Red Wine Haiku.

Lane Steinberg's unique approach to reviewing wine, in strict 17-syllable formation.

I'm picking out the ones on his list that I have had or have on my shelf, for addition judgement.

"83)Red Bicyclette Syrah 2002 (France)
Uncomplicated
And as fresh as a spring rain
I'm common, sue me"
I remember it tasting distinctly of honey. You can sue me, too.

"207) Old Moon Old Vine Zinfandel 2005 (California)
Zin, you're my hero
Your ripe, cheapo goodness crowns
This sweet golden age"
He's right. The TJ's "Moon" labeled swills are damn good.

"233) Don Miguel Gascon Malbec 2005 (Argentina)
Rain-soaked tumbleweeds
Fruit that's fallen to the ground
Money left for food"
Currently on my shelf. I have been waiting for the right food to try it with, but I do not wish to relive my first experience making empanadas. Maybe I'll try it with the Sopa de Manzanas from Argentina night?

"243) Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2004 (California)
Liked it quite a lot
Though missing a bit of spine
Small head, lots of hair"
I like their Cab Sauv better. I am perplexed by this final line . . .

This fellow has had much more wine than me. But I have many more years of wine consumption during which I can catch up. I will never be quite as clever, though.

Back with a Vengeance.

Determined to get back into the wine blogging spirit, I must admit that I overdid it a little bit and I am composing this about 4 hours after my first glass and my 750 ml of Peachy Canyon 2005 "Incredible Red" Zinfandel is now empty. It's been sitting on my wine rack for some time as I've been either too busy to share a bottle of wine with some friends or my favorite Oregon Honey Beer either was more accessible or better suited my financial situation at the time.

Regardless, this particular bottle was a nice way to welcome in the upcoming Zinfandel Festival in Peachy Canyon's home of Paso Robles.

Peachy Canyon 2005 Zinfandel is admittedly one of the first red Zin's I've had in quite some time and it was exactly what I needed to remind me how much I love Zins. The color was a marvelous ruby red when held to the light, garnet in the shadow. The nose was filled with light but fragrant smoky woods, berries and a slight hint of pears. As far the taste was concerned, it was full bodied and smooth with a delightfully subtle finish of peaches on the back of the soft palate. (In retrospect, perhaps that pear-like scent I detected was really a light, fuzzy peach.)

For a price point of under $10 (I can't remember exactly how much, I bought it perhaps in December), Peachy Canyon's Incredible Red Zin delivers.

I admit that I will sometimes purchase a wine because I like the look of the label or the overall feel of the wine's packaging--this is something we can't ignore, because making good wine is ultimately about selling good wine. I bought this wine because it felt serene and peaceful, from the light teal aluminum seal over the cork to the beautifully sketched vineyards in a matching color scheme on the label. The simple, thin, serif font on the label also added to this feel of simple elegance.



The classicism aspect also adds to the appeal of the label. I imagine Bacchus would approve.

Wine: Peachy Canyon 2005 "Incredible Red" Zinfande
Location: Paso Robles
Price Tag: under $10
Purchased at: my local Trader Joe's

I went home to visit the family and the fiance this weekend in the Bay Area. Other than my family's stuff, I am completely out of touch with Northern California wines and vines. This is not a good thing to admit, but I have no idea what is going on in the industry up there. I just know that the wine lists at the two Italian-esque restaurants I dined at over the weekend were rather uninspiring and rather overpriced.
At Giovanni's in Berkeley, Marcus and I tried a Mondavi Pinot Noir made from grapes harvested in an unknown Central Coast location. I've taken to calling these little Mondavi side projects as "joints," a la Spike Lee. Either the grape quality was far weaker than a Pinot ought to be or the winemaker just decided to forgo the richness of Pinots and make a wine completely devoid of legs.
Another theory: our waitress decided to charge us the Pinot price and give us some watered down house wine instead.
At Melo's in Pleasant Hill, Eric and I shared a half bottle of Ruffino Chianti, which tasted exactly what a Chianti should taste like. The size of the bottle was far more interesting than the wine, and I really think that custom-sized bottling could become a good specialty market for producers.

Apologies.

Despite the fact that when I began this blog I was somehow able to purchase a new bottle of wine each week on my meager wage slave earnings, I have not been able to keep up with it.

My new job, which gives me considerably more money and allows me to be paid for my writing, has rearranged my schedule in a way that doesn't bring me so close to my favorite wine-purchasing locale multiple times a week.

I have been living off my own wine and port wine for most of the summer, and because Broglio Cellars stock is so available to me when my parents come to visit, I can hardly justify buying more. As it is officially fall, I resolve to return to a decent routine that includes a trip to an enotech at some point during the week. Even if it means abandoning my cats for just a little bit longer than usual.

Leave it to the beaver to make a white wine so good I could drink and entire bottle without noticing.

That's my praise for Castoro Cellars 2005 Muscat Canelli.



It's light, crisp and sweet. Filled with tasty notes of peaches, and pears, finished with a little bit of sour apple underneath. All my favorite fruits in one delicious wine for $8.99.

I've just finished my wine feature for The Collegiate Magazine. It's more on process, using my family as a means to illustrate said process, than my thoughts on wine, but that's what this business is all about.

I decided to open Sideshow's oddity #3: The Barker in order to get my creative juices flowing and allow me to finish the article. Actually, Heather's boyfriend made the decision for me because I offered them a share in the bottle. Chris chose this over a Vouvray. So I blame Chris's poor decision on the fact that the industry's new screwcap trend is not always a good idea.

This one, for instance, definitely turned, but it did not screw off in any way, shape or form. Thus, Heather and I resorted to the creative method of trying to cut the perforations, which helped only mildly. Then I decided to use my lone corkscrew creatively and screwed a hole through the top, and then a second, ultimately allowing us to pry the damned thing off.

Our punishment is that we must now drink the entire bottle.

Maybe that's a blessing in disguise?

So far, the Sideshow Barker (a Spanish Grenache) is dry, tart, bold and finishes sweet. I think the name is apt.

Sideshow wines are some of my favorite things. They appeal to my two great loves: grapes and carnies. Billed in true carnival fashion as a "collection of oddities and novelties from amound the world, each of these swills features a well-designed, antiqued label featuring a traditional carnival denizen that embodies the wine within the bottle. On display at this Sideshow are: The Barker (a Spanish Grenache), La Rosa (a Spanish Rose), The Puppetmaster (an Argentine Malbec/Syrah), Queen Roma (an Aussia Reisling), The Contortionist (a Grenache, Shiraz, Mounverde blend), and The Juggler (a Chardonnay/Chenin).



I am impressed by the cleverness and adventurous nature of this winemaker. Also, a blended wine is always fun to try and test my palatte with because one can never be too certain of how a blended wine is supposed to taste. It makes it more of a challenge to pick out the flavors of the grapes from the added flavors.

I've tried both the Contortionist and Queen Roma, and while I was not impressed with the overly alcoholic boquet of The Contortionist, Queen Roma was a nice, sweet Reisling. (Probably my second favorite next to Bonny Doon's Pacific Rim Reisling, which I'll pair with Japanese food any day.)

I purchased my first Rose' just the other day, and, naturally, it's Sideshow's La Rosa. I've never had a Rose in my life--my family never made them--but I look forward to having fun with this pink-clad queen of burlesque.



(For $6.99, she's one affordable good time.)

The Dr. Beckermann Piesporter Michelsberg is excellent to pair with cheese fondue, and, for that matter, to go in your cheese fondue.

It's crisp, golden and flavored with pears.

Unfortunately--and this is my sentiment about most white wines--that makes it really easy to drink and entire bottle by yourself as though it were water.

As to the Dr. Beckermann Zeller Schwarzekatz, it bears an aroma of herbs and a flavor of tart berries and cheddar. I feel it better complemented the chocolate fondue.

The best part about these is the price (under $5) and the fact that they come in lovely blue and green bottles.