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A Plethora of Pinot

Early in September, my friend and fellow blogger, Chris Oggenfuss of Vintuba and also Benziger Family Winery tweeted something about a day of pinot up at the farm (winery).  Far be it for me to miss a pinot party, so off I went to Glen Ellen to visit Benziger, something I hadn’t done in many year  s.I must say, in the past I had been somewhat disappointed in their winemaking efforts, being one of the stops I’d always take out of town visitors.  Sure, the tram tour was cool adn the garden was delightful, but there was something just off about the wine.  Fast forward 10 years and WOW!  I had NO idea that they were up to some awfully good tricks up on that hill past Jack London State Park!

The Spotlighton Pinot Event focused on 5 premier offerings of pinot from Benziger, paired with some simply divine cheeses.  Chris generously comped me my tasting tickets, and the staff were gracious and welcoming and poured and poured and poured!

The star of the event was Signaterra, Benziger’s new project headed by Rodrigo Soto, a Chilean import who is working wonders. Signaterra wines are the next step for Benziger’s farming philosophy (more on that in another post) and new journeys in wine from premier Sonoma-appellation vineyards.  Signaterra’s magna carta is about integrating the right resources of the Earth, the inescapable forces of Nature, and the attentiveness of Man into a distinctive wine.

2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – The cool climate of the Sonoma Coast and Carneros vineyards kept sugars low and complexity high, while a long growing season stretched the harvest over three months.  The net yields were lower, with more concentrated flavors of bright juicy raspberry, dark spicy notes of cola bark and spicy earth with stewed figs.  There were also lovely flavors of deep dark cherry.  I also felt a slight spritz that needs to mellow slightly, and it looked like it was unfiltered.  I really enjoyed this wine and for $26 it has fabulous QPR and is an absolute BUY.

2007 Signaterra Giusti Ranch Pinot Noir – is from the Russian River Valley, and earned my #1 spot in this tasting.  It was rich and luxurious, with dark figs and black fruit, followed by black cherries, black raspberries and cola syrup.  The rich fruit had a back note of cinnamon, and a hint of mushroominess forest floor.  It was $49, but wroth every penny and is a STRONG BUY.

2007 San Remo Vineyard Pinot Noir – is another Russian River example.  This vineyard is in the heart of the Russian River region, and this area is known for it’s bold and elegant pinots, and the cool climate is perfect for Pinot.  The granite soils offer excellent drainage, and is currently practicing sustainable farming techniques.  The winds that sweep through the valley reduce the vigor of the vines, and keep the yield low, producing intense clusters.  This wine had a lot of bright cherry, earthy mushrooms, bright red fruit, and nutmeg, with a tinge of rhubarb and cranberries.  It was a big pinot but still delicate, and a slightly bitter finish of nutmeg.  This wine was completely different than the Sonoma Coast Pinot, and it was my 3rd place wine.  If you are feeling a splurge, go BUY this at $49.

2007 Bella luna Vineyard Pinot Noir – is a classically cool climate pinot.  It had bright raspberry fruit, a dusty layer of spice, and an earthy finish.  Bella Luna is in the redwoods, and is a cool region.  It’s on the extreme Sonoma Coast, less than 10 miles from the pacific, which keeps the acids in check adn guards against the high temperature swings inland.  This wasn’t my favorite, but you should try it for your self.

2007 De Coelo Terra Neuma Pinot Noir – more of a classically Burgundian wine, this was the last of the pinots I tasted.  It was quite a departure from the bold cherry juice of the Signaterra, and the bright raspberry spice fo the Sonoma Coast, and is Benziger’s flagship reserve wine.  The rocky soils that are spitting distance from Bodega Bay are idea for Pinot Noir, which loves the cool foggy temperatures.  in the Terra Neuma, i tasted sweet Bing cherries, a touch of rosemary, nutmeg and bright red fruit all with a subtle earthiness and mroe restrained flavors.  this wine is a splurge, but if you’re upf rot eh $69, it would be a great wine with cranberry sauce at your Thanksgiving Table.  BUY

The lesson here of course, is have an open mind – go back and visit a winery you haven’t been to in a while.  Try the wines again.  Things change, things mature.  The focus on the Benziger efforts after the sale of the Glen Ellen label, have produced outstanding results.  I can’t wait to go try some of the other wines and this will be a regular stop (avoiding the busses of course!)

Thanks again to Chris and Benziger for a fun filled Pinotlicious day!  For more on Benziger, Signaterra, and thier wines, stay tuned for The Benziger Blogger Follies!

3 and Twenty Blackbirds

I was recently lucky enough to be invited to sit in the presence of wine royalty.  Joel Peterson, the founder and driving force behind Ravenswood Winery, hosted an intimate wine dinner where he poured and discussed his single vineyard designate wines.  What a treat!

Ravenswood is a formidable force in the zin world, and Peterson is one of the few men that can be called the Godfather of Zinfandel.  In the early 70s, he challenged the going jug wine mentality and tried to create wines that tasted of the place and rivaled European wines. Single vineyard designates aer Joel’s passion, where you can work with small lots reflective of the European heritage of winemaking.  Zinfandel is still somewhat of a mystery in terms of growing and manipulating, and experiments with Native yeast, open top fermentation and oak treatments have yielded some beautiful examples.

Most of these wines have very little manipulation, and are reflective of their terroir.  These wines allow the land to speak for them selves..  Zinfnadel is one of the few wines that is very unique to the area it is grown, and might be the most indicative varietal of terroir in the U.S.  there aer so many regions that produce zin, and each region is different in terms of sytle and flavor profile.  If you further refine that to vineyard blocks, you can start to see how the wine takes on the earth it is grown in.  The wide ranges of climate and terroir produces a higher quality over a wider growing region than any other varietal.

Over the course of the evening, we tasted 9 wines, paired with delicious foods from Spruce.  I wish I had saved a bit of each wine to taste with the food, but it was all so tasty!  Each vineyard has it’s own character, and each is from a different corner of Napa and Sonoma. 

2007 Dickerson - 1000 cases of this single vineyard were made of this 100% zin from Napa valley.  I found it light and bright, with juicy raspberry and hibiscus flavors.  I also found apple jolly rancher, with a tiny touch of evergreen.  This vineyard had an issue with leaf roll virus, which caused the grapes to have high acid and low sugar levels, somewhat mimicking the coastal environment of other vineyards.  The second taste I took of this showed black cherry and bosenberry.  My favorite sneaky little tidbit about this wine, is that the same wine, bottled under a different label, actually received different scores by certain influential critics.  How’s THAT for marketing!  This vineyard is located in Napa Valley, and was planted in sections between 1930 and 1985.  It is a classic example of an old, dry-farmed and head pruned example of Zinfandel in a valley dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. $35 This was the first zin of the flight and I would definitely BUY.

2007 Big River – also 100% zin, this vineyard was planted somewhere around 1880.  I tasted cracked pepper, dusty plums and blackberries, with a touch of bark and dark spice.  Joel thinks this wine displays the essence of what zin is.  It is due east of Healdsburg, and at the time fo the planting 100% zin vineyards were exceedingly rare.  Typically, fields were planted with the old Italian varietals in field blends, but this land was special.  It’s currently owned by Bella, who also makes a wonderful Big River zin, and it was formerly known as black Mountain.  The second taste gave me figs, blackberries, pepper and dark blue fruit, with a slightly hot finish. Big River is in the Alexander Valley, where many old stalwarts of Sonoma County zinfandel thrive.  Inland from the cool coastal regions where Pinot is king, Big River thrives with rich ripe flavors that are well balanced and not overpowering.  The soil is full of cobblestones and volcanic nutrients, and is influenced by the cool fog and the hot summer sun.  This was one of my favorites of the night, and is a STRONG BUY at $35.

2007 Belloni - another old planting, in the true field blend style.  Patches of Carignang, alicante, Greanche, Petite Alicate, and zin produce this dark bruiser with blackberry juice, leather, anise, and baking spices.  Thsi is a wine to chew on.  The second taste revealed figs, more cloves adn spice, as well as some tobacco. The Belloni vineyard is on the edge of Santa Rosa, and was planted around the turn of the century.  The 90 year old vines thrive in the cool foggy Russian River climate, adn the classic field blend componants of Carignane, Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet were mixed in to create a great blend that is fermented together creating a complex zinfandel based wine, with layers of red fruit flavor from the other players.  This was a complex wine that was much better with a food pairing to bring out the earthy leather and chewy characteristics.  I would BUY this again if I saw it, but there were others I liked more.

2007 Barricia - was planted in 1888 and became a vineyard designate wine in 1996.  This may very well be one of the oldest continuously planted zinfandel vineyards in America and the wine is quite an interesting little number.  Dark spcies, plumes, stewed prunes, and a slightly tannic backbone were very well integrated.  This wasn’t my favorite of the flight but still a very well balanced wine that went well with the pork loin I was eating.  The Bariccia Vineyard is named for partners Barbara and Patriicia, which also means wine barrel in Spanish.  The vineyard is planted on alluvial depositsa nd volicanic soil which washes down fromt eh moutains surrounding the vineyards.  100-year old vines were planted in 1892, while later plantings of zin were planted in 1995 accompanied by Petite Sirah in 1998.  The complexitiy of this wine did not taste like a classic zin, and really opens your eyes to the possibilities of terroir.  It was subtle and interesting, and worth a BUY for $35.

Old Hill (1995) – This older vintage was a fun wine to taste, with a firm structure and dark fruit.  There was a tocuh of lavender, bright raspberry and chocolate as well.  the most interesting thing about this wine that i found was a dusting of chili pepper in the palate.  The Old Hill is technically a zinfandel, but it has at least 13 other vaireies in it, making it a bit of a mutt and very old school in style.  The second taste brought more smoke and dirty forward, with a lot of cocoa powerder adn cinnamon followed but a touch of vanilla inflused coffee.  The Old Hill Ranch was ressurected in 1981, when the land was abandoned and overrun with brush and blackberries.  A determiend farmer ignored conventional wisdom and chemicals, and clearned the land the old fashioned way, stumulating the vines back to life.  The Sonoma Valley vineyard was planted in 1880, makingit the oldest vineyard that Ravenswood uses.  the clay loam is planted once again, with the classic Italian field belnd of Zinfandel, Carigninae, Mataro (Mouvedre), Grenache, Alicante Bouchet, Petite Sirah and who knows what else, giving the resulting wine a complex flavor.  I LOVED this library selection, which proves that you absolutely CAN age a zinfandel if it has the structure and strength to do so.

As a point of comparison, we also tried the 2007 Old Hill. This was big and bold, with a log of spcie.  I also tasted the essecne of violets and roses, followed by raspberries.  It has the classic blackberry notes, and grows in intensity as you leave it in the glass.  I enjoyed this wine, as the others, but it wasn’t my favorite of the night.  $60

2007 Teldesci – This vineyard has been farmed continously by the same family since 1910, in the heart of zinfandel country, Dry Creek Valley.  There is something to be said for farming continuously for that long, especially in an environment where family farms often change hands or break in to pieces.  This zin was dark adn robust, with dusty red pepper (spicy) and black raspberry.  The Dry Creek benchland gives it a coffee and molasses flavor that on Decanter Magazines best red wine in America award.  22% Petite Sirah and 2% Carignane are fermented seperately, and then blended to create teh final wine, which varies slightly every year, depending on the fruit.  $35 STRONG BUY

The moral this zinfandel story is that you can find  everything from A to Z in this wine.  Zinfandel CAN be aged well, and develop fascinating characteristics.  There is more to zinfandel than jammy overblown examples that are a dime a dozen.  Go out and look for some single vineyard designagtes and perform an experiment in taste sensations!

Happy Drinking

*Wine and food provided by Ravenswood Winery and Folsom & Associates marketing.

Que Syrah Syrah!

This is a tale of two syrahs.  No, not a sirah and a syrah but two syrahs!  When I first heart about David Cole’s wine, he was working on another project called Redline, which I bought through my friends at WineQ.  I knew then they this guy had talent, and I was very excited when I found out that he had started another project, James David Cellars.

Now, I’ve already reviewed the Muscat Blanc here,  and you probably already know that I adore syrah.  But let me tell you WHY I adore syrah.  The vast differences in growing regions here in California, produce some unique and interesting syrahs that differ as much as Hetch Hetchy tap water differs from sulfuric spring water from the spa at Bath.

Syrah, which is certain southern hemisphere countries, or maybe even in Canada is referred to as Shiraz is a dark-skinned beauty which produces powerful red wines and luscious rose wines.  It has a long and illustrious history as one of the primary Rhone varietals of southern France, but it’s origins are dubious at best.  As near as we can tell, Syrah is the child of some grapes that I’ve never heard of, which are native to a small area in southeastern France, making Syrah one of the original Rhône grapes.

Syrah here in the US is typically one of two types, warm climate, or cool climate.  Now these are very different types of wine, and it’s fun to compare the two side by side to see the difference.  In warmer regions, like Paso Robles, it can often be blended with other Rhône varieties.  One example, and a personal favorite, is a GSM or Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre blend.  The cooler coast and mountain growing regions tend to produce more single varietal syrah.

Here, we start with the 2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Syarh from Mendocino.  Eaglepoint Ranch is a vineyard that is a partnership between John Scharffenberger, of both chocolate and sparkling wine fame, and viticulturist Casey Hartlip.  Eaglepoint produces Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Grenache.  James David’s syrah from this vineyard gave me aromas of coffee, chocolate, and cedar.  It was dark and brooding, just what I love on a cold fall night.  On the palate I tasted espresso, bright red fruit, smoke, juniper and burnt toast, and the hint of prunes followed by caramel.  With a layer of black pepper, the black fruit of this wine was perfect in front of the fireplace on the rainy night I pened it.  This is a classic cool climate syrah, with firm and chewy textures followed by smoked meat flavors.  The wine that drinks like a meal!  Priced at $24, this wine tastes a lot more expensive and is worth it.  STRONG BUY

Next, I tried the 2005 James David Cellars Central Coast Syrah.  This wine is a blend of two vineyards from the Central Coast region, one in Paso Robles, and one in Monterey. It’s what I imagine when I think of warm climate syrah, with tons of fruit and juicy flavors.  On the nose, I smelled a lot of plum and red fruit, which was followed by blue fruit, and juicy dark raspberries on the palate.  This is a great pizza wine, and is easy drinking and more simple than the Eaglepoint Ranch above.  At $21, it’s also worth trying to see a classic Paso syrah in action.  BUY

I’m excited that David is coming out with a Pinot and Cab in the near future, so please go out, try the syrahs and stay tuned for more!  Tell em The Wine Brat sent you

Support your local grape!

As I was reading through my backlog of blogs, I came across my favorite Caveman, Mike Wangbickler, who reminded me that this week is the second annual Regional Wine Week.

I’ve long been an advocate of shopping locally to somehow, in some tiny way, support my local merchants.  It can be challenging and expensive in some arenas, and just plain fun in others.  Living on the Left Coast, I am an hours drive from at least 5 world class wine regions, and this affords me a bit of luxury when drinking locally.  Yes, I know it will cost a bit more to support a small business, but isn’t it worth it?

Regional Wine Week is the genius of  WineCurmudgeon.com’s Jeff Siegel and and WineLine‘’s David McIntyre (also of the Washington Post) who gathered a few wine writers to talk about their respective regions’ wines at the same time.  With 40 participants talking about their local juice, it was a great success and spawned the DrinkLocalWine.com website.

DrinkLocalWine gives readers a single source access point to read about different wine regions.  They are aggregating the psots during Regional Wine Week, and is really opening up doors for some lesser known areas producing areas in the US and worldwide.

For me, it’s too easy to pick Sonoma or Napa.  I live in San Francisco, the hotbed of technology and wine, where there are at least 5 wineries in the city limits, and many more using coop facilities and there are at least 20 member producers of the SF Wine Association.  I’m going to drink local this week, starting off with Vie Winery, maybe a little Sol Rouge, and perhaps sipping a bit of Blue Cellars.  I don’t have any AP Vin sadly, so you’ll just have to write about that yourselves!

I encourage you to go out and find somethign produced locally, and even better, owned locally.  If I could raid my friend Andy’s backyard for his Garagiste syrah I would, but sources tell me this might not be the best idea.

I hope to read some entertaining posts!

A walk in the clouds…

A Walk In The Clouds, the somewhat cheesy although romantic movie set in Napa Valley in the 1940s had perhaps some of the most visually stunning scenery in a wine movie.  Yes, much of it was CGI generated, and yet the scenes are evocative of the early era in winemaking in California, and conjure up images of a time gone by.  Or has it?

All of this Hollywood history brings me to my new favorite winery discover,  Rubissow Vinyeards.  Rubissow was introduced to be at the Wine Bloggers Conference this year, when Leslie Bramwell-Smith, who is working with them, invited us to taste and tour the Mt. Veeder property.  With a little scheduling magic, we finally go to take the opportunity and I am so glad we did!

The house that sits on the property on Mt. Veeder was build in 1860 as a hunting lodge for the city folk, and they ran the property for game.  Mt. Veeder was the first grape producing region in these parts and some of the vines go back as far as that property.  The Rubissow family bought the property in 1983, but it had been a vegetable farm up until that time.  Converting a farm into a producing vineyard took some effort but it has paid off well.  Together with his partner Tony Sargent, Rubissow-Sargent was born, sourced entirely from the 45 acre Rubissow estate.  Peter Rubissow and his sister Ariel bought the property in 2004, and Rubissow Sargent became just plain (or not so plain) Rubissow.  winemaker Tim Milos is producing some really amazing wines up here, and these wines are one of the many examples of why I have come back around to Napa Valley.

Up the hill, our blogger crew started out with a little hike int he blistering heat.  I pooped out halfway up the mountain, but that was enough for me.  The expansive view of Carneros to the south west was impressive and I sat in the shade with Liza while the others melted up top.

There are two distinct terroirs up here, where the first is warmer and less windy, it is best suited for Cab and Merlot.  The second area is more similar to Carneros, where the fog rolls in and a hot wind blows, where Merlot develops a bracingly high acidity.  Winemaker Tim Milos really believes that place is important when tasting a wine.  If you can’t taste the place in the glass, what is the point?  Wines should be distinctive of their vines.  This is further refined by the two soil types, the top being volcanic and the lower elevations being marine sedimentary in nature.  Tim really allows the land to speak for itself in his wines, and it shows.

Peter Rubissow

The first time I visited Rubissow, it was August and it was about 102 on the porch.  We were all melting, but the wine was amazing.  This past weekend, I got to visit them again, when the fall colors were coming out and the morning fog hung low on the mountain top.  Sipping the rich reds in the cool fall weather has a mystical effect on me, and I enjoyed the wines more than ever.

Ariel Rubissow

As you can see here, Peter was very enthusiastic when he showed us around the first time!  This time, his sister Ariel was on hand to help us with the harvest, and we tromped through the block picking the grapes in a bit of an I Love Lucy scene.

Relaxing on the front porch of the house, we tasted the 2005 Estate Trompettes, which is a blend of 65% Cab Franc, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  This had tons of spice, figs, black fruit, and cherries, with juicy earth flavors.  I found it had a medium body with since baking spice notes that lingered, and had a perfumy aroma.

In between these wines, Autumn Berry served us a feast for the senses that she called lunch.  With this we also tried the Rubissow-Sergant Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which was inky dark and purpose, with leather, tobacco, cherry and orange zest.  There was plenty big dark berry fruit in it as well, and the oak was just kissing the glass.  It had a peppery spice which lingered on the finish and was a rich wine, with a long finish that kept me going back for more.  Our trusty friend Drew was of course on hand with his Wine Soiree, which helped us aerate the wine, which would do well decanting for a couple of hours.

The 2005 Mount Veeder Estate Merlot had a licorice and anise backbone to it.  This was my favorite wine on the first visit, and it was soft and plush with toasty notes and vanilla aromas.  It had a lot of herbal characteristics hiding under the rich fruit, which I normally doni’t like but it was so balanced, I loved this wine. Next came the 2005 Estate Merlot was silky with cherries, oak, plums and smoke, followed by black cherries in brandy.  At the end i tasted red raspberries and lingered over this wine.  Yum!

The Rubissow family, including Tim and Autumn, were incredibly welcoming and gracious.  I have to thank then for their hospitality and interest in hosting a blogger brat pack (like a pack of wild wolves!) for these events.  It is excititng to me to be able to hear the stories from the source, and to taste the wine with the atmosphere.  Wine, after all, imparts a sense of place, and when you’re IN that place, it’s only enhanced.

Happy Drinking!

Wine and Lunch were provided by Rubissow Wines.

All pictures by Thea Dwelle, all rights reserved – but if you ask nicely, I might share.

Fall fun with wines, brews and views!

This is one of my favorite times of year.  The weather is chilly, I can curl up by the fireplace, and sip…cold beer!  That’s right, even the Wine Brat loves some beer from time to time.

On Sunday, November 15th, beer lovers from the Bay Area will converge on Fort Mason to celebrate with the BevMo Holiday Beer Fest.  Over 50 holiday, Sesasonal & Special, and soon to be released brews will be poured, and all of the beer will be available for purchase at BevMo.

Seasonal brews go back as far as the art of brewing itself, where these big bold sippers were made to celebrate the coming of winter.  The Medieval Monks, the first professional brewers, added special ingredients to create warming beers to get us through the long cold winter.  Today, brewers use these old methods and add new techniques and flavors like fruits, herbs, coffee and chocolate.  Mmmm chocolate!

Join me and The Beer Wench for this special event!  Tickets are $35 adn can be purchasd HERE, which includes all of your beer tasting.  Food will be available for purchase as well.

Next door to the Beer Fest, the SF Vintners Market will be the first and only wine tasting and buying event in the Bay Area.  On November 14th and 15th at Fort Mason Center over 300 wineries from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Russian River Valley and beyond will be pouring their favorite wines including new releases, special collections and hard to find vintages for you to taste.  The fun part about this event is that you can actually buy the wine after you taste it, something that hasn’t been done until now due to licensing issues and legal tangles.

The brainchild of Cornelius Geary and Jeff Player, founders of Wine 2.0 and RadCru.com, this event promises to be a good time.  WIth the economy still in the dumper, smaller wineries struggle to get their wares of there.  These event will get the winemaker closer to the customers, and allow us to buy what we like without searching out after a tasting.  In addition to the winemakers at many of the winery booths, we’ll be hosting a special section for “Major famous” winemakers and wine industry celebs where you can get a few minutes of personal time and a quick picture with the winemaker!

Tickets for the SF Vintners Market are $15 each day for General Admission, or $50 for a VIP ticket which allows you access to a special VIP section each day.  You can buy tickets HERE.

I hope to see you there!

Bloggers, media, is there a line?

Bloggers, media, journalists, TV reporters, wine critics, mom.  Can’t we all just get along?  I know that there are a lot of shills out there, and there has been a lot of controversy in the Mommy Blogger arena about posting for peanuts, or in their case products, but the recent FTC ruling regarding bloggers really chaps my hide.

It’s not that I take issue with the fact that the FTC is requiring bloggers to disclose the fact that they receive samples.  That is simply the ethical thing to do; it is that they are specifically and pointedly excluding traditional media from this ruling because they apparently have better “Independent editorial responsibility”.  So really, you’re saying that BOb Parker actually discloses to us when he takes a press junket to Paris?  London? Australia?  Funny, I don’t seem to read that in his work.

Esentially, what the FTC is doing is widening the gap between tradition and new media in all arenas.  Clearly, the straight up pay for post model is something that needs to be disclosed, but with over 2000 wine blogs alone, are you really going to police EVERY post by EVERY blogger to see if we are disclosing the fact that I got a $15 bottle of wine that probably cost the PR agency / winery / retailer $7?  REALLY?

Now i’m all about letting your public know if you got something for free, and I try to include in my posts if I am reviewing a wine. Yes, occasionally i forget, yes occasionally i get so excited about a wine I don’t bother but clearly i will need to be more cognizant of that in the future.

But why not hold “traditional media” to the same scrutiny?  Apparently, the FTC doesn’t think that bloggers are intelligent enough or ethical enough to hold our selves to the same level as the old boys club.  Basically, if i get PAID to review items i get for free, then it’s ok but if i review items that i get for free, for FREE then I must disclose.  HUH?  The FTC apparently feels that those kids in the big buildings have a better grasp on what is right and wrong that me do, and that their reviews are not  “endorsements”.  THOSE reviews are not impacted by the fact that their reviewer did or didn’t pay for the item in question. MY reviews are impacted because I’m not a journalist.  OR so I’ve been told more than once and loudly by the FTC.

To quote Tom Wark of Fermentation, who sums it up SO well:

Let me put this in plainer words. If a publisher sends me (a wine blogger) a copy of a new book about the wines of Bolivia and I review it positively I must disclose the book was given to me or face a fine of $11,000. If a reporter at the Wine Spectator (traditional media) receives a free copy of “The Wines of Bolivia” and reviews it positively, they need not disclose they received it free from the publisher. Put another way, if Alder Yarrow or Dr. Vino respond in the affirmative to my email to them offering a bottle of press sample of Mayo Family Winery’s 2006 Reserve Zinfandel with a request (though not a demand) that they review it, they must disclose they received the sample free of charge when they do review it—good or bad review. If I call Steve Heimoff of the Wine Enthusiast and make the same offer and he accepts, he (and the editors at The Wine Enthusiast) need not disclose they received the press sample free.

To also quote John Stossel, formerly of ABC News 20/20 and therefore not subject to freebie limitations, GIVE ME A BREAK!~

Does this potenitally give bloggers more credibility on paper?  Yes.

Does this make me dislike the paper boys even more?  You bet.

Will I make sure my ass writes “FREE SAMPLE” on every blog post?  Well, yeah.

Will I say if I paid for a wine tasting at Joe’s Vineyards?  No.  Because that is up to the discretion of the winery staff weather to charge me or not, blogger, journalist or flirt.

This piece was not paid for by any means, liquid or otherwise and is purely an expression of my opinion.  If the FTC comes after me, I’ll tell them to go see PinotBlogger for a free Suck It Parker! T-shirt.

Pulling The Cork: Pulling The Cork Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month

« Taste & Talk With Cindy Cosco Of Passaggio Wines – Part 3 | Main

September 30, 2009

Pulling The Cork Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) and we are going pink in our main column and including the pink ribbon in our Pulling The Cork banner above to help raise awareness.

During the month of October we will be trying to raise awareness about breast cancer, encouraging regular and routine mammograms and the importance of early detection with wine related topics tied to breast cancer awareness.  We are asking other wine bloggers to join us in raising awareness by going pink on their blogs during the month of October as well as retweeting and linking to the many posts we will publish that will focus on raising awareness with wine as the backdrop.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes. About 192,370 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2009. About 40,170 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are about two and a half million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Given these significant numbers most of us know someone – a friend, a family member, a spouse – who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or who has lost their life to this ravaging disease.

Since the NBCAM program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.

This is exciting progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

• Women age 65 and older are less likely to get mammograms than younger women, even though breast cancer risk increases with age.
• Hispanic women have fewer mammograms than Caucasian women and African American women.
• Women below poverty level are less likely than women at higher incomes to have had a mammogram within the past two years.
• Mammography use has increased for all groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives.

If all women age 40 and older took advantage of early detection methods – mammography plus clinical breast exam – breast cancer death rates would drop much further, up to 30 percent.  The key to mammography screening is that it be done routinely – once is not enough.

For more information about NBCAM, please visit www.nbcam.org.  For additional information, please call one of the following toll-free numbers:

American Cancer Society, (800) 227-2345

National Cancer Institute (NCI), (800) 4-CANCER

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, (800) 221-2141

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Fifteen national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies comprise the Board of Sponsors, who work together to ensure that the NBCAM message is heard by thousands of women and their families.

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Comments

La Jolla Mom said…

Thanks for doing this! It’s so important. My mother is a survivor too.

Reply September 30, 2009 at 10:08 AM

Michael Homula said…

Thanks for commenting and for tweeting it out on Twitter. It is so important and we are excited to do what we can to raise some awareness.

We have some pretty interesting and cool posts scheduled for this month that are wine related AND help to raise awareness. Hope you can come back to check them out!

Michael

Reply September 30, 2009 at 10:26 AM

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Pulling The Cork Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) and we are going pink in our main column and including the pink ribbon in our Pulling The Cork banner above to help raise awareness.

During the month of October we will be trying to raise awareness about breast cancer, encouraging regular and routine mammograms and the importance of early detection with wine related topics tied to breast cancer awareness.  We are asking other wine bloggers to join us in raising awareness by going pink on their blogs during the month of October as well as retweeting and linking to the many posts we will publish that will focus on raising awareness with wine as the backdrop.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes. About 192,370 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2009. About 40,170 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are about two and a half million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Given these significant numbers most of us know someone – a friend, a family member, a spouse – who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or who has lost their life to this ravaging disease.

Since the NBCAM program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.

This is exciting progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

• Women age 65 and older are less likely to get mammograms than younger women, even though breast cancer risk increases with age.
• Hispanic women have fewer mammograms than Caucasian women and African American women.
• Women below poverty level are less likely than women at higher incomes to have had a mammogram within the past two years.
• Mammography use has increased for all groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives.

If all women age 40 and older took advantage of early detection methods – mammography plus clinical breast exam – breast cancer death rates would drop much further, up to 30 percent.  The key to mammography screening is that it be done routinely – once is not enough.

For more information about NBCAM, please visit www.nbcam.org.  For additional information, please call one of the following toll-free numbers:

American Cancer Society, (800) 227-2345

National Cancer Institute (NCI), (800) 4-CANCER

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, (800) 221-2141

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Fifteen national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies comprise the Board of Sponsors, who work together to ensure that the NBCAM message is heard by thousands of women and their families.

View the entire comment thread.

via pullingthecork.com

I’m reposting this important message from my blogging friend, Michael Homula.

Think Pink, Drink Pink, and POST pink in October in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Corison, Kronos, and Cathy!

When Megan and I first drove up to Corison, smack in the middle of busy Highway 29 in the Napa Valley, I was struck by the charm of the little yellow cottage in front.  The unassuming winery behind the cottage was bustle with the frenzy of the mobile bottling line, but Cathy Corison welcomed us in anyway and took us on a walk around the Kronos Estate Vineyard.

Cathy Corison has been working in wine for more than 20 years.  She honed her craft at Napa Valley staworts like Chappellet Vineyard, Staglin Family Vineyard, York Creek Vineyards and Long Meadow Ranch.  While making wine for other people, she kept wanted to express her own wine voice, and so in 1987 the first Corison Cabernet was born.

The location of the winery is on the benchland between Rutherford and St. Helena, and is known to produce world class Cabernet.  The soil here on the Rutherford Bench is stony alluvial, and it is the best kind of growing condition for Cabernet.   The old vines produce a bold, powerful and elegant wine with red and black fruit showing through with grace and satin luminosity.

The estate’s Kronos Vineyard is in fact one of the oldest Cabernet vineyards in the region, and therefore is a rare treat.  At a time many in the wine business were ripping out old vines to replant and go with the modern technologies, this vineyard stayed put.  These granddaddies aer 37 years old (give or take), and are farmed organically.  Corison has owned the land since 1995 and the first vintage was 1996. These meaty vines are thick as tree trucks, and yield such small numbers that you would think you were at a fruit stand and not a winery.  That said, the resulting juice holds a terrific array of flavors with concentrated fruit and refined structure.

As we heard the story of the winery and Cathy’s career, we tasted through 4 of the Cabernets, each with their own style and flavor, but each an amazing treat.

1996 Kronos Cabernet – this was the first vintage produced after Corison bought the property.  This wine is alive with grass,  green pepper, plum, spice and blackberry.  It still has a lot of fruit for a 12 year old wine, and I could really pick out the cherry.  It is in the European style, and is powerful but still elegant.

1997 Kronos- Dark, deep, difficult to get nose.  More tannin and less fruit.  Firmer texture.  Slight flavor of grape bubble gum  More spice, less fruit, subtle.  Violets, dried roses, floral, nice acidity with a lot of spice.

2003 Corison Cabernet SauvignonPicking the delicious 2003 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon was a challenge, but luckily I had my last picking scheduled just as the long, wicked late September heat spike hit. The fruit got to the winery in excellent shape and without the sugars going through the roof. The otherwise even ripening season from veraison through the middle of September delivered complex flavors and inky color.

The resulting wine is packed with luscious Bing cherry and plum chutney fruit and rendered rich and complex with undertones of cocoa, nutmeg, white pepper and “Rutherford dust”. Trademark floral highnotes are already beginning to develop in the bottle. Lush with gentle, mouth-coating tannins, it gracefully walks the line between power and elegance, perfectly balanced for a long, distinguished life.

*** (three stars – Chronicle Wine Selection) Cathy Corison picked her fruit just as a September heat wave began, and the 13.6 percent alcohol shows ripeness without heat, typical of Corison’s moderate approach. A distinct wood presence, though buoyant fruit shines through, with red cherry highlights and balanced tannins.
- The San Francisco Chronicle, December 15, 2006

2002 Corison Cabernet SauvignonReminiscent of 1994, the 2002 growing season was long and cool with a couple of heat spikes in early October that served to bring grapes home. Small crops produced complex, concentrated flavors draped over flawless structure. Norm Roby writes in Decanter: “2002 may change the way many international wine lovers think about California Cabernet Sauvignon. The finest and most typical wines avoid that juicy-jammy opulent style that is so obvious but often lets you down in the finish.“

Brimming with plum and blackberry fruit with hints of cocoa, the 2002 is expansive and deep, while at the same time, supple and balanced with a long, satisfying finish. Steve Tanzer writes: “Dark ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of cassis, violet and bitter chocolate. Juicy flavors of dark berries and baking spices, with a firm edge of acidity giving the wine shape and grip and a floral element contributing to the wine’s inner-mouth aromatic character. 91+”

2000 Corison Cabernet SauvignonDelicious and approachable already. Supple and harmonious, with a sense of understatement. Spicy currant, black cherry and plummy notes, that are well-balanced and rich. Fine-grained tannins make it easy to enjoy now. Drink now through 2010.

(tasting note summer 2004)

90 Points. Supple and harmonious, it wins points for its sense of understatement, with spicy currant, black cherry and plum notes that are well-balanced and rich without being too powerful. Fine-grained tannins make it easy to enjoy now.
The Wine Spectator 10/31/03

1999 Corison Cabernet SauvignonDark, rich. Young, firm structure. Still tight. Ripe, full flavors in the red to black range. Generous aromas. Built to last with good acidity. Hold for 2-4 years.

(tasting note summer 2004)

To celebrate the beginning of construction of our winery building, every magnum was etched with a likeness of the central cupola on the barn.

1998 Corison Cabernet SauvignonWarm, lovely, subtle and elegant. Very developed and resolved with floral bouquet. Approachable. Ripe black cherries and plums. Black olives, earth, mint, cedar and spice notes. Drink now and over the next 10 years.

(tasting note summer 2004)

Medium-weight, with herb, dill, cedar and earthy cherry and plum flavors that are elegant and well-proportioned. Turns complex on the finish.
The Wine Spectator 10/31/01

1998 Kronos- rich red fruit, restrained leather and tobacco.  Plums and sandlewood, a touch of cassis.

We also tasted more recent vintages, but they are still babies.  I am looking forward to going back and tasting them again as they develop, as well as taste the older vintages again.  I was so wowed by them, my notes are a little lackluster and don’t properly do them justice.

If you are in Napa, dont’ miss a visit to Corison at 987 St. Helena Highway.  It is open by appointment only from 10am – 5pm, but since there almost always there, just give them a buzz at 707.963.0826.

Happy tasting!