
It was a wonderful ride with the windows rolled down and the sea breeze blowing through the sunroof. The sun was beginning to set as we drove onto the beach. Neither of us had ever driven on a beach and while observing everyone else move their vehicles closer to the sand dunes, it never dawned on us that the tide was coming in. Honking horns and screams of, "Hey, you're gonna get stuck!" did nothing to deter the pleasure of watching the sunset over the horizon. If we were going to get stuck, so what. Isn't that why we have AAA?

The beach patrollers seemed oblivious to our position and said nothing to suggest we move. As the surf encroached Kenji's tires and soaked my weary feet, all of the stress that had been building in my life seemed to wash away...at least until we realized that the sea water from each encroaching wave was getting a little deeper, threatening to leave us stuck on the muddy beach.

 There is something about the ocean that calms me. It is contiguous, powerful and cleansing. Necessary for spiritual uplift and enjoyed with a good bottle of wine, the central coast offers spectacular beaches and an abundance of good places to eat. Wineries located near the ocean offer a welcome and surprisingly affordable get away when life becomes a bit too much to handle.

Visit the central coast wine region and enjoy the oceanic views. Do it often.
Until next time,
Salute'

I took the road...to Cambria!

Paso Robles, here we come!

Finally, I'm going to treat myself to a small vacation! It has been nearly two years since visiting the central coast of California, and Paso Robles is just the place this weary vino lover needs to go. As Uncle Jed would say, "Boy howdie, I can't wait!"

The plan...what plan? I'm on a mission to regroup and recharge the batteries. Yes, I will visit several wineries, that's a given. However, what I really want to do is reconnect with my first love, photography. No, I will not be photographing the typical tasting room decor with the obligatory wine maker/dishwasher. Nope, I'm going all out. Taking lots of pics of me enjoying myself. Yes, I can photograph myself. Putting that degree to some good use finally! Afterwards, I plan to write about the journey from a less stressed point of view. You see, it has been a tough five plus months, and I need to get back in touch with my values and purpose in life. I do love wine, and I really love writing. Now, to just meld the two together in a way that makes me happy. When I'm happy, I can share with all of you.

Thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. I look forward to sharing the next journey.

Karen