BITS & BOBS

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Stan The Wine Man

Tempus Fugit. It’s hard to believe we are at the end of 2023! I have a lot on my plate for this blog. Soon to come (hopefully) will be my “Top Twenty Wines Under Twenty Bucks.” I tried forty wines in past articles, which became somewhat of a burden. I think twenty is plenty. It should be an interesting list, I haven’t decided yet which my number one wine will be. I should have that list out in December.

I started fast and furious with my YouTube channel again, after the big move and vacation to Sicily. I published two, featuring Nero d’Avola. I was quite intrigued by this varietal while on my visit to Sicily. Having tried several over the course of two weeks, I found them to be quite different in style from various producers. I also reviewed a few wines from Mount Etna. Check them out when you get a chance.

Speaking of YouTube, I’m flirting with one thousand subscribers (I’m now at 818). I mention this because when I hit one thousand, I start to receive payment when they advertise on my channel. It would be nice to get a small monetary bonus for the effort it takes to put the episodes out there. However, payment or not, I really enjoy doing them. Today, I will have my first segment featuring Thanksgiving wines on my channel. I hope to put up at least three before Turkey Day. After that, I will focus on wines for Christmas dinner, which can go in a lot of directions. Prime rib, ham, duck, you name it. One thing I can say about the era we live in, is that people do not always go traditional.

This year, I will be working in my department on Thanksgiving Day. A lot of you might want to feel sorry for me, but I don’t. I actually like working on Thanksgiving, because it gives me opportunities to help people find a good wine for their meal. Believe me when I tell you, there are a lot of procrastinators out there who will be shopping for wine on the day of the dinner. Our department is stocked and ready with wines that I believe will fit the bill.

Speaking of wines that “fit the bill” I have been exploring YouTube to see what other wine people are suggesting for Thanksgiving. As my wife would say, “I’m gobsmacked” at the suggestions out there. It used to be there were four to six wines that were always recommended for the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Pinot Noir, Gamay, Zinfandel, Sparkling Rose’, Gewurztraminer or Riesling. Now, wine geeks are going ballistic with ideas. My approach is simple, use the kiss method (keep it simple stupid). Let’s face it, you’re having guests for dinner and you want wines that are both affordable and most likely acceptable for a wide range of people. A popular choice amongst wine people has become both Sauvignon Blanc and Gruner Veltliner. Personally, I don’t have a warm fuzzy feeling for either of those wines for the holiday meal. If you do decide on Sauvignon Blanc, I would stay away from the New Zealand versions. They can be quite pungent and could over-power some of the side dishes. As far as Gruner? If you walk into a grocery store wine department to search for a Gruner, good luck (other than my department of course). Make it easy on yourself, the meal is a big deal and the wine should not give you a brain cramp.

I have given up on Zinfandel for Thanksgiving. I’m not saying I will never go back, but for now, it seems to be a mismatch to me. Zin has a very high alcohol percentage which can be dangerous when you are sucking down wine during Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, I love Zinfandel However, I’ve found it to be too powerful for some of the subtle side dishes of the meal and it can put you to sleep much earlier than a Gamay or Pinot Noir. The last thing you need is a bunch of inebriated guests for the evening. I know it’s a bit outside the box, but I’m saying it.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Main | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BITS & BOBS

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Stan The Wine Man

One of the highlights of our trip to Sicily was visiting the winery Planeta, located on the slopes of the active volcano Mount Etna. It was a beautiful day and our driver kept us entertained on the way up to the winery. He knew quite a bit about the surrounding vineyards and although he was soft-spoken I was able to glean a few things from him (I think Susie heard a bit more than I did). We were scheduled for a winery tour and lunch. When we arrived we learned that five other people would be joining us. It turned out that I was the only man in the group, the rest were women. The reason I bring that up is that I think that was a first for me!

We were actually at their tasting room that was nestled amongst some of their vineyards. The tasting room was actually in the old winemaking facility that they restored, but do not use to make wine anymore. It was quite interesting to see some of the older equipment they had to press the grapes and store the juice. I’m trying to load some pictures, but it’s taking forever. I may have to do that later.

The vineyards were beautiful, especially against the backdrop of Mount Etna and the lower valley below. You can understand why viticulturists and winemakers are interested in this area for planting grapes. The soils from the lava flows are nutrient-rich, and the temperatures are a bit cooler with the higher elevation (Etna gets snow parts of the year and they ski up there) which gives them a longer growing season than other parts of Sicily. We were up there in September and Nerello Mascalese, one of the main red grapes for Etna Rosso was still not harvested. After our tour of the vineyards, we tasted quite a few of their wines which were stunning. It was a memorable time and good food as well. I am very happy that my wife Susie has always supported my career in the wine world. Not only supportive but quite interested as well.

Now to a subject that I have been ruminating on since the summer ended and we transitioned into Fall. Our wine department was quite depleted on the sales floor many times throughout this past summer. I normally have stacks of wine upstairs that are waiting for a spot on the floor. Not during the summer of 2023! I talked with my assistant Scott about it and he agreed that this was uncharacteristic of me to have so many empty spots in our wine department. After thinking about it, I realized that the main reason was the lack of presentation by the sales force that stops by the store on a regular basis to share samples of wine with us, which helps me make decisions on what to purchase. If I can’t try it, I won’t buy it.

This brings us to the ferry system, which has been struggling to keep a regular schedule due in most cases to “lack of crew”, a term we are quite sick of hearing. This has caused many cancelations of sailings over the summer which in turn makes sales reps reluctant to come to the island to sample wines with us for possible purchase. Hats off to Lauren and Kris for always being at the store each week to write their orders and at times present wines (they both live on the mainland). However, that is a small percentage of the sales force that normally calls on us. As a result, I had very few wines to choose from for stacking purposes (hopefully you understand what I mean by stacks). As most of you know, I am quite picky about what I put out there for my customers to choose from. I want it to be good, as well as an excellent value. Things have gotten a bit better and more of my regular sales force are making their way from the mainland to the store to show me what they have to offer. I’ve found some great values recently and the floor is plump with purchasing options. Phew! With the holidays coming up, it’s important to have some nice wines to choose from.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Bits & Bobs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

STAN’S PICK FOR NOVEMBER 2023

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Stan The Wine Man

Well, here we are once again getting prepared for some major holiday action. November and December are big wine months with people searching out the best pairings for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I decided to search for a red wine that would pair nicely with all the various dishes that make up the traditional Thanksgiving meal. I’ve been spending some time watching YouTube videos to see what other wine experts are suggesting and let me tell you, the suggestions are all over the place! However, there is one consistent element that shines through. First, the wine should be good, that’s sort of a no-brainer. Second, the wine should have decent acidity, to help cut through some of that butter we like to use and the gravy and the other fatty foods that complement the turkey.

I went with a red that I felt fell into the aforementioned criteria. Over the past couple of years, I have been gravitating towards Grenache as a pairing for the Thanksgiving meal. I’ve found some good ones that have worked well. So this year I as was presented a GSM red blend from a not-so-well-known winery out of Washington State. As soon as I tasted it, I knew it would be my pick. It has all the elements to make it a great match for the meal and the price is right. You see, it is a good idea to have a wine at the table that you are confident most of your guests will like. I believe this fits the bill.

Non-Vintage Guild GSM Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $14.

As most of you know, GSM stands for the grapes Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. This is a Rhone-style red from the New World. Aromas of plums, cherries and spice, with a hint of roasted marshmallows. Plum and cherry notes ride on smooth tannins, with a kiss of blueberry underneath. Chocolate notes sneak in on the mid-palate into the finish where baking spice and white pepper notes shine. This baby is a “10” in the delicious category and has a good balance of acidity, fruit and tannins. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised with how well this will match up with your upcoming holiday meal.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Main, Stan's Pick of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BITS & BOBS

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Stan The Wine Man

In my last Bits & Bobs, I left a cliffhanger. I mentioned a grape varietal that caught my attention for various reasons when Susie and I went to Sicily. If you want to know what I was referring to, check out my latest YouTube episode, where I review said varietal (It will be a two-parter). Cliffhangers are a big part of writing and I need to use them more often. I want to thank Sharron for her comment about that. I hope you watch the episode and subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already.

I mentioned that I would write a bit about our trip to Sicily. Susie and I had an amazing time there. The food was fabulous and, of course, the wine as well. We spent the first week in Palermo, where we did a walking street tour exploring the back roads of Palermo and indulging in the local cuisine with our guide. The local foods were quite intriguing and delicious. She took us through some amazing local seafood and produce markets wedged between buildings along the ancient streets of the city. The only food I was not very interested in trying was the spleen bread (Pani ca meusa). Mainly because it was near the end of the tour and I was already pretty full. Otherwise, I think I would have given it a go. We ended that tour near the marina with gelato in hand.

We spent our time in Palermo checking out the local scenery, finding great restaurants, trying different wines and also went to an Opera in one of the largest Opera houses in Italy. From there, it was off to Taormina on the east side of Sicily. I can hardly do justice in words about how amazing the views were in this small, bustling town. Breathtaking would be the best word I can think of. We live in a beautiful spot on the earth in the San Juan Islands, but nothing can compare to the stunning views from this part of the world. Once again, we indulged in the local food and wines, finding some cool restaurants to eat at. There was one restaurant right next door to our hotel that blew us away! We tried to get in a second time, but they were booked up. That didn’t matter, because there were plenty of great places to choose from.

We were able to go to an ancient Greek amphitheater, located on the outskirts of Taormina where Andrea Bocelli had performed just a month earlier (that would have been fantastic to be a part of). All around us were hilltop villages, stunning water views with jagged cliffs meeting the emerald-blue water of the sea. Beautiful villas peppered the hills. We walked and walked, getting all the exercise we needed to work off the exquisite food we were enjoying. The weather was perfect as Susie and I walked hand in hand down the streets of the town. However, there were a couple of dramatic thunderstorms while we were there. One lasted for quite some time. Of course, we both like thunder and lightning storms, which just added to our enjoyment.

One of the coolest things we did while we were there (it wasn’t planned), was to take the Godfather tour. I know it sounds a bit cliche, but it turned out to be a fantastic experience. Our tour guide came to pick us up (just Susie and I) and he took us to these small, ancient villages, which we would have never seen had we not taken the tour. Our guide was a super friendly guy, who took his time showing us around. Some of the places Hollywood found to shoot some of the scenes for that movie were unbelievable! How they scouted them out, I do not have a clue. The tour was supposed to be around two to three hours, but we hit it off with our guide and ended up getting back to our hotel just over four hours later. Plenty of pictures were taken and we will never forget the experience.

There is so much to share and only so much space to do it in. Next week, I will write about our experience going up Mount Etna to visit the winery Planeta. I’m also going to share some thoughts I have about my experience this past summer in the wine department that kind of threw me off. It’s something that was new to me and I hope it doesn’t happen too often in the future.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Bits & Bobs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment