TOP 100 WHO?

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Stan The Wine Man

I’ve done a few lists and I have to tell you they are one of the toughest assignments you can give yourself. To tackle the top 100 most influential people in wine has to be practically impossible. That is exactly what Michael Cervin www.intowine.com attempted to do. I say attempted, because the way I see it, it is as flawed a list as I have seen in awhile.

First off, Jancis Robinson is not on the list. How crazy is that? Why not leave Teddy Roosevelt off the list of greatest United States Presidents. In the top ten you have Matt Kramer (Wine Specatator columnist), James Laube (Wine Spectator Columnist) and Marvin Shanken (Editor and Publisher of Wine Spectator). First off, a lot of us bloggers and wine writers do not think as highly of Kramer as he does himself, and I have trouble believing he can influence a child to eat ice cream. I like James Laube (he takes a great photo), but to put him ahead of Kermit Lynch or Steven Tanzer is absolutely ludicrous. Marvin Shanken probably deserves a spot at the top but it had to cost him a lot to get his two buddies up there with him.

One of the more perplexing placements is Annette-Alvares-Peters (Merchandising Manager of spirits/wine/beer for Costco) at #2. You are going to sell a lot of wine at Costco if your name is Casey Anthony. They have a ton of stores, with a ton of customers and their prices are ridunculous. Gee, let me think. Fred Franzia is at #22. I think he is more apt to be on the list of most influential for the use of cosmetics. His wines have more makeup on them then Kim Kardashian. The one that made me laugh until my ribs hurt was the placement of Anthony Blue at #20. This is the guy that bashed wine blogs a couple of years ago and never printed a retraction. He is a fossil in the wine world and the only placement he deserves is in a museum.

Joe Roberts (1Winedude) is at #15. I really think that since he is the wine columnist for Playboy.com #69 might have been a better spot for him. 🙂 Tom Wark ahead of Alice Feiring and Kevin Zraly. Really? The Academy might as well have voted Ted best picture over Argo. Wilfred at #13 might be a wong choice since he is a passenger in a big vehicle that could probably move cases without him. This may be the last year to see Antonio in the top twenty. Just ask Suckling what it’s like to go solo. Was James on that list? I can’t remember. And last but not least, I think that Mr. Vaynerchuk should have been somewhere on there. Because, although he is not in the wine public’s eye right now, his personality hangs around like the smell of ripe cheese.

Like I said, lists are hard to do and they leave you open to scrutiny for any smart-ass critic out there. I admire the effort…But the results are suspect. Cheers! Stanthewineman

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STAN’S PICK FOR FEBRUARY 2013…

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Stan The Wine Man

I can’t believe it, but last month I did not run across a wine that I felt comfortable with as my “Pick of the Month.” I think it’s a first. I thought it was going to be Haystack Needle “The Eye” which is a red blend out of Washington State. However, I was let down by the current vintage. It was good, but it had some lipstick components that were off-putting to me. I’m not saying no one would like it, because a lot of my customers did. It’s just that it did not hit that acceptable level for me to declare it “The Wine” of the month. It was a much different story this month. I knew once I tasted this wine it was a winner for the price.

2009 Borsao Berola (Campo de Borja, Spain) … $13.99
This blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon is a lot of wine for the dough. A hint of stink on the nose with notes of black olives, black currants, blackberries, tar and tobacco leaf. This is one of those wines you can sit with and just savor the smells. On the palate, deep and seductive, intense and structured from start to finish. Dark cherries, blackberries and cassis with a hit of white pepper on the finish. Seamless across the palate with an edge of spice. Minerals and tar linger on the finish. Given the balance and intensity of this wine, I can see it hanging in your cellar for 5-8 years. Hard to believe you can get a wine this good for fourteen bucks. This was #5 on my top 40 wines under $20 in 2012. I could have picked it for January, but it escaped my notice. Not so this month. (A-)

For the Month of February it is offered at a lower price. So, if you have a savvy wine steward in your area, he or she will be all over it. Buy some now, drink it and you will be more then happy if not ecstatic. Put some away for 3-5 years and you may be praying thanks to Bacchus. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

Distributed by Elliott Bay Distributing (Seattle, WA)

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A FEW GOOD, A FEW NOT SO GOOD… ALL IN A WEEKS WORK.

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Stan The Wine Man

I love finding great values in wine and passing them along to you. I also feel a certain responsibility to warn you about some wines that are out there that might be a complete waste of your money. In this segment of “From The Moleskine To You” I found some good wines, and some stinkers. (At least in my opinion). Here is a review of last weeks tasting notes.

2010 Bogle Vineyards Essential Red (California) … $10.99
This is a fairly new introduction from Bogle. I got on Twitter and asked a few of my wine friends what they thought of it and none had tried it yet. Hard to believe but it’s true. I was eager to try it.
Fairly intense on the nose with notes of blueberries, vanilla and a little tar and tobacco. I have to say I liked the nose. Smooth and polished on the palate with dark fruit notes coming through backed by spice, tar and tobacco. On the finish, blueberries, spice and pepper linger for some time. The only flaw I detected in the wine was that it was a bit hollow on the mid-palate. Overall, a nice effort from Bogle at a great price.
A blend of Old Vine Zinfandel, Syrah, Cab and Petite Sirah (B-)

2009 Lock & Key Meritage (North Coast, California)… $13.99
Dusty oats, cherries and a back drop of blueberry and vanilla come through on the nose. Sour cherries and plums in spades on the front of the palate. This is an acid meets dark fruit wine with a strong hit of citrus. The elements of the wine never really integrates leaving an awkward feeling in the mouth. This is oranges meet blackberries. I think there are some elements in this wine that some will like, but I think it is to disjointed. A blend of Cab, Merlot and Cab Franc. (D)

2011 Primal Roots Red Blend (California) …$9.99
A little stink on the nose (which never bothers me) along with some dark fruit notes, black raspberry and black licorice. Red currants and cherries on the front of the palate with a hit of bright acidity. It stays on the brighter side into a finish of minty licorice, blackberries and a hit of spice. I thought this wine was on the simple side, but I liked it. 43% Merlot, 37% Syrah and 20% Zinfandel (C)

2010 Cryptic Red (California) … $15.99
Aromas of perfumed dark cherries, licorice, vanilla, mocha and black plums.(Is that enough for you?) Ripe currants hit you up front with notes of blackberries melding in along with chocolate and mocha that flow into the mid-palate. There is a slight tannic grip on the long finish with hits of spice. Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Cab (C+)

2010 Dreaming Tree “Crush” Red (North Coast, California) … $13.99
This is a collaboration between rock star Dave Matthews and wine maker Steve Reeder.
The nose does not “Pop” on this wine but it has subtle notes of blackberries and currants which are slightly dusty and perfumed. Polished sweet tannins on the palate with notes of blackberries and red currants. The elements are well integrated in this wine making it seamless across the palate, flowing into notes of tobacco, blueberries and currants with lingering spice notes. This wine scores highly in the delicious category. Not sure on the blend, I could not find anything in my research. (B-)

2009 Thorny Rose Red Blend (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $10.99
Oak comes through on the nose, but it is not too much. Also aromas of perfumed dark cherries, a little tar element and tobacco. Soft tannins back notes of tar, black cherries and blackberries. There is a spicy edge to this wine with some wood tannins showing up on the mid-palate and the medium to short finish. This wine is fairly lightweight but is still interesting. The price is pretty fair also. 48% Cab, 48% Merlot with a splash of Syrah and Malbec. (C+)

2008 Silver Lake Roza Red Blend (Rattlesnake Hills, Washington) … $8.99
Nice purity of fruit on the nose with notes of blackberries, cassis and sage. Plush on the front of the palate with ripe notes of boysenberries and dark cherries on sweet tannins. Good intensity on the palate into the mid-palate where the fruit calms down and tobacco with a beam of currant leads into a dry finish with a little tannic grip. Starts out “New World” fruit forward, and finishes on the “Old World” side with a little tar, tobacco and tannins. And, the price is stupid for the quality. Cab, Merlot & Syrah (B-)

2009 McKinley Springs Bombing Range Red (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington) … $11.99
Aromas of smokey plums, cherries and tobacco leaf with hits of dusty minerals. Plums and boysenberries in spades on the palate backed by silky tannins. There is a freshness to this wine that makes you think it is going to “Pop”, but it never quite goes there. It thins out a little on the mid-palate and finish with notes of blueberries and tobacco coming through. I liked the front hit of fruit on this wine, and the freshness. However, I would have liked to see a stronger finish. 52% Syrah, 40% Cab, 4% Malbec and 4% Petite Verdot (C+)

2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Red (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $16.99
Like a glass full of cooked bacon on the nose with some currants, boysenberries, vanilla and spice thrown in. I swear they threw some bacon in the barrel. The bacon comes through in the mouth with notes of plums, char and spice. Polished tannins and well integrated flowing seamlessly into notes of boysenberries, plums, white pepper and bacon. Some tannins show up on a long finish that features… Bacon of course, with some dark fruit notes thrown in. It is an absolutely delicious wine, and you don’t have to worry about the grease. 60% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 6% Cab, 3% Grenache and 2% Malbec (B+)

2010 Kris “Heart” Rosso Italian Red (All Over Italy…Sicily, Marches and Alto Aldige) … $11.99
Aromas of dusty cedar boards with a little funk. Notes of black cherries, black olives, tar and an edge of vanilla also come through on the nose. This is a simple little red with notes of blackberries, cherries and hits of tar backed by soft tannins. Tiny hits of white pepper come through on the medium finish. The wine is clean and fresh with nice fruit notes and an edge of rusticity. Great red for pizza, hamburgers or pasta with red sauce. It also has a really cool label for Valentines Day…Just sayin’. (C+)

Well, it looks like it was all blends this week. Some great and some so-so. But I think there is something for everyone. May the Moleskine be with you. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

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GREAT WINES…GREAT MEATLOAF…THE WINNER IS.

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Stan The Wine Man

I hope I didn’t tell any of you to hold your breath waiting for this article. Because Mr. Seifert ran out of a few wines at his table before I had a chance to taste, I have been scrambling to get them tasted so I could post a review. Not happening, so I will just tell you how the tasting went and give you the recipe of the winning meatloaf.

I was most impressed with the group at this event. They were all so well behaved, polite and patient. Not to say the group is ever rude or out of control, but there have been nights that have been, let’s say… a little tougher. We all had a blast as we tasted through some great wines and judged some well made meatloaf that was entered into the cook-off.

The meatloaf that got the most votes was made by Kings Market Deli. They help out every year when we do this event, so it seems appropriate to let them enter the contest. This is the first time they have come out the winner. However, it seemed right to have them step aside and let one of the other contestants get the prize of first place. So, the official winner of the meatloaf cook-off was Shauna Rand. Actually, her meatloaf was only two votes shy of what the Deli received. I will post her recipe at the end of the article. Second place went to Teri Gentry. Congratulations to both Shauna and Teri for a fantastic job on the meatloaf. From what everyone told me, it was a very difficult decision, because they were all so good. I would like to thank all of the contestants for taking the time and effort to be a part of the competition.

The theme of this tasting event was “Best Wines With Meatloaf” so Ted Seifert from Unique Wines came to the table with wines he felt would match up the best with that dish. I have to say that it was a little easier to do then last year when it was wines that paired with chili. Anyway, Ted did a great job of finding some really nice wines to taste. In every event, we need to have a few whites simply because some folks prefer them and it balances out the tasting. So, we had a sparkler, an Albarino and a Chardonnay.

The fizz was Castellar Cava from Spain. I’ve always liked Castellar and it was well received by the tasters. It has some nice complexity, smaller bubbles and a little weight on the palate with some yeast and apple notes backed by a little nuttiness. Why a sparkler? You have to have something in your glass while you’re cooking the meatloaf. Right?
I think Ted took a little risk bringing an Albarino to the tasting. It was Columna Albarino from Rias Baixas Spain. Now, I really liked it myself. Albarino is in some ways similar to viognier. It is fruity but not fruit forward. Notes of tropical and citrus fruits come through in spades with a perfumed edge to it. The Columna was very nice with tangerine and mango notes followed by a dry finish. It was by far the least popular of the whites at the event. Oh well, we have to bring those from time to time for palate education. The popularity of the Nugan Third Generation Chardonnay from South-Eastern Australia caught me off guard. Everybody (almost that is) loved it and kept coming back for more. It was not a heavy chard, but it had some nice creamy tropical fruit notes with a kiss of oak. I liked it myself, and thought it had nice balance and flavors. Australian wines are having a tough time right now in the market, so it was nice to see a little spark in favor of our wine making friends from down under.

The reds covered many regions from around the world. France, Italy, Argentina, Chile, California and Washington State. The two favorites were the 2010 Colosi Rosso (Sicily, Italy) and the 2011 Line 39 Petite Sirah (Central Coast, California). I didn’t get a chance to taste anything from that table, but I know Ted ran out of the Colosi early because just about everyone kept going back for more. He also poured 2011 “The Jack” Syrah from Saviah Cellars (Columbia Valley, Washington), 2010 Reunion Tinto (Mendoza, Argnetina) and 2010 Vetisquero Cabernet Sauvignon (Colchagua Valley, Chile). All of these reds were received well by the tasters and it could explain why I had slow periods at my table from time to time.

Besides the three whites, I had two reds from France that I was pouring. First, the 2010 La Petite Fontaine Cotes-du-Rhone. I found this Cotes-du-Rhone to have a lot of elegance and minerality. It was on the simple side, but it held true to southern Rhone. Second, and one of my personal favorites was the 2011 Michel Chapoutier Bila-Haut Cotes-du-Roussillon Village. Deep and brooding with a load of spice and minerals. Very old world with tobacco and earth elements balanced with intense boysenberry and black currant notes. For some reason, most of the folks that attend my tasting events shy away from Rhone Valley blends. I’m not sure why, but it isn’t going to stop me from introducing these wonderful wines to them. Even at the store that I work, I find it hard to sell Cotes-du-Rhone or other reds from this general area of France. It just goes to show how subjective wine preferences are. Usually when I go nuts about a wine like I did the Bila-Haut, we sell a lot of that wine. Not so this time. Don’t worry, it doesn’t bother me, and it certainly will not stop me from trying to sell it later.

So the big hit in reds was the Colosi Rosso, and the big hit in whites was the Nugan “Third Generation” Chardonnay. Shauna Rand was the winner of the meatloaf contest and received a 3 liter bottle of Bogle Phantom Red for her efforts. I would like to thank everyone who came for supporting these events and for being such a good crowd. Cheers!

WINNING MEATLOAF RECIPE BY SHAUNA RAND:

Here’s the recipe for my meatloaf. This is very adaptable to variations….. so get creative and have some fun with it! I don’t measure exactly, just kind of go by consistency. I don’t add salt as the soup mix is salty already.

1 ½ lbs lean hamburger

2, 3 or 4 slices of stale sourdough bread (must be sourdough!)

Minced garlic

1 chopped onion

1 Pkg. Lipton Onion Soup (dry)

1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet

1 – 2 eggs

Chopped mushrooms (optional)

Add 1/3 C. milk or so to tie everything together

Brush top with A-1 Thick and Hearty steak sauce

Form into loaf and bake for one hour at 350 degrees.

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