I used to work at a wine shop out in Roseville called Capitol Cellars. Hands down, the coolest wine shop I have ever been to, for many reasons.
Upon entering, wine shops can have the faint smell of an old cellar. That woody, earthy, almost-moldy smell that makes you want to be a bat and live in a dark cave forever. When I walked into Capitol Cellars yesterday, that smell was there, and it was intoxicating.
This particular shop is very aesthetically pleasing, with hand made wooden wine racks lining the walls of the rectangular space, and movable racks configured in the center. The inventory of wine overwhelms me; not necessarily because of the diversity, but merely because of how many elite, special wines are all in one place. Its like the best of Napa Valley had a party and all of the top winemakers left there prized possessions all in one room. The intricate artistic labels, the thick glass bottles, and large numbers on the price tags indicate rarity and pride. It also makes my blood run hot because I want to try them ALL.
I was given a taste of a newer label called Screenplay, by the renown winemaking Moffett family. After one whiff, I put it into 'my style of wine' category. A full, lush nose that seeps up into your nostrils and lingers there that carries ground cinnamon, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, violets, and cherry-vanilla ice cream notes. WOWWEE! I was in heaven. I was so overwhelmed with the nose, the gorgeous mouth-feel and taste was secondary, but I was already sold. "I'll take one please!!!!" This wine was bottled only a couple months ago and is drinking beautifully, so a little patience would pay off to lay it down (but who has patience with good wine!!???)
As it turns out, this multi-faceted wine is a blend of 'the usual suspects' (as Moffett puts it); cab, cab franc, merlot, malbec...but then throws in some syrah and viogner for added complexity and softness. I am extremely impressed with the way the family of grapes are integrated to create a piece of art for the palate to ponder and analyze.
At $33 a bottle, this wine is definitely worth a try. Enjoy and cheers to beautiful blends!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Knowing your Nose
Smelling a glass of wine is the first exciting sensory evaluation for me.
Why yes, analyzing the label, feeling the chilled, thick glass of the bottle, carving the foil, and slowly tugging the cork can be enthralling...
...but it is not until the juice is free poured from the bottle into the
stemware and swirled and SMELLED that I really begin to awaken.
Much controversy is caused around the topic of 'to submerge, or to not submerge your sniffer deep into the glass. Some say it picks up too much of the alcohols, which can happen with a younger wine; BUT if you have strong wrists, give your glass a good hearty swirl and some of that alcohol burn will dissipate into the air for a few seconds, giving you the perfect moment to inhale. I have found that you may miss a lot of unique and complex characteristics if you do not fully engage your nostrils into the glass.
I inhale deeply, slowly, and with my eyes closed (super dramatic, yes, but it lets me really focus on what the grapes are communicating and avoids distractions of the bottle or amazing company around).
Sometimes right before I smell, I will open up my mental bank of descriptors and prepare myself to pick up nuances. For example, if I am trying a Cabernet, I will recall some primary descriptors, merely as a starting point, but not limiting myself to those:
"OK....
this could potentially carry dark chocolate, crushed blackberry, anise seed, toasted sweet oak, vanilla bean, cigar smoke, wet stone, blueberry compote... "
(Read a wine book or look at an aroma wheel to start the process of identifying these notes! It will be super helpful every time you drink wine and makes it so much more fun!)
According to one article I found on smelling wine properly:
"...smells are not registered in the nose, but at olfactory receptors located behind the nose and between the eyes and brain. This is one reason why it’s important to “aggressively” sniff wines—you need to make sure the odor gets back to the receptors."
So---my main point of this post is to tell you to not be afraid to smell the hell out of your wine. Don't overlook the amazing aromas you can pick up from an over-dramatic, full inhale. Take a couple minutes to smell your wine and you will gradually find that more and more beautiful aromas will come out of hiding.
Why yes, analyzing the label, feeling the chilled, thick glass of the bottle, carving the foil, and slowly tugging the cork can be enthralling...
...but it is not until the juice is free poured from the bottle into the
stemware and swirled and SMELLED that I really begin to awaken.
Much controversy is caused around the topic of 'to submerge, or to not submerge your sniffer deep into the glass. Some say it picks up too much of the alcohols, which can happen with a younger wine; BUT if you have strong wrists, give your glass a good hearty swirl and some of that alcohol burn will dissipate into the air for a few seconds, giving you the perfect moment to inhale. I have found that you may miss a lot of unique and complex characteristics if you do not fully engage your nostrils into the glass.
I inhale deeply, slowly, and with my eyes closed (super dramatic, yes, but it lets me really focus on what the grapes are communicating and avoids distractions of the bottle or amazing company around).
Sometimes right before I smell, I will open up my mental bank of descriptors and prepare myself to pick up nuances. For example, if I am trying a Cabernet, I will recall some primary descriptors, merely as a starting point, but not limiting myself to those:
"OK....
this could potentially carry dark chocolate, crushed blackberry, anise seed, toasted sweet oak, vanilla bean, cigar smoke, wet stone, blueberry compote... "
(Read a wine book or look at an aroma wheel to start the process of identifying these notes! It will be super helpful every time you drink wine and makes it so much more fun!)
According to one article I found on smelling wine properly:
"...smells are not registered in the nose, but at olfactory receptors located behind the nose and between the eyes and brain. This is one reason why it’s important to “aggressively” sniff wines—you need to make sure the odor gets back to the receptors."
So---my main point of this post is to tell you to not be afraid to smell the hell out of your wine. Don't overlook the amazing aromas you can pick up from an over-dramatic, full inhale. Take a couple minutes to smell your wine and you will gradually find that more and more beautiful aromas will come out of hiding.
Only after you use that nose of yours, will you begin to know your grape...
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Foreword on Girl and the Grape
I sit here on this plum colored love seat, sipping this sultry, mouth sculpting, mind boggling red wine and completely unfold from my day.
Today is the day that this written body of love, lust and infatuation takes shape.
To me, wine is the quintessential essence of beauty and inspiration of life. Not only does wine embody history, family tradition, world culture and everything holy, but it also CREATES so much joy and excitement in every day moments. I don't merely mean the effects that it has on the physical body, but rather what it does to the soul after every slurp. It opens windows and doors of creativity that would otherwise be padlocked. You will soon see what I am talking about---just continue to read.
I do not expect everyone that reads this to be completely on board with me about the obsession that I have taken on with wine, but I do hope that each soul will be open to the possibility that is wine.
Wine is for EVERYONE. There are literally hundreds of grape varietals, grown and cultivated in different styles from sweet, dry, restrained, boring, and thin to rich, ripe, overdone, mouth coating, earthy and smokey. How is this possible that wine does not appeal to YOU!????? Keep looking and tasting and I promise you will find a style that perfectly melds with your lifestyle and tastebuds.
In the following posts, I vow to explain, in as much interesting detail, why I am completely satisfied with drinking wine and why it has become a monumental fascination in my life (and hopefully persuade you to also sip and swirl more often, while completely letting go of life's stresses).
Let me preface this blog by also saying that I am fully aware that wine is not the only, nor predominant, joy in life. It is merely an intense hobby of mine that I look forward to indulging in with you. I do however promise that the day that you find your knees getting weak, tongue exploding with ecstasy, and belly aching for more wine---life will be sweeter.
Embark on this journey of discussion, praise, and constructive criticism of grapes that have turned to holy nectar with me.
Today is the day that this written body of love, lust and infatuation takes shape.
To me, wine is the quintessential essence of beauty and inspiration of life. Not only does wine embody history, family tradition, world culture and everything holy, but it also CREATES so much joy and excitement in every day moments. I don't merely mean the effects that it has on the physical body, but rather what it does to the soul after every slurp. It opens windows and doors of creativity that would otherwise be padlocked. You will soon see what I am talking about---just continue to read.
I do not expect everyone that reads this to be completely on board with me about the obsession that I have taken on with wine, but I do hope that each soul will be open to the possibility that is wine.
Wine is for EVERYONE. There are literally hundreds of grape varietals, grown and cultivated in different styles from sweet, dry, restrained, boring, and thin to rich, ripe, overdone, mouth coating, earthy and smokey. How is this possible that wine does not appeal to YOU!????? Keep looking and tasting and I promise you will find a style that perfectly melds with your lifestyle and tastebuds.
In the following posts, I vow to explain, in as much interesting detail, why I am completely satisfied with drinking wine and why it has become a monumental fascination in my life (and hopefully persuade you to also sip and swirl more often, while completely letting go of life's stresses).
Let me preface this blog by also saying that I am fully aware that wine is not the only, nor predominant, joy in life. It is merely an intense hobby of mine that I look forward to indulging in with you. I do however promise that the day that you find your knees getting weak, tongue exploding with ecstasy, and belly aching for more wine---life will be sweeter.
Embark on this journey of discussion, praise, and constructive criticism of grapes that have turned to holy nectar with me.
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