Humble Winemaking, Glorious Wine
HOLUS-BOLUS Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley 2007
This week's Money Wine


February 2, 2010
Greetings!
Regarding my heading, humble winemaking is the rule rather than the exception at Back Room Wines. Looking online for tasty tidbits to share with you about Holus Bolus, I found winery pictures with their caption, "Our wines our made in a humble little warehouse behind a Home Depot in the coastal California town of Lompoc." Truly, 90% of the labels in the shop are made in such close quarters. They sometimes boast a beautiful backdrop, but the facility itself is set up to make remarkable wine without the pomp & circumstance. Try the Holus Bolus Syrah and taste what I mean. And while you're at it, ask me for a few more recommendations of passionate winemakers making sexy wines in not-so-sexy quarters. It's the core of our business. More on Holus Bolus Syrah just below.

Good ink in the local papers last week for BRW and the Dawson/Krassner household.
Holly & I launched our bi-weekly column in The Napa Valley Register, "Honey, What Am I Drinking." Our wine & lifestyle column comes out every other Friday. Here's our inaugural column, "Bubbles Just Because." Catchy, yes? And after San Francisco Chronical Wine Editer Jon Bonne dropped in last week, he included Back Room Wines, and the two wines I recommended to him, in his online column, "Local Shops Entering A New Golden Age." Have yourself a read, and check out the two wines Jon bought from us and recommends: Parlay "The Bookmaker" and Forlorn Hope "La Gitana." That is, if you haven't already!

Over 60 tasters at last Friday's Back Room Blow Out XXXV. Good times for all.
Blow Out XXXVI will be Friday, April 2. Save the date! We already have Ziata and Ramian Wineries on the guest list.
This Thursday we rejoin the "Bring A Blind Bottle Night" tasting, already in progress. Join in the fun, and start competing for year-end prizes. Curious? Read about it below, after the Money Wine.

I'm in tune. Right in tune.
Dan

Money Wine
for February 2, 2010

Money Wine: a wine that anyone who loves good, rich, utterly delicious wine will enjoy A LOT, and is an EXCEPTIONAL VALUE.

HOLUS BOLUS Syrah
Holus Bolus Syrah
Santa Ynez Valley 2007
$27/bottle

The Holus Bolus label has been an attention-grabber since their first vintage (2004?). The octopus's eight arms represent the four partners: Sashi, Peter, Jim & Chad. Four men, eight arms. For the sake of focus, let me just say that these four men own and/or make some of the best, new(er) Syrahs in Santa Ynez: Stolpman Vineyards, Piedrasassi, Jellyroll and Melville. Holus Bolus is an instance where, obviously, four cooks make an equisite broth! This is GOOD, and at $27 a very fair price.
This is very rich, dark and spicy Syrah that stays true to the grape yet crosses over to all lovers of big red wine.
Smell ripe, black berries & cherries along with violets, bacon, black pepper and soy sauce. It hits your tongue with blueberry pie topped with cracked black pepper, chopped up kalamata olives and espresso beans. Super extraction of fruit, a complement of nice French oak and silky tannins make this is an easy wine to like a lot. Braised beef roast and lamb shanks definitely come first to mind as your food match. Or try grilled red bell peppers stuffed with brown rice, kalamatas, garlic and rosemary, finished with a smoky tomato sauce (add sausage if you want to).


3 ways to order:
Buy Holus  Bolus Syrah online here.
Just reply to this email with your order.

Or call us, toll-free, at 877-322-2576.
Thank you!
THURSDAY & FRIDAY TASTINGS
"Bring a Blind Bottle Tasting"
This Thursday, February 4.
Come anytime from 5 to 8 P.M.

It's fun, it's educational, and it's a contest.
Bring a bottle of wine that's an honest representation of the grape. Can be from anywhere. Taste and guess all the "blind bottles" that others bring. Those who guess best over the course of the year wine BRW Gift Certificates (1st and 2nd place awards).
Lots more information about the tasting is here.
One bottle admits two people, so feel free to bring a friend. The more the merrier! Our first Bring a Blind Bottle tasting had 19 wines entered. How many will we have this time?

Under Twelve Buck A Bottle Tasting
This Friday, February 5.
Come anytime from 5 to 8 P.M.

We'll pour you 8 wines, all for sale for Under Twelve Buck A Bottle Tastingunder $12 per bottle.
A delicious, eclectic selection for you: Torrontes from Argentina, Vin de Savoie,
Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) from Spain, Lambrusco...you read right - good Lambrusco! It's fun, it's casual, it's relaxed, it's cheap (sorry...A VALUE).
$10/tasting, with tasting free credited back with 3 bottle purchase.
We'll see you at Back Room Wines!
Take the points

Saints 24-20. Parlay it with the under.
And take the squares 3 from the left and 2 from the bottom, and far right column, 3 from the top. Report back to me on Monday. Hey, I went to UNLV, who better to trust with your Super Bowl prognostications?

Drink more Courvoisier.

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: [email protected]


UNDER 12 BUCK A BOTTLE TASTING
This Friday,
February 5,
come anytime from 5 to 8 P.M.

Eight wines, all for sale for under $12 a bottle. Come check out our international selection, from Lambrusco to Torrontes to Monastrell to
Vin de Savoie to...


$10/Tasting
Credit back with purchase.


Here's the line-up (so far)
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