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York Creek "MXB"
MXB = Mixed Blacks. A Spicy Red Blend from
Napa's Spring Mountain District
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Greetings!
Go to Office Depot or Staples in Napa and good luck finding a Sharpie. The wineries have purchased them all to color the grapes that face the highways and byways of Napa Valley. Makes for a genuine harvest-time experience for visitors to The Valley.
But really, Angie Mueller of Mueller Vineyards on Diamond Mountain reported that veraison has finally begun at Mueller. Thank goodness. Assuming something close to normal weather, this means Napa Cab is just over two months away from harvest. Late October! YIKES!
I walked through a vineyard last Sunday and ate some Chardonnay grapes. A little sweet and real tangy...sparkling wine harvest should be starting soon. My harvest time reports have been energized by a friend in the hospitality biz in who depends on my reports to talk up her guests. Dear friend: don't share the Sharpie report. It's akin to Seinfeld and the original name of War & Peace bit.
Great Back Room Blow Out last Friday. 68 guests came by to taste, mingle, learn and have a good time. INHERIT THE SHEEP Cabernet Sauvignon was so well received, you can expect to see in in the next "Cab Alert." And thanks to the 37 new Cab Alert Newsletter members who asked to receive. Next edition coming Friday morning maybe...Monday at the latest. More sign-ups are welcome.
Just reply with "Cab Alert Yes" in the subject line.
Kudos to Joe for this blast-from-the-past image call out for Friday's tasting.
New Kids On The Block, in  this case, means brand new wineries' inaugural release wines. What's fresh, eclectic and really good, besides the timeless NKOTB, you ask? Come by Back Room Wines this Friday night and check out six of our
New Kids Picks. Like that? We know of one guest owner/ winemaker stopping by: Neil Koch of THE RACING LINE
Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2008 ($32). Maybe we'll get another one or two vintners to come in and chat us up. We'll keep you updated on this via our
Facebook page.
Thursday night: Rieslings. Germany, Austria, Alsace, New Zealand. $10 tasting.
Cool cats love Riesling, you know. Check it out. Here's the line-up.
Keep it coming, love. Don't stop it now, don't stop it no, don't stop it now, don't stop it.
Dan
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Money Wine
August 17, 2010
Money Wine: a wine that anyone who loves good, rich, utterly delicious wine will enjoy A LOT, and is an EXCEPTIONAL VALUE.
TODAY
A spicy red blend from high up in the mountains of Napa Valley.
YORK CREEK "MXB"$25/bottle. $270/case  |
Red Wine
Spring Mountain
Napa Valley 2007 $25/bottle
Back Room Wines has "featured" York Creek wines a few times in years past. With 20 years of making fine, tiny-production wine under their belt, it's unavoidable. The owner and winemaker is Fritz Maytag, part of the Maytag Dairy family of Iowa (Maytag Blue anybody?) and reviver of the Anchor Steam Brewing Company. Oh yes, he's also the owner of Junipero Gin and Old Potrero Whiskey, two of the best spirits made in America.
From St. Helena, drive less than 10 minutes up Spring Mountain Road, turn left Langtry Road, drive a couple more minutes and you have York Creek Vineyards all around you. No winery here: the grapes are driven to San Francisco. The property is more forest than vineyard, in fact. In respect of the native flora and fauna, the York Creek label features 24 of the different, native trees there. York Creek makes about fifteen different wines which is too many wines for their own good, I think. Hard to keep so many wines from one winery straight.
For you, today, it's so simple. For quality, value and this-is-so-good flavor, York Creek "MXB" is the wine to buy.
MXB stands for "Mixed Blacks," a vineyard with a mélange of red grapes. The term came to be when European immigrants first planted grapes in Northern California in the 1800s. Typical of a Mixed Blacks, MXB leads with Zinfandel (36%), then Carignane, Barbera, Petite Sirah, Grenache and more. It's common to throw all the different grapes in the fermenter together, but York Creek ferments them separately and then blends later one.
From rich-spicy nose to luscious finish, this is a no brainer.
Smell mocha, allspice, kirsch, licorice and ripe blackberries. Taste very ripe berry fruits, more mocha and allspice, truffles and black pepper. Think really good Zinfandel as the best comparison, but with more going on.
Smooth tannins make it an easy wine for all to enjoy, especially if there's a wood-fired grill in the area (charcoal and gas will do in a pinch). I haven't made pork spare ribs in a while. This wine gets me motivated!
Are you in, or near Napa? Today (Tuesday) through Sunday, we're pouring MXB in the Wine Bar. As an email reader, ask us for a taste of the MXB and we'll gladly oblige. Also available in half bottle...sounds pretty good with a Smoked Cheddar and Chorizo plate at Back Room Wines!
Buy YORK CREEK "MXB" here
You may also reply to this email with your order,
or, call us, toll-free, at 877-322-2576
Thank you!
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Beer Can Chicken
| After Friday's wild Blow Out tasting, Holly and I strolled across the street to The Bounty Hunter. One more culinary landmark of Napa Valley is checked off my list as we had the Beer Can Chicken. Roasted over a can of Tecate beer with a lime wedge on top, the bird comes out juicy and delicious if not a little too salty in the skin. A fine bird, and made the best darn chicken/garden vegetable soup the next night.
Speaking of Napa culinary landmarks, I've yet to have an Azzurro BBLT this summer. Bacon, blue cheese dressing, (Romaine) lettuce and awesome summer tomatoes wrapped around a pizza crust (a manciata). On the menu as long as the tomatoes keep coming.
Glorious with a cold glass or good Rosé wine.
Drink more Amber Ale. Dan
Daniel Dawson
Owner, 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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RIESLING!
This Thursday
August 19,
5 to 8 PM
We LOVE LOVE LOVE good Riesling.
Be part of our Riesling love-fest, won't you?
We have an international selection of Riesling for you.
$10/tasting
Here's the Riesling line-up
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New Kids On The Block
This Friday,
August 20
5 to 8 P.M.
SIX INAUGURAL RELEASE WINES
Featuring wines from:
Joseph Kent
The Line Wines
Bodega Rancho
Stellareese
M. Autumn and
Mark Herold
$15/tasting
Our "New Kids" wines...
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