Ramsay Petite Sirah, North Coast, California.
June 25, 2012
Grapes
100% Petite Sirah (sometimes written as Petit Syrah, although it refers to the same grape).
Facts
- Petite Sirah is a wine you can’t take lightly. You to be in the mood for it. That’s because Petite Sirah typically has about as much subtlety and restraint as being awoken in the morning to a 300lb man in a dark purple suit, jumping up-and-down on your bed, singing Bohemian Rhapsody, while he simultaneously throws plums, blackberries and bars of dark chocolate at your head.
- The Ramsay label was launched in 1989 by winemaking couple Kent and Celia Rasmussen. “Ramsay” comes from Celia’s maiden name. The wine – which also includes a Cabernet and a Merlot – serves as a second label to their Kent Rasmussen range.
- The Petite Sirah grape (known in France as Durif) was discovered by French botanist Francois Durif in 1880. Strange co-incidence? Nope. He did the exact same thing you would do if you discovered a grape, and named it after himself! The grape is a cross between Syrah and the relatively unknown variety of Peloursin and was introduced to California around 1884
- The Petite Sirah grape has almost completely disappeared from France, but sees a increasing amount of acreage in North America (it has more than doubled since 2000), as well as sporadic plantings in Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Israel.
Debby Does Jacksonville.
June 25, 2012Just a little “tropical storm fun”! :)
Steve Carell used to be a Wine Telemarketer?
June 22, 2012
According to a recent interview in Parade.com, funnyman Steve Carell wasn’t always in the acting biz.
Responding to the question: “What was your worst pre-fame gig?” Steve answered with: “At one point, I was a wine telemarketer. Talking people into buying wine on the phone is not an easy job to begin with, but when you don’t know anything about wine and you really don’t drink it, it becomes even more difficult.”
Click here for the full interview from Parade.com.
My Thoughts…
I already liked the guy before, and now knowing he was kind-of in the wine business gives me a new-found respect for him!
Posted in News | Tagged Steve Carell | Leave a comment //The Donald Fires Patricia Kluge from her Own Winery.
June 22, 2012
Mr Donald Trump has once again uttered his famous catchphrase “YOU’RE FIRED!!!” to the one-time famously wealthy socialite Patricia Kluge, and removed her from her own former Kluge winery.
Kluge — who famously won a divorce settlement in 1990 from billionaire media mogul John Kluge — proceeded to spend her $100 million dollars on a 1,000 acre Charlottesville, Va wine estate, complete with mansion. With the downturn in the economy and even at one point hiring world famous wine consultant Michel Rolland, finances for Kulge didn’t improve and she declared bankruptcy in June of 2011.
My Thoughts…
As much as most people hate “The Donald,” you can’t doubt that he’s a savvy businessman. I have no-doubt this is the right move. I know absolutely zero about Patricia Kluge’s background, but from what I gather her love of wine and the “image” that surrounds a winery was probably the main reason she got into the business. It’s the exact same reason a lot of people get into the restaurant business i.e. “I like food! I’m a pretty-good cook! I should open a restaurant!”
I actually met Patricia Kluge last year in Miami at a Wine Enthusiast tasting. She was pouring at the Kluge table. I do have to say I was extremely surprised to see her there. The thoughts going through my head were something along the lines of: “Holy sh*t! They kept you around!?!?”
Kluge wines were (at least when I last tasted them) extremely impressive, and certainly one of the better examples of East Coast winemaking. I hope Trump can turn it around.
Posted in News | Tagged Virginia | Leave a comment //How to Disarm a Wine Snob in 5 Easy Steps.
June 21, 2012
Let’s face it, we all know someone we would deem to be a “wine snob.” In fact, I’m sure a lot of people call me a snob.
The truth-of-the-matter is that some people have earned the right to varying degrees of superiority on a topic when that’s what they do for a living.
To illustrate, let me tell you about my dad. He’s a joiner (carpenter) back in England. Needless-to-say, whenever he comes to visit, I have him doing the occasional “odd job” around my house. Without fail, whenever he needs to use one of my power tools, he’ll say something along the lines of: “Where did you buy that piece-of-crap drill from!?!? Toys R Us!?!?” or when talking about DIY work I’ve done “Who put this bloody shelf up!?!?! A blind man!?!?!”
Is my dad a “carpentry snob”? No. He just knows his sh*t, and when it comes down to the job he’s been doing since he was 15 years old, he doesn’t have time for amateurs like me.
What I’m getting at here is that some people truly know what they’re talking about when it comes to wine; not that it gives them the right to belittle other people who may know less, but it certainly entitles them (at least partially) to an elevated social status on the subject.
The people I’m taking issue with here are the ones that have absolutely no right to be pretentious about wine. The ones that maybe own a wine cellar, but couldn’t tell you what Burgundy is. The ones who claim to have an “exquisite and discerning palate,” but in a blind tasting, couldn’t tell the difference between Bordeaux and California.
Here are a few tips to help you combat your token wine snob (and just in case you were wondering, punching them in the face isn’t one of my suggested moves):
1. Don’t drink wine with them in the first place!
Ok, this is self-explanatory and could be a little difficult to avoid; but if you really have a friend that is a total douche when it comes to wine, maybe its best to avoid popping open a bottle of vino with them altogether! It may sound like a drastic step, but even I have a few “acquaintances” for whom I completely refuse to drink wine with.
Sure, in social settings I love to talk about wine, but I don’t need an education from someone who knows less than me. It’s exactly the same as me coming into your place of employment and instructing you how to do your job.
2. Insist on blind tasting them.
If you execute this properly, you might not even need to use the remaining 3 tips!
Blind tasting wines (and correctly guessing their origin) is a surefire way to “out” any wine snob. Even seasoned wine pro’s (especially if it’s a blend) have a hard time pin-pointing the origin or grapes of a wine.
With this being said, it’s probably unwise to blind taste someone who does actually know a thing-or-three about wine. Also, be careful about the wine you choose. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, for example, can be recognized at 100 paces!
The flip-side of this scenario is if they correctly guess the juice that you just poured them, you’ll end giving them an eternal chip on their shoulder, and you’ll have to forever being regaled with: “Remember when you blind tasted me, and I guessed that wine!?!?! I have an AMAZING palate!!!”
Posted in Facts | Tagged How to Handle a Wine Nerd, How to Handle a Wine Snob, Wine Snobs | Leave a comment //Wine Myths…Busted: Wines Pair with Cheese.
June 19, 2012
Click here for the rest of my Wine Myths Busted series.
Posted in Facts | Tagged pairing wine with cheese, wine and cheese pairing | Leave a comment //← Older posts Newer posts →
