Since we're people first, wine drinkers second, responding to disasters as in Haiti and Chile with humanitarian help is job one. As a California native, I've first hand experience of what it's like when the ground rocks and rolls, so when I hear about shakers hitting 7.0 and 8.8 on the Richter scale, Haiti and Chile respectfully, the hair on the back of my neck jumps up! Living 10 miles from the 6.4 Northridge Quake epicenter, let me tell you ... you don't want to experience any thing greater. So how do you help? Money always good. The Red Cross and such staunchly legit groups are the place for cash. For Haiti and beyond, I like a group called Soles4Souls that collects good shoes for folks in need across the world. (Who doesn't have at least one pair of sport shoes you never wear?)

Chile has a much stronger government infrastructure and was considerably more prepared, so even with a monster 8.8 earthquake, they are doing, well... better than Haiti and international help appears to be on board. The Chilean wine industry was hit hard, losing hundreds of thousands of liters in broken tanks, etc. Fortunately it seems that overall wine losses are under 15% of their yearly output and although that's enough for a nasty smack down, it does open a wonderful way for us to help.

Let's give their wine biz and national economy a nice jolt of U.S. marketing power, ... GO OUT AND BUY SOME CHILEAN WINE TONIGHT!

Its not hard to find good Chilean wine even at your supermarket and certainly your favorite wine seller can make numerous suggestions. So grab those Nikes you never wear, locate a drop off near you by checking the Soles4Souls website, and head for the wine store.

A little exercise, wine buying and helping the world in one little trip out? Sweet.

LOS VASCOS 2007 RESERVE CABERNET $12.99 (from Chile!)

Hard to believe it has been almost 20 years since the Domaines Barons de Rothschild group took the bull by the horns and completely renovated this Colchagua Valley estate in Chile. Fine wine takes time to build from scratch, and two decades in we are seeing some impressive results. ‘Pauillac in Chile’ is not too crazy a concept, especially with the gang at Lafite helping to make the wine. Elegant, refined, there are bigger Cabs from Chile right now (think Marques de Casa Concha) but you’ll find none more polished and classy than this little number from Los Vascos. Buy Now from Winex.com

Support Chile's economy, Drink wine. That's my kind of politics!

Dang! Some days are tough, but here's a surefire way to take the edge off evil reality and treat yourself right.

Three Wines... All $10 or less and they are really good.

Apothic Red - $9. Okay, here's the deal, the folks that make this are GALLO, BUT you don't have to tell your snobby friends. Parker called it, ”one of the greatest bargains I have ever tasted from California. ... it is a blend of 45% Syrah, 44% Zinfandel, 9% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from primarily Lodi as well as Sonoma, the Central Coast, and Napa. A hedonist’s dream, this fruit-bomb exhibits loads of berry fruit, pepper, and spice, silky tannins, and an attractive mouth feel.”

Rocinante 2006 Syrah - $9. This beauty first came in the door at $35 a bottle. Bad timing. Lots and lots of $35 bottles coming out of Northern California. Hard to sell with all that competition, so they did the next best thing, lowered the price so we all could enjoy it. Probably work out to be best marketing move yet. Get known, then charge $35.


Aguijon de Abeja 2008 - $9. What? Pardon me? What's that? WELL, it's really good. It's Malbec. Plump and easy to drink, pretty friendly for its youth... A sensational value. The name? It means Bee Sting in Spanish. Must be a local thing as there's no pain in this engaging red.

Now, let's go get some cheese!

THE REBEL 2007

CABERNET SAUVIGNON $14.99

Feeling a little rebellious? Hop on the back of this bad motor scooter and get some Wahluke Slope Cabernet religion. The latest installment of Darryn O'Shea and Travis Scarborough's value Cab from eastern Washington is a knockout. We love the wine making touches here with this young duo's creamy, supple wine making polish tightly wrapping itself around the cool climate Cab flavors in this remarkable 'little' wine. It over delivers for sure, providing a big blast of cassis, black cherry and varietal leafy notes along with more than enough size, and sweet, plentiful tannins that make you think you're drinking something a bit pricier...Nicely done!

"Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress! WHAT?! That's me kilt you maroon! Big flavor, little price. Buy now from Winex.com

You look in the mirror and you've four ears and an eye on the end of your tongue, then you wake up. Deep breath, it was just a dream. What brought that on? Then I remembered I'd read an article about ORGANIC FARMING, and somewhere in there was a "joke" about what affect some pesticides and chemical fertilizers might have on the body. The eyeball on the tongue was actually pretty cool, but not the sort of thing you'd want to share on a first date.

It was however plenty a good enough reason for me to consider including more organically grown foods and WINE in my diet, particularly since wine is a rather large part of my diet. The move to "organic" wine making is on a increasingly fast track as people and winemakers realize that letting nature take it's course will benefit both the body and the nature of wine. But it's not new to a small number of family-run wineries that have been practicing organic methods for a long time. Ed and Deborah Wallo, owners and winemakers at YORKVILLE CELLARS in Mendocino County, California, have been a certified organic winery since 1986.

If you've never traveled past the Sonoma/Napa areas, you owe yourself a couple more days on that get-a-way to make it to the Mendocino area. Cruising up 101, past Healdsburg, you'll come to State Highway 128, hang a left, and soon you'll see the vineyards of Yorkville Cellars, home to a little slice of Bordeaux. They specialize in growing and producing wines from eight of the main varietals of that famous French region, including Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Did I mention the free tasting? That alone is a rare winery treat, but not the only feature you'll enjoy. Family wineries are always my favorite as you meet the folks whose craft and passion are in the wines produced.

If getting up to Northern California is on the list but not happening quick enough, check your local wine dealer or visit the Yorkville Cellars website to order and try their award winning wines. Reasonably priced under $30.

TABLAS CREEK 2006 ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL (WS TOP 100 2009)

Landing smack-dab in the middle of Wine Spectator's TOP 100 is not a bad spot. (Any where in the 100 is not a bad spot.)

The Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Beaucastel 2006 is a blend of four estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate. The wine is based on the dark red fruit, earth, spice and mid-palate richness of Mourvedre, with additions of Grenache for forward fruit, approachability and lushness, Syrah for mineral, aromatics, and back-palate tannins, and Counoise for brambly spice and acidity.�

The 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel is delicious and unusually approachable right now, with a complex nose of red plum, ripe cherry, fresh figs and candied orange peel, a velvety, layered palate with spicy plum and cherry fruit, pepper and nutmeg spices, and excellent breadth. The finish shows more mineral, plum, and spice, and a little gentle oak from the foudre aging. It is delicious now, if very young, and should evolve elegantly in bottle for 10-15 years or longer.

And we agree. It garnered a WS 93, and made #50 on the list and it's $34.99. The numbers are right. Enjoy now. Buy now from Winex.com

German researchers claim to have just found that drinking wine in either blue or red ambient light tricks your brain into thinking the wine is of a higher quality and more expensive.

The researchers gave their subjects a bottle of Reisling, and asked them to drink it in rooms with different lighting. It was perceived to be one and a half times sweeter in a room with red light, than in a room with green or white light. And its fruitiness was more highly rated in red light. Drinkers in a red or blue lit room also said they would pay more for the drink. But connoisseurs are warned to be wary of unscrupulous bar owners who try to pass off cheap plonk in trendy lit bars.

Dr Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel, of Mainz University, said, 'We already know that the colour of a drink can influence the way we taste it. We wanted to see whether background lighting made a difference as well.' He believes it is all to do with how colours influence mood. (MarieClaire.co.uk)

I have a picture in my head of Dr. Twistel, sitting in his laboratory drinking wine with his head wrapped with strands of red Christmas lights. Scientists get paid to do this research? Where do I apply?

In research, which will be published in the British Journal of Nutrition this week, a team led by Dr Jeremy Spencer of Reading University, found that champagne has the same health benefits as previously found in red wine.

It contains polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the effects of cell-damaging free radicals in the body. In particular, these antioxidants slow down the removal of nitric oxide from the blood, lowering blood pressure and therefore reducing the risk of heart problems and strokes.

Dr Spencer told a Sunday newspaper: "We have found that a couple of glasses a day has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels – which suggests champagne has the potential to reduce strokes and heart disease. "It is very exciting news." And the benefits are not limited to alcoholic drinks. Dr Spencer has also found high levels of the antioxidant in cocoa beans meaning a mug of hot cocoa before bedtime is just as good, but, as he points out, "it doesn't seem as much fun somehow". Cheaper champagne alternatives such as cava and Prosecco have also been found to contain the antioxidants.

The research was undertaken following a question mark over polyphenol levels in champagne. The antioxidant was known to be present in red wine and absent from white wine, but as champagne contains both red and white grapes there was uncertainty over polyphenol levels. Champagne is made from a mixture of two black grape varieties, pinot noir and pinot meunier, and one white grape variety, chardonnay. reported by Amy Willis - Telegraph.uk.com

This may be my healthiest New Years yet.

We get stuff. People send us things they're selling and hope we help them out with a little exposure. Not everything is worth talking about. (Like the guy selling a small bag of Napa dirt. Looked suspiciously like the dirt in my backyard.) However one recent arrival I think has merit.

If you've got a wine shelf, wine closet or full blown cellar, and use the little white dangle labels, here's a step up. Somehow I inadvertently knock those little suckers off the adjacent bottles every time I pull a bottle out. They never sit quite right and just are a pain in the tush. The answer? Velcro baby.

These "badges" have a little Velcro dot on the back, stick it's counterpart on the top of the bottle. Comes with the disc cards for all pertinent info, plus a thingies for bottle bottoms if you've got a couple of a neck-in-first selections. Makes my Holiday Gifts for Wine Lovers List. $21.95 from WineBadge.com

Nice counter to your cinematic friends,� "I don't have to show you any stinking badges."

When resting the video camera during our Bordeaux Harvest Trip 2009
for the Wine Geeks in Paradise TV pilot, I'd pull my little digital camera
out and catch what was going on.
Some where in the middle of our ten day trip, we caught the last day of harvest at one of the vineyards for Chateau Magrez Fombrauge.

From the Wine Advocate: "From a 6-acre parcel of the Fombrauge vineyard, this blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc is another 2008 that came in with higher natural alcohol (14%) than in 2005. Yields were 15-20 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine ranks alongside the brilliance of the 2000 and 2005. An inky/purple color is followed by aromas of graphite, blackberry liqueur, blueberries, crushed rocks, and floral undertones. It offers sensational fruit, beautiful purity, a massive texture, remarkable delineation, but an elegant style because of the fresh acids. Unfortunately, there are fewer than 400 cases of this superb wine. It should evolve for 20 years"

This vineyard was several miles from the actual winery, just to the south of St. Emilion. Crews from the Bordeaux area were made up of young men and women who might have been students or winery workers. (Apparently the low hanging pant/show the underwear fad has reached Europe. Nice boxers.)

Interestingly, the further from a major metropolitan area such as Bordeaux, you see a difference in the work force. Out in the Medoc, it was a much more interesting mix of locals and itinerant folks that follow the work.




It was warm, high 70's and humid. The fruit was hanging heavy and ready to pick.

Really delicious when picked and pop into your mouth straight from the vine. If memory serves, these are Merlot grapes.




From the vineyard, next stop the sorting tent. At the far end a worker puts grapes into the right and left channel, and as they move along and the leafs and stems are separated and tossed into the middle, leaving the berries free from any thing but berry.




The overall atmosphere was just short of serious. Small chatter, but an attention to the task foremost. A crew boss continually walked the line over seeing activities.



When the boxes were about half filled of just grapes, they were pulled and set on the back of a refrigerated truck just feet from the sorting tent.








The grapes then were mixed with pebble-sized pieces of dry ice and poured into barrels which had a stain-less steel ring opening which they sealed as the barrel was full.





This direct-to-barrel for initial maceration is being practiced in numerous situations we visited across Bordeaux and the Medoc for small single vineyard wines.



This day will be part of one of the shows be created for Wine Geeks in Paradise with Kyle Meyer and Tristen Beamon, wine experts from the Wine Exchange, Orange County, California.

Had an long time friend over and decided it was time to treat ourselves. 2006 Saxum, James Berry Vineyard. Paso Robles, CA (45% Syrah, 38% Grenache, 17% Mourvedre) From behind closed eyes in your own private Wine Nirvana,
imagine a slow stream of velvet fruit that just keeps getting more interesting and delicious. Decanted 2 hours and in the glass over an hours time, it continued to develop new fruit characters. Incredibly balanced to where the 16.6% alcohol simply carried it with no trace of over exertion. Truly delightful. Gone too soon. Tempted to open the one other bottle I had, but better to have a little patience. The reward will be worth it. Thanks Justin.

My head popped up at that call out. "Yeah? Whatta you got?" Well, this one's sort of cool, pun included. It's a $35 "Stick it in the fridge until you need to pour something cooler than it's landed in your kitchen or where ever."

More or less, it's a pour device with coils hidden inside some kind of material that one assumes holds "coldness" and withdraws heat when the wine is poured through it.

Hmmm...let's see. Who could use this thing? Oh, got it. You're single, it's late and the flight attendant down the hall shows up with a room temp bottle of her/his favorite chardonnay. You've got an early meeting so no time to make small talk waiting for the bottle to cool in the ice bucket, just whip this little gadget out of the freezer and you're on the way. Brilliant!

For the rest of us, I say spend that $35 bucks on a great bottle of your favorite white, have it in the fridge already and when the fantasy of the flight attendant pops into your head ... just pull cork and pour. (Who needs that flight attendant hanging around all the time anyway?)

The Ravi Wine Cooler is available from our Amazon store, just search "Ravi"

Uh... does this flight attendant have a roommate?

ROCINANTE 2006 SYRAH Palindrome Vineyard

$8.99

It is almost fitting that we end this particular year with a wine like this one. In a year that has generated some really eye-popping deals for consumers, you can call this “holiday gift” maybe one of the best. It all starts with the wine, a delicious example of what California Syrah can, and maybe should be. We’re talking single vineyard Sonoma County limited production stuff (756 cases), balanced, ripe (14.5% alcohol) but not overdone, with California fleshiness and an Old World sensibility with its nicely meshed acidity and notes of smoke and pepper. Apparently winemaker John Vowell spent some time working with Philippe Melka, and this effort shows obvious winemaking chops. It was an impressive drink even at its original $35 tab, which, we suspect, is where the problem started. There are a lot of small production, relatively unknown $30-50+ Syrahs of varying quality in the marketplace with little to distinguish them from one another. Into that mix you throw another unknown, albeit exceedingly well made, pure Syrah with a difficult-to-remember name (it’s a Don Quixote reference), hefty price tag and nothing to get it noticed in the way of reviews (mid-80’s scores on prior vintages). The outcome was predictable. The marketing company that owned both the 2005 and 2006 (clearly Rocinante’s best effort by a fair margin) hadn’t been able to sell the wines (wonder why?) and decided it was time to bail out. There are two ways to look at this. You could be the cold, ruthless capitalist and only see the deal as the wine cost a helluva lot more than $10 to make, let alone market. Or maybe you have a heart, take the stance of the compassionate consumer and see Rocinante as yet another ‘victim’ of a tough marketplace. While you’re debating which angle, you get a thoughtful example of what Syrah should be in California, a warm, full flavored, versatile red at a a reasonable price. It’s a spectacular buy to finish up the “year of the deal.”

Purchase Now from Winex.com $8.99

With prices like these on a really good Syrah, it will be Happy Holidays.

The answer, as usual, is situational. Let's say you've just met "Mr./Ms Perfect". Invite them over for dinner. You've gone whole hog on Prime filets and have a great bottle of red in the decanter. THEN... she/he says, "Oh, do you have any white wine?" Hide grimace and respond, "Of course." But actually you plowed down all the chilled white earlier in week during a bout of loneliness. What to do? Quickly grab the ice bucket, fill and bury the chablis to chill. Then have to wait. Tick, tick, tick. Time really goes slow when chilling wine this way. BUT WAIT! In the freezer are those frozen $50 "wine cooling spoons" your last girlfriend got you before you broke up. YES! The night is saved. In this scenario, the $50 may end up being well worth it. Depends on whether you have a breakfast companion next morning. (Skybar Wine Chill Drops $49.50. Set includes 2 Chill Drops and 2 stands packaged in an attractive gift box from Frontgate.)

However since I'm more a pragmatic wino, I think planning ahead is the answer. That $50 could buy a heck of nice bottle of white or red wine. And isn't there something just as practical laying around your kitchen or garage?

Here's my take on the idea. Just grab the ol' whisk, wash off the handle, stick in the freezer. When needed add a couple of ice cubes for affect and presto! Chilled wine and conversation starter. Either they'll think you're wacky or incredibly resourceful. But hey, you've got fifty bucks in your pocket, so who cares? Cheers!


Then she said, "...and you bake stuff?" Priceless.

SINEANN 2008
SCHINDLER PINOT NOIR $34.99

The 2008 Oregon Pinots are going to be a real treat for true lovers of the grape. Our early tastings show the wines to have this effortless red fruit that acts as the perfect conveyor of terroir for these very specific sites. Sineann's biodynamically farmed Schindler Vineyard offering is an early candidate for one of our favorites from this very pure vintage. Structured, Burgundian (oh no, the "B" word!), it's a wine that struts its complexity and deceptive power with ease. Not too heavy (tannins are plentiful but ripe and velvety), not too light (good color, punchy fruit), just...well...perfect... $34.99 and worth it. Available from Winex.

Cine Ann? Sini Ann? No.... it's Sh-na-ann or something like that. Where's Frodo when you need him?

The folks at the Wine Spectator are pumping out more "Stories to attract 50+ folks with" with more "Wine Conquers Death" coverage. Don't get me wrong. I support it 110%. It's just that I find their stony continence in light of such a obvious "marketing" strategy to be... well... laughable. And they don't get it. Hey WS, lighten up! You're preaching to the choir!

This weeks report from WS mentions some "scientific" words new to me anyway and these words are worth a ton in "influence leverage" points. Anthocyanidins? Quercetin? Bioavailability? Love them. Drop them into a story about epidemiological studies of cardiovascular pharmacology by some researcher with a cool geek/science-y name like Dipak Das from the Connecticut School of Medicine and you've got me believing. Whoa, I'm tired just reading all those multi-syllabic terms. (Hey, isn't that one too?)

Other stories in the side bar are "Resveratrol Shows Anti-Viral Abilities", "Does grape juice provide the same health benefits as red wine?", "Red Wine Gets Healthier, Theoretically" and "Recent Research Bolsters Red Wine Compounds Health-Potential. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Something just gives me the willies with all "selling" of this story. Cynic? Me? Heck no...I'm filling the tub with Two Buck and taking a good soak. (If you have an empty barrel, fill that, the oak couldn't hurt.)

(Wine) God Bless the Wine Spectator!