Friday, February 19, 2010

Think I Am Just Gonna Have To Do It




It was with me on my drive home from work last night. My stomach had been a little upset all day, not horrible just a little off, I slammed a little Marvin Gaye in the CD player….something soothing, comforting, distracting. I turned my little red car onto Westminster Blvd, “Make me wanna holler” creeping its way up my back and delivering some much needed relief to my way too tight shoulders…damn, just something about Marvin. I was letting my thoughts of work slip safely into the back of my mind as Marvin’s soulful voice carried forward what was next, “What should I make for dinner?”

Ran down the list of requirements while my head swayed back and forth in time with the music, “Not too complicated. Not too rich. Something that won’t further upset my touchy tummy” this was when it popped into my head for the second time of the day…. "I would love a little digestif” I happen to be a great lover of digestif, hell I even make my own when I am lucky enough to get my hands on large bunches of aromatics herbs. Last year Randy’s wife Dale brought me giant sacks of herbs from her garden…Lemon Thyme, Lavender, Tarragon, Basil….I had mason jars full of luscious herbal delights in varying shades of green taking up all the room in my freezer. I would sip them alone or fill a tall glass with crushed ice and add equal parts digestif and tonic water, drank those all summer long….dig em.

“So did you ever get in that Amaro you were talking about a couple weeks ago?” it was Kate my Kermit Lynch rep looking at our booze department yesterday afternoon. When she had come in for her appointment a couple of weeks ago she stumbled upon a very lit up, very chatty, extremely spun group of wine professionals. We had just tasted something so unusual, so stunning, so fucking alluring that we could not stop talking about it….well, I couldn’t anyway. I had been involved in my own little tasting when Randy approached me with a glass in his hand, “Sam, you have got to smell this” I took the glass, gave it a spin and was guessing by the oily way the wine slipped up the sides of the glass that it was some sort of dessert wine, usually not my favorite. I held the base of the glass between my fingers and brought it to my nose, “Holy shit. What is that?!”…




“Varja Barolo Chinato” a voice from the other tasting table announced, I turned my head to see that the guy that brought it in was wearing the shit eating grin of someone that knew they had something truly remarkable. I tore myself away from the nose…killed me, I literally could have just kept the glass by my side picking it up, spinning it and spending hours in its beguiling, intoxicating aromatics. Just thinking about it now is giving me that, “Ahhhh” feeling, you know, like when you slip into a warm tub. When I finally took the thick liquid into my mouth a blast of sweetness met the very tip of my tongue followed by an intense floral and spice flavor and then it came…that balancing bitter thing that seems to fill your mouth and gently lay over that syrupy sweetness….damn.

“Oh God, we have to bring this in” I said in an almost pleading tone. Randy asked the price and gave me a slightly painful shake of his head, I was crushed. Experience has taught Randy that there are certain things that no matter how much we yammer about them, no matter how many lines we dedicate to them in the newsletter and no matter how enthusiastically we talk about them, that people are just not comfortable spending their hard earned cash on. A $65.00 Amaro, (bitter digestif) made from Barolo is probably the definition of such a thing. I’m sure Randy could just see us red tagging this thing that we all flipped out tops for after they languished on the shelf for a year in a half. I could tell he was pained as he told us all, “I just don’t think we can sell it. It’s amazing but I’m not sure there are enough people willing to drop $65.00 on a curiosity” He was right of course but as I took my last sip of the liquid that would haunt me for weeks the rep leaned in and said, “Hey Sam, just so you know….we sell that by the bottle, you wouldn’t have to buy a case”…wise man.

I tried to put the stuff out of mind the way you do a lover that you know you can never touch again. It was lovely but way too painful to keep thinking about something that you will never be able to attain. I had just gotten to where I was only allowing myself one tiny little lustful thought a day and then goddamn Kate comes in asking for it…damn you woman. That was it for me, I looked her in the eye and told her, I’m going to order myself one, I just can’t take this anymore. She let a grin spread across her face and she said, “Order me one too. I have not been able to get that stuff out of my mind since you told me about it” As I jotted myself a little note to get a hold of the importer that brings it in I heard Ronnie, who had been listening in on Kate and I say, “Order me one too”




So in a couple weeks your girl here will be indulging her lustful want, letting my palate be washed away with sweetness, Anise, clove, rose petals, orange rind, coriander and ginger…letting her nostrils flare, take in some of the most shiver inducing, haunting aromas she has encountered in a very….very long time. Having that sexy as hell bitter flavor wrap around the sides on my tongue…letting a $65.00 digestif made from Nebbiolo, grown in Barolo, macerated for thirty days with herbs and spices, a wildly enticing, “curiosity” be that lover that I do in fact get to touch again. Cannot wait.


Available by special order only so if you are in fact "curious" either email, post a comment of give me a call at The Wine Country (562) 597-8303

16 comments:

Ron Washam, HMW said...

My Gorgeous Samantha,

OK, if it turns you on so much, get on a plane and bring me six bottles. Then you and I can macerate in herbs and spices for 30 days.

I love you!

Your HoseMaster

vickibarkley said...

A bottle for me, please!
This is so exciting!
And, I can't wait for the Northern Rhone thing tomorrow...I miss you!

David McDuff said...

Sam,

Vajra's Barolo Chinato is indeed a beautiful, ethereal drink. It pains me no end that the importer/distributor that brings Aldo and Giuseppe's wines into this part of the country either can't or won't bring in the Chinato. Like you, there'd be a bottle (or three) in my cart in no time flat.

I'm guessing/assuming it's Rinascimento that's bringing the Chinato into your market? If so, say hi to Justin for me.

(word verification: scorn -- so not befitting...)

Samantha Dugan said...

Ron My Sweet,

Oh I wish I could be seeing as I cannot. just macerate away and think of me!

Vicki,
I thought of you when I had this and knew that you would want one too. This thing is so up your alley chicka.

David,
I will be sure to say hi to Justin for you and will be thinking of you as I sip away.

Sara Louise said...

I'm intrigued! Barolo is my favorite =)

The Woo said...

Damn. I know it wasn't your intent, but that is a helluva effective way to sell some wine!

OK, now I gotta have some. Count me in for at least a bottle. Dude.

Please let me know when they come in.

Samantha Dugan said...

Sara,
Sadly my dear I cannot ship to France but this stuff is just so remarkably sexy...if you can find some, get it!

Woo,
Gotta tell ya, I was a tad worried that this might come off as an uber sales move, (which is not horrible seeing as I do in fact want to sell the things I talk about here) but when I was thinking about it I just knew there were some of my readers that would so want a bottle. We are not bringing the stuff in so I thought I would toss that, "if you want me to order you one too let me know" thing in. I will order one for you and send you an email when they arrive. Dude, yer gonna dig it...

Eric V. Orange said...

Hey, I will be in LA the 10th and 11th next month. How long does it take to get it?

EVO

The Woo said...

Dude, if you think I'm gonna dig it, then get me two! Seriously. Let me know when they comes in.

I gotta stop before I talk myself into 3, then say, why not a six pack? Dude, the curse of the collector-geek.

Samantha Dugan said...

Eric,

First of all if you are around and have time I would love to meet you! Second, I will have them by then so just let me know if you want me to order one for you and it will be here waiting for you.

Woo,
Dude, I'm gonna orfer you two...trust me.

Eric V. Orange said...

Make it so, Sans.

We are tentatively planning an informal meet and greet cocktail hour somewhere on Wednesday the 10th.
Nothing is solid plan, just thinking about saying hello to some of the long time users of LWE who might be able to make it. If that is something you might be interested in, let me know. If not, I will find a way to get to the store. Not sure yet what I'm doing car wise, but I will figure it out.

Samantha Dugan said...

Eric,

I will order you one and keep me posted on the event you are planning. We will find a way to get it to you. If I cannot make the event we can still meet somewhere....exciting, I adore putting a face with the name and meeting all you cool ass cats that read and post here.

Ron Washam, HMW said...

My Gorgeous Samantha,

I don't have anything to say, I just missed you and wanted you to think about me.

I love you!

Your HoseMaster

Samantha Dugan said...

Ron,
Okay that totally melted me. I even did the teeth sucking, "Awe" thing....it worked, I'm thinking about you.
Big Hugs
Sloppy Kisses
Melted
Samantha

PaulG said...

If anyone happens to be passing through Waitsburg, Washington, you'll find a lovely assortment of Chinato/Amaro by the glass at jimgermanbar. And most likely I'll be there chipping - that is sipping - away at the stockpile.

Golf videos said...

Amaro should not be confused with amaretto, another Italian liqueur that is sweet and flavored with almonds or the pits of drupe fruits such as apricots.