BITS & BOBS

Posted on December 20, 2021 by Stan The Wine Man

Well, well, it’s been a while since I’ve tackled one of my favorite pieces to write. A lot has been going on since my last Bits & Bobs. Coming soon I will be revealing my “Winery Of The Year” for 2021. I’ve been working hard on the article and am excited to reveal my choice this year. Last year, Barnard Griffin had the honors. I interviewed Rob Griffin on my YouTube channel and reviewed many of their wines on other episodes. I had a good time talking and writing about Barnard Griffin. They have been around a long time and sometimes we can forget just how good the wines are. Rob has been putting out quality wines that represent some of the better values out of Washington State. Stay tuned for my selection this year.

The Seattle P.I. shut down their reader blogs where I wrote articles as “The Blue Collar Wine Guy.” I’m a bit sad they took that away because it garnered great traffic and exposure. I usually posted my winery of the year on that site. In some ways, it’s a positive turn of events. Now, I have to focus on this blog and learn how to increase exposure and traffic to my site that I have had for quite a while. I believe I have been writing on this blog for nearly twenty-one years. I’ve had some strong years and weak years and now it is time to hunker down and get my audience directed to this blog only. If there is anyone out there that would like to give me some advice on how to increase traffic to this site, I am eager to get your advice.

My wife Susie and I are starting to make travel plans again. First, we will be headed to Mexico to spend a few days in the sun and relax, something I personally have trouble doing. After that, we are looking forward to a trip to somewhere in Europe. Because of Covid, we have been put off traveling for over two years now. Enough of that!

As you know from past articles, Susie and I adopted Koko from the Animal Shelter this past August. She is mostly Siamese and a bundle of energy. She has settled into her new home and we love her. If you remember, she had a habit of waking me up in the early morning hours and started to wear me down. We have found a solution to that issue and things are much better now. Koko still doesn’t like it when I spend time writing in the morning instead of giving her my undying attention. However, I have noticed an improvement in this as well. She is letting me write this article with very little interference. It really helps that we can let her outside now to roam the property. Susie can actually call her to come in and she responds immediately. This is something you don’t often see in a cat.

I hope all of you have a great Christmas with your family and friends.

Merry Christma!

Stan The Wine Man

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STAN’S PICK FOR DECEMBER 2021

Posted on December 10, 2021 by Stan The Wine Man

It came down to the wire for my December pick. It was nearly the end of November before someone presented me with a wine that was worthy for my pick of the month. I was relieved when Tim from Prime Wine & Spirits sampled me on a red blend from Washington State. As soon as I tasted it I knew it was the one. Prime Wine & Spirits collaborated with Milbrandt Vineyards to produce a private label for them. Milbrandt is a well-known Washington State producer and I wasn’t surprised at the results of this partnership. So, without further ado, here is my December choice.

2018 Rhody Red Blend (Washington State)… $12.

Aromas of red cherries and currants, with a kiss of red flowers, earth and licorice. Ripe cherries and currants on the front of the palate supported by round tannins. Notes of licorice and red flowers join up on the mid-palate into the finish where red flower and cherry notes linger. Seamless across the palate with excellent balance and well-integrated acidity. Good complexity for the money. A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. B/B+

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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STAN’S PICK FOR NOVEMBER 2021

Posted on November 7, 2021 by Stan The Wine Man

November is my birth month, so I choose a wine that falls into the “Stan palate” category. I search hard for a value wine that represents a lot of the qualities I personally look for. It was a good day when Max from Dickerson Distributing swung by the store with a red from Valencia, Spain.

The wine is made from 100% Bobal. Now, this is an obscure grape to many of us, but in Spain, it is the third most planted grape in the country, Tempranillo being number one. They drink a lot of Bobal in Spain and its main home is in Valencia and surrounding DOs, where a majority of it is grown and produced. The top-quality examples come from the DO Utiel-Requena just west of Valencia with a higher altitude. As you will deduce from my notes, Bobal is dense and chewy yet it has enough fruit to round it out. So, without further ado, here is my pick for November.

2019 Bodega Arraez Vividor Bobal (Utiel-Requena, Spain)… $12.

This baby smells like you can chew it. Notes of tobacco, boysenberries, black plums and earth. Dense, chewy tannins support intense notes of boysenberries that shine through with a hit of plum and underlying blueberry and tobacco notes. The fruit expands on the mid-palate into the finish where there is a solid kiss of minerals that linger. The tannins show a little attitude on the back-end. Solid acidity that is nicely integrated rounds the wine out nicely. Good balance with structure and complexity. A slamdunk for the money. It would really benefit from food, especially grilled meats. (B/B+)

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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BITS & BOBS

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Stan The Wine Man

Every month I select a wine to feature in the store I work at. It is simply called Stan’s Pick for…. Let’s say July. Normally I write it up on this very blog, a task I’ve been neglecting the past couple of months. For the month of October which has come and gone, my pick was High Heaven Merlot from Washington State. October is “National Merlot Month” so I’ve focused on this varital not only at the store but also by doing a four-part blind tasting challenge on my YouTube channel. Washington State vs. California Merlot. It was a tie game going into episode 4, where a clear winner emerged. It was actually closer than I thought it was going to be. I’m a huge fan of Washington State Merlot but I came away from this series with a deeper respect for what is coming out of California. In this four-part blind tasting challenge, I talk quite a bit about the varietal and why it suffered a demise in the early part of the twenty-first century. You may want to check it out.

I think I’ve mentioned that Susie and I adopted a teenage cat. She has definitely been a challenge, especially in the early morning hours. She is a sweetheart and a brat at the same time. Koko (that’s her name) has succeeded in waking me up before 5 am just about every morning since we brought her home ten weeks ago. I’m a morning person for sure, but she is starting to wear me down a bit. I’ve taken more naps in the past couple of weeks on my days off than I have in a long time. I’m hardly a fan of naps, I think they are a waste of my time. However, Koko has enlightened me on the value of a short nap in the middle of the day. I’m hitting the keyboard, writing this article at 5:45 am after about thirty minutes of play-time with Koko. She is lying on the table in front of me as I write, looking as cute as ever. Both Susie and I look forward to her reaching adulthood and hopefully, she settles down somewhat. I do agree with my wife that it is nice to have another soul in the house.

I recently reached five hundred subscribers on my YouTube channel. This is a milestone for me and I am stoked that there are that many people who are enjoying my content. One thing I need to do is map out what I want to accomplish on my channel each month. One Youtuber I follow says she scripts each month ahead of time. Not a bad idea if I say so myself. I admit that planning things out like that is not my forte’. However, I think we are never too old to change our ways, so I am going to give it a go and see if it helps me improve my content. I know for sure that a decanting episode is in the works. I’ve been trying to pry some ideas out of my viewers, but they have been reluctant to help me out. If any of you who read this blog would like to share some ideas, I am open to suggestions. I do like to have guests on my channel and I haven’t had any lately. It might be time to have Mike back on and do another blind tasting episode together. The last time we blind-tasted Cab Franc a varietal we both like very much. I’ve also been thinking that it’s time to have my assistant Scott on and talk about his progression from the editor of our local paper to wine assistant in a busy department. That could be interesting.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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