Posts belonging to Category Guadalupe Valley

the Glass Jar takes a closer look at the “news cycle” and finds a deeply personal POV

As James Comey swept the news cycle with reflections on his encounters with President Trump and his termination from the FBI, he gave the world many images for our time. One of these images had Trump alone with the former FBI Director asking for loyalty which illustrated the “mob boss” style of leadership Comey has articulated. Another image depicted Comey staring at the news informing him of his firing and leaving him in shock.

Yet another image depicted by Comey may have deeper meaning than one may initially suspect and that involves him drinking red wine from a paper cup. We typically make the effort to ensure our wine remains in a clear wine glass although the glass itself will not likely affect the taste yet during such a low moment one may feel such trivial details do not matter in the larger scheme of things.

Comey’s description of himself drinking wine in a cup resembles a scene from the 2004 film Sideways [ed. the movie is a favored tBoW device for illustrating obtuse points, most recently the fact that Paul Giamatti and Paul Lato doppelgang each other].

In Sideways Miles helplessly watched his best friend get married while meeting his ex-wife’s new husband. Trying to maintain his cool when talking to the woman who broke his heart, she informs him of the baby she will soon have with her new husband. Suddenly, he realizes the woman who meant so much to him will start a family leaving him as insignificant to her as ever. Given his hectic and paranoid nature, Miles reaches a low moment where nothing seems to matter under a cloud of utter misery. After the wedding, he sits down at a fast-food restaurant and drinks his coveted 1961 Cheval Blanc in a paper cup just like the one Comey prefers! Miles frequently mentions this bottle throughout the film and how he’s saving it for a special moment. His despair sends the message that there’s no point in waiting for such a moment or even a wine glass.

The choice between a wine glass and a cup seems insignificant, especially when we are with loved ones. Who needs a wine glass? The moment feels comfortable and any worries about propriety stay out of the room. The wine glass is a symbol of a relaxed social endeavor. When we feel alone and are facing the currents of hopelessness, what’s the difference between wine in a glass or in a cup?

As a natural born New Englander who has never been known to my friends as an avid hugger, I am not one to say “hug a stranger” or any of that bullshit. Sometimes people just want some space and a hug feels like almost too much at once. I would say don’t give somebody a hug if you see them crying and do not give somebody a hug if they want to be alone. In fact, don’t hug strangers ever. I don’t know who came up with that phrase or what they were on. There is one exception.

Should you ever encounter somebody drinking wine from a cup, give them a hug. People cry and people feel down from time to time but a person drinking wine from a cup is telling the universe that he needs all the help he can get. Go give that person the biggest fu**ing hug you’ve ever given.

[ed. Glass Jar hits another high point in the culture of tasting wine. On a 100 point scale I would give this report a solid 99!]

Here are some wines we quickly tasted after reading the Glass Jar’s thoughtful message.

2015 Vena Cava Rose ~$20 if you buy it at the estate. We expected it would come in 2nd – a close second – to the Casa Magoni. But we were wrong. More acidic and darker red color made us recall the deep red rose wines from Sevilla. Lovely. Wish we had more. Avenatti would like this wine.

Casa Mongoni Rose ~$20 made by the most renowned winemaker in the Guadalupe Valley. More fleshy which means for tBoW more soft than he prefers. However, just about perfect for Mrs. tBoW. April Ryan – WH correspondent who is a sweetheart with a nasty bite if you cross her – would agree.

2005 Lopez de Herredia Bosconia $35 Call this one of the most dependable wines of breed and elegance out there. Rioja blend of Tempranillo, Tinto Fino, Tinta Roriz, Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo. 12.5% alcohol. At 14 years age (believe me an oversight) this is just perfect. Lopez does wait like eight years to release these wines so it was only forgotten in the cellar for a few years.

We are a bit past May 5 but better late than never for Cinco de Mayo!!

Warning: this post is written by Beexlee [tBoW name] who gets paid $$ to cover fashion style. Clarity of vision, sharp phraseology and general wordsmithing may cause disorientation for some readers.

Bodega Tres Mujeres: Humility & Charm

When GQ came out with the article “25 Bucket Hats Built for Summer That You Can Buy Right Now” last year, I gasped. Why were they encouraging them? Young men, who already have a hard time understanding that flip flops are not shoes to be worn anywhere but the beach, are now being told that hats made originally for toddlers are FASHION. I had to put the magazine down and walk away.

But slowly (very slowly) I have come around to the idea of bucket hats. It started with an old picture of me in a denim one. It was, objectively, cute. But was it just because I was 6 years old? Or could it be…fashion? Then there was a whole thing during Men’s Fashion Week in Paris that made me rethink the trend. And then there was another situation in GQ I couldn’t ignore: Timothée Chalamet in a Burberry-print bucket hat. Could it be that I had been wrong? Here’s the thing about fashion: it’s all about experimenting. Whether it’s jean on jean, crop tops, flared pants, or turtlenecks, the best part of fashion is that you get to decide what looks good (and what makes you feel good).

After a weekend in Guadalupe Valley in Baja, Mexico, I came to realize that the same is true of wines. The winemakers of Baja are taking what we know about wine—what works, what tastes good, what people like and buy—and experimenting with these building blocks to create a new culture of Mexican wines. Camilo from Casa Magoni blends different grapes from all over the world (he’s originally from Italy). Mogor Bodan’s Natalia took knowledge from her family’s background in Switzerland, plus actual grapes from Europe, and grew them in Baja. Vena Cava vinter Phil gets many of his grapes from other growers and explores with natural wines and sparkling wines.

And thus, when my uncle emerged on our first day of vacation wearing a white bucket hat, instead of the shivers I used to feel when I saw one, I thought to myself, “Cool! He’s experimenting.”

[ed. tBoW sez Natalia’s quincey fig winw wine made from Swiss chasselet was lushooosh]

I can easily say that the glass of the Chasselet 2016 Natalia gave me was the best white wine I’ve ever tasted. To be fair, I don’t really like white wine, so it was a low bar, but still, I could tell. Bodega Mogor Bodan:This was GOOD. I may have been swayed by the cat on the label, but the floral crisp wine has convinced me that perhaps I should be more open-minded when it comes to trying new whites. The rose was also excellent, crisp and smelling of brown-sugar. I will be saving it to drink on a warm summer evening on my rooftop in San Francisco. Be sure to stop by Deckman’s, the restaurant next door, for delicious seafood and veggies made in an outdoor kitchen. I can officially check “eat lunch in a cave” off my list.

Bodega El Pinar de 3 Mujeres: Yvette was very knowledgeable about all of her wines, which we tasted in a small cave filled with ceramics and handmade jewelry (yes I bought a pair of earrings, which are always in style). Despite having a french name (she’s from a french-speaking region of Mexico), she knew more about wine making in Mexico than anyone I had talked to. She has lived in Baja for 37 years, and says she has seen winemakers come and go; because of the water shortage, because of the climate change, because of life.

Bodegas Vena Cava: Phil gave the most comprehensive explanation of how wine is made that I’ve ever heard. His winery, located on the same property as his hotel, Ville del Valle, was one of the most architecturally exciting building that I visited in Baja. Designed by architects Alejandro D’Acosta and Claudia Turrent, the structure is made out of old boats, and houses Phil’s reds, whites, and roses, plus his experimental sparkling wines and natural wines. Originally from England, Phil and his wife sold their house in Southern California to move to Guadalupe Valley and run their hotel. Phil’s wine making journey originally began as a few classes here and there at the local wine school, but quickly evolved to become part of his livelihood in Baja.

The wines that stood out were his natural orange wine and his rosé, and there was something extra special about tasting the wines in a building that brought the ideas of sustainability and creativity together in such a beautiful way.

Wear what you want. Drink what you want. Experimentation is key.

tBoW comments: “experimentation is key” says Beexlee. I would add a quote from a long gone pal “I’ll try anything twice. I might not like it the first time.” Well tBoW could not have captured the 3 day trip to Baja Wine Country any better [we have covered the ruta del vino before when there was 20 instead of 120 bodegas]. Aren’t you – the reader – impressed to know that a college education can lead to something so charming and entertaining?

Take a trip to the Tres Mujeres Bodega in Guadalupe Valley!

As summer’s unofficial coming out party, Memorial Day weekend has lots going for it: BBQs, wine dinners, paella spectaculars with pan fried sardines …and plenty of wine loving pals. A few pages ahead on the calendar is the Topanga Art Tour and the Playboy Jazz Fest. Officially, Memorial Day is all about the red white and blue and our fighting forces. For the tBoW tasting team it is mostly about reds and whites while listening to Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughn. With a salute to our veterans we report on the wines put forth by the brave tasters who fight for wines under $20 every day in the bargain bins and floor boxes of liquor and wine stores where the real gems can be found…on sale! As IGTY so aptly explains the struggle …

The IGTY Manifesto: I have to budget for 6 bottles of wine a week. At 4.3 weeks in a month that comes to ~25 bottles and at $20 per, that is a lot more than I am willing to pay. My monthly wine budget is $400 and that means hunting down wines that cost ~$16.

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If you’re talking wine and truffles 2013 has gotten off to a fine start. Forget the sequester, the Lakers and the Oscars. The truffle season in Oregon is in its final throes. The Eno Merchant is about to go live. tBoW just feels good all over. Let’s talk about truffles and Barolo wines! (more…)

Wine Tasting was once a popular past time that got overrun by muddled rum cocktails and fruity martinis…except for the S-E-R-I-O-U-S-ly disaffected LOVERS of wine. If lovers is too intense go with FANS. If fans is too trite give AFFICIANDOS a shot. If afficionados is too froo-froo go fuck yourself. Kidding. Back to Wine Tasting the activity. We describe three popular formats [ed. other forms are mostly about meeting life partners]. (more…)