Posts belonging to Category Chenic Blanc

August 5, 2010
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Posted by Bacchus
The name is Ruxin, James Ruxin. Jim has been selling the most collectible wines to a select clientele for decades. Getting on his customer list was once a bit like getting the unlisted phone number for Ma Maison. Except, what Ruxin has to offer is much different than what you got at the old A-list venue. Today it is easier to see what he has to sell. Just email him – jumruxin@yahoo.com – and asked to be put on his Village Wine of Brentwood mail list. (more…)
Categories: Chateauneuf du Pape, Chenic Blanc, Dessert, Grenache, Loire Valley, Monterey, Syrah, Vouvray
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Tags: 1996 Chateau De l' Echardie Quarts de Chaume Clos Paradis, 2000 Domaine de Pegua Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Reservée, 2007 Domaine Pichot Vouvray Domaine Le Peu de la Mariette, 2007 Lucia Syrah Susan's Hill Santa Lucia Highland, Jim Ruxin, Village Wine of Brentwood
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September 11, 2009
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Posted by Bacchus
Labor Day is the nominal “end-of-summer” holiday. Of course, we know summer can last another 6 to 8 weeks easily. And we want it to. This summer tBoW converted to the Church of Chenin Blanc. Blame tBoW taster/blogger Mouse who got it all started with two tastings in July. After tasting through a couple Coteaux de Layons and a Quarts de Chaume it all became clear. This was enough to prompt tBoW to trade the remainder of his vintage Sauternes holdings for a bunch of Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume wines. I do not think I will ever look back. [ed. what tBoW traded above; what he got below] (more…)
Categories: Barbera, Chenic Blanc, Counoise, Dessert, Lodi, Ribera del Duero, Rose, Tempranillo
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Tags: International Space Station, Jim Ruxin, Space Shuttle
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July 30, 2009
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Posted by Bacchus
Categories: Chenic Blanc, Dessert, Loire Valley, Pinot Noir, Rioja Alta, Russian River Valley, Tempranillo
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Tags: Charles Neal Selections, Mouse, Neal Rosenthal, The King
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July 18, 2009
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Posted by Bacchus
The emergence of a newfound wine snob can be dangerous. Chances are things go the wrong way if the ingenue parrots all the same stoopid metaphors, failing in the process to represent a personal point of view. And make no mistake; it is the POV that matters. It also helps to have a tasting palate and to generally enjoy wine and good food. Things go well when the fearless taster is willing to share his point of view and can craft his own metaphors for what he experiences. Say hello to Wild Willie, a man who described a Sangiovese as “typewriter ribbon”. Now, he might have been having a little fun but the effort was strong. Refreshing as a bright fruity Albariño. (more…)
Categories: Chenic Blanc, Loire Valley, Paso Robles, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sangiovese, Sonoma, Syrah, Tuscany
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Tags: Hank Skewis, Skewis wines, Sonoma Pinot Noir
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April 25, 2009
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Posted by Bacchus

With Spring and Summer comes wine festival season. With so many many to choose from tBoW presents two festivals worth your consideration. How is a wine festival like a golf tournament? If you like golf you must go to a tour event at least once, see the pros hit the ball, make tricky putts, eat a hot dog. If you like wine then you should probably attend an event where the wineries are pouring their best stuff, you can attend an exclusive dinner in a winery, and talk to the winemaker over sips. [ed. photos show the Pipestone corner of paradise, the 10 acre vineyard and the wonderful owners/winemakers/farmers Jeff and Flo] (more…)
Categories: Barbaresco, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenic Blanc, Gamay, Malbec, Napa, Nebbiolo, Sonoma, Valle de Uco, Zinfandel
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Tags: http://www.vinesofmendoza.com/, Paso Robles Art Association, Paso Robles Wine Festival, Portland Indie Wine Festival, Savannieres, Tablas Creek
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March 13, 2009
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Posted by Bacchus

March Madness officially starts next week but at tBoW we are already in high gear. Sixty-five teams will be seeded based on the subjective assessment of a panel of experts who weigh a bucketful of factors never disclosed that determine whether a team plays in the season’s biggest tournament or not. Something like judging wines at a State Fair. Or reading the Wine Advocate.
This week tBoW reviews a number of bottles “on the bubble” [ed. as opposed to bubbly wines] and a few top seeds. There are always upsets (go Trojans) but this year there are few clear cut favorites. The public has its preferences but the field, in wine, has been leveled by the e-c-o-n-o-m-y. Our cellar dwellers are no losers by a long shot (check out the 2 Baroli). (more…)
Categories: Barolo, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Chenic Blanc, Nebbiolo
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Tags: Dejuan Blair, March Madness, North Carolina, Tyler Hansbrough, UCLA basketball, USC basketball, Wake Forest
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September 13, 2008
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Posted by Bacchus
The Perseid meteor shower in mid August seemed like a great excuse to return to the Villa del Valle in Guadalupe Valley, rest a bunch, watch the llueve de estrellas and shop in Ensenada and Rosarito. The Missus conspired to visit wineries we had missed the first time…and tBoW was impressed! This is harvest time so the vines are heavy with fruit. (more…)
Categories: Chardonnay, Chenic Blanc, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Syrah, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Zinfandel
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Tags: Adobe Guadalupe Winery, Baron Balche Winery, Cantina Mayahuel, Ensenada, Guadalupe Valley, Hugo D'Acosta, Paralelo Winery, Rosarito, tequila, Vena Cava Wines, Villa del Valle
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June 27, 2008
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Posted by Bacchus
Call me a snob. I think the best dining on the West Coast is in San Francisco (notable exception Bashan in Montrose, Lou in Hollywood). In LA fine dining is first and foremost measured by how costly is the dinner (lower cost = worse fare). I also believe that fine dining in LA invariably comes in two flavors: Italian or the mega-steak house. Given a choice I will take Italian any day over the Mortons and Mastros gang (especially local fare like Giovanni in Woodland Hills). Today’s steakhouses are modern day cafeterias. They all serve the same stuff essentially the same way. Given a choice I will take LA’s international choices (Chinese in Monterey Park, Mexican – Tamayo – in East LA, Korean in mid-Wilshire, D’ Cache - Argentine – in Burbank) every time over asparagus, spuds with lobster and a New York I can burn myself on my home grill. [ed. Dined at Cube in West Hollywood and found it very Frisco-like in an LA way so things are looking up around here...now if could just convince restaurateurs to serve something other than Cabernet and Chardonnay...some are, some are...but not enough!] (more…)
Categories: Burgundy, Chardonnay, Chenic Blanc, Cotes de Beaune, Grenache, Moscato d'Asti, Pinot Noir, Rose, Sparkling, Syrah
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Tags: Daniel Negranu, fine dining in LA, Glendale dining, Jennifer Tilly, Palate
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June 20, 2008
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Posted by Bacchus
This year was the 30th anniversary of the Playboy Jazz Festival. It is a day in the sun with “mature” party pipples including the tBoW crew.
We bring plenty of wine, cheese, a camera and binocs because the best performers are not always on stage.
The festival lineup follows a rather inflexible format: 3 or 4 new performers paired with seasoned tigers fill the first half of the day. Then there is a dinner act followed by the pop stars, a “classic” vet, and closing with a crowd pumper (Tower of Power this year and they did pump). The downside is minor if predictable. Bill Cosby, exercising his traditional emcee role, puts together “his” ensemble of local premium performers who jam under the name Cos of Good Music. The indulgence is tolerable because the ensemble features truly great musicians (such as trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire) who, having never played in one group, are compelled to exhibit their talent in featured solos. (more…)
Categories: Bandol, Chenic Blanc, Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, Tempranillo
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Tags: Al Jarreau, DIVA, Dr. John, Hiromi, Jerry Lewis, Pancho Sanchez, Playboy Jazz Festival, Renée Resnes, RnR, Some Like it Hot, Tower of Power
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