Monthly Archives: November 2008

Brothers in Arms 2002 Shiraz: Thai green curry & more surprises

Day 8: last night, Reds Meadow, Brothers in Arms shiraz

What is it about these Australian wines (or is it Grateful Palate Imports wines??) that they offer so much creativity in what could be a boring enterprise—the label of a wine bottle?? For example, Boarding Pass,

from R Winery, which we enjoyed before dinner in early July the night Dave Staeheli flew in from Alaska to pick up his son, which has a ticket around its neck and a boarding pass on its belly! Yummy too, before dinner; with our steak dinner we downed a bottle of another Australian, “Red Edge” Cabernet in honor of the Big Monkey who used to be a red head—“Now THIS is GOOOOD!” he said. “What is this? I really like it! It’s not as fruity as that other stuff.” Cabernet, I told him, you prefer cabs over shiraz. “Yes,” he agreed. Since I bought it thinking it would be one he’d like, I was glad to be right!!

The Red Edge is a classy package but not going to win a beauty contest or stand out on the shelf or on the table in any way that will spark a conversation while Boarding Pass, which looks like a boarding pass, will catch your attention and likely fly off the shelf into your shopping cart.

Tonight I am about to open a bottle of Brothers in Arms 2002 shiraz which I just retrieved from where it was nestled in the rocks and under the alders in the creek to cool it to cellar temperature of about 60 degrees; I imagine, after this warm day, it would be in the 70s otherwise–yuck, especially for a high alcohol wine like this one (15%).

The cap is remarkable—embossed on top: two hands clasp, shirt sleeves rolled up, muscles flexed, and along the bottom on a tangerine tape it reads in black script “Brothers in Arms” with a red postmark for Langhorne Creek South Australia. The label is cream with the black script and red postmark, and the top and bottom of the label looks ot be hand torn. This label also has wine spilt from a broken bottle but that just adds to its charm as it does to Dead Letter office, another one of my favorite labels (and shiraz too!) The text on the back explains that five generations have grown grapes there and now brothers turn those grapes into wines like this one.

A wine can’t be all fancy label and braggadaccio. The wine in the glass must be at least as good as the bottle it came from. The bottle of 2006 Ringland Ebenezer shiraz is beautiful, graceful, evocative—and the wine is bold, rich, inviting, and rewarding, its promise fulfilled.

As the sun breaks through after many rambunctious thunders (no lightening from our vantage point of our fishing spot along the San Joaquin River) and some scattered rain (enough to make the sagebrush and the Jeffery pines break out the perfume), I break the lead carefully so that the top is still attached for show, I manipulate the broken corkscrew to release the cork, I pour a small amount into the Mexican green glass (I really should have brought a real wine glass on this trip!!)

Hmmn, unusual! Reminds me of spice, and herbs– Thai spices: galangal ginger, lemon grass, green curry, coconut milk, mint. No kidding! And some of that Thai green curry spice lives on from the nose to the palate. But don’t let me scare you—it’s really good! Rich and creamy, fruity of course but not as fruity as others. The richness here is meaty and fatty, almost like a porkchop (or a lambchop with mint jelly?) The label says the wine is typical of the region and I can’t wait to find out if Thai green curry is typical of the region. If I wasn’t in the middle of nowhere, at least an hour drive and 2000′ elevation gain up to Minarets summit and again then down into the town of Mammoth, I would google this wine and find out if anyone else tastes Thai green curry in this shiraz. Hmmn, I wonder how this shiraz would be with Thai food?

The remaining question is: how will it be with the trout I am hoping the Big Monkey will return with any minute for dinner?? Otherwise, we’re having pasta from the van’s pantry…which I better put on to boil just in case! With a wine this tasty, it doesn’t matter what else we might have to eat!

Minaret Falls

Day 8: Minaret Falls

“Wake up! Wake up!” says the small boy. “It’s time to go fishing! It’s morning time and the fish are awake! Quick let’s wake up Dad!”

The two scamper off, the young red head and the old red head, hand in hand, to take the trail to Sotcher Lake, but return a few hours later empty handed–no one was catching fish this morning, even the guys on the inflatable rafts.

With some of my homemade blueberry corn pancakes in our bellies, we’re off to hike to Minaret Falls and do some fishing along the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River.

Since we’re getting such a late start, and we have a small boy, we take the shuttle to the Devils Postpile NPS Ranger Station to cut off about 1 mile from our proposed 3 mile round trip hike. From the Ranger Station, we hike southwest a bit, then cross the river on a bridge. We climb a bit on well made, well signed trail of pumice gravel and decomposed granite under ample pine tree shade. Within no time, we’ve scrambled off the trail to the base fo the falls, and the boy has his feet in the cool water. We put his red Teva river shoes for a better grip on the slippery rocks, and soon he’s wet and happy.

According to one source, the falls cascade some 250 feet in a series of white water, while another source says 300 feet or 90 meters; they seem as broad as they are long. The noise makes you shout to be overheard.


As glorious as they may be, we don’t stay long in the cool spray and environs–the Big Monkey has fish fever, so we head down stream toward the confluence with the San Joaquin river. Just upstream, we find a nice hole where the fish are jumping like crazy and we watch, somewhat agog, as they flip, flop and fly after the bugs!

The boy, bored more quickly than Dad, finds a tunnel like trail through the willows which is too fun to pass up, so I go with him. The trail comes out at Minaret Falls campground–18 roomy spaces, gorgeous views, flush toilets, potable water, and great fishing within a few minutes walk.

A rumble of thunder gets a glance skyward–it looks and sounds like a big storm is coming so we scramble our way through the willows back to the Big Monkey who had noticed little in our absence except the constant flash of fish…fish getting away. So far none for dinner.

I convince him we should catch the shuttle back to camp before we get drenched since we neglected to bring rain gear and the boy has already soaked his way through his clothes. Since all the campgrounds are strung between the road and the river, we walk down the road toward the Minaret Falls campground shuttle stop. It’s quite a walk, and when I look at the map realize that there’s a trail along the creek which leaves one end of this campground and arrives quickly at the other end of the Devils Postpile shuttle stop. But we’re already at the road waiting. Next time!

Trip 2 Town

Day 7: Trip 2 Town

Whereas fishing with a stick on Sotcher Lake and the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River hasn’t worked out too well (for us–the fish are doing fine!), and

whereas we like it here at Reds Meadow Campground so much we’ve decided to stay longer requiring a resupply,

we’re on the shuttle heading for the Town of Mammoth on the eastern side of the sierra crest. Continue reading →

RBJ Theologicum Mataro: on the wild side

Day 6: a Mataro finish

DAY 6 AFTER DINNER: Reds Meadow, Inyo National Forest

I am about to take my first sip of mataro, a grape I had never heard of before I bought this wine in April 2008, at the Grateful Palate Imports sale. Since I love the RBJ–that would be Chris Ringland, Bruce, and Johnstone– theologicum grenache/mourverde blend so much, and find it such a deeply satisfying wine, Alex Sabad encouraged me to pick up a bottle of their 2002 Mataro theologicum. And since I understand now that Mataro is another name for mourverde, I guess I do know it…a little!

Since we’re camping and cooking instead of doing hotels and restaurants, and we’re not traveling to Washington state and back like we planned do to $5 a gallon gas prices, we’re living it up by drinking GREAT wine every night; I brought a half case of Aussie wines with us! And if you’ve been following this blog journey in the eastern Sierra, you’ve heard a bit about those wines along the way!

So now let me set the scene: Reds Meadow campground, 7600’ Sierra Nevada. Freshly showered in hot springs water in the an old concrete bathhouse maintained by donations and volunteers. Post dinner of what do we still have cuz we’re still here when we were going to leave today but not too bad combo of italian pesto tortellinis and Indian food (and some classy, yummy Lengs and Cooter 2005 shiraz!!) Continue reading →

A Devil’s Postpile Morning

Day 6: Devil’s Postpile

A National Park Service ranger leads a walk at 11am daily to the Devils Postpile from the Ranger Station and today is the day we’re going along too.

But first, we’re moving from our lovely but sunny site next to the hikers for one under more pines and along the creek. Once we’re somewhat established, and have stashed some drinks and a watermelon in the creek, we make the 1.2 mile dash along the mostly level trail, crossing creeks, spying fish, towing the boy, and passing by the Postpile to make the 11am walk and talk.

About a dozen people join us, including a family covered in mosquito bites. They’d been backpacking Continue reading →

Mission to go Fishin

Day 5: On a mission to go fishin’

Day 5: On a mission to go fishin’ — Middle Fork San Joaquin River, Sierra

The Big Monkey wondered at first what we’d do for more than a day or two down here in Reds Meadow along the San Joaquin River near Devil’s Postpile National Monument. Now he never wants to leave!

Today we hiked from our campsite near the hot springs shower to the store and café to check it out. We’d heard from the PCTers and JMTers that the food in the café was good, especially the homemade pie! The boy wants to go fishing, so we need to get some tackle—maybe a pole, certainly some hooks and bait. Plus we need ice!

The trail to the store area leaves the campsite near the showers, climbs a little, traverses the hillside above the meadow, and crosses two small creeks before dropping to the small cabins and motel rooms available to rent. It’s an easy walk and offers views of the meadow, the granitic outcroppings, and lots of wildflowers beside, below, and above the trail including one of my favorites, leopard lilies, a striking orange spire against the green backdrop.

The store sells the usual back country goods—cold beer, ice, Continue reading →

Clos du Bois chardonnay: change of pace

Day 4: PCT Through Hiking & Reds Meadow

After a leisurely breakfast of delicious french toast made with raison walnut bread from Schat’s famous bakery in Bishop (the secret of great French toast is to use exceptional bread, one egg per person, equal amounts milk plus a tablespoon or two, and soak for a long time!), we headed north along Highway 395 toward Reds Meadow Campground near the ski area of Mammoth.

We’re anxious about getting a campsite since this is such a popular summer destination for hiking, fishing and sightseeing so following a quick resupply at the huge upscale Vons in Mammoth, we climb to 9,000 Minarets Pass which will take us from the east side of the sierra to the west. Continue reading →