South Fork Surprises

Word of advice, when visiting Long Island from the main land (i.e. Connecticut), try to make the trip for the weekend. We did a day trip, and I was spent! But, it was well worth it as Katie, Lori, Laura, Doug, and I all had an excellent time hitting three wineries on Saturday.

First up was Channing Daughters. The most interesting thing about this winery, and the other two for that fact, was that I went in with zero expectations. I had never tasted or have any strong knowledge of any of the stops. What I really enjoyed about Channing Daughters tasting room was the California feel of it. It reminded me of all the delicious times I've had in Napa, Sonoma, and also Oregon for that matter. The service was superb (Thanks Debbie!) and all our questions were answered throuoghly. The wine itself was surprisingly very good. To my palate, the wines came across as more European in taste then California. The whites reminded me of France, and the Reds of Italy. First we tasted three of their whites, the 2006 Scuttlehole Chardonnay, the 2006 Sauvignon, and the 2006 Vino Blanco. The Vino Blanco really stood above the others. This blend of Tocai Friulano (mostly grown in the Friulia region of Italy), Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay was dry with a nice body and would be excellent food wine with seafood. Then we tried three reds, the 2006 Rosato Cabernet, the 2006 Rosso Fresco, and the 2006 Mudd (God I love that name for a wine!). My personal favorite was the Rosso Fresco. This blend of Merlot, Blaufrankisch (you geussed it, German!), Cab Sauv, and Dornfelder (another German grape) was loaded with spice, and I loved the aromas of smoked meat I was pulling out of it. Then we were fortunate enough to taste the Clones Chardonnay. This baby is a winner! It's a blend of their ten different Chardonnay clones. Quite simply, the closest thing to Burgundy I have tasted from America. Of course I brought a bottle home. Channing Daughters will definitely get a repeat visit from me in the springtime so I can taste some newer wines, especially since their production is so limited. Keep up the good work Channing Daughters!

Next was Duck Walk. While my compatriots enjoyed a lot of their wines (we tasted 15 of them) I was not impressed. The majority of them were too sweet for me or just lacking that dry style I like. Their Sauvignon Blanc was the only wine that really struck me as good. The others were all blah to me. Of course that is my palate and not yours. My other beef was the service. It was like feeding from a trough. Everyone lines up along the bar and they literally walk down the line pouring tastes of the same wine. If you arrive at the wrong time you start out with reds then go to desserts and finish with whites. There is no personal attention at all. That really bugged me. But, they definitely had a large range of wines for those looking to taste a large number of different wines.

Finally was Wolffer Estate Vineyards. This place narrowly surpassed Channing Daughters as my favorite of the day. We did have to wait quite a few minutes to sit and taste due a large crowd of NYC bimbos in front of us. They looked utterly foolish smoking their cigarettes and "tasting." Katie and I split their portfolio tasting to get a sip of everything top to bottom. Basically they make three levels of Chardonnay and three levels of Merlot, as well as a Cab Franc and a Late Harvest Chardonnay. Their entry levels, called La Ferme Martin, were good. The Chardonnay seemed a little weak in body to me, and the Merlot could be suitable as a table wine. Next is their Reserves. The Chardonnay was quite good, something I'd be willing to serve to any wine loving guest, and the Merlot could hold its own against mid-level producers from California. It was the Estate Selections that really surprised me. Both the Chard and Merlot were delicious. I would have loved to pair their Merlot with a nice piece of lamb, oh would it be perfect! And the Chardonnay was destined to go with scallops. It was the Cab Franc though, that really blew me away. It was the quality of wine IO would expect from California not New York. It was big and lush with some Cab Sauv and Merlot tossed in. It had a divine velvety finish that lasted and lasted. I plan to open our bottle with some nice steaks, once I figure out how to grill steak. I have to say, sitting outside and tasting at a table was a nice experience. And they have everyone taste that way, unlike Napa where you usually only sit down at private or VIP tastings.

In the end it was Wolffer and Channing Daughters that really sold me on New York wines. I'll have to head back soon to check out the North Fork, and of course stop by the South Fork again. Thanks again to Debbie at Channing Daughters and I hope you enjoy that New Hampshire foliage! Till next time..."I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food."--W.C. Fields

Long Island Bound

Tomorrow Katie and I will be venturing off to Long Island with some friends to enjoy a few wineries. While the North Fork is packed with wineries pumping out the juice, we'll be heading to the South Fork, where the numbers are fewer, but I have heard good things about the quality. Look for a post on our tastes and travels on Sunday or Monday!

Napa Redux

So on Tuesday of my trip, Mike and I once again found ourselves in Napa Valley. We began with a tour and tasting at Pine Ridge. Here on the East Coast I usually find their Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend or their Rutherford Cabernet. So tasting their entire line of Cabs and whites was a real pleasure. I actually bought a bottle of the Stag's Leap Cab, because while I used to think Rutherford Cabs were my favorites, the Stag's Leap ones really seem to be growing on me. Plus, I knew Katie would love it! Here's some free advice, when you vacation alone, always come back with good stuff for your wife! The tour of Pine Ridge's wine making operation and caves was outstanding and our host did an excellent job. We then shot across the Yountville Crossroad back to Highway 29. Here we stopped by Prager Winery and Port Works. Prager is unique in that they primarily focus on making Port, a fortified style of wine. This fortification with Brandy, results in a higher alcohol content and richer flavor. Try it once with a chocolate dessert and you'll be thanking me for the rest of your life. John Prager poured us all of their current releases and we were overwhelmed. Besides a bottle of 1977 Fonseca Port from Portugual, I have never tasted anything so outstanding. Many wineries churn out a port, but few specialize in it and create such spectacular results as Prager. We then headed north and stopped at Freemark Abbey. I'll make this one quick, we tasted a tone of wines (maybe 15?) and none really stood out. They were all good but at the same time, boring. Quick enough for ya? We were then off to what I was feeling would be the highlight of the trip, Schramsberg. In Calistoga, Jack and Jamie Davies have been producing sparkling wine (not champagne) from the former winery of one Jacob Schram (no not Ben Stiller's character in Keeping the Faith) since 1967. They are so unique in that most other sparkling wine producers in the valley are simply franchises of famous Champagne houses of France. And when I first tried a bottle of Schramsberg last year, I knew they were doing something special. Sparkling wines have always had a niche market due to weddings, anniversaries and various other celebrations. But good sparkling wine will be a special moment in and of itself. Schramsberg does that for me. Every time I taste their wines it feels special. The tour, led by a teacher (my kind of guy, works at a winery on weekends and summers, then teaches), was outstanding. We toured their extensive network of caves and riddling racks (where they still hand riddle all the bottles) and then finished with a tasting deep below the ground in an empty cavern. All their sparkling wines have something special and exciting about them, but I couldn't leave without a bottle of their two finest offerings, the J. Schram and the Reserve. Two decadent wines that will make two special days that much more memorable. As we drove down towards Calistoga I realized two things: 1. I was borderline drunk (bubbly does that to me) and B. I could feel a sinus headache creeping in. Needless to say by the time we reached Rombauer Vineyards I wasn't much in the mood to taste. But I soldiered on, and realized they made some outstanding Chardonnay. If you spot a bottle pick it up and give it a go. After that we did manage to find one more winery open, a small place called Milat. Here they make limited quantities of Cab, Merlot, Zin, Chard, Chenin Blanc, and a red table wine. All the wines were very good and affordable for the most part. Unfortunatley I had hit my quota of bottles to take home and was sticking to it. But it was also interesting to learn that Milat sells quite a few of their grapes to Silver Oak, who I mentioned in the last post tied in with Twomey. That tells you something about the quality of Milat's grapes!

Well, that wraps up the wine tasting from my California trip. Next on the agenda is a series on boxed wines and where they fit in our lives! Till next time...

Nicholas Angel: "Mr. Porter, what's your wine selection?"
Roy Porter: "Oh, we've got red... and, er... white?"
Nicholas Angel: "I'll have a pint of lager, please."

Sonoma and Napa, back to back

Once again my sincerest apologies to my few readers. I am late witha post again, big shocker. So we left off at Gary Farrell. After descending their insanely steep driveway, we shot back up Westside Road towards Healdsberg. We were hoping to stop by at Twomey. Twomey is run by the wonderful folks over in Napa at Silver Oak Cellars. At their Sonoma winery, they make a Napa Valley Merlot, a Russian River Pinot Noir, and a Napa valley Sauvignon Blanc. Of course we pull in and they are closed. Damn! So if you ever spot a bottle of Twomey at a local wine shop, please drop me a line so I can check it out! So we ventured backwards down Westside again to Arista. Mike had heard rumblings about their wines, and they were open till six, so we stopped by. The people at Arista, the friendliest, the wines, good but not earth shattering. I enjoyed their Pinots and they made an excellent Gewurztraminer, but nothing that wowed me. We ambled back into Healdsburg around five-ish and were thankful to find La Crema still pouring. Their wines were exactly as I remembered them from a wine dinner at Nicola's. The Sonoma appellation wines were blah, the Russian River ones were excellent! They are a true example of how sometimes a broader appellation, with more volume of production creates a so-so wine, while smaller volume, more specific region, and more careful winemaking, create a better wine. Of course those better wines also usually cost quite a bit more. We departed La Crema and returned to Rosenblum for some dessert wines, while my palate was just about shot, I did manage to enjoy their Syrah Port, and procured a bottle of Rose, a bottle of Maggie's Reserve Zinfandel, and the Port.

The next day we once again rose early to trek North from San Rafeal. This time we set our sights on Napa. And instead of the dull drive up through the southern mouth of the valley, Mike decided to take us (Christie included) over the Mayacamas Mountains from Sonoma. What a breathtaking, and sometimes stomach churning ride up and down those winding roads! We stopped first at a new winery called Alpha Omega. The tasting room was still under construction, but what great wines. Their winemaker comes from newton, one of my favorites, and their consultant is Michel Rolland, the world's foremost consultant and wine guru. Their Sauvignon Blanc was hands down my favorite of the trip, and their reds! Wow! I bought a bottle of the '03 and '04 Cabernets, as well as the '04 Proprietary Blend (Think Bordeaux style blend). I'll discuss shipping these wines home in a later post. After this unexpectedly good start we went North on Highway 29 to Corison Winery. Mike had sworn that they made the best Napa Cab he had ever had, after tasting I just might have to agree. I am hoping that their 2004 Kronos Vineyard that I picked up, will eveolve into what glimpses it gave me. A fantastic wine with supple tannins and delicious dark fruit flavors, it could rank up there as one of the best I've ever had if it matures just right. Cross your fingers! Next i had Mike stop at Beaulieau so we could taste the Clone 4 that they were pouring. It was $15 a glass, and the only tasting I paid for all week. The three of us shared it and were very pleased. The juice from the '97 Clone 4 we tasted makes up almost 60% of our 1997 Georges De Latour Private Reserve. So in essence it was a sneak peak at how our '97 was drinking. And I am thinking of opening soon! Maybe for the hard core wino's at the next wine tasting (October 26th!). We manged to wait almost an hour for two sandwiches at Oakville Grocery before ending up at Seqouia Grove. While their tasting room was being remodeled, we sipped under a tent surrounded by lush Sequoias. The wines, as from most reliable wineries, didn't dissapoint. The real treat was when the Assistant Winemaker Molly, an acquaintance of Mike, took us out back to taste the 2006 Cabernet from the tanks. Truly a treat, tasting these young Cabs in an overwhelming experience in flavor but enjoyable noe the less. People at Sequoia feel this might be the best they have ever made! Aftyer Sequoia Grove we had an appointment for a tour and tasting at Cakebread. I'll sum it up quickly, decent tour, strong portfolio of wines, but no real blockbusters. I did buy a bottle of the Rubyiat. This is a fascinating blend of Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Syrah. What a fun and different wine! A stop at St. Supery showed how delicious their wines always are, followed by a tasting at Honig. Honig makes one of my favorite Napa Valley Sauvignon Blancs, but we were able to taste their entire portfolio, and I was extremely happy afterwards, and it wasn't just the buzz. They make two additional Sauv Blancs I had never had, that made the Napa one look like child's play. The reds, phenomenal! I was thrilled to taste their Cabs and was just floored by their Stagecoach Vineyard Cab, if I didn't buy a bottle I knew I'd regret it forever. Not to mention the free postcards they gave me are a riot!

I know that was a long winded post, but hopefully informative. I'll have one more on our second day in Napa, and a wrap up of the whole trip. That should be followed by a new series of posts on, get this, wine in box! That's right, Jack ol' boy, the wine snob, is sipping Chardonnay from a box right now! I'll fill you in soon. Till next time..."Mark your calendars, clear the night, October 26th, Wine from A to Zin: Episode 3"

Sorry I'm late with Sonoma

I know, I know, I am a horrible person. I promised to write this post a week ago. I said stayed tuned for tomorrow's post on Sonoma. I apologize a thousand times to you. But until you become a teacher, you'll never understand just how busy the first week of school is. So on to Sonoma. Mike and I jaunted up there after a quick run to Starbucks. The first stop, downtown Healdsburg. Awesome little town, cute town square, beautifully renovated buildings, and like five or six tasting rooms within walking distance of downtown parking. Disadvantage, tasting rooms just aren't as cool, or for some reason as much fun, as being at the winery or vineyard. We ambled around the town center till Rosenblum was the first to open at 10:00.

Many of you may recognize the Rosenblum name. They have been making killer single vineyard Zins for years now. But you also might have tasted their non-vintage Vinter's Cuvee at my first A to Zin wine night. We ran the gamit of their wines before 10:45 and were simply amazed. Not only did they fail to produce a single "blah" wine, they had an awesome Rose for 6 bucks, and a Merlot I fell in love with! We decided to return at the end of the day to try their dessert and sweet wines.

Next we hustled up Dry creek Valley for an appointment at Ferrari-Carano. Stopping here is worth it for the gardens and architecture alone. The Caranos built a gorgeous Italian villa smack dab in the middle of Northern California, and pulled it off b-e-a-utifully. And while I knew most of the Carano story from the book, A Very Good Year, the tour was still informative and enjoyable. Their best wines, hands down, were their Italian varitals. Their Siena, a Super Tuscan style blend, was fabulous, and I brought home a bottle of their Sangiovese that knocked my socks off.

After our 2.5 hour stay at the Ferrai-Carano Palace, we hit a few quick spots in Dry Creek Valley. First off was Ridge's new tasting room in Lytton Springs. Their other location is in Santa Cruz, so I was excited about the proximity of this new watering hole. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed. Ridge has a similar portfolio to Rosenblum, mostly Zin, but they also do some Cab and Petitie Syrah (which Rosenblum does phenomenally as well). Ridge's flavors just didn't jump out like Rosenblum's did. Next was Seghesio (pronounced sa-gay-c-o). Wow! Fabulous wines all around! Big shocker, they made great Zins from Sonoma area grapes. I also bought a bottle of their Omaggio. This is once again, a Super Tuscan type blend that was easily one of my favorite wines of the entire trip. It just had that special something that makes a wine dance on my tongue.

After these two, we headed south into the Russian River Valley, an area that is famous for Pinot Noir as opposed to Zinfandel. First up Rochioli. This winery is the New England Patriots of wineries, their waiting list for wine is at least seven years long and growing. The majority of their wines are small production and are only offered to the mailing list. If you decline to purchase wine for two years once on the list, you are scratched out and rights move on to the top of the waiting list. I signed up hoping that in seven years or so, I might actually have the money to buy more of their wine. I did come home with a bottle of their base offering Pinot, even though I was tempted by their outstanding Sauvignon Blanc. Farther down the road is Gary Farrell. Farrell is another legend in the Pinot world, much like Rochioli. However, I was nervous driving up their winding driveway because some advice. Someone had mentioned that since Farrell sold out the wines had been in decline. After tasting, Mike and I whole-heartedly disagreed. Their portfolio was perhaps the best of the trip. Everything we tasted we considered outstanding or good value. Their low end wines (still $30 or more a bottle) were excellent values in that price range. Their Pinots superb, their chardonnay, easily the best I have ever had. It is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

I think I'll break here and fill in the rest of the Sonoma details after a long weekend on Martha's Vineyard. Till next time..."Look I'll do it to myself. Nothin'!"--Malcolm (another inside joke for Mike) Keep laughin' buddy.

Return of the Jedi...I mean wineguy

At last my venture to California has come to a close. While traveling gives one a sense of wonder and awe at new locales, I still longed for home. So here I am preparing to blog away about my journey. Tomorrow I plan on beginning the wine aspect of the trip in earnest with a post on Sonoma (the Valley not my dog) followed by a post or two on Napa, and something thrown in on food. For now, some quick thoughts on the trip in general:

-I don't know how, I don't know when, but Blackberries will be the end of American Civilization.

-California drivers are bad in their own special way, just like Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island drivers.

-New England Clam Chowder at a California restaurant isn't New England Clam Chowder. And it's even better when it has the words "authentic" or "real" in front of it on the menu. I never realized chowder could be fake or forged.

-Arguing sports at an airport bar is great. You don't pull any punches because you know you'll never see the guy again. Especially when he's a Bonds fan.

-Can we lay down some rules on armrest sharing on planes? Like window seat gets it the first half of the flight, center seat can have it the second half, or something of that nature.

-Listening to an elderly couple from Milwaukee talk about their trip to Bali can be quite amusing. Those accents are just hilarious, you know?

-Lugging a 60 pound suitcase and 40 pound box of wine from the rental car facility to the terminal was surprisingly easy.

-If you haven't had an In and Out Burger you simply haven't lived.

-I have a dream, that one day all Taco Bells will be replaced by Baja Fresh.

-Vacationing without my wife turned out to be a real drag, I missed her the whole time.

-I still get a kick out of the fact that I bought my dog Sonoma a gift in Sonoma. Sick, huh?

Anyway, Till next time..."The cow says Moo."--Me, an inside joke for Mike

P.S.-If you click the photo it will expand. After expanding right click on it and you can set it as your wallpaper. I took this shot from Fort Baker in Marin County.