Wine Club Insider backatcha!

We’re in the turbulent “April showers” period, alternating between 65 and sunny, and 35 and snowy, but generally getting warmer… the golf courses are all open now, even if they’re still passing out hand warmers at the first tee.

This past weekend, we split our time between Seattle and Coeur d’ Alene, where we donated a wine dinner for 8 to the local Chamber of Commerce “Aw$um Auction,” their major fundraiser of the year.

We participate in several charity events each year, and I’ve got to say that they are some of the most enjoyable things we do.

There are so many worthy causes and charities, and this is a great way to be a part of the community and to help people. Just as important, you get to meet some great people, many with similar interests, and the networking that happens can be fantastic!

Even beyond the people who win our dinners, they always bring friends who have friends, and so the circle grows.

We also try to attend as many of the functions ourselves as we can, because, hey, they’re plain fun! The best events may have as many as 100 wineries pouring several hundred different wines, so you’ve got to plan your tastings accordingly… learning to taste and spit is essential if you don’t want to end up under a table somewhere (not that I know ANYONE who would have done that…)

I’m not sure how many different wines I have bought or ordered at these things, but it’s in the hundreds of bottles… I admit that I can get caught up in the moment, but, hey, it’s all for a good cause, and the wineries often go all out… I’ve also joined a few wine clubs based on the wines I’ve tasted.

Many of the large format bottles I have collected (most autographed) I have won at various live and silent auctions during charity events, and because of that, they have a certain special significance that you can’t buy at the store.

So, go ahead and check out your local charity and wine event scene… you’ll end up hooked on helping good causes, as well as on having a great time, and you’ll probably end up with some free wine glasses!

Cheers,

WIne Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back, yet again!

I hope you all had a great weekend… I was out camping, but somehow :managed” to stow a bottle of Rombauer Zin and a bottle of Katherin Hills Cab in the pack for the trip… oh, the sacrifices I make for the team!

There’s something about drinking a nice wine along the bank of the river by a campfire that just increases the enjoyment, somehow.

I was doing a little wine buying from one of my favorite establishments, Dean and Deluca – www.deandeluca.com – and while chatting with their wine consultant, she mentioned that I should check out their new wine clubs… intrigued, I hopped on line, and lo and behold, not only do they have wine clubs, they have FIVE wine clubs. Now, so what, you’re probably thinking, but in the spirit of all things D & D, they haven’t gone the “normal” route…

The main thing that makes them different is that four of the clubs each have their own full-time wine steward (one of them does two), and they custom design the programs to your needs. Okay, but that’s not THAT cool, you say…

Ahhh, it gets better! Yes, they have the “regular” “Great Introductions” club at $60/month, and an “Artisan” club at $100 for those little known gems, oh, and the “Great Comparisons” club that looks at regional wines from around the world at $150… wait, you say… STILL not that impressed? Seen it before, you say?

Possibly, though not done this well, I would suggest, but from here they go into pretty uncharted territory.

Their 4th club is called the “Cult” club, and with the resources that only a shop like D&D could manage, they offer, for $1000/quarter, at least three of the world’s rarest wines, and I’m talking BIG names… they asked me not to mention them by name, as the makeup changes, but trust me, these are Big Names!

The 5th club is the “Cellar Rarities,” which takes it a step further… for the 50 lucky members, and only $300/month, they offer you the rarest of the rare, and again, though I’m only speaking, um, hypothetically, think Maya, Harlan, etc…

One of the advantages D&D has is their buying power and their reputation, and now, they have provided a chance for some of us to share it with them through their great wine clubs. Check them out!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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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…

I’m a day late for my regular Monday post, but this time, it’s truly not my fault!

For those of you who follow weather at all, you may have noticed the famous words “winter storm warning” flashing across much of the PNW this past weekend?

Yeah. I was in Pocatello Idaho for business, and on the drive home Monday night, we were hammered! And I mean seriously! The interstate was closed as two semis were blown off the road… one of our convoy of cars was blown into a concrete divider, and when we realized we couldn’t see the hood ornaments on our rigs because of the white out conditions, we were forced to stop and spend the night (and a fair degree of yesterday) somewhere in south west Montana, that needless to say, lacked a few of life’s essentials, such as wifi, or even cell service. It was like being in a black hole, but they did have wine, so we survived somehow.

That said, I wanted to share one of life’s great joys: taking previously tee-totaling, “on-a-high-horse” non-participators, and turning them in to high quality winos like the rest of us! (that’s wine appreciators, by the way).

Yup, my brother in law, a bit of a picky eater/drinker, I must say, has been swayed over to the dark side (as in RED wine) and is now avidly participating, to the point where he gifted me with a bottle of wine yesterday. No big deal? Maybe, but this was a bottle he tried at a restaurant, and liked it so much he purchased an extra bottle to bring home!

And this wasn’t some phoofy plonk, either… it was actually a 2004 Carmen Reserve Petite Syrah (!) from the Valle del Maipo in Chile! This baby is a monster! Dark, ruby color, tons of berry, this is a big, bad boy. The thing that’s cool is how many of us, while out for diner with friends, would order a Petite Syrah(!) from Chile for the table, untasted? Next thing you know, he’ll be in a few good wine clubs, as well!

Yup… score another one for the “good” guys!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

Fine Wine, International Wine, Red Wine, Wine Club, Wine Education, Wine Reviews, Wine Tasting Chilean wine, Maipo Valley, new wine lovers, Petite Syrah

Wine Club Insider back with you.

There is spring in the air (finally?) here in the Pacific northwest, and it’s a sunny day. Even if the temp is still around 30, it just has that feel of spring. To top it off, my bi-annual shipment from Isenhower Cellars is supposed to arrive today, with a great selection, including a Horse Heaven Hills Syrah, a Petite Verdot, and one of my favorites, the Bachelor’s Button Cabernet! www.isenhowercellars.com.

I love Isenhower’s wine, and their “FOI” (Friends of Isenhower) wine club let’s me keep current with their top wines, as well as a unique wine made only for wine club members.

I’m also expecting my Pepperbridge Reserve Cab shipment soon as well… one of my favorite wines of the year… ahh… I love spring!

There are also quite a few wine and charity events over the next few weeks, and multiple tastings, as people get out from the winter doldrums, and we are involved in several, donating wine and dinner parties to worthy causes, including the Chamber of Commerce ‘Commodores,” a women and children’s center, and a cancer charity. There are very likely several of these types of events in your area as well, and I encourage you to get out and support them.

It is a great opportunity to try new wines from (often) dozens of wineries, try some neat foot or hors d’ oeuvres, get back in touch with other like-minded folks in your area, and to support some great causes… the coolest thing is that most of these events are very reasonably priced, with tickets in the $15 – 25 range, which, for what you get, is a steal! Seriously! This is less than a movie and popcorn, offers a great evening out, and hey, you might even get a souvenir wine glass out of the deal!

Back atcha soon!

Cheers,

WIne Club Insider out

As I was puttering around my wine cellar

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Wine Club Insider back again…

Maybe spring is finally on it’s way, though the only real clue is that it’s raining a ton, instead of snowing…

One of the neat things about this time of year is that the “young” wine – the fresh whites and fruity wines from the ’08 vintage are starting to come out, and of course, you can always buy the futures in the Grand Crus for the next few years…

Another cool trend we’re starting to see is an – admittedly slight – shift toward being a greener industry…

For example, Boisset, the second-largest producer of Beaujolais Nouveau, bottled its entire 2008 harvest in plastic bottles.

The lightweight PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles drastically cut shipping costs without affecting the young Gamay wine inside and created packaging that was “absolutely recyclable,” according to a company spokesman.

Now, there are certainly other (myself included) that don’t think the wine industry has developed more than a green tint yet, despite the rise in the number of biodynamic and organic wineries internationally.

PET bottles are only at the very leading edge, but there are huge hurdles still left to climb, including the wineries shipping their wines in wooden crates. The number of wooden crates that are opened at warehouses and stores is incredible. Some of them weigh nine pounds, just for the case!. If they were serious about the green trend, the wineries would forget the wood and ship in recycled corrugated cardboard.

This isn’t even touching the entire cork issue, which is going to come to a head soon as supply and disease (not to mention the improving effectiveness of synthetic cork and screw caps, which are making huge inroads, even in higher end Australian wines).

I’m optimistic that our indusrty will start developing a cure to the serious case of “traditionitis” they are suffering from (mind you, it is brought on by us, the consumers!) and get on the environmentally friendlier bandwagon…

Yes, we may have to get used to our favorite vino coming in a plastic bottle (I can deal with that easily) and using a screw cap (a tougher sell for many, despite the inevitable “corking” that is going to occur in your bottles), and know that we are doing our part… a great excuse to drink more wine, if you ask me!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you…

I seem to be about 12 hours later than usual today, and I apologize… we have a large event coming up and I was in (unscheduled) meetings all morning, but here we are, so let’s call it Australia time, and we’ll be all square!

Earlier this week, I was thinking of the various wine clubs I either belong to or have belonged to, and began pondering what kinds of people join wine clubs, so I did some asking around, and the results may surprise you.

My first thought was that your regular wine schnobs like me would be the main culprits, and, to be sure, we make up a fair share of the members, but there’s an entire other segment of “wineclubers…”

Wine has kind of evolved into the drink of the hoi poloi, but if you do some research into the history of wine, you find that it was the drink of the people… the real people. It was the beverage that was drank at every meal, that was the water of life at weddings, at communions, at lunch with your falafel… this new “ooohh, wine is fancy” thing is, to a degree, understandable, but also has taken one of God’s greatest gifts out of the reach out of many, whether in price, or just in aura.

Some of our best friends are what you might call “redneck,” having come to the light from our a beer drinking background. “Pete” didn’t now squat about wine, but could speak eloquently about any of fifty kinds of beer. Now, they belong to three wine clubs (including one we gifted to them) and “Pete” enjoys a great red, and a nice glass (or bottle!) of port as much as anyone I know.

Another set of friends, “Keith” and “Sarah,” came from even further from Napa, so to speak, and after a couple of dinner parties, they enjoy a nice Gewurtz, and a spicy Pinot with diner now.

There are truck drivers I know that are on Pepperbridge’s list, a gas station owner who gets his allotment of Harlan, a meat salesman who is a ten year member of Leonetti, and a flower shop owner who is a long time customer of Araujo…

Yup. Turns out your job doesn’t have anything to do with whether you love wine. Turns out that drinking it out back by a fire pit is sometimes just as good as sitting in a chateau, and, if your real friends are with you, it can be even better.

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you!

Sorry for the delay today… with the recent “chilly” spell (0 degrees this morning) we had a dish issue, and I have no internet for the morning.

We had spring last week, apparently, skipped summer and fall, and are back to winter, but at least it’s sunny! 

I want to share a little about one of my wife and my favorite wineries today. Maryhill Winery, located a little more than an hour east of Portland along the Columbia Gorge.

www.maryhillwinery.com will take you to their website.

They make some terrific wines, including 5 dry whites, 5 sweeter whites, and over a dozen reds. They have received numerous awards, including the prestigious Governor’s Award of Excellence for their 2004 Cab.

Their Cab Franc, Merlot and Malbec are also excellent, as is their Rose of Sangiovese, a rare creation that I have used several times as a great aperitif for dinners.

One of my favorites of their wines is called Serendipity, a blend of all five of the “Big Five” Bordeaux blends, highlited by 58% Cab Sauv. It’s a knock out! I have several vintages, of which the 2005 really stands out for me, despite its youth… it’s going to be a great wine for years to come.

They also have a terrific little wine club with some different options, and they guarantee several reserve bottles a year. Info is available at wineclub@maryhillwinery.com

All wine aside, Maryhill really sets itself apart for their music and entertainment.

The winery itself is beautiful, perched on the cliff over the Columbia, but as you drive up, you can’t miss the amphitheater.

Now, they might not be the only winery with live music, but I’ve never heard or seen a winery with THIS kind of music!

Some of the acts they have for their “regular” music Saturdays include Willy Nelson, ZZ Top, BB King, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Michael McDonald… the list continues!

They have special “Members Only” events for their wine club members, as well as various release weekends (Spring Release is this weekend, BTW!) and dinners… this is truly an entertaining winery!

Check out Maryhill… you’ll be impressed!

Cheers,

Wine CLub Insider out!

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Wine Club Insider back with you.

You’ve got to “love” the Inland Northwest Weather…

Yesterday, we had beautiful sunshine, 48 degrees, and Spring looked like it had sprung. Today, it is 26, the snow is literally blowing horizontally, and there are new drifts across our driveway. Perfect. If you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes…

In a recent trip to California, I was struck by how much large parts of the Golden State resemble Spain. Actually – gasp – more than it resembles Bordeaux. (I know, I know… heresy)

But seriously, they’re both dry, hot, and somewhat windy, and that’s where Tempranillo rules!

I’ve had a couple of good ones lately, and I’ve got to say that off the cuff, the big ”T” produces balanced, complex wines that are, dare I say, an all around better value than many other, more famous varieties.

Hold on, hold on… before you send me mean comments, give a couple of these a try and see for yourself.

Remember that even though it’s not one of the Big 3 here (yet!) Rioja is a pretty respectable name in wine, world wide… Now, I’m not saying that California Tempranillo is to the level of Spain’s greatest wines (yet…), and some, to be frank, are trying too hard to become instant “classics.”

Here are a couple I recently tried and really enjoyed. Again, I’m not saying these are equivalent to their Spanish cousins – they’re actually quite different, but they both harken to the mystery of an under-appreciated (at least here!) grape that is going nowhere but up!

These choices were recommended by SNOOTH, and I have to say I agree. (BTW, Greg Del Piaz at SNOOTH does a great job… check him out at http://www.snooth.com/talk/. He’s great at answering questions as well. If you get a chance to try some Temp from your wine club, get it right away, and get ready to order more!

2004 Truchard Carneros Napa Valley – Big, deep, plush, really. This is one you can cellar for a few years. Very well balanced.

2006 Garsa Calaveros County – Lighter, fruity, almost like a Beaujolais in depth, I thought.

Okay, here are a couple of Spanish versions as well…

2000 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia – A real Rioja in the grand style! I have a bottle of their 94 which I’m dying to open!

2006 Dehesa Gago Toro – More rustic, but almost jammy it was so rich.

Until next time,

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out

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Wine Club Insider back with you.

My dearest friend came to town over the weekend, and though we got together primarily for training for our upcoming race, we never fail to enjoy a glass of vino. Our selection of choice this trip was actually a thank you gift I had received from some friends called “Three Blind Moose,” and I must admit I was a bit nervous before trying it.

I also now freely admit that it wasn’t too bad at all! www.threeblindmoose.com is the home of the Moose family of wines, and it’s a pretty cool site, complete with shirts, hats, gear, and a selection of tasty, inexpensive wines. Our Cab goes for $8.99 per bottle, and was easily twice that good.

Besides the Moose, the other event that is happening soon is the local Oenological (or Enological) society fundraiser banquet/dinner.

Enological Societies are groups of folks who get together to share and learn more about wine.

Yup. Our kind of people!

http://spokaneenologicalsociety.org/ is the home of the Spokane version, and there is also a North Idaho version, a Seattle version, a Portland version, a Des Moines Iowa version… get the picture?

There are hundreds (thousands?) of these groups across the country holding social events, tastings, dinners etc, all with great newsletters, opportunities to taste new wines, meet new friends and do some good for your community as many have charitable arms as well.

Here is a blurb from the Spokane Chapter March newsletter:

“For the March tasting we are going to be sampling a total of SEVEN (7) red and white wines from around the world, and all of them except one will be under $15 retail. In addition, all of the wines have been sourced through one local wholesaler, the newly expanded Odom Corporation, which distributes wines throughout the northwest and Alaska. Specially invited guest representatives John Sportelli from Seattle, and Katie Hutchinson from Spokane, will present the wines.

 The special distinction about these wines is how they illustrate what value there can be in wines that are not “Glamour-Priced.” This is not something new to Enological Society members, however it is always fun to find new and interesting wines from here in the USA and around the globe that satisfy the palate as well as the purse. One surprise, and truly “glamour” red wine that retails at more than $70 will cap the evening, a wine that has been brought into Spokane specifically for this tasting. Happy Tasting!!”

So, sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

I would highly recommend checking out the local chapter of your enological society and getting plugged in to a bunch of neat people who love wine as much (or maybe even more!) than you do!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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