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Got The Cure For
Your Summertime Blues
Three local wines to make you HAPPY!
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Greetings!
I feel summer slipping by when I see the school marquis announce back to school dates.
A mid-August first day of school is crazy in my opinion (did you grow up with a post-Labor Day start like me?) but whatcha gonna do. As quickly as vacation season leaves us, the summer heat sticks around a lot longer. Warm weather wines, al fresco wines, summertime wines, BBQ wines: you can give them lots of names (and I do) but the style is the same: unique, simply delicious, easy to like and great with foods we think of eating outdoors. That's the theme today, and I have three outstanding, local, tiny-production wines you'll enjoy drinking before the frost is on the pumpkin.
GREAT TASTING EVENT THIS FRIDAY NIGHT! Clay Mauritson, Owner/Winemaker of Mauritson and Rockpile wines, will be here to pour and tell us about the wines he makes. Under the Mauritson label, we'll have Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon for you to enjoy. Under his Rockpile label, we'll have two very special, single-vineyard Rockpile Zinfandels.
Taste the California sunshine in these impeccably made wines, and enjoy them with the man who gave them their soul. This tasting is $15, with a $5 credit for each bottle of Mauritson/Rockpile wine purchased. We don't want your tastin fee, we want you walking out with bottles of wine! I put the finishing touches on the Mauritson/Rockpile line-up just now. Check it out and see you here.
I'm the gypsy, the acid queen, ___________.
Call me, sing this line (filling in the blank) and the next line and win a bottle of MAURITSON ZINFANDEL (shipping included). Taking the first caller. Good performances may sway me to award more than one prize. Don't have to be in key, but gotta know the song.
Rock on, Dan.
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Three wines to cure
the Summertime Blues
HERB LAMB Sauvignon Blanc  "EII" Napa Valley 2008 $25
There's very good Sauvignon Blanc and there's treat-yourself to something special Sauvignon Blanc. "EII" falls into the latter category. It's outstanding.
Herb & Jennifer Lamb have made a smidge of "Mello Vineyard," Yountville Sauv Blanc since 2005 to complement their other-worldly "almost Howell Mountain" Cabernet (of which I get a case a year, which is nice). Their winemaker Michael Trujillo is an artist...the wines he makes are always so good. Cool fermentation, almost no oak, good acidity and lots of fruit! White
peach, guava, melon, mango, lime and green apple. Bright, tingly and
substantial. The Lambs suggest pasta with a cream & lemon sauce. Keeping with the summertime theme, we suggest lemon/herb marinated chicken breasts on the grill!
CRAVEN & LATTIN Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2007 $23This
artisan Pinot shows the concentration Sonoma Coast can offer. Two vineyards used: "Armagh Vineyard," near the Pacific and "Griffin's Lair," which lies between Petaluma and Sonoma. Both make spicy, deep, wild, distinctive Pinot Noir, and they marry well here.
Darker
and bigger than most at this price, showing dark plums & cherries,
black raspberries, medium acidity and tasty Indian spice. Very
approachable and enjoyable in a big Pinot style. This extremely versatile Pinot can be enjoyed with BBQ, lighter fish, tomato-laden pasta dishes, and thick juicy steaks. Golly, it's dynamite without food, too!
GRANT FAMILY Tempranillo "Straight Line" California 2007 $26
Any better recommendation than a great wine bar reception? At last week's artist reception for Mark Mattioli (a great event, by the way) we poured this "Straight Line" Tempranillo. Levels of enjoyment were only surpassed by the dissapointment when we sold all we had! Don't worry: we got more. (Although with just 150 cases made, won't be around long.)
Owned & made by Jon Grant, a long-time Napan and do-it-all guy for Turley Wine Cellars. The Tempranillo is from "Madder Lake," in the mountains of Lake County a little north of Napa Valley. 10% Graciano makes it "very Rioja" by recipe. Stylistically, it's very California. Super aromas of
sweet plums, mulberries, allspice, cocoa, violets, black pepper.
Strong, seductive and lush. 40% new French oak adds just enough sweet vanilla/toast flavor. Perfect wine for full-flavored dishes cooked over burning embers.
Mixed Case
4 bottles of each: $265
includes 10% case discount
Half Case
2 bottles of each: $140
includes 5% discount
Order online hereOr, call to order. Toll Free: 877-322-2576Or, just reply to this email. Thanks for reading!
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Food & Wine Blog
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Touring the new website: today I invite you to check  out Dan's Food & Wine Blog. Wine ain't worth drinking if there's no good food for eating! With all
the wines we have around us, I must be reminded occasionally of the
importance of quality foods to excel the tasting "experience." No
problem, really, as Northern California is an embarrassment of
gustatory riches as well.
My food & wine blog keeps me (and
you?) in touch with the importance of food & wine. Entries almost
daily...OK, 3 or 4 a week.
I keep them short, sweet &
hopefully interesting so you'll check in on them...I strive to be bookmarked!
Latest posting: Fresh Summer Vegis and Big Napa Cabs:
how do you pair them? Read on
Drink more Arneis.
Dan
Daniel Dawson
Back Room Wines
Corner of First & Main Streets (First Street Entrance)
Downtown Napa, California 94559
Phone: (707) 226-1378 Toll Free # is 877-322-2576
email: daniel@backroomwines.com
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Taste Mauritson & Rockpile Wines with Owner/ Winemaker
Clay Mauritson.
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2007 Vintage
Southern Rhone Valley Tasting
Next Friday, August 7
5 to 8 P.M."Best vintage in my 30 years of tasting here," states Robert Parker.Seven wines for you to enjoy. 2 Whites, 5 Reds.
$15/tasting |
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