Author Archives: Gwendolyn Alley aka Art Predator

Happy Valentine’s Day to YOU!!

A toast to you–my readers and especially my subscribers and followers–on this Valentine’s Day! Without you, I’d just be writing to myself–and it is so much more fun to write for someone else to enjoy!

This Valentine’s Day, I was surprised to receive a gorgeous pink bottle of The Crusher Rose of Pinot Noir,  a box of beautiful heart shaped LeBelge Truffles, and a letter of appreciation from Michael Wangbickler of Balzac Communications. Balzac often sends me wine samples (including The Crusher line-up last spring for a twitter tasting). This past November, Michael invited me to be on a panel with him and The Crusher winemaker to discuss wine and food pairing at the International Wine Bloggers Conference, an activity I really enjoyed. So a big thank you to Balzac Communications and to Mike!

Since I have to go teach writing at the college tonight, I will have to wait until I come home to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my husband and some bubbly. I better make a decision and put it in the fridge!I’ve got a few bottles around for this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday prompt on value sparklers. Look for that post tomorrow! (I know it won’t help you much for tonight!)

So–What are YOU drinking for Valentine’s Day?

Port Pairs: Vertical Heaven

For Port Day which was January 27, a few friends and I gathered to check out my birthday stash of ports: I bought myself 20, 30 and 40 year tawny ports from Graham’s as well as a NV Krohn tawny (all at 60% off because the liquor store was going out of business!) Plus my friend Ima Zinner (aka Kathy) gifted me with a Smith Woodhouse 1985 vintage port and I had a sample of Croft’s Pink Port.

What a wealth of riches!

Even though Ima Zinner, Annie Any-Day, Bacchus Schmaccus and Marshall Moneybags were helping me celebrate my big birthday AND Port Day, we decided NOT to open everything and focus on three of the four tawny ports and the sample of Croft Pink Port.

Port, as you probably know, refers to a wine based fortified beverage from Portugal. Back in the day, the British added brandy to wine so it would last longer. (There’s a lot more to this story!)

According to Graham Port’s blog, the Instituto do Vinho do Douro e Porto (IVDP), the regulating body for the Douro region, provides these guidelines for identifying a true Port wine:

  • Only fortified wine produced in the Douro Demarcated Region which conforms to the technical characteristics defined by the IVDP is Port
  • The maker must be registered and authorised by the IVDP to produce Port
  • The label must be approved by the IVDP
  • The bottle must bear the IVDP issued and numbered seal of guarantee

Basically, port is a Portuguese wine that’s on the sweet side. Because of this, it is traditionally served alone or with desserts or cheeses at cellar temperature or on ice.

We tried it both ways–one night after dinner and on another night WITH a steak dinner served with a baked potato and a portabella, white stilton with apricot, and arugula salad where I sauteed the portabellas  in butter and 20 year port. Wow–it worked! I also paired the meal with a Parducci Petite Sirah which gave the meal a completely different experience.

Would I pair port again with a steak dinner? I think I just might do anything with that 20 year tawny!

Croft Pink Port $20. This rose port by Croft was supposed to arrive for a Twitter tasting back in August but it didn’t so it’s been hanging around waiting for me to open it! This non-vintage port is designed to be served cold, poured over ice, or used as a cocktail mixer. At 19.5% alcohol, you could drink more cocktails made from this than a vodka or gin. Bottled in clear glass, it shows off it’s deep pink color. When nice and cold, you don’t get much in the nose, but in your mouth, it’s a party of  sweet strawberry and raspberry flavors. Paired with a Belgian chocolate, it really brings out the hazelnut. With a manchego, gorgonzola, or white stilton, it brings out a spiciness in the pink port. It’s not a particularly complex beverage so the saltiness of the cheeses benefits this wine. They suggest serving it with soda and a lemon twist and that sounds good for a warm day (like today!) Or try Croft Pink Port with St Germain, Brut, and berries–sounds dangerously yummy! I’d put that drink in a martini glass…About $20 a bottle.

Krohn Tawny Port $15. For a tawny, it’s dark and muddy in the glass. In the nose, we found alcohol, cigar box, and stewed fruit. On the palate, it’s raisony and pruney with a quick finish. Tasty with the cheeses especially the dried apricot white stilton, but not so good with gorgonzola–too sharp and salty for this mild port. Nice with a sweet, buttery almond cookie but not so good with a almond biscotti. This is a great cooking port; I used almost the whole bottle sauteing portabellas! It’s a decent, enjoyable port.

Graham’s 20 Year Tawny Port $70 This wine is as impressive as its price. In the glass, the 20  is a liquid amber, rich and warm. On the nose, caramel and honey. Reminded us some of Gran Marnier–honeysuckle, honey, pollen, and orange blossom. So lovely with the creamy blue cheese and delightful with the white stilton. We preferred it with milk chocolate and Belgian over dark chocolate since it brought out the caramel notes. It also went well with dried fruits like cranberries and raspberries but NOT with Trader Joe’s “Powerberries!” Nice finish.

Graham’s 40 Year Tawny Port $170.  I did mention it was a special occasion and I was able to buy this wine at 60% off, right? Yes, this wine is almost as old as I am! With a port like this, you only need a little bit–it’s so ethereal it whips your head into the stars! The finish goes on for days–you’re not going to want to brush your teeth that night! In fact,

we thought the Graham’s 40 year port was like being kissed by Elvis!

In the glass, it’s very similar to the 20–a beautiful clear amber. The Graham’s website says it has a green tinge; some of us could see this and others couldn’t. Nose of honey, rich, buttery, butterscotch,  complex, orange blossom. Amazing with pate, and the more intense, salty, aged cheeses like manchego and gouda. Better with dark chocolate than milk or Belgian but that could be taste. Nice with dark chocolate dipped biscotti. We bet it would be insanely good with a chocolate dipped strawberry. We tested it with a fresh strawberry and chocolate truffle and we were happy. Very happy.

And that finish! Wow!

This is a wine to savor, sip, linger over, save.

Since we’re clocking in at close to 1000 words, it’s time to stop! This group of Port lovers will return one day soon to compare the 20, 30 and the 40 AND we have a vintage port tasting on the agenda too!

Bella Victorian Lunch: A Winner at Ventura County’s Valentine n Wine Weekend 2012

Last year my sweetie and I had a great time visiting various wineries in Ventura County on the weekend prior to Valentine’s Day during a “passport” weekend called Valentine n Wine sponsored by the Ventura County Winery Association.

So this year, on that same pre-Valentine’s weekend, when we found ourselves at lunchtime in Camarillo passing by the Bella Victorian Bistro and Tasting Room on Ventura Blvd in Old Town, I remembered how much we  enjoyed our lunch by Chef Gael and our tasting and we decided to stop in. (As a wine blogger, our one flight of 5 one ounce wine pours was complimentary–thanks, Shannon!)

We sat outside on their sunny patio under an umbrella beside the purple petunias. Shannon provided us with excellent service, and our tasty sandwiches, one chicken pesto with chips and one lamb with a side salad, came out quickly. As I wanted photos, she graciously provided us with a wine tasting “tree” with their Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and their Grenache “Romeo” (lead pencil, masculine, rough), followed by a mostly estate grown well-balanced but blue fruit friendly Syrah and a red blend of primarily Napa cabernet sauvignon that was quite interesting with a lots of complexity, juicy cherry and plum yet balanced,  spicy, cigar box, and with a rich mouth feel.

Like the lunch and the location, the wines were all winners. The chicken-pesto pannini paired well with the chardonnay and the darkly colored pinot noir, both rich and flavorful. As much as I liked the cab, today the syrah was my favorite of the five probably because it went so well  the lamb.

http://www.bellavictorianvineyard.com

If you want to join the fun this Valentine’s Day weekend, Continue reading →

Wine Predator Recruits Ima Zinner, Bacchus Schmacchus & Annie Any-Day

Because life is short and wine is best shared with good friends over fine food, I have decided to share the wealth, the wine, and the fun as well as the responsibilities of taking notes and helping me write Wine Predator posts with three good friends.

Annie, Dave, and Kathy have all joined me on numerous treks to Los Angeles for industry wine tasting as well as twitter tastings I’ve hosted here at the house on various occasions. These friends not only have a great appreciation of wine, but they are funny, witty, and have a flair for coming up with great descriptors for wines.

We celebrated our new venture last night by tasting five very different wines: NZ pinot noir, a French bordeaux, and three tawny ports–a 40, a 20, and a NV. As we tasted, we merely took notes; in the future we will also tweet as Art Predator and possibly do some youtubes for the Art Predator channel. We thought doing the videos in lingerie might get people more interested, but maybe someone is already doing that? Continue reading →

Port, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah & Zin, Rhone Fans Unite for Tastings, Seminars, Fun

Tis the season to save the date and taste some wine together–in person or online! A few highlights include–

Friday, Jan. 27 : “Port Day.” Everywhere!
Whether it be tawny or ruby, pick up some port for Friday!

Friday, Jan. 27: ZAP–for Zinfandel fans in SF Continue reading →

WBW #73 “Spark” Round Up; WBW #74 “Sparkling” Announced

In response to Cork Dork’s prompt to write about a wine that connects to what sparked your interest in wine blogging, ten bloggers let him know in time to join in his round-up and a few more bloggers chimed in with posts after–better late than never!

Here’s the Wine Blogging Wednesday #73 “Spark” round up.

Here’s my response to the “Spark” prompt–I mentioned Ridge Zinfandel, Grateful Palate Shiraz, and Enoforum wines from Portugal with a review of Twisted Oaks Tempranillo,

Next up, keeping with the idea of “spark” write about value “sparkling” wine. Hosted by Wine Cast aka Tim Elliot, Wine Blogging Wednesday #74 participants will join the 2011 sparkling wine trend; in 2011 Americans consumed 20% more Champagne; like the recent popular Proseco, Moscato went from an unknown sparkler to one that has been produced and appreciated more (even in a Barefoot Bubbly version!).

In the past five years, I have discovered the pleasures of various sparkling wines with food, not just as a special occasion beverage or for a toast. And so it is with great pleasure that I look forward to participating in February’s Wine Blogging Wednesday. I’ve got a rose cremant in mind to pair with ham as well as trying that Barefoot Moscato, Chateau Ste Michelle’s 2005 Luxxe, and ?? with oysters and ?? After all, this is still my birthday month and I’ve got more celebrating to do!

If you too would like to join in, you are welcome! The prompt for Wine Blogging Wednesday #74 includes these instructions:

Just pick a sparkling wine from any appellation, made from any grape but make sure it sells for $25 or less a bottle (€20, £16). This should open up a lot of interesting selections, from Crémant de Bourgogne, to Cava, to California & New Mexico sparkling, sparkling Shiraz, to even well chosen grower Champagne. Just post your notes by February 15th and ping me @winecast on Twitter or email me with your link at winecast (at) gmail (dot) com.

Oh, and I’ve having a birthday subscription drive until the end of the month! Please subscribe in the box in the upper right hand corner! It’s easy to get Wine Predator in your inbox and join in the Wine Predator fun! I’ve got big plans for 2012 and I hope you will be along for the adventure!

Wine Blogging Weds #73: The Spark

Today, Wednesday, January 18 is the first installment in many, many months for Wine Blogging Wednesday, an online event started six years ago where wine bloggers virtually gather around a theme.  This time around the theme is “Spark”  which attempts to spark new interest and hopefully light a fire again for this formerly monthly wine blogging event that has fizzled and faltered over the past two years. The “Spark” theme urges wine bloggers to return to that which sparked their interest in wine blogging in the first place.

Host Corkdork  writes, “I know you’ve grown and your wine knowledge has expanded, but it’s time to revisit the kind of wines that sparked your desire to blog, retaste, and share. January’s challenge, “Spark”, is to re-visit the wine that first turned you on to the infinite wonder of the world of wine.”

If you want to participate, quick, post your “spark” story right away and let Corkdork know you’re got a spark to contribute to the fire.

When I think  about what sparked my interest in wine blogging, I come up with three stories and three wines.

First, I think of Ridge Zinfandel because in the early 80s, I worked at Ridge pouring wine during Saturday tastings up on Montebello Road. Hard to say which was a favorite–I loved them all and marveled at how different each one was. To this day, zin is possibly my favorite varietal; it goes so well with everything from turkey to ham to BBQ to grilled meats.

But that didn’t get me blogging.

Second, I think of all the wonderful Australian rhone blends Dan Phillips tasted and promoted through the Grateful Palate. It’s unfortunate that AUS shiraz has such a bad name these days due to unbalanced fruit bombs. The ones I bought with Dan’s personal guidance at my first warehouse sale as well as wines I selected with the help of his other employees were exceptional.

And it was Grateful Palate wines that got me blogging and led me to being a wine blogger.

More importantly to me as a wine blogger, because I was writing about Grateful Palate wines already and wanted to do more about them, I was recruited to work as a writer for them and given a case of wine to drink and write about. My first heady experience with samples! My June 2008 post about Chris Ringland’s 2006 Ebenezer Road Shiraz was one of my most popular and most read posts for years. Unfortunately, when the economy tanked, so did the job. But I was introduced to and encouraged to learn about wine blogging, which changed my world radically.

As a newly minted and unemployed wine blogger, I went to the first North American Wine Bloggers Conference in November 2008. There I discovered a whole world of wine blogging–and wine.

Which leads me to my next winery: Twisted Oak.

I met Jeff Stai at the first Wine Bloggers Conference and he generously opened up “The Spaniard” a Rioja style mostly tempranillo blend and his “River of Skulls” mourvedre. By that point in the conference, I had tasted a lot of wine but both of these stood out enough that I went to Calaveras County a year or so later to taste his wines–and I joined his wine club.

That’s how I ended up with the wine I opened tonight for this retrospective–a 2005 Twisted Oak Tempranillo from Calaveras County which I paired with a lamb chop stuffed with basil pesto, a baked potato, and cabbage. While the Spaniard will always be one of my favorite Twisted Oak wines, the Tempranillo is quite tasty and half the price ($24 instead of $49). The color is surprisingly deep, dark and dense for a medium bodied wine–it’s more black cherry than the deep purple of a petite sirah or a petite verdot. In the nose, at first it was quite closed but over the course of the meal and the evening, I found cigar box and spice, barn and leather, a little menthol, lavender, and vanilla. A very masculine wine, it’s rich and round, salt cured herbs of provence black olive briney and dark stone fruit of cherries and plums; plenty of acid and oak which was perfect to cut through and compliment the lamb chop.

Finally, I must mention the most life changing experience I have had as a wine blogger–attending the European Wine Bloggers Conference and traveling to Portugal as a guest of Enoforum Wines. If their wines were available in the US, that’s what I would have written about in this blog post. And since I’ve already written nearly 800 words for this blog post, I think I’ll leave it at that–plenty enough sparks to get me a blogging bonfire roaring!