In this episode, Jeff tries a Chilean blend of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot…
Wine Tasted:
Trader Joe's Reserve 2010 Colchagua Valley, Chile Red Blend by Vinedos Errazuriz Ovalle
Stay Rad,
Jeff
PS – Don’t forget to enter the First Ever Stay Rad Free Stuff Giveaway!
Here’s a little known fact:
I grew up on martinis.
Wait a second… That didn’t sound right. Let me explain.
Ever since I was a little kid, I always thought martinis were cool.
You see…
My dad loves martinis.
So does my uncle.
My grandma, so far as I know… hated them.
But…
For some reason, my grandma always had a fully stocked bar in her apartment.
Whenever we used to have family get-togethers at my grandma’s house (Thanksgiving, Passover, etc…), if my dad and uncle were both there, they would always make each other martinis.
Dry gin martinis with olives.
While my uncle and dad were having a great time with their cocktails, many of the other adults would be drinking beer or wine, and commenting on how disgusting martinis were… especially gin martinis.
I always thought that was cool.
It was cool how the martini was a drink that some people just didn’t understand.
It was, for lack of a better term, a man’s drink.
When I turned 21, and began to ordering drinks at bars, I very excited to order my first martini.
From my first sip, I fell in love.
The crisp herbaceousness of the gin.
The almost soapy mouthfeel of that hint of vermouth.
And those olives… I couldn’t get enough of them.
It became almost robotic for me in my twenties…
I would belly up to the bar, and order it the same every time.
“Gin martini, up, with mad olives!”
So…
I’ve got tomorrow off, and I figured that there was only one way to celebrate the beginning of a 3-day weekend…
A martini!
There’s only one problem…
There’s no gin in my house!
But where there’s a will, there’s a way.
The makings of something special...
So here’s how I do a vodka martini…
You're gonna need some ice.
Chillin' with some vermouth.
Heavy Handed
Put a lid on it!
Shake it 'til your hands freeze off... Or 'til it looks like this. Same difference.
Toss out the vermouth, and add mad olives to the glass.
Fill 'er up, and breakfast is served.
The vodka ain’t bad. The martini is still nice and crisp, but it’s lacking that herbaceous kick that only gin can bring.
Please drink these things slowly and responsibly.
Don’t be a jerk.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
So…
A little while back, I did a series of videos about the Wine Shield.
It’s a neat little closure system that allows you to keep your wine fresh without the use of a stopper. According to them, it can prevent wine oxidation for up to 5 days.
If you want to see how it works, check out this episode of Stay Rad Wine Blog TV…
If you want to see my results, check out this…
And this…
Anyways…
I like the Wine Shield.
I like it a lot.
I could talk about it all day, but really… The best way to learn about a product is to try it for yourself.
That’s where the First Ever Stay Rad Free Stuff Giveaway comes in to play…
The other day, the fine folks at Wine Shield contacted me to see if I wanted to give away some samples of their fine product to my fine readers.
I was all like, “Hell to the yeah, foo!”
A few days later, look what showed up on my doorstep…
136 Wine Shields. That's good for up to 680 days of freshness! That's like 16,320 hours, foo!
So here’s what we’re gonna do…
I’m gonna break this schwag up and send it to three of my readers.
One of you is gonna get a 12 pack.
Another is gonna get two 12 packs.
The Grand Prize winner is gonna get the Family Sized 100 pack of Wine Shields.
“But, Jeff… What do I have to do to enter the First Ever Stay Rad Free Stuff Giveaway?”
It’s quite simple. Just do one (or all) of the following things.
1. “Like” the Stay Rad Wine Blog Facebook page. You can do this from the homepage of StayRadWineBlog.com. Next, go to the Stay Rad Facebook page and leave a comment, telling me what your favorite post or episode on Stay Rad is. You can reach the Facebook page here.
2. Follow @JeffIsRad on Twitter. You can do this from the homepage of StayRadWineBlog.com. Tweet me @JeffIsRad, telling me what your favorite post or episode on Stay Rad is.
3. Leave a comment below this post, telling me what your favorite post or episode on Stay Rad is.
See?
I told you it was easy.
I will pick three winners and contact them after Saturday, April 7th, 2012.
Good luck y’all!
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Kara and I have lived in Morgan Hill for almost three years now. It’s a neat little city of thirty thousand folks that borders San Jose to the South along Highway 101. Having lived among the million or so people in San Jose for the better part of my adult life, at first it was a strange transition to the small town feel of Morgan Hill.
At times, I miss that big city life.
This is not one of those times.
This, my friends, is Santa Clara Valley Passport Weekend.
Two weekends (the last of March and the first of October) every year, 24 Wineries of the Santa Clara Valley open their cellar doors and some of their barrels to the public. For thirty bucks, you get a glass and a passport that allows you to taste wine from each of the participants. One passport is good for both the Fall and Spring weekends.
The Southern Santa Clara Valley (where most of these wineries are found) is a relatively warm climate compared to the rest of the Bay Area. As hot as it can get during the day, nighttime gets pretty cold in a hurry. In general, this is a place where Rhone varietals (like Syrah and Grenache) can flourish, but you will find pockets where Bordeaux and Burgundy grapes show very nicely.
As with any wine region, there are a few turds sprinkled in with some gems.
On Saturday, we hit up our fair share of each category.
Without further ado… the bad, the great, and the fantastic!
We got started tasting a bit early on Saturday. Though most tasting rooms opened at 10:00 am, many of the wineries weren’t going to bring out their passport specials until 11:00. Since we had some time to kill, I figured we’d head over to Morgan Hill Cellars.
Unless you like fruit wine (their specialty), you should not go there.
Morgan Hill Cellars 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
Sure, the Sauvignon Blanc was okay…
La Fenice 1997 Sangiovese
And their 1997 Sangiovese is both old and nasty…
But I am never a fan of wineries that don’t use oak on anything, and tell you it’s so they can have more control over the flavor of the wine. That is a line of B.S. The reality is that steel is cheaper than oak. If they cared about making a quality product, they would never say no to oak across the board. Never.
I really wish they put more effort into making good red wines, instead of mixing in blackberries or cherries with their Bordeaux grapes.
Now, this is my jam!
The Barn at Guglielmo
By the time we arrived at Guglielmo (Gool-yell-mo) Winery, the passport festivities were in full effect. These guys have been making wine in Morgan Hill since 1925… and it’s good.
A little Sangiovese
Along with some good wines, they gave each passport holder a bomb ass tri tip sandwich. Lucky for me, Kara doesn’t eat red meat… I got two.
The highlight of Guglielmo was tasting two vintages of their Syrah…
Guglielmo 2008 Private Reserve Syrah from the bottle.
Guglielmo 2009 Private Reserve Syrah from the barrel.
While driving through downtown Morgan Hill, we stopped by Rosy’s at the Beach where Mike Mann was pouring his wine.
The lineup
Although Mann Cellars does not have a tasting room, you will find their wine at most wine events in Santa Clara County. You can also buy their stuff at their website.
The entire lineup of wine was very nice, and relatively inexpensive ($10-$20). The highlights for me were the 2006 Merlot and the 2007 Malbec. All wines are estate grown and worth a try. Hit them up.
Heading South off of Watsonville Road in San Martin is the beautiful Clos La Chance Winery.
Here’s a fun fact: Kara and I got married at Clos La Chance in 2010.
The wine was beautiful too…
Clockwise from the top: My glass with a little bit of Clos La Chance 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay, My passport, My pen, and the Clos La Chance tasting list.
I was really happy with their 2008 Estate Grenache, but the highlight for me was their Mountain High, Mountain Low 2009 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir. As part of their cellar sale, this Pinot Noir is selling for $6 a bottle. The wine is available online right now! You know what to do.
Sycamore Creek Vineyards and Winery:
Sycamore Creek is at the beginning of Uvas Road just off of Watsonville Road in Morgan Hill. I’ve got to say that the first time I ever visited them (about 4 years ago), I was not that impressed. Now, however, I’ve got to say the winery is really putting out some quality Bordeaux varietals (including a great Petit Verdot). I was hella stoked on their 2008 Mosaico (Bordeaux style red blend).
Sycamore Creek 2008 Mosaico Red Wine
Stoked to the hella!
I bit further South off of Watsonville Road is Aver Family Vineyards. You know how I feel about this place (click here to be reminded).
This winery is everything that is right about the Santa Clara Valley. Big, bright, and balanced estate fruit. Though they do make some fantastic Cabernet Sauvignons, the focus of this family run vineyard is making amazing Rhones… like this one…
Aver Family (I forgot to check the vintage) Family Album Red Wine - Rhone Style Blend
Just accross the street from Aver is Jason-Stephens Winery. Kara and I are huge fans of this Gilroy spot that specializes in Bordeaux grapes.
A big ol' block of Cabernet Sauvignon outside of Jason-Stephens Winery.
They do also make a very legit Syrah…
Jason-Stephens 2007 Estate Syrah
And it looks like Kara and I aren’t alone in our fandom…
Folks getting stoked to the hella.
Near the corner of Watsonville Road and Hecker Pass in Gilroy is Sarah’s Vineyard. This is another place that you know I’ve been stoked on for a while (check it out).
I’m way into their reserved style of winemaking. Nothing is over the top. They just let the grapes speak for themselves. This Grenache is a great example of that…
Sarah's Vineyard 2009 Grenache
We finished up at Sarah’s Vineyard at 4:45 pm. Since the passport events end at 5:00, we decided to swing by one last winery before dinner.
Fortunately, Fortino is right next door…
Fortino 2010 Black Muscat Blush
Unfortunately, they make horrible wine. If you’d have read this post from a while back, you’d have already known this.
Fortunately, they did give us some pasta to make up for their crappy wine…
The payoff.
After a long day of tasting, spitting, and dumping… I needed a drink.
I needed something to take my mind off of how bad Fortino was, so we headed back to Huntington Station in Morgan Hill for dinner.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in a San Jose Sharks glass.
Boxcar Burger and Fries
Mmmmmmmm…
I almost forgot how much I hated Fortino.
All in all, I was very happy with this round of the passport weekend. I’m looking forward to trying more places come the fall.
I’ve got my passport.
How about you?
Stay Rad,
Jeff
I am not a picky eater.
Not a really picky eater, anyways.
I mean…
I do have a thing against runny eggs and cream soda (but I am facing my fear).
But…
On the real…
As far as food goes, I’ll try anything.
I’m especially a fan of spicy foods.
One Christmas morning, I woke up to find a jar of pickled habanero peppers in my stocking. At the time, my dad and I believed that it was the hottest chili on the planet. I was stoked to get the opportunity to try something new, so I opened the jar right up and popped a pepper in my mouth.
“It’s not bad,” I told my dad. “I mean… It’s hot, but kind of sweet too.”
“Let me try that,” my dad said as he grabbed the jar from in front of me and threw back of pepper of his own. In an instant, my dad turned bright red, ran over to garbage can, and spit out the remainder of his habanero. “Are you kidding me, Jeff? Those peppers are ridiculous! Don’t eat any more of them. You’re gonna get sick.”
Here’s the thing…
I’m a stubborn dude. I don’t like people telling me what to do. The moment the word “don’t” comes out of a person’s mouth, I just have to challenge them. I have to.
So guess what I did…
I grabbed my jar of habaneros and dug in for more. One after the other. All in front of my dad.
He gave me a disapproving head shake and left the room.
I probably ate half of that jar in about thirty minutes… smiling with every bite. “They really aren’t that bad,” I kept saying to myself, “Not bad at all.”
About two hours later, while sitting in front of the television my tune started to change. First my mouth began to water. Then my hands started to shake. Next thing I knew, I was laying on the cold tile of my bathroom floor with the worst stomach ache I had ever experienced.
My dad heard me run to the bathroom, and started knocking on the door. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“No. I think it was a bad idea to eat all those habaneros. I’m sick.”
My dad’s response?
“I told you so.”
Now…
You’d think I’d shy away from hot foods after that incident, but the truth is that I just can’t get enough of ’em. There is something about a spicy pepper that I just love.
Even thinking about them makes my mouth water in anticipation.
Peppers make me want to eat more food.
I love food.
So, you have to know that I was stoked the other night at El Toro Brewpub when I looked at the beer menu…
El Toro's Ghost Chili Golden Ale
A beer made with ghost chilis?
You know about the ghost chili, don’t you?
In 2007, the Guinness World Records certified it as being the hottest chili in existence. The record has since been broken by 4 other peppers, but still…
The ghost chili is one hot mo fo. One search of “Ghost Chili” on YouTube will give you tons of clips with bros bro-ing on the ghost chili, only to later admit to their bros that they can’t handle the heat.
I will never eat a whole ghost chili. I am not that cool.
But a ghost chili beer?
I’m down to at least try it…
The Ghost Chili Golden Ale is available as a 4 oz taster or a 10 oz half-imperial pint. I opted for the taster...
Here’s how it went down…
Color: Light gold to amber in color. Nice and fluffy, white head.
Nose: Very tight and clean. A bit bread-like.
Taste: Hot. I mean HOT! This beer is hot! The Golden Ale, in general, is one of El Toro’s lightest beers in terms of flavor profile. Using the a lighter style of beer really allows the Ghost Chili to be the star of this beer. And a star it is. The ghost chili gives a black pepper type flavor with tons of heat. This spice is warm, and it lasts a long… long… long… time.
The first sip is quite a bit of a surprise. The heat is overwhelming, but not enough to make you look like one of those bros on YouTube. Not only is this the hottest beer I’ve ever tasted, it’s the hottest THING I’ve ever tasted. Everything from my lips, to my tongue, to the back of my throat was coated with this dancing peppery spice.
It took me a good 20 minutes to get about halfway through my 4 oz taster. I was about to finish it, when I thought back to that fateful Christmas morning with the pickled habaneros. I decided to leave the final 2 ounces as an offering to the beer gods.
Like I was saying, when I taste peppers, I want to eat food. Next time around, I would love to try the half-imperial pint with a plate of nachos. I could also see this beer going well with a splash of V8 juice in it.
Score: 4 out of 5 Bottle Caps. Feel free to take a walk with this ghost (chili).
Take it away ladies…
Stay Rad,
Jeff
In this (short) episode, Jeff tries to show how to pour a Guinness for St. Patrick’s Day and gives a hint as to who he will be drafting 9th overall in his fantasy baseball draft the next day…
Beer Tasted:
Stay Rad,
Jeff
In this episode, Jeff busts open this $4.99 table wine…
Wine Tasted:
D’Aquino 2010 Chianti
Stay Rad,
Jeff
In this episode, Jeff dives into an oddly shaped table wine and recommends another to pick up for later this week.
Wine Tasted:
Caves du Fournalet 2010 Cotes du Rhone
Wine to pick up for the next tasting:
D’Aquino 2010 Chianti
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Saturday was a good day…
A REALLY good day.
This last Saturday, Kara and I woke up bright and early to head over to Ridge Monte Bello in Cupertino for their 2011 Monte Bello Component Tasting (Our first as members of the Monte Bello Collector Club).
Now, all of these Ridge events are sick, but the Component Tasting has to be the most sickest.
Check it!
The Tasting Room at Monte Bello
When we arrived at the Monte Bello tasting room at 11:30am, there were already folks lined up to get their taste on.
Ridge 2010 Estate Chardonnay
Upon arriving, we were presented with our tasting menus along with a sample of the soon-to-be-released 2010 Estate Chardonnay (served in glasses that we were more than happy to add to our collection).
The Chardonnay had a great nose of cream and sweet oak. On the palate, there was a perfect balance of lime fruit, stone, and toasty oak. This wine would go great with some soft cheeses.
The Tasting Menu
While tasting the Chardonnay, Kara and I took a moment to look over the tasting menu.
The idea of the Component Tasting is to sample the four different varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot) to get a good sense of how the different parts of the 2011 Monte Bello will come together to make one of the consistently epic Bordeaux blends of California (and the world). There is also a barrel sample of the first assemblage of the 2011 Monte Bello (to be released in 2014), as well as the recently released 2009 Monte Bello, the 2006 Monte Bello (from the library), and some other surprises.
One look at that menu, and I was stoked to the hella!
A toast to the sun, the vineyard, and the barn at Monte Bello.
Kara and I took our glasses (and palates) to the barn to get our taste on!
Ridge 2011 Petit Verdot Barrel Sample from the Olivos Block of Monte Bello
The Petit Verdot is the only varietal that did not make it into the Monte Bello assemblage, but don’t get it twisted. This wine is a beast. The PV brings a beautiful pinkish purple color. On the nose, there’s a bunch of blackberry fruit, chocolate, and oak. The tannins on this wine dominate the palate, giving it a lovely grip. On the palate there’s a nice play between sour cherries and red bell peppers. I sure hope Ridge does something fun with this wine.
Ridge 2011 Cabernet Franc Barrel Sample from the North Coast Block of Monte Bello
You know what I want to do?
I want to figure out how to make scented candles.
I want to make one that smells just like this Cabernet Franc.
On the nose, there is an immediate, undeniable scent of fresh ground espresso. The good stuff. You know what I’m talking about. Add in a touch of cocoa powder, raspberry, and orange zest.
Wow!
On the palate, there’s a great acidity of cranberry and a touch of green bell pepper. It’s medium bodied with big tannins.
Wow!
After that Cab Franc, I needed a little food break…
Pate with Cherries and Celery Leaf provided by The Chef's Chateau
Bread from Gayle's Bakery and Cheese from Cowgirl Creamery
Back to the components…
Ridge 2011 Merlot Barrel Sample from La Vasseur Block of Monte Bello
There’s a great dense red color to this Merlot. The nose is loaded with blueberries. Behind the blueberry fruit are some nice herbaceous layers and tobacco leaf. On the palate, this is a juice monster of cranberry, cherry, and red apple. Very nice.
Ridge 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Sample from La Vasseur Block of Monte Bello
The backbone of Monte Bello, this Cabernet brings it from all angles. Dense reddish purple color. Chocolate, orange, and (yup) espresso on the nose. Firm tannins. Lively acidity. Beautiful cassis and cranberry fruit.
Fantastic!
Ridge 2009 Monte Bello
Before getting to the 2011 Monte Bello first assemblage, we went back in time to the 2009 Monte Bello…
Blackberry, blueberry, espresso, and a nice herbaceousness to the nose. There is some good cranberry fruit along with black tea and olives, rounded out with fine tannins.
Just released, the 2009 Monte Bello is very young. This is one to stash a way for a long time. I’d love to see how the flavor profile comes together in a few years.
Now…
Back to the future!
Ridge 2011 Monte Bello first assemblage Barrel Sample
There’s a really neat process of blind tastings (with controls and everything) that goes into assembling the Monte Bello. I suggest you check out what Christopher Watkins (Tasting Room Manager and Assemblage Participant at Monte Bello) had to say about it in his blog. It’s hella interesting… That, and he’s a much better writer than I am.
As a result of the first assemblage, this 2011 Monte Bello Barrel Sample consists of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Of course, as the wine develops in the barrel, (winemakers) Paul Draper and Eric Baugher may decide to add in grapes from other blocks to round things out.
Color: Dark red.
Nose: Espresso (now I’m just obsessed with that scent), chocolate, and orange zest.
Taste: Cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, and red currants are all present up front. There is a layer of red apple skin. There are some very nice fine tannins that smooth this wine out.
Another very young wine (considering my bottles don’t arrive until 2014), but I’m excited to see how this wine evolves over the next couple of decades. And that espresso thing is just driving me crazy.
I asked Eric Baugher about those espresso notes. I was wondering if that was representative of the vintage. His take was that it was more reflective of the wine’s youth. He says that those toasty espresso notes are primarily a result of the American oak barrels. As the wine ages, he would expect the espresso to mellow out and give way to the fruit.
Later, in talking to Christopher Watkins, he suggested that a lot of the Earthy notes (like the espresso) are going to marry well with the acidity. The expectation is that the fruit of this wine is really going to flesh out as the wine develops in the bottle.
Man!
I can’t wait until 2014…
or 2024…
or 2040!
This wine is gonna be F-ing rad!
Onto more tasting…
Pre-Releases: Ridge 2009 Estate Merlot and Ridge 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Estate Merlot:
It’s been a while since Ridge has released a Merlot on its own. I’m glad they’re bringing it back. This bad boy is juicy. Tons of red apple with layers of tobacco leaf and black olive. The goods!
2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon:
I’ve always loved the Ridge Estate Cabs. Pound for pound, these wines are some of the best cabs for their price ($35). Dark red color. Sweet oak and plum on the nose. Bright raspberry and plum on the palate with chalky (you know I love chalk) tannins. The bomb!
2009 Klein Cabernet Sauvignon from the Historic Vineyard Series
This was my second time tasting the Klein Cab. The first time at the Ridge Blogger Tasting in December of last year (You can read my original notes here).
3 months later… I’m loving this wine more than I did originally.
Hella chalky. Cranberry. Plum. Elegant.
Ridge 2006 Monte Bello from the library and the "famous" rings of Christopher Watkins.
What a great way to close out the tasting.
The 2006 Monte Bello has just enough age on it to give that fleshy fruit that people love, but you know that it has the structure to keep developing for another decade or two (or three).
Great concentration of red fruit. Bright acidity. Earthy notes of black tea leaf.
Fantastic!
The ’06 was my favorite wine of the day.
With some time to spare, Kara and I decided to go play in the vineyard…
Snakes be damned!
This place is for the birds.
The Real Gnarly Heads
The only thing that was left to do, was figure out how to get off of the mountain.
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Stay Rad,
Jeff
The dramatic conclusion to The Wine Shield Project, along with a Peachy little red…
Wine Tasted:
Jason-Stephens 2010 Estate Rose after 48 hours of the Wine Shield
Peachy Canyon 2008 Incredible Red Zinfandel
After the Fact:
The Incredible Red is 82% Zinfandel, 10% Petit Sirah, and 8% Syrah
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Stay Rad 