Long Hot Soak

Been a strange couple weeks, the bosses have been on a much needed vacation, (seriously have no idea how they held out so long) so I have been, “in charge” at the shop….really only means I do payroll as the shop runs itself, the staff has been amazing, with a particular nod to Ronnie who has stepped up in a big way and really took half the weight off my shoulders….that and he made bank runs, worked a bunch of Sundays in a row, in short he was absolutely my hero. Ronnie, I know you don’t really read this silly blog-o-mine, but should you stumble upon it…thank you dude, you were awesome. Along with the big cheeses being away, my partner in crime has been fighting some pretty serious tummy issues, so she has been off the fancy food and booze for over a week, we had to postpone, (again) my birthday blowout, no sense in going until everyone is in rare form, and to top it off the hubby and I, whom never really argue….at all, got into it last night and I found myself so irritated that I left the house to seek calm, and puppy kisses at my sister’s house late into the evening…sucky.




So on the hubby thing, I was way outta line, just one of those, should have said something before it rubbed me raw and I snarled at him, and true to his nature…he just kinda let me ramble on, said sorry, (which of course bugged me…chicks man, we are crazy beasts at times) and his ONE major offense, rolling his eyes at my irrational outburst, sent me to the car and off to invade puppyland. Our twice yearly “fight” ended as it always does, with me pouting for about an hour or two and then just wanting it to be over. I did fall asleep, (once I came back home) in one of our overstuffed chairs, not because I didn’t want to share a bed with the hubby, but because I felt like a ginormous asshole. I snuck into bed around 6 am only to have him do the feet sweep, you know, where they move their feet along the bottom of the bed until our feet touch…yeah that, sigh…felt like such a dick.




On top of that my cutest-thing-ever neighbor is also on vacation, so the adorable factor around my pad is at like negative 20 AND a good friend, that used to wig me out because I feared that our “playful” flirting might end up with him trying to eat my face….the friend I got stoopid drunk with one night and just asked, flat out, “Okay so you’re not trying to put you’re junk on me right?” to which he said no….confessed that he only said “no” to throw me off….awesome. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he was playing but I am all wigged again, not that I don’t adore having my tail chased…I’m a woman and I love the affirmation, but I have no desire to hurt anyone’s feelings, and I don’t know about all of you, but being shoved away….might sting a bit. Cannot and will not tell you how many times I’ve been face to face with some drunkard that wants to put their mouth on me…male, female, doesn’t matter, just sitting there, probably being provocative, (as I do when I’m buzzy) and WHAM-O, “I really want to kiss you right now”…shit…shit. Does it make me feel like I’m a sexy beast….hell no, makes me feel like a target, and stupid, that is the killer of fun.




So I’ve been feeling rather poopie all day, missing normalcy…out of sorts is an understatement. I went into work to pay the staff, also odd as I do not work on Monday, the hubby went to a concert with Merritt, so I have been sitting here all night…alone with my overwhelming sense of yuck. I watched movies, surfed the Interwebs but nothing was distracting me….then it hit me, “Sam, you need a long, hot bath” sigh……




Now the long part is a bit of bullshit, I always think I want a long bath…but the water gets cold, the bubbles dissipate and the whole reading in the tub thing….lame, pages get wet, cannot tolerate that nonsense and there is only so much scrubbing one can do you know? But the hot part, that is on the up and up. I pour my favorite bubbly junk, (smells of fresh lemon rind) in and dance around a bit while the scalding hot water creeps up my ankles, but once I am settled I am so the freaking commercial, the heavy sighing, the leaning back letting the water and bubbles lap against my ear lobes, whole deal and tonight, it was just what this weary girl needed.




So I emerged from the tub, pink, steaming and smelling of lemons looking for that one last thing…a glass of wine was so in order. So here I sit, freshly washed, scrubbed and lubed up with the proper amount of lotion, drinking a glass of 2008 Domaine du Dragon Cotes de Provence Rose…in my jammies, serenity. The wine is simple, full of minerals and soft succulent fruit with just enough acidity to keep me interested. The simple pleasures have so pleased me this evening, hot water, silence, lemon scented bubbles and a glass of beautifully balanced Rose…exhale

People Are Magic

How can you not love this, in that, "people are magic" kind of way?!

http://www.loweringthebar.net/2009/06/reasonable-consumer-would-know-crunchberries-are-not-real-judge-rules.html

Importers Taking A Page From The Wallmart Playbook...Rolling Back Prices

Our Burgundy department is not massive but it is deep, and by that I mean I don’t stock a bunch of different producers but I carry many wines from the producers I do stock. These are estates I trust, have rarely, (c’mon we are talking Burgundy here) let me down and whose wines I believe put the spotlight where it belongs…on the vineyard and the soil. When Randy opened the store he stocked the department with all the big names and many tiny producers he had fallen in love with over the years, problem was….no one in our area was really “aware” of Burgundy and honestly Randy himself had fallen out of favor with the region, he found the wines were more often than not, thin, rough, shrill and down-right heartbreaking. He didn’t feel good recommending them and after a couple of years he had a HUGE blowout sale, we’re talking DRC for $49.99 kind of sale here.



There are 2 red tag guns in the store, the regular red tag gun and the Randy red tag gun. When I taste a wine I feel should be reduced in price I make sure to ask that it be “red tagged” or “Randy red tagged” the latter being a wine that needs to go…now, so like a $50 wine reduced to $19.99, that is, “Randy red tagged” way below cost and priced to MOVE.




Seeing that I was trained at The Wine Country, and under Randy, I had little or no experience with Burgundy and honestly had a bit of a negative lean as I had heard so much grumbling from my beloved teacher. It was with this attitude I was sent to France for the first time, for 25 days, to travel with a French wine importer and learn….our first stop was a lunch in Champagne, (Agrapart) and then 6 days in Beaune, to taste those bemoaned wines that I knew virtually nothing about…it took two days, two days for me to fall madly in love and to be forever changed…seduced by aromatics, smoky vineyards, dark cold cellars and wines that had an almost sexual appeal, to me anyway….standing in a freezing cellar, watching the white puffs of warm air escape my chest, burring my nose in a glass…rose petals, smoke, soy, black cherry, mushroom….I was punch drunk before even taking a sip.




After an afternoon heart pounding wine exploration followed by a dinner rich in the regions flavors, and personalities I called Randy, (3 am France time) and told him, “I want to take over the Burgundy department”. I blathered on and on with the voice and intensity of the just-been- kissed, Randy listened, chuckled and I’m pretty sure he was rejuvenated to re-explore those wines that he had long since given up on. It took a year or so, and a few “Randy red tags” but we now have a Burgundy department that we are both not only happy with, but that inspires both of us and is the one area in the store where we both lose our minds over bottles consumed over meals and cannot wait to tell each other, and our customers about it.



Now as a girl with, “Non-Traditional” tattooed on her body, that is for my personal style…not for the wines I adore, in wine I get weak-kneed over the more traditional, rustic and wines that speak with a heavy accent or tell me about their homeland with whiffs of sun baked clay or roasted herbs, our Burgundy department reflects that, and no amount of coaxing by suppliers or telling me that people want “brands they recognize” is going to change that. I have to love them to sell them, so it has been pretty easy to turn down all the closeout offerings from Jadot, Dujac, and all the other Domaines that we don’t carry, even if I put them on the shelf with their drastically reduced price tags….I just can’t, in good faith sell them, and “Well, it’s $10 less a bottle” just don’t sing as a selling tactic.



These reduced Burgundy offers have been coming in fast and furious over the past few months, distributors and importers looking to move some higher end wine by slashing the prices aggressively, it’s tempting but I have stood firm, not to mention I have not been tasted on the wines and I rarely buy wines blind. I was holding out hope that some of our standard producers would be slashing prices but as of yet…not happening, so in not so short…we were just making do with what we had, that was until I got a call the other day, “My French wine rep is going to be in your area with a few bottles open, do you have some time?” the call caught me in the middle of helping a customer so I didn’t even think to ask which wines he might have, I just said, “Sure” and got back to what I was doing.




When I sat down in the tasting room and took a gander I was a bit dismayed to see that they were all Burgundy, and ones that I have never carried, “Dammit” I thought, “the last thing we need is more Burgundy in this market” just as the words left my melon the sales rep said, “I’m looking to get some quick cash” I was floored by his honesty and I flipped open my notebook and sat ready to take notes. We ran through the wines and I honestly loved all but three of them, (and those weren’t bad either…just already have better) then he gave me the low down on the pricing…dude, you gotta be yanking my chain! He was not, most were at least $10 off a bottle and in some cases up to $20 off…unbelievable and I had to order a few things, these wines were kickass at their original prices but at these drastically reduced prices….stoopid, just stoopid.

(Wines to arrive at The Wine Country the first couple of weeks in July)



2007 Les Vigneron d’Ige Macon Ige Sous la Roche, (regular price $18.99 new price $11.99)
Vibrant red apple skin on the nose with just a bit of citrus rind and toasted bread, on the palate the wine is full without being chunky and has just hint of warm honey of the fleshy but clean finish.



2006 Bachey-Legros Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau, (regular $44.99 now $27.99)
This was the wine that really raised my eyebrow, full of all that sexy fruit, smoke and gamey meat aromas that make the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up! Seductive red fruit, charred meat and spice with a lovely purity, medium mouth feel and a nice little tannic spike on the back.



2006 Henri Delagrange Aloxe-Corton Les Caillettes, (regular $46.88 now $27.99)
Packed with an almost cherry cola like flavor, with a stark but intriguing herby flavor, the mouth feel is sultry and the finish is all warm stones and mushrooms. Powerful both on fruit and tannin this wine would really flesh out with a couple years in the cellar.




2006 Henri Delagrange Pommard 1er Cru Les Bertins, (regular $75.99 now $46.99)
Damn, damn, all meat, charred, smoke and soy on the nose upfront but after a spin or two in the glass there is this solid core of black fruit and cooking spice. The mouth feel is round and a bit rough but in a good way, pure fruit and earth come through on the massive grippy finish, would do well with a serious decant or a few years tucked away, to show all that it has to offer.

Um, Boo

Wine lovers, please be warned that Zicam has been found to kill your sence of smell...sent straight from the devil to destroy your wine pleasure. Just say "No" to nasal murder. Makes me wonder, "Does Robert Parker suffer from allergies?"

How's About We Tax These Mother F'rs?!

So here's an idea, why don't we lay off the cigarette smokers and wine drinkers, (I still think California should legalize pot and tax it) and start extra taxing the makers and eaters of this vile crap.


Don't get me wrong, I likes me some crap food from time to time, but this....this stuff should only be eaten once you have already heard you only have a month left to live. We can't afford to keep summer school in session, our basketball team had to foot half the bill for their own freaking celebration parade and our residents are losing their houses left and right, to the greedy bank bastards that told them they just HAD to get in the market now...now when the prices are inflated by like twice. But not to worry Southern California, when the Orange County fair rolls around this year, you can stuff your broke asses on these

The deep fried White Castle Burgers



The Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich




The scooped out zucchini that has been stuffed with a cheese filled hot dog, deep fried and served with Ranch dip...of course



And brand spanking new this year,
The Kookie Cookie a delightful treat..2 soft oatmeal raisin cookies, one smeared with strawberry sauce, the other with cream cheese and in the middle...deep fried chicken breast



Awesome...we suck.

Unlike Any Other

A couple of months ago I was standing in a bar in Glendale, the bar of a French inspired small plate restaurant, but a bar still. I had heard that they were focused on local ingredients, pure fresh flavors and house made everything…my kinda joint, so when asked what I may like to drink while waiting at the bar, I went for it, “Might you have any Pastis?” did it just like the Grey Poupon dude in the commercials. “How would you like that?” the French barkeep asked, knocked the smug, “aint I so funny” grin right off my face. “Um, just water” I responded which triggered a raised eyebrow from the French dude, “French style” he said, with just a hint of question in his voice, and I nodded. He returned a few minutes later, my friend’s drinks in hand but without mine…”what gives?” I thought and just then he gave me the, “come here” hand. My mind began thinking of what other drink I may have a hankering for, because you know, clearly they were out or something. “Have you ever tasted this?” my behind the bar buddy asked as he showed me a bottle, wrapped in yellowish/gold paper with a drawing of a glass of Pastis on it….now I love me some Pastis and have worked my way around all the ones I have come across, which, let’s be honest…aint that many, I’d never seen this one and my French friend chuckled at my wide eyed “oh boy oh boy” expression and poured me a long drag paired with a tiny pitcher of water.

Now the events that were to follow; tons of amazing food and wine followed by a stop at Pink’s for a dog, birthday cake and tequila shots, left me with little more than, “Damn that Pastis was wonderful, wonder what it was called” but I never stopped thinking about it. So imagine if you will how happy I was one afternoon when one of my Frenchy sales rep was visiting me and mentioned that he was going to Palate Food & Wine, (the Glendale eatery where I had the Pastis) that very evening! “Dude you have to get the name of the Pastis they are pouring there, the fancy one. The guy that talks funny…like you, (I’m always breakin their balls) will know which one it is” I told him, and that evening I was thrilled to get an email, via blackberry or iphone or whatever, with the name of the Pastis:

Sam,
The name of the Pastis is La Muse Verte and they think it’s with Epic Wines
Jerome

“Sweet” & “Sweet!” I now had the name and it was with a supplier we did some business with, awesome, then I proceeded to put it right out of my mind until late last week when our Epic rep came in to tell us she was going to another company, “Well, congratulations and before you go….” Got the case in yesterday afternoon, and immediately opened a bottle to share with the staff. Upon first sniff I was transported to years ago, where I spent an afternoon in the Rhone, sipping a locally produced Pastis, talking with friends and letting the hours slip into night, that was one fantastic day and I had never since tasted a Pastis with such rustic character, personality and complexity…until now.

The La Muse Verte Pastis, ($39.99) comes with a Pastis spoon, which is just the same as an Absinthe spoon and is used for the same thing, to balance a sugar cube over the glass, and pour water over the sugar cube into the drink, which adds sweetness and brings out the flavor. We skipped the sugar and just mixed it with water over ice, (I later had another one…needed to take the picture ya know, where I skipped the ice and found the drink even more expressive sans ice) and the flavor is absolutely amazing. Not like any other Pastis I have had here in the states, this one is bone-dry, loaded with a salted black licorice, medicinal, herby flavors and a finish that reminds me of Cognac in a way. This is a very refined Pastis, that is a far cry from what we have been accustomed to….Bennett even found it a bit difficult at first, despite his love for the cloudy beverage, it really is quite unique in style with a finish that is three times longer and drier than any I have ever tasted, truly remarkable stuff and the sheer seriousness of it might help me sip rather than guzzle…the bottle might even last a tad longer, I’ll let ya know!

Organic & Biodynamic....Too Hippie?!

Saturday afternoon we hosted a tasting devoted to organic and biodynamic wines, now we’ve never been one of those shops that scream from atop a soapbox about these wines and we would never buy a wine for the shop simply based on the fact that it was organic or biodynamic, just not how we work. We taste wines and bring them in if we feel they have a place, if they happen to farmed organically, well cool, we’ll throw up a little tag on the shelf that lets the consumer know that. Sometimes the tags sell the wine, sometimes people turn their nose up at it…like low fat mayo or something, not for me to push anything down anyone’s throat or tell them what should be important to them.




As far as my personal feelings on whether the wines are better…I’m sure they are better for the environment, that can only be a good thing, and I do admire the risk and dedication behind it, but do they taste any better…I honestly have no idea. Like I said, I buy wine for how they taste, not for ethical reasons, and many of the organic and biodynamic wines we carry have been farmed that way as long as I have been buying them, (certified or not) so I have no, “before the mystic” points of reference. That being said, some of my favorite wines are organic or biodynamic, so maybe there is something about those “natural” or “unpolished” wines that suit my palate, then again, maybe I’ve just been lucky…..the point is I have no agenda, I don’t push the voodoo nor do I mock it, it’s all about what’s in the bottle for me.

So while walking through the shop I noticed that we had a fair amount of those little organic or biodynamic tags, all on some of my most beloved wines, so I thought it would be a fun tasting idea, a bunch of diverse wines from all over the world…fun right, yeah…had to be one of the poorest attended tastings ever, so sad.



Maybe a good chunk of our customers were hangin’ with Heff over at The Playboy Jazz Festival or they were terrified that we were going to feature “granola” wines, not sure what scared them off but they missed one hell of a tasting. No need to feel too bad for us, the people that came bought plenty of wine, the staff and hangers on polished off the bottles….their hostess, (that would be me) getting more playful with each emptied bottle, ended up opening some Roses and a couple of bottles of Champagne, it ended up being more like a private party, and I kicked off my manager shoes and stomped around with the revelers, cannot happen all the time, (and to be honest, had the bosses not been out of town things would have been more restrained) but a “too good” time was had by all.

Featured Wines



2007 Goisot Saint-Bris, ($17.99) this wine took a bit of explaining, the word Burgundy kept tripping people up, I’m still amazed at how many people read Burgundy and think red. Once I explained that Burgundy is indeed a place, and Saint-Bris is within Burgundy where they are allowed to grow Sauvignon Blanc, they opened up to the wine and we actually sold a chunk of it. Massive citrus, tons of minerals and racy acidity, a perfect way to get the palate ready for the wines to come.



2007 Roland Schmitt Riesling, ($16.99) without a doubt one of my favorite Rieslings in the store, so restrained and clean. Quite herby, some very faint peachy notes and a clean, uber refreshing finish, a far cry from those sappy, rich Alsatian wines that have turned so many people off, this is very food appropriate wine brings a little snap to anything from grilled fish to roasted chicken.



2008 Canorgue Viognier, ($15.99) “I love a wine that can change my mind about a varietal” one of our long time customers grumbled after tasting this wine, (he’s a grumpy old coot, but he always speaks his mind…love that about him) I have to say, I agree. I think Viognier can be too much, not terribly food friendly and I think many producers oak the shit out of it…blech, but this wine is floral and peachy but retains a core of minerals, that taste faintly peppery, all with a light mouth feel and a tangy little finish.



2006 Terra Savia Chardonnay, ($12.99) this un-oaked Chardonnay from Mendocino is everything you want in an under $15.00 white wine, fresh apple and pears with a little lime rind on the finish. Soft and plush on the palate with a nice balance of fruit and acidity.



2006 Grgich Hills Chardonnay, ($38.99) mixed reviews on this wine, tried and true California Chardonnay lovers…well, they loved it, but some of the others found the wine a bit clunky. I think in all fairness, had they tasted the wine on its own, rather than in a lineup of super crisp, lean whites, they may have liked it better, caramel, toasty, roasted oranges with a creamy, but not too buttery finish…kind of classic Napa Chardonnay if you ask me.



2007 Brick House Gamay, ($23.99) a lovely Gamay from Oregon, remarkable purity of fruit, light weight and delicately long on the finish, I thought this was a beautiful, simple wine that would pair with all kinds of foods.



2007 La Cabotte Cotes du Rhone, ($10.99) think this was one of the biggest hits of the afternoon, spicy, smoky, extracted fruit with a leaner texture and a fresh pepper infused finish, bring on the burgers and BBQ!



2007 Cavallotto Dolcetto d’Alba, ($17.99) plump, grapey, slightly earthy and a sheer pleasure to drink.



2005 Chateau Falfas Cote de Bourg, ($21.99) deep berries and roasted coffee upfront with a fair amount of complexity and a finish of super fine tannin and spice…this wine would be a slam dunk with a fatty rib eye off the grill.



NV Domaine Balivet Cerdon Bugey, ($19.99) this off dry sparkling Gamay was another “split camp” kind of wine, funny thing is that California Chardonnay lovers said it was too sweet…say wha??! So funny to me the way some people look down their nose at semi sweet wines but drink wines with plenty of residual sugar…perception I guess. The folks that loved this wine could not get enough and absolutely loved it when I told them to try it with the salami we had out, that wine with cured meats and strong cheese….freaking retarded delicious, and at 8% alcohol you can have lots and lots!

So yes, it was a terrible turnout but those of us that were into it….were way into it and the wines were all tasty, clean, and just so happen to be organic or biodynamic…could not have been happier with the way they preformed