Rebel Rose

Perspective, please. First of all, let's disagree with a concept, not "rag" one of our own. After all, you may agree with him on the next thread! Secondly, don't forget that Texas is the home of Dr. Pepper.

Well, there's a lot of stuff in wine, but I have never heard of caffeine, so I'll go out on a limb and just say it. There is No. Caffeine. In. Wine. However, I also left a message for the "Lab Lady" today and I'm sure she'll get back to me on Monday with a definitive answer!

Depends. If we're having Marv's pizza with extra cheese, extra sauce, it would be beer. If we're having one of Dover Dan's homemade pizzas with fluffy, fresh bread machine dough, a cheese-stuffed crust, sundried tomatoes and other goodies, definitely wine!

So, you mean, supercharged fresh air, and not the sulfurous pre-lightning smell, right? Hmm. I have no idea. I'll ask Dover Dan. Maybe someone here can enlighten us both. Our winery has a grenache blend we just bottled that I describe as 'forest aromas of wild strawberry, oak, pine, humus and violets' and it gives me that same experience. It's also a lighter spicy red. Edited to say: I've always said red wine is good for atmosphere!

Oops, you're right. I have gallons on the brain right now.

Most of the people I know who drink Shaw are "older" people, who like to have a glass or three with dinner, and like to entertain friends frequently who may or may not like wine. They keep Chuck on hand for every night drinking and for guests who will be content with quantities of anything alcoholic. They can be gracious and generous hosts without impacting their kids' inheritance. Still 10 million gallons is a lot of happy grandparents!

Thank you, Busboy! You know, it might be fun to start a thread called Eminently Drinkable Plonk. Maybe all wines under $10 ( as in 9.99 and under). What do you think?

I agree with Carolyn's suggestions. And lest it seem intimidating to some to think about all this flavor matching, let me assure you that with a little practice it becomes almost second nature. The key, of course, is to have a glass of wine while you're cooking. Take a little sip, taste the sauce. Take another sip, taste the vegetables, take another sip, and taste a spice before adding. It's an easy and delightful way to play with the wine and learn how a specific wine pairs with individual ingredients. The danger, of course, is that in the morning you won't remember how you made that fantastic meal. I'd like to add California Sangiovese to the list. They're usually soft, with a bright, tart cherry fruit and just a little spice. I always think of Sangiovese as a gypsy wine, with lots of delicate dancing flavors. and it's great with peppers, pasta and seafood.

It's generally calculated in terms of gallons of finished wine, but in the case where varietals are mixed at the crusher, then the amount of tonnage can be used. And although it is pretty much the honor system when applying for label approval, the Men in Black can descend upon any winery, at any time, and demand the wine books. The movement of every gallon has to be properly accounted for. Winemakers fill out this long, double-sided evil-looking form called the '702' -- it's a monthly gallonage report starting with last month's balance. Even wine lost during racking must be reported. Here's a quick tour: "Keep your copy on yor bonded wine premises for inspection by ATF officers." "5. Produced by blending" "6. Produced by amelioration" "8. Bottled wine dumped to bulk" "23. Used for testing" "Section B, 11. Used for tasting" "13. Removed for family use" And they even have columns for vermouth and hard cider. . .

Turning Leaf, for example, which is also a Gallo product. There is no mention of Gallo anywhere on the bottle or the Turning Leaf website. Like you say, it's a nice, consistent, and affordably priced, if somewhat dull product. The packaging is attractive, and people can try it with confidence and without denting their budget. Here's a link to the 1997 hoopla lawsuit between KJ and Gallo over it. Even the Mondavis got sucked in.

Sweet! They also have an 'idea submission form' for anyone who would like to submit ideas to the network, although it would be much more fun to discuss them here, of course. Here are some of the ideas I will be submitting: * A series on artisanal wineries--only wineries under 5,000 case production. (Who wants to go first? Me! Me!) * Why different oak barrels impart different flavors, including the differences among French coopers * A tour of a cooperage facility * A Wine Emergency Team of a caterer and a sommelier who visit hapless individuals and help them pull together an event or dinner party * A tasting room comedy series, where truly horrible characters ply the patient attendant with the usual questions, which she will then answer in an informative and chirpy manner for the benefit of the viewers . . . * Winemakers that grill--what do they cook at home, and why?

I know. But I'm sure you agree that the brave souls who make a stab at it in good faith deserve our patience. It's the ones who swirl the wine vigorously, then hold it above their heads while expounding on 'Anyother Winery' and their faaahbulous meritaaaahhhge that simply can't be surpassed by any other wine . . .

Thank you! That's a wonderful analogy, and one I will think of often.

What a beautiful and inspiring description.

Aha. Andrea Sottimano has just posted a 'hallo' at 8 am my time, which would be about 5 pm his time, I think. Will his evening replies be reviewed and posted today?

Welcome, Andrea! We are so pleased that you have agreed to do this. I am looking forward to an interesting week. Will you have photos to post for us as well?

You go, girl! That steak is awesome. Better not let your SO see the pics or you'll be grilling straight through football season.

Andrea, thank you for joining us in eGullet. I know I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you and learn your thoughts. If you could hold a perfect glass of nebbiolo in your hand, how would you describe it?

ETS Labs in Napa will run tests for copper for $20 per sample. I spoke with the Lab Lady yesterday, and she cheerfully read from her Lab Bible some interesting info . . . Lab Lady doesn't "do" copper because it involves metal analysis and atomic absorption. The machine that does the test is horrendously expensive. Lab Lady guesstimates $50,000. But here's some additional interesting info that she gleefully read off: The average content of American wine is less than .1 to .3 parts per million. Copper is considered 'toxic' (to wine, she said, not to humans, but who knows?) at 9 ppm. You can taste copper at 1 ppm. The BATF maximum allowable copper level is .5 ppm. The OIV (Office Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin, an international BATF with 45 member countries) allows up to 1 ppm. Australia permits up to 5 ppm as 'acceptable.' (Although I don't know if they have to comply with the OIV level to export . . . )

I believe he said the "Central Coast will rule America." Why not the universe??!!? Here's a link to the full article. Are you guys in the thick of it yet? We are SLAMMED with fruit. Totally full up. Crushing reds and pressing whites today. Have a great harvest!

Eh, no. He may buy some wines, but most of us are happy to send two bottles of our favorite releases. When I wrote a wine column for the local newspaper a few years ago, my focus was on humorous and informative columns. I didn't feel it was appropriate to review local wines, but every once in awhile I'd get a shipment from a local winery, with all the press information included. Hmmm. What with free samples, and a tax deduction for wine, you could set youself up in business quickly! A related thread could be the so-called wine competitions sponsored by fairs, which require much more wine, and an entry fee! We have friends who volunteer for the ****** ****** Fair competition, and they are paid in wine. They collect 10+ cases of "gold medal" wines at 50% off retail (these wines were donated) for their efforts. Huh?

I think it's refreshing that Parker likes big, robust wines. Few other wine writers appreciate the big styles. However, "le palate Parkair" does wield a lot of influence, as Carolyn pointed out, and those 93+ scores mean easy and instant sales of current and future vintages. However, it is also driving winemakers toward bigger, bigger, and funkier wines with questionable longevity. More importantly to me, it's beginning to interfere with my love life. Saturday night I wore a new J. Marco blouse, made lime-Tequila shrimp, fired up the grill, and put candles on the table. I opened The Contrarian, and a bottle of our new Chequera Viognier. So what do we end up discussing? Whether or not to make a "Parker" wine. The new WA arrived this week, and once again, our scores are mainly 87-88. We've always been 85 to 90 with Parker, and the writeups have always been great. We are always delighted by his reviews. However, this time we were envious. Our next door neighbor is getting scores in the 90's and rave reviews. (They also had Parker over for dinner . . . ) So, Dan points out, he can do this and this and this to the wine . . . In the end, we decided we are happy with our style. It's already big enough, Parker as well as other reviewers like our style, we have happy customers, and we would lose our focus on vineyard presence if we make what we feel would be overstyled wines. But oh, the allure. And the evening had a happy ending.

Oh my. What a way to start the day!

Whatever will people do next. San Francisco Chronicle Cleavage Creek Wine

Oh yeah. Raised one of my own, and #6 stepchild Hoover is thundering around me as I Egullet. . . at twelve years, he's 5'4' and about 150 lbs. We buy lots of protein, whole chickens, locally butchered beef, but kids this age just need to EAT. We keep whole potatoes, nuke 'em and top 'em with leftover vegies and yogurt. Always have Kosher hot dogs, and tortillas. Nuke 'em, wrap 'em. Tortillas are so versatile -- eggs become a breakfast burrito, sausage, beans, vegies, cheese, if you wrap it in a tortilla it's suddenly less healthful and more fulfilling. Go, Mama Rosa! When your bananas get dark, peel them, drop them in a ziploc bag and freeze them. Instant sweet snack, and perfect for smoothies. No need for ice. We just break up the frozen 'nanners and drop them in the blender with the other ingredients. And yes, order your beef in big cuts, cook it all for dinner, and carve up the rest for sandwiches, stew, whatever. Oooh, smoked ham hocks and lentils. Buy 6 hocks, because four will be eaten before dinner. Cook the hocks first, in water and broth, slowly for at least 4 hours (a crockpot moment?). Add the lentils when the hocks are fully cooked. (In other words, ignore the instructions on the lentil bags. So stupid.) You'll end up with pork falling off the cartilege. Hence the filched hocks before dinner. Add some garlic and spices to the lentils and finish cooking. Also, we encourage Hoover to drink milk or water before snacking, and we make lots of homemade soup for snacking. Get liquids into the kids as often as possible to fill them up nutritionally before they tackle other foods.