Posts Tagged ‘Thanksgiving’

And What Wine Thespian Strutted Most Significantly ‘Cross The Stage Of YOUR Thanksgiving Repast?

November 25, 2012

All the table ’twas indeed a stage,

and ’tis true many a player

strutted and fretted its hour upon it,

but at curtain’s culinary closing,

’twas a deuce of thespianic éclat

that in truth reigned supreme …

–

Meaning, of course, that it weren’t one but TWO wines I was most especially diggin’ on T-Day!

–

And in this corner, a new release, the 2008 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache!

Still showing youngish, most certainly, but so beguiling in its dark mysteriosity, and the perfect pairing for the various and sundry savories on said T-Day table; most particularly calibrated to all seasonings of the autumnal sort, and most certainly ever-so-slightly charred sage leaves …

And in THIS corner, a veteran, the 2004 Ridge Vineyards Buchignani Ranch Zinfandel!

A designation that, in truth, has come in and out of focus for me across the vintages, but one that is capable of greatness when the viticultural stars align. The 2004 was just such a vintage, and I have long considered it the absolute and utter ace of the decades. This wine was, in fact, and if I am not mistaken, one of the first Ridge wines I ever purchased for my dad, and he and I have long retained a certain affection for it, so it was with no subtle degree of both anticipation and curiosity that we approached said specific offering this very most recently past and holidarily-notable Thursday. Approached, contemplated, and subsequently revered! It was extraordinary! Supple, streamlined, and savory; rustic, earthy, and complex; controlled, elegant, and enticing; dangerously subversive, dirtily sensual, and broodingly beguiling. In short, nothing short of perfection. A small perfection, mind you; this is not a wine that strains for demonstrative greatness and expansivity; meaning, it does not set its heights at the stars. Rather, it is a small, quiet, intense, and excellently combinated concoction of concatenated concentrativeness that coalesces around a core of compendiumed complexicatedness. Meaning, it was perfect with mashed potatoes and peas!

And for those who, in an oeno-equivalent enactment of the boxers-or-briefs paradigm, will ask, “Russets, or Yukons?”, ’twas Russets.

Cheers!

And p.s. what was YOUR Thanksgiving Wine Rock Star?

and double p.s. can you guess how many words in the above post got the red-line when I ran spell-check???

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Posted in Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Grenache, Lytton, Syrah, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Wine & Food Pairing, Zinfandel | Leave a Comment »

Things I’m Thankful For …

November 22, 2012

I am an admittedly idiosyncratic traditionalist, in that I am rarely much for traditional traditions, but am conversely rather boffo for my own rather less-than-traditional iterations thereof; which makes it all the more of a personal revolution in the offing that I am posting these words today.

This is, of course, the rambling preambling to the preamble of my annual “Things I’m Thankful For” post; which I traditionally, per the terms of my own tradition, post on the 23rd of November. Which I was dead on track for doing again this year. Except here it is, Thanksgiving, and I’m feeling all thankful-laden, and it simply feels odd not to commit these lines to the blog-o-web on this most gratitudinous of days. Yet it’s the 22nd, a proposition that defies convention. But blast it all, tradition be damned, what? On with the show! Pip Pip!

When I ponder the word Thankful, I see my wife’s face. As I do when I ponder the other following words:

Fortunate, Blessed, and Grateful.

These are of course self-referential. When I simply ponder her, as opposed to how I feel when I consider the blessing upon me that is she, these then are some of the words that come to mind:

Wise, Beautiful, Magical, Powerful, Amazing, Fragile, Astounding, Tender, Perfect, and Love.

I am so thankful for my wife. My friend, my lover, my partner, my wife. I am so thankful for my wife. One can define the almighty in whatever ways one wishes, of course; but if the definition of God has something to do with that which gives life to life, that which governs all, that foundational being that is the alpha and omega of all things, then she has dominion over all my world. She is the Bodhisattva come to help me, the Savior come to save me, the God come to raise me. I am so thankful for my wife.

And I am so thankful for my daughter, before whom I am a positively helpless puddle of mush. What hasn’t this small, beautiful creature given to me? There is no shade of blue in the sky, no streak of green in the sea, that she has not alerted me to. No whisper of wind in the night, no chirp of bird in the day, that she has not called my ears toward. There is no tear duct in my eye she has not drained of its feeling, no cavity of my heart that she has not filled. What hue of autumn leaf, what scent of springtime blossom, has she not drawn me to? What a thing, to have a daughter! I am so thankful for my daughter.

For my wife, and my daughter, I am so thankful. A Love Supreme.

Which reminds me that I am also distinctly grateful for John Coltrane.

And wine glass sizes drawn in fractions. Like 19.75 oz. glasses.

And the wines that inhabit them.

Like, perhaps, the 1981 Monte Bello, which tasted so fine just this past Sunday.

Which would also taste so fine in, for example, a flat-bottom glass.

I am so thankful for people who drink red wine from flat-bottom glasses.

And grandparents. There is no insanity like the insanity of grandparents. That my little family of three – Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Baby Bear – has two hearty and hale sets of grandparents, is a blessing beyond compare. To watch our little girl in their blissful company is a gift unimaginable. I am so thankful for our parents; grandparents to our wonderful daughter. I am so thankful for this.

As I am for the knoll at Monte Bello. Such a place to stand and contemplate the void, to be temporarily one with the ancestors staring at the walls and seeing truth.

I am thankful for poetry, and the wines that have, through time, lubricated its fragile and complex gears.

Like, for example, the 2004 Buchignani Ranch Zinfandel, which tasted so fine just … yesterday.

There are few moments greater than the moment when your father and your wife bring to their respective lips the wine you have poured for them. I am thankful for these moments.

I am thankful for Haiku.

I am thankful for people who do not ask me to throw away their chewing gum upon their arrival at the Monte Bello Tasting Room.

In fact, I am thankful for people who do not chew gum.

I am thankful for wooden canes, and limping through vine rows relying on one.

I am thankful for Amy Monroe, Sam Howles-Banerji, and Kirsten Anderson. If you’ve ever come to Monte Bello, and accordingly felt a bit of magic enter your soul and there take up permanent residence, there to be called upon whenever your worry and care threaten to overwhelm you in the pursuit of your conventional happinesses, it is likely because you were moved by Amy and/or Sam and/or Kirsten. They are in the practice of providing memories that will last forever, and they are rather excellent at this endeavor. They have given me so much to be thankful for, and are to me canonical saints in the pantheon of Monte Bello magic.

I am thankful for the word canonical.

And the word Vertical. And the thing that is, in winespeak, a Vertical.

And the Estate Cabernet Vertical, which will not be available for much longer. I am thankful it is still available, because the 2004 Estate Cabernet, is, in particular, one of the best wines I’ve ever had. It was also one of my first loves upon joining the family at Ridge, and in it, I taste my good fortune.

I am thankful for P.G. Wodehouse, for having given to the world Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, of whose exploits with the cow-creamer, last night, were so delightful to read.

I am thankful that I do not believe in decent-tasting “entry-level” wines costing $10/bottle, any more than I believe in decent-sounding “entry-level” Telecasters costing $100.

I am thankful for windows that lock and unlock with ease.

I am thankful for wines that taste especially fine whilst standing at windows gazing out at trees in autumn. Like the 1992 Monte Bello, which, out of a 375ml bottle, tastes especially fine whilst standing at a window (open or closed, whatever, it’s easy to lock and unlock) gazing out at a tree in autumn.

I am thankful for candles.

I am thankful for bow-ties, which, perhaps come the New Year, I shall resolve to wear more of.

I am thankful for champys, and the people who use the term.

And for the people who drink champys.

I am thankful for champys.

And Bodhisattvas.

I am thankful that Ridge has found a place in its heart to place me.

I am thankful that, in lieu of a manpurse, I wear sportcoats.

I am thankful for everyone who comes to Monte Bello in the summertime, and doesn’t comment of the fact that I am wearing a sportcoat.

I am thankful for Aaron, Antonio, Barry, Emma, Jane, Jenny, Karen, Kathryn, Kim, Lori, Michael, Nancy, Peter, Samantha, Sonja, and Tara. Because Hospitality is holy, and they are the true keepers of the faith. The foundational saints. The canonical hosts. To truly “host” a guest is an essential act of love, compassion, empathy, sympathy, faith, and kindness. I am thankful for these wonderful human beings, and for the generosity of spirit they so consistently offer.

I am thankful for the XTC song “Dear God.”

I am thankful that the new 2008 Mazzoni Home Ranch is such an absolutely excellent contribution to the Mazzoni canon.

I am thankful for high-quality buff cloths, and the wine hosts that know how to use them.

I am thankful for ritual, and what it teaches us, and I am thankful that the world of wine is so ritualized.

I am thankful for people who, when confronted by those who know a bit more than themselves about something, think first, “Wonderful!” as opposed to “Snob!”

I am thankful that I know so little, because I look so forward to learning.

I am thankful that a great deal of my “work” at Ridge is “learning” more about wine.

Learning more about, for example, the 2007 Monte Bello. For reasons soon to be revealed!

I am thankful for things that are soon to be revealed, as I do not enjoy surprises or secrets, though I am thankful for them. Thankful that they offer the opportunity for revelation.

I am thankful for Son House.

I am thankful for anyone who can figure out a way to work wine into a tattoo without looking like a rather foolish sort.

I am thankful for Syrah co-fermented with Viognier.

I am thankful that part of my “job” at Ridge involves sitting at table with people like Kathy and Ingrid, and “working” on food & wine pairings.

I am thankful that I very often have occasion, while at work at Ridge, to deploy the term “culinarily companionable.”

I am thankful that I get to write this blog. Not only is it a still-very-overwhelming honor, but it also allows me to make up a great many words; a great many made-up words that, when discovered and subsequently called out as being made-up, become the springboard for me to deliver my patented lecture on the true value of language and its purposes. Which no one needs to hear anymore.

I am thankful.

I am thankful for trumpet mutes, and the jazz players who deploy them.

I am thankful that Ridge makes wine like Thelonious Monk made chords.

I am thankful that Sumano’s bakery makes Watsonville Sourdough.

I am thankful for drinking wine, eating bread and cheese, and riding ferries.

I am thankful that Bellwether Farms makes San Andreas. And I am thankful for being able to taste it while sipping on 1978 Monte Bello.

I am thankful for harvest videos, and the opportunity to make them.

I am thankful for #Harvest2012.

I am thankful that I do not dream in hashtags.

I am thankful that if one Googles “Generation X Characteristics,” the very first entry that appears lists the following:

• Cynical

• Skeptical

• Independent

• Problem-solvers/resourceful

• Defy Authority

• Reality driven

• Distaste “touchy feely”

• Technology Competent

• Resist Hierarchy

• Multitasker

I am thankful that I still manage to rarely use the word “Google” as a verb.

I am thankful for walking cities.

I feel thankful when I go walking in a city, and the person I am walking with says, “My, that looks like a nice wine shop!”

I am thankful for Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, and all the denizens of the Hundred-Acre Wood.

I am thankful for the poet Sharon Olds, because she writes about woman things in ways that can truly move a man.

I am thankful that as soon as we were installed in our little post-birth “hotel” at the hospital, my very exhausted and triumphantly beautiful wife called for Cava and Monte Bello.

I am thankful that when my wife calls for champys, she calls for Coupe glasses.

I am thankful for coupe glasses.

I am thankful for trains.

I am thankful for movies made before 1970.

I am thankful for music made before 1980.

I am thankful for wine made before 1990.

I am thankful for balsamic vinegar made before 2000.

I am thankful for books made before 2010.

I am thankful for wonderful exceptions to the above.

I am thankful for wine poured before I wrote “I am thankful for wine poured …,” like, for example, any of our Syrah/Grenache blends.

I am currently thankful for the 2008 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache, and I am previously grateful for all the other vintages.

I am thankful that my daughter just announced that her Grandpa “stinks like Thanksgiving.”

I am thankful that some people still roller skate.

I am thankful for limousine drivers that do not park in spaces reserved for the disabled.

I am thankful for wine drinkers that are not drunkards.

I am thankful that calm, clear-headed, self-possessed, serious, alert, concerned, cool, exacting, rigorous, thoughtful, vigilant, and pure are all synonyms for “sober.”

I am thankful that, while it’s today in the news that it’s going to happen, Nikki Sixx’s “Heroin Diaries” is not yet, in fact, a Broadway Musical.

I am thankful that, for the fourth year in a row, I have the opportunity to praise Haig’s Hummus. I am thankful for Haig’s Hummus. And I am thankful for the way Haig’s Hummus tastes when it’s in your mouth, wrapped up in a big balloon-size swallow of Ridge chardonnay.

I am thankful for Ridge Chardonnay. Especially the 2010 Monte Bello Chardonnay, which, when released, will F%*&KIN blow your mind.

I am thankful for %*&.

I am thankful that we have a President who likes wine.

I am thankful for Zen.

I am thankful for the Monterey Bay, and how it makes Carignane taste. Especially Ridge Carignane. Which always tastes so nice, but tastes especially nice when sipped next to Monterey Bay.

I am thankful for John Olney, and I am thankful for the Carignane that he makes.

I am thankful for everyone at Lytton Springs, and for the opportunity to make this appreciation public. I am especially thankful for my counterpart Sandy Johnson, because her greatness humbles me daily, and it is good to be humbled. And I am thankful for her friendship, because it is good to have friends. And I am thankful for her colleagues that I get to, albeit infrequently, work with, namely Jason and Eliot. I wish I got to see them more, because I am always thankful for the opportunity. And it’s good to be thankful.

I am thankful that I rarely see myself in the mirror making air quotes.

I am thankful for Paul Draper, Eric Baugher, John Olney, David Gates, Kyle Theriot, Will Thomas, Shun Ishikubo, and Muiris Griffin, for the absurdity of how much they’ve taught me, and how patient they’ve been with me.

I am thankful for when Petit Verdot gets ripe. Because if swampy and funky can become fragrant and floral, then beauty is forever possible.

I am thankful for every moment there is not violence.

I am thankful for funny instructions on fading paper, push-pinned to dirty corkboard, that say things like, “If  you see a mountain lion, don’t bend over,” because who bends over when they see a mountain lion? And I am thankful that this is based on a true story.

I am thankful for true stories. And made up ones as well.

I am thankful for the opportunity to read poems that were written by people who were drinking wine while they were writing.

I am thankful to Ryan Moore, because he is my boss, and he seems to kind of like me. Which really feels good.

And I am thankful that the fates and powers that blessed Ryan with a wonderful wife have now blessed him with a beautiful, wonderful child, because I am very happy for him, and it’s good to be happy for other people.

I am also happy for myself, and am thankful that I have been blessed with a wonderful wife and a beautiful, wonderful child.

I am thankful that the obvious similarities between myself and my boss obviously continue.

I am thankful for the days when my boss calls and says things like, “Have you tasted the 2007 Dynamite Hill recently?” And I say, “No.” And he says, “Can you pull a bottle and taste it, and tell me what you think?” And I say, “Yes, boss.”

I am thankful for, in no particular order: Love, and the Lack of Hate.

Also for Charlie Christian, Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell, Lester Young, Bill Evans, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt, Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery, Zoot Sims, and Grant Green.

I am thankful that Duke Ellington is the Monte Bello of Jazz, and that Monte Bello is the Duke Ellington of Wine.

I am thankful for what localism teaches us about being peaceful with one another.

I am thankful that wine from our estates makes people feel peaceful.

I am thankful for peace.

I am thankful.

I am thankful for the certainty that this list will never end, and that, when confronted with all the wonderful things I’ve inadvertently omitted from this iteration of this list, I will have another opportunity at some future time to make amends.

I am thankful for ancient Mountains-and-Rivers Poetry.

I am thankful that I work on a mountain.

I am thankful to Ridge, for forever altering my life in momentous ways I could have never imagined, for, above all else, affording me the means to support my family.

I am thankful to Ridge for trusting me to speak for Ridge.

I am thankful for Merlot.

I am thankful for pine cones.

I am thankful for rattlesnakes, and the ones that don’t bite me.

I am thankful to Penske, for renting me the truck that carried me from New York to California, for helping to prove in yet one more way that Northern California is indeed the promised land, for stopping when I needed it to stop, at that truck stop where I first got on the phone with Nicole and inaugurated the process that would eventually culminate in my being hired by Ridge, and for starting again when it was time to start driving again to California.

I am thankful for my parents. And your parents.

I am thankful for anyone who buys a fine bottle of wine for their parents.

I am thankful for parents who buy Monte Bello from the birth year of their children.

I am thankful for the poetry of Dylan Thomas.

I am thankful for every moment, in every corner of the world, in which someone eats a slice of pizza, then takes a rather healthy swallow of really good wine.

I will never admit it to her, but in truth, I am thankful that my wife did not allow me to name our daughter “Pizza” as I wanted to, because even though this would guarantee I would spend my life saying, “I love you, Pizza” over and over, it wouldn’t have in fact been particularly fair to our daughter, and if there’s one thing that being a parent teaches you, it’s that love means someone else.

I am thankful for pizza.

I am thankful for pizza and wine.

I am thankful for, not Chivas Regal in a $5 room (as Tom Waits had it), but pizza and a $400 Monte Bello.

I am thankful for art, and those who mean to make it.

I am thankful.

I am thankful.

I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good day.

I am thankful you read this.

I am thankful for that which you feel thankful for.

I feel thankful for you, whoever you are.

I feel thankful.

I am thankful.

Thank you.

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Posted in Viticultural Salmagundi, Varietals & Blends, Wine Tales, Food & Wine Pairing, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Bordeaux varietals, Rhone varietals, Tasting Rooms, History, Monte Bello, Wine & Poetry, Virtual Verticals, Wine and Jazz, Merlot, Carignane, Grenache, Petit Verdot, RIDGE Staff, Winemaking, Paul Draper, Wine Quotes, Lytton Springs, Santa Cruz Mountains Estate, Wine & Music, Wine & Art, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine & Philosophy, Wine & Spirituality, Wine & The Holidays | 2 Comments »

Chardonnay for Thanksgiving? Ya, Sure, Ya Betcha!

November 21, 2011

To some, it might seem obvious, but perhaps not to all, so I wax today on the subject for the sake of the still un-converted.

Chardonnay, especially Ridge Vineyards Chardonnay, pairs EXTREMELY well with the archetypal Thanksgiving (i.e. Autumnal) table. Or so I believe. Or so I know, as the case may be!

With the arrival of our 2011 Holiday Pack offerings, we technically have 4 different chardonnays available; each with their own personality, and each with their own singular array of culinary companionabilities.

I’ll begin with the 2009 Mikulaco Chardonnay. Probably the lightest, highest-tone, and most approachable of the four as far as girth goes, this is actually a great wine to close out a meal with (depending on your approach to dessert!). After a meal heavy on meat, starches, root vegetables, gravy, etc.( if you go the traditional American Thanksgiving route), it can often be rather digestively redeeming to dessert with something fresher, lighter, more acidity-driven, healthy in character, but still in keeping with the opulence of the meal. I suggest poached pears! Bosc are best, and if you use ginger, vanilla beans, and chardonnay in the poaching “broth,” you’ll end up with an extremely delicious dessert that pairs exceptionally well with the Mikulaco.

Next, our 2009 Estate Chardonnay. While I generally refrain from quoting other’s reviews, I have to say that Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate got it pretty spot-on when they reviewed this wine (and awarded it 95 points!): “The 2009 Chardonnay Estate is an impeccable, classy wine layered with bright citrus, flowers and just a touch of sweetness from the oak. Crushed rocks and lime peel add complexity on the textured, long finish.” I read that, and I’m immediately thinking pie. So again, another great dessert pairing, particularly if you want to go slightly unorthodox; how’s about rockin’ a Key Lime Pie! The florality matches wonderfully with the bright sweetness of the sugared lime, the oak toast works perfectly with the graham cracker crust, and the citrus-driven acidity is a great cut against the whipped cream. But that’s not the only option for this wine, it’s also a great pairing option for either a pre-meal “buffet” (bread & crackers, hummus (i.e. Haig’s!), dips, spreads, tapenades, etc.), or the earlier part of “the big meal”; think potatoes in all forms, beets, cranberry sauce, stuffing as a side, and gravy, glorious gravy!

And speaking of gravy, here’s a killer way to not only liven up your gravy, but link it to the wine. In a skillet, pour a good dose of olive oil, and before you turn on the heat, dice/chop in as many cloves worth of garlic as you can stand. Then, on with the heat. (By allowing the garlic and the oil to heat together, you get a much more intense infusion of garlic flavor into the oil). While you wait for the garlic and oil to get going, dice and slice a small box worth of baby bella mushrooms. When ready, toss these into the skillet, then pour in a big splash of chardonnay. Then, after you’ve finished drinking, pour in a big splash into the skillet as well! Now, here’s the trick, in order to get the mushrooms to release their juice, put the lid on, and keep the heat steady. Then, once the mushrooms have softened and released, take the lid off, up the heat slightly, and let the juice cook down. Next, you’ll need your savoriness; drippin’s if you’re a meat-eater, tamari or soy sauce if vegetarian. Then, your herbs, primarily sage, sage, and sage. As this starts to cook down even more, keep adding chardonnay. When you’re ready, toss your flour/grain of choice, and thicken up! Perfect over potatoes, with chardonnay in the glass!

Now, how’s about the Jimsomare Chardonnay? It’s warm, round, and full, just like you’ll be feeling by the time you get to the turkey! Seriously though, this is a good pair for poultry, particularly the iron-rich dark meat. So grab a leg, and grab a Jimsomare! That said, if you really want to rock something special, go for ribs, and do them South Carolina style, with the spicy mustard-based sauce. This is an INCREDIBLE pairing with the Jimsomare Chardonnay, balletic in its perfection, without being overtly pretty. This is a get your fingers dirty and drink straight from the bottle kind of culinary heaven, and if you’ve got guests coming, encourage them to let their hair down and dig in! And, for a unique little twist, substitute horseradish mustard for the more traditional yellow, and let the spices and fruit go to work on your palate. That’ll give everyone something to be thankful for!

Now, lastly, the Monte Bello Chardonnay. This is for big kids. This is the real deal. This is just about one of the very best pairing wines for a traditional Thanksgiving-style meal that I’ve ever come across. It’s got weight, so it will stand up to anything you want to serve. Terducken? Bring it. And it’s got acidity, so it will cut through any fat you put in front of it. This will handle BIG gravy. And it’s got minerality, so it will work with any grain you get going (though it’s OH SO PARTICULARLY GOOD WITH CORN BREAD!), and it’s got some sweetness, so go ahead and get a bit spicy if you want to. And most of all, it’s got fruit, so serve it with appetizers, serve it with entrees, serve it with dessert; you’re good to go wherever you place it. Did I mention dessert? The Monte Bello Chardonnay and Pumpkin Pie? Perfection, though watch out how much of that pumpkin pie spice you lay on; too much cinnamon and nutmeg can throw the whole thing a bit off kilter.

In the end, I heartily recommend including chardonnay at your holiday table. Ridge Vineyards has four choices, and one of them is going to be just right for you. Me, I’m bringing all four!

 

P.S. If I’ve done any kind of good job of convincing you, then head to our Facebook page and vote for Chardonnay! Just click here.

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Posted in Chardonnay, Food & Wine Pairing | 3 Comments »

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