Wine Club Insider back again!

Have you ever got to the point, in late March-early April, where the snow is still coming down, blowing sideways, that you’re almost ready for spring? My wimpy, (smart?) warm-climate friends are playing golf, wearing shorts, sitting on the back deck while we’re still shoveling snow… hmmm… might have to consider this situation… anyone have a condo to rent in Phoenix?

Ah, well… it is what it is, so to make the best of it, I stopped in at one of my favorite local watering holes, “Bardenay,” which is a nautical term used by sailors to announce the arrival of cocktail hour – “Bardenay Time,” which means I like the place already!

Now, Bardenay – www.bardenay.com- which has three locations in Idaho, is a great place with a terrific menu (today they had red bean and chorizo stew and Mojito “small batch” ice cream on the specials list), and a really top notch wine list!

They have 30 wines by the glass, and another couple hundred in bottles, ranging from Uber-affordable, to Classy big names such as Gaja, Caymus, Krug etc. They also have a very nice port selection, with almost a dozen choices between Ports, Madieras and Sherrys.

However, I have to tell you that the reason I like it is they are the nation’s first distillery-restaurant, with the distillery right here on premises, so they make their own rum, gin and vodka, and it’s pretty tasty, I have to say!

My favorite cocktail of choice right now is the Mojito, and in the middle of winter, they aren’t always that easy to get, but Bardenay never disappoints, with fresh mint on hand, rum from right here, and just the right touch of sweetness…

They also hand squeeze all of their juices, and have a terrific atmosphere with a patio, fireplace, and happy, talented servers… ahhh, maybe summer isn’t so far away after all!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out!

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Wine Club Insider back with you!

Have you ever had one of those days when everything seems to go awry? Today was one of those for me; car trouble, work stuff not on sched, wife went out of town… the list goes on, but, as with most days, if you keep a positive attitude, something will happen to straighten it out and make it all worthwhile!

We were supposed to chat about Chardonnay today, but I’m going to take a small departure to share a great find!

While waiting five (5!) hours for my car to get fixed (started as “45 minutes… no probs”) I was invited by my dear friend Debbie of Idaho Wine Merchants to the grand re-opening of Pilgrims Market – www.pilgrimsmarket.com – which has expanded from their original 4000 sq ft to a beautiful 15,000 or so! They offer the best in organic, natural and healthy food, and are doing a wonderful job! They also have a top-notch wine department… and I mean top-notch!

Master Sommelier Sam Lange and his beautiful partner Sara have built up a terrific supply, and have regular tastings on Friday. With the big opening today, they invited one of the inland Northwest’s best “new” wineries to come and pour. New is only relative, since Mike and his partner Greg Lipsker – both attorneys (thus the name!) have been making wine since 2001.

Mike White of Barrister Winery – www.barristerwinery.com- brought a wonderful compliment of wines to share, and we were not disappointed! Now, to digress slightly, I was one of their first tasters after they opened, and even then, their wines – especially the Cab Franc – showed great promise. Well, promise delivered!

I tasted a Klipsum Vineyards Sauv Blanc that was crisp and refreshing, and the moved on to the reds, starting with the ’06 Dwelley vineyard Merlot (smooth, even for being so young) and then getting a chance to re-visit the Cab Franc – this time the ’06. What a wine! Elegant, powerful… everything you would hope for in a Cab Franc! The Syrah is blended with a hint of viognier, giving it a nice acidity. Their Cab is a Big Boy, let me tell you, coming from the famous Bacchus vineyard; rich, tannic, but not overbearing.

Finally, I got to sample the brand new “Rough Justice,” a Merlot, Cab Sauv, Syrah, Cab Franc blend that knocked my socks off! Smooth, jammy, but somehow rich… eminently drinkable, and promising to get better! (I bought 3… 2 survived the evening…:) )

I’ve mentioned Barrister once or twice before, but after this tasting, I must say that they have arrived as one of the best wineries in the northwest; lots of wines, most single vineyard, fairly priced, well-crafted, great fruit, caring vintners… turned my day right around, and I’m looking forward to doing a wine maker’s dinner with Mike and Greg so I can try some more Barrister wines!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out!

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Wine Club Insider back with you…

I’m sitting at one of my favorite restaurants, watching the BCS championship game (I wrote this last night! ) and sipping a great glass of Taylor Fladgate 2000 LBV port… VERY nice! Tons of fruit, lots of character… when Ruby is done right, it’s my favorite style of port!

Well, yesterday, I mentioned the Wine Rebel in my post, and I thought that to be fair, I had to share a bit more about the “wild man of wine!”

Craig Renaud, better known as the Wine Rebel – www.winerebel.net- on first glance, is truly not your typical wine guy… he’s funny, loud, has full sleeve tattoos, rides a Harley and espouses a whole new philosophy on rating and “judging” wine…

Craig has long been one of the top wine brokers in California, and has probably tasted as much if not more wine than most critics in our country. He’s widely recognized as one of the best in the California wine industry, and now has made huge inroads in the Columbia Valley/Walla Walla (Napa North?) area as well.

Now, this big, burly guy may initially come off as brash, but his mission – and his expertise – is two fold, and well supported: 1) Much wine (and MUCH French wine) is over priced, and sometimes underwhelming, and 2) that some critics have turned many wine drinkers into lemmings…

“Without a doubt, (Robert) Parker is the number one world renowned wine critic. This fact is readily acknowledged and accepted by the majority of those involved in the wine industry and also proclaimed by Parker himself. My concern and disappointment with Mr. Parker and his influence over the world’s wine industry is his ability to turn such a large number of wine drinkers into lemmings, blindly following his 100 point rating system…”says the Wine Rebel.

I would add that I’m not sure that I can tell the difference between a 96 and a 97 for example… (I’m sure I’ve never tasted “hints of underbrush and road tar” in my wine, but then I’ve never claimed that I have that “talented” a pallet…)

Wine Rebel is more of “Love it, like it, it’s okay, so so, yuck” kind of guy, and for me – and, I think, possibly many “average” drinkers – in many ways, it makes sense, especially for my everyday drinking.

Anyway, the Rebel has a great, funny, irreverent and educational manual out called “Great American Wine – The Wine Rebel’s Guide.” You can get it off the website, and it’s terrific to have, even if just for the history and education portion! Check it out!!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out!

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Wine Club Insider back for another year!

Welcome to 2009, and what better way to start than with a great new find!

4 Seasons WIne Club (www.4seasonswine.com) has a quality wine club, featuring a few unique features.

Every three months (once every season!), you will receive an entire case of wine, either all-white, all-red or mixed for only $129.95, which works out to less than $11/bottle.

A couple of the other cool features are that they allow you to skip a season or two, and pick back up when you’re ready. They also send you out a preview of next season’s shipment when you get your current one, which is not that common.

Another of the cool things is that if you join soon, either for yourself, or as a wine club gift, you’ll receive a very nice sommelier’s cork screw, complete with wooden display case. A $49 value, yours as a gift.

Perhaps the coolest part right now is that if you sign up now, you will get your entire first case for only $69.99, or $6/bottle!

Yup. An entire case for under $70! That’s hard to beat under any circumstances!

www.4seasonswine.comalso features a very good wine shop, where you can shop by varietal (kind of grape), type (red, white, sparkling, etc), country or price.

They have a terrific selection ranging in price from a few dollars to more than a hundred. In the Dessert section, for example, they have several different ages of port, great late harvests, Tokaji Aszu, one of the world’s greatest wines, and even some outstanding German Eiswein.

Under the “Reds” type, you’ll find choices ranging from an everyday drinking merlot, up to futres for the supposedly esquisite 2005 Mouton Rothschild at only $831/bottle… a steal! Now that’s a “Wine of the Month” selection you don’t see everyday!

Interested in a specific country? You can’t go wrong. In the USA section, for example, you can even buy a magnum of Araujo ‘Eisele’ vineyard Cab for a mere $484! Try to find one of those around town!

Again, check out 4 Seasons Wine club… I think you’ll be impressed!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out

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Hey, everyone! Wine Club Insider back with you.

Yesterday, we started talking about one of my favorite wines; Port. Now, some folks haven’t had the pleasure, or perhaps have been a bit afraid to give it a try, thinking that it is going to be too sweet/cloying/wierd.

I would like to tell you that despite what preconceptions you might have, port is a real wine. As a matter of fact, when Wine Spectator released their Top Ten Wines of the Decade for the Nineties, no less than three were ports, including numero uno (Smith Woodhouse). www.smithwoodhouse.com

Port, to further our discussion, can be one of the most well constructed, deep, and character filled wines made, and at 18 – 20% alcohol, lasts for years with a little care, even if opened! (check out www.winepreserve.com for their private preserve product). True vintage wines may actually have to be aged a decade or three before they reach their peak.

I have a couple of favorite port sites amongst the hundreds of choices. The first is www.portwine.com, which is a unique kind of club, as it really is a club! You sign up, and it’s basically a fraternity of port enthusiasts, who arrange tastings, trips, tours and education, without actually selling any wine directly. It is very informative, and offers lots of chances to interact with other port lovers.

www.thevintageportsite.com is another great educational site with information about everything port since 1900 basically, including tasting notes, winemakers notes and auction prices for every year since the turn of the LAST century!

www.intowine.com/portvin.html is another cool tool that actually features a chart that tells you about the character of the wines, as well as what to do with them… hold, drink, pour down the sink… almost a must have to enjoy the great ports that you’re going to add to your wine cellar!

Having a great port decanter and port glasses also makes the whole port drinking experience more enjoyable. You should also try a glass with a nice piece of Stilton, and even try some chocolate with a good tawny… try THAT with a Cab!

Until next time,

Wine Club Insider out.

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