Rebel Rose

Is the government giving out grants now for research on "how to take all the fun out of winemaking?" More and better knowledge is always welcome. But come on . . . if you don't want a stuck fermentation, learn how to make wine properly. And if you want to announce a new wine computer model, hire a press release writer who understands wine. Stuck ferms are not spoiled, they're just stuck! A little water, or a little juice concentrate, addition of wine from a currently fermenting batch, electric blankets or fish tank heaters depending on the cause of the problem and you'll get it going again. But almost always a stuck ferm is the result of a winemaker or cellar manager not paying attention to details when the grapes arrive. Proper sugar, acid, and pH levels, coupled with an appropriate yeast (chosen for vigor, flavor, temperature, extraction, etc.) and a few spoonfuls of yeast nutrient (generally made from yeast hulls, which are high in Vitamin Bs) and you should never have a problem. Whims of nature, I grant you, but rough chemical measurements? Does this list of Analytical Evaluations look like rough approximations?

Will there be a teaser menu and wine pairing list for those of us who can't make it?

As vineyards in Napa expand into the mountains, nature pays the price. Grape-eating bears killed as vineyards' territory expands Cause for concern, or business as usual?

Thanks, Zora. I should probably clarify that our east coast distributor takes care of us in SC, NC and VA, although only a few shops get the wine because of our limited production. Feel free to PM or email me if you have questions about availability. Thanks, all!

Did you pop for the pest resistant clones?

Here's The Vineyard Challenge, an online game created by The McCarty Company. Post your experiences and scores here. I am an average grape grower, with a "decent" zin vineyard, a "respected" chardonnay vineyard, and two newish plots. But that was my first try!!!

That's a nice lineup of wines. How many guests? Are you preparing all the small plates yourself or is it a collective effort?

What are your top ten most favorite threads in the wine forum? (You can refer to the "Classic Wine Threads" index for ideas.) What were your favorite wine moments in 2005? What were the top ten wine issues in 2005? What will be the top ten wine issues for 2006? What are your personal wine-related goals for 2006? What would you like to see happen in the eGullet Wine forum in 2006?

Here's an article from the San Francisco Chronicle recommending some delicious and budget-sensitive cabernets: What will you be buying for Christmas gifts and dinner?

I second the suggestions above--inquire about your host's and tablemates' tastes, then involve them in the final decision, or make a suggestion and explain your choice. Even if it's a "test" you will always pass with flying colors if you are gracious, considerate, and solicit input.

Thanks everyone for your inquiries. Unfortunately, Dover Canyon wines are only distributed in California, North Carolina (long story) and Florida. At chromedome's suggestion earlier this year, we've been discussing distribution in Canada, but our wines sell out so quickly that we decided against it. We are still looking at Washington and Oregon, and hope to find some distribution there as that's my home turf and I visit the PacNW frequently. We produced only 8 barrels of the Old Vine Zinfandel, and after the San Francisco Chronicle gave it a thumbs up, we sold out immediately. I even sold bottles with damaged labels that we had set aside. I did a search just now on winesearcher.com and can't find any available in the stores, however, it doesn't hurt to inquire if there is a store near you. We will have a slightly larger production of the 2004 vintage available in March of 2006. Additionally, more good news for us, as I reported in the 2005 wine blog, is that beginning with the 2005 vintage, only Ridge and Dover Canyon will be buying the old vine fruit from Dusi Vineyard. Oh yeah, and the last bottle was stolen from my brand new truck Monday night. Actually, the whole truck was stolen! But the thieves brought the truck back at 3 am, parked it in the same place, locked it, and left the spare keys, with dealer's tag still attached, in the center console. That's a lot of trouble to go to for a bottle of Dover Canyon old vine zin . . .

Congratulations to eGullet member rancho gordo! The January 2006 issue of Sunset Magazine lists Rancho Gordo Heirloom Beans as a "must have" pantry staple. I ordered a selection a few months ago, and couldn't get my SO interested at first. "No one eats beans in summer. I'm cutting back on carbs . . ." but as soon as he tried one type with ham hocks, he was hooked. Now he insists that he wants to choose the next selection!

Thanks, Chris! That's excellent news. I'll be looking forward to the full article.

Thank you for the compliment, Susan. Rick, the issue of shipping often has to do with the size of the "club." If the firm has only one warehouse and state license, then they will be more limited in terms of the states they can ship to. * Some wine clubs have huge distribution and actually employ different warehouse facilities throughout the country, with distribution licenses for each state or region, making it easier for them to deliver wine as an "in-state" sale. * As an example of the headaches small clubs face, I recently shipped a package to West Virginia, which is a reciprocal state. Then I received a phone call that went something like this: We have your package here in Virginia, and we're confiscating it. Why is this delivery in Virginia? It's supposed to be in West Virginia. Well, it's passing through our state, on a UPS truck. Of course it's on a UPS truck. UPS won't fly wine. It can't be here. This is Virginia. We'll have to confiscate it. Well, if it's not supposed to be there, why are you confiscating it? Don't you want to get rid of it? Put it back on the truck, for crissakes. The package arrived safely.

Yes, that was brought up before. I don't think my software is accurate--I did not double the quantities. And the RDA vs. DV figures are vastly different of course, and the software is different than the website values, so . . . nevah mind!

Patrick S, Kate was elaborating on comments made in the original article. If you feel this information is erroneous you should read the article and comment on its logic. Kalypso, thanks for the detailed information. That's useful and amazing insight into the workings of the school food program.

On my lunch break I looked into it briefly. Apparently my figures are RDA instead of DV, and the figures seem to be wildly different. Sorry, I'll look into it tomorrow morning more carefully (over my coffee with 100% half-and-half cream). There's something else about liquids that perhaps nutritionists should consider. Aren't liquids digested more readily and quickly? Sure, the calories are there, but healthy liquids are good for the digestive tract--they moisten the intestines, improve peristalsis, are good for the skin and hair, and flush toxins. Water is the best choice, as milk may cause mucus production and juice can give kids the sugar jitters, but still, any healthy beverage would be preferable to overconsumption of cheese-and-bread laden sandwiches, pastas, fried snacks, sodas, and fatty and nitrate laden meats. My stepson inherited a solid bone structure, hyperactivity, and sugar sensitivities. He also turned to food for emotional comfort. And he bolts it--never chews. Even with after-school sports he was putting on a lot of weight by the age of ten. I changed his afterschool snacks from pasta/bread/meat to: * small bowl of soup * glass of milk * 2-3 crackers * 3-4 vegetable crunchie things Instead of a cheese and paper-maiche intestine bomb after school and another meal at dinner he was consuming mostly liquids after school, which filled him up, calmed him down, and kept him from swallowing dinner whole. He LOST WEIGHT! However, I had to knock heads to keep everyone on the program. During the last eighteen months no one has followed the program and he is no longer participating in sports. He now weighs, at thirteen, 50% more than I do at age . . . nevermind. So I strongly agree that kids should not be educated to fear fat. Fat is satisfying. Fat content fills us up and keeps us from reaching for sodas and salt. Fat is good! Amen.

Roux, you've got a whole new concept going there! Why not? People used to take hampers of food on long train trips. What think you to a thread in General Foods on 'Airline Hampers'? What foods travel well, don't stink out the neighbors, can be eaten with limited elbow space. Oh yeah, and what might get confiscated as a potential weapon. Do pineapple spears count?

Food fight at 35,000 feet I generally prefer business to first class, mainly because of $$, but also because the passengers on first are just way too weird for me. Not all of them, but you always get one or two loud, attention-hungry, rude, neurotic passengers who force the entire section to rearrange their seats and storage, then proceed to disturb everyone throughout the flight. In an ideal world, I'd say just give me some champagne and the peaceful tapping of laptop keyboards in business class, and I'll bring a hamper of my own culinary delights from the eG Recipe Gullet. But in the real world, I don't know how I'd keep a hamper of fine food alive during the five hour drive to the nearest major airport, two-to-five hour wait for the flight, and get it under the damn seat. So, when are they going to offer this kind of food in business class?

Edited to delete inaccurate information. Sorry about that! I'll look into it further if I have time, but more knowledgeable people have posted notes on values further along in the thread . . . . I think they ought to offer a choice. I have always bought whole milk for my family--it's so satisfying that the young ones only want one glass and they're full. Given a choice between nasty, watered down 2% millk and soda, I'd choose a soda. Besides, calcium relaxes and calms kids. Take pity on the teachers!

I hadn't even looked at the November issue of Food & Wine until today. What a nice surprise: California Strikes Oil Featuring my friends and neighbors at Willow Creek Olive Ranch, which came in first in their tasting. Happy dance! (The weblink does not include all the gorgeous photos in the magazine.) Also Cris Cherry's restaurant, Villa Creek, and a slew of good recipes from chef Tom Fundaro.

Mark Fisher at Uncorked shares A Trader Joe's Wine-Buying Experience and after about 52 posts from readers of the Dayton Daily News . . . Trader Joe's Responds Has this ever happened to you?

Letters to the Editor at the San Francisco Chronicle clarify the new rules . . . UPS' PR person corrects erroneous information provided by, not surprisingly, UPS. Steve Gross from the Wine Institute also weighs in with some additional info, and readers complain about the new shipping rules.

For those of you following the protests in Bordeaux, in recent news, the Bordelais have boarded up, so to speak, the CIVB Headquarters with bricks and mortar!

Omigod, I don't think I could drink it! God forbid they come out with a rose'. Excellent suggestion. I would really love to see some wine shows that are not the boring let's-tour-your-Architectural-Digest-house-then-walk-through-the vineyard drone. Andrea Immer's shows are fun and sparky--I enjoy watching hers. I even think it's great for wine shops to have 'theme' nights with floral labels, or critter labels, or wines-to-go-with-sushi. At least women will be introduced to some good wines.