Posts belonging to Category Austria

Dotor√© can breathe easy again. IGTY is lounging in his pool. All is good in LA when the temps cross 90 for good. Here it is…the LA summer. Early AM golf before you wilt and late dinners as the evening cools down to the 80s even the 70s. Life is good. Let’s pull corks on some panks and follow those with bright and biting acidic whites. Anything from Italy, Spain and Lodi will do. Drinkum up in the company of friends old and new. July 4th is here! Tell me more. Tell me more. (more…)

Minerve in the Languedoc

What a wonderful eclectic selection of wines we have for you! We cover the territory tBoW likes to traverse. From Southern France to Burgundy we have found values. And they are currently available if you hunt now. So put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and get on the Internet! Or if you live in LA drive to your local wine vendor or straight to Palate Wine. Bring cash! (more…)

Me I want a hoola hoop! The holidays are coming and going in a blur this year (thankfully). 2009 has been tortuous for most of us given the ubiquitous economic “recovery”. Tanks Gott the recession is over according to Bernanke and Supreme Blowhard Larry Kudlow!! This does not mean we cannot enjoy being with friends and family while we resist the urge to purchase items that demonstrate our supreme affection for members of both groups [ed. how tender]. However, rest assured the occasion for gathering is always going to be enhanced if the host pours some decent wines. We certainly found this to be the case in the Christmas week and will probably find the same truth to hold for the New Year. The usual gatherings at Casa tBoW featured most of the blog blowhards and they were clamoring for wine wine and more wine. Please excuse the fuzz tones on photos. Here is what got pulled. We hope your holiday party was equally filled with family, good friends, the Singing Chipmunks, and, if not good value, at least good wines. (more…)

Summer afternoon tastings that morph into evening wine campaigns is what the hottest season is all about. Strategy, tactics and logistical controls are so very important especially when conditions are harsh as in really really H-O-T. And when the tasting theme, suggested by the regent Mouse is Riesling served cold, temperature management is vital. As the outside thermometer burns through 100 degrees the glasses get warm just sitting around. The treatment? Cold conditioning for stemware which means rinse the glass in ice water before each new pour. Wine buckets no more than a quick reach away replenished with ice throughout the day. But what about the taster? Keep a swimming pool nearby, wear trunks or a discrete one-piece and dip every 30 minutes. Throw a towel over the chair and return to the table. Assemble a crack team with the inevitable hangers-on. Tactics include having the requisite plonk for the lumpen. To summarize…keep cool and moist, stratify wine selections, and ensure the tasting cadre are kept refreshed.
This tasting proved to be especially interesting.
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It has been 20 years since tBoW visited Portland and the Willamette Valley in 1993. We made two day trips into the Valley touring McMinnville and the Dundee Hills. Here is a map of the AVAs in the valley. Link here to the Willamette Valley Wineries website.
We visited about ten wineries including Domaine Drouhin, Rex Hill VIneyards, Torii Mor Winery, Brickhouse Vineyards, and Lange Winery. (more…)