We stayed at the Inn of Occidental for Barrel Tasting last March. The decor in our room; The “Wine Room,” included a shadow box with various corkscrews. One of the most interesting of all of the wine accessories, the corkscrew gives it’s manufacturer the opportunity to get creative. And of all the corkscrews available, we’ve found the easiest to use is the sommelier tool, also known as the “waiter’s friend.”
Joe started a collection of sommelier (o... Read Full Story
For those of you who have not heard, we love Twisted Oaks wines. Not only is the owner a former computer geek with a penchant for pirates and a strange fascination with rubber chickens, he sells some damned fine wine. Read Full Story
Coincidentally, to pair with our cod and julienne vegetables, Joe chose a Muscadet from Chateau La Tarciere, that has on the label, and in raised letters on the bottle “Sur Lie.” If you haven’t studied wine making you probably have no idea what the aroma of “lees” or sur lie means. I know before Joe began his studies with ISG, neither of us knew either. Read Full Story
Once upon a time, I worked in retail sales. Actually I was working three jobs because I was single, I had no other responsibilities and couldn’t support my lifestyle (and wardrobe) on my measly salary as a PR person, just a couple years out of college. So one of my “moonlighting” jobs, was at a huge upscale department store. We all worked on commission, so if someone brought in a “return” without a receipt, it came off our take. So most people hid from returns.
... Read Full Story
This morning, even before I opened my eyes, I had a line from a song I listened to yesterday running through my head. The line was “If wishes were horses, I’d have a ranch” and it was off of Lucinda Williams’ “Little Honey” album. The song is about how she wishes she had not hurt someone and desperately wants another chance, however all I could remember was that one line. Laying in bed I went from being annoyed at the earbug, to contemplating the beauty of ... Read Full Story
We might sometimes appear to be pimping for Twisted Oak wines, but we’re not. We are, in fact, members of The Twisted Few, and receive regular shipments (that we pay for) from the winery.
We also buy cases from time to time so we can pass on the Twisted goodness to our friends. And we implore local establishments to serve Twisted Oak wines so we don’t have to drink it home alone. Read Full Story
Father’s Day was always a favorite holiday because my Dad appeared to be thrilled with any gift he received. “Fancy!” he’d say.
And he saved everything. I mean everything. Called them his “treasures.” He’d keep them in boxes, in dressers, in desks. One entire room in the house was devoted to his “treasures.”
One year I got him a solid milk chocolate bar in the shape of D-A-D. And he didn’t eat it. Not that my father didn’t l... Read Full Story
Morgan had just run over from the winery. He had no wine bottles from which to pour, but big jugs resembling beer growlers. He was sweaty and sunburned, with purple stains under his fingernails and all over his hands. He had “proofs” of his wine labels he’d just pulled from an overnight envelope — they hadn’t even been printed yet. And I really had no idea who he was, so I was a bit suspect. Read Full Story
“For the bitterest pill is hard to swallow
The love I gave hangs in sad coloured, mocking shadows
The bitterest pill is mine to take
If I took it for a hundred years, I couldn’t feel any more ill”
-The Jam The Bitterest Pill Read Full Story
We originally posted this review in February, but were happy to learn that Wine Spectator has given the 2006 Anaba Coriol Red Blend a rating of 90 points!
Firm and concentrated, with a mix of spicy cola, herb, dark berry fruit, tobacco and bay leaf. Well-focused and full-bodied, gaining complexity. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise and Petite Sirah. Drink now through 2014. 243 cases made. –JL, Wine Spectator
And check back for our upcoming review of Anaba’s 2007 Sonoma Coast Char... Read Full Story
