4th of July BBQs

With the 4th of July coming up, I have to write a "drink American" post.  For a patriotic post on wine, there is no better place to begin than with the movie, "Bottle Shock."  "Bottle Shock" tells the story of American wineries beating the French in a blind taste test held in France, judged by French wine experts.  The movie really only details the competition that has Cheateau Montelena's Chardonnay beat the French whites, what it doesn't tell is that the American red wines also beat their French counterparts.  Another aspect of the competition that the movie doesn't really touch on is that the competition, the "Judgement of Paris" as it has since been called, was that the competition was held on America's bicentennial, July 4th, 1976.

So, Chateau Montelena made its name in 1976 with its Chardonnay, but since then, it has become better known for its red wines, especially its Cabernet Sauvignon.  I was luck enough to be able to have a bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon last week, and I have to say that it is worth all the hype.  It was on par with the Heitz Cellar Cabernet that I had just a few weeks ago, if not even a bit better.  I had this wine with a Tri Tip roast and the meat wasn't the best pair for the wine despite it seems like they would make a perfect pair.  The BBQed beef was great on its own as was the wine, and that's the way I kinda wish we had kept them.  But, all that being said, both were still good, just not complimentary as I wish they had been.  The Cabernet is amazingly concentrated and complex and could be described as overpowering at first, but after having a glass, you start to notice all of the subtle flavors that are not apparent at first.

I know that not everyone will be able to pick up a bottle of Montelena this weekend, but as you prepare your 4th of July BBQs, drink American.  We make some of the best wines to pair with foods made on the grill.  Think Zinfandels and Syrahs, Cabernets and Merlots.  Most will go well with your grill fare this weekend.  As we await the start of the guest post competition, I'll try to update the blog with my BBQ wine pairings for the holiday weekend.  If you come across a good pair this weekend, let me know so I can try it out later this summer.

Contest Guidelines

Alright, so it seems like enough people are interested in this little contest that we will actually be able to make it happen.  After actually thinking it through a bit, here is how I see everything playing out.

Each person writing a post will have to submit them to me by July5.  Beginning July 6, I will begin posting the entries, one per day until I have posted them all.  Once posted, each post will have 1 week to prove its popularity with readers before I take the tallies on page hits, comments, followers, etc.  Example: I’ll tally the week July 6-13 for the post put online on July 6, for the post put online on July 7, that period will be July 7-14, etc.  Once your entry has been posted, you turn from writer into marketer.  Most of you have blogs, twitters, facebook, etc. so you mission will then be getting your friends to check out your post to make it the most viewed.  After each post has had their week, I’ll add up the “scores” and have a coronation for the winner.  The winner will then be able to write another victory post should they choose.  And, of course will be the recipient of a bottle of wine.

The topic is wine.  You guys have seen this site.  I write about wine in many different ways, so I really don’t have any parameters for y’all.

I think I finally covered everything.  If I missed anything, let me know and I’ll amend the post to include it.

Happy writing!

*Note, you can include pitctures.

Contest Time!

After the guest post yesterday, I had an idea.  I should get more of my friends and readers to write some guest posts because I thought it would be fun to hear their different opinions on wine.  I also thought this might be a way to get more people reading my blog!  If I can get five of my friends (my loyal followers for example) to each write a post, and they each get 5 of their friends to read their post, then maybe, just maybe my blog will become noteworthy and wineries will start sending me samples to review (which I will then share with my followers).  I see this actually happening in my mind, so might as well try it out.

So, here is what I’m thinking.  I am going to try to get 5-10 different people to write guest posts for me, and then I’ll post them, one per day for as long as it takes to get them all posted.  Then, using blogger’s handy stats tools, I can see which post gets the most page views over the next week and pick a winner.  I’m thinking that writers will get extra points for comments and for people that start following the blog because of their post.  And, the best part of this little contest?  I’m going to give the winning writer a bottle of wine as a prize!  I’m not sure what it’ll be at the moment, but I can promise that it’ll be something good.  Go ahead and begin thinking about what you want to write and how you are going to market your post so that you can take home the prize.  I don’t really have a timeline for this little contest, but I’d like to start posting the entries in two weeks or so, so you guys have some time to think about it.  Post a comment if you're interested in entering and I'll get you details about how to send me the post, etc.

Happy writing!

PS… you have to be over 21 to be eligible to win the prize.  Figured I should add this in to keep things legal.

PSS… I already got my first entry- my roommate wrote his last night in anticipation of this contest.

Guest Post!

Beach City Girl’s comment is getting quite a bit of attention this week.  As a follow-up to my last post, she was kind enough to write the following post as the first “guest post” on my site!  Continuing the apparent theme for the week, this post is also about movies and wine, and while she doesn’t continue on the Traveling Pants track, she does provide a just in time for summer wine and movie pairing.  Hope you enjoy this.  And, please take note, I actually respond to my reader’s comments and am even willing to publish their posts (that was a subtle call for more guest posts…).  So without further ado, here is Beach City Girl’s guest post:

So I have to admit: Daniel called my bluff. I do NOT actually recommend that anyone over the age of 12 watch Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, because you will most likely be bored out of your mind, and just plain confused about why these girls are mailing a pair of unwashed jeans around the world. Similarly, I do not have a wine pairing that I would suggest for that film, because if you’re watching it, you are probably at the age where you are drinking a Dr. Pepper and contemplating dropping a Mentos in it.

Now, having said that, I do have a movie and wine pairing suggestion that might surprise you, but in a different way: 2009 Sea Ridge Chardonnay and the movie (500) Days of Summer. Now you’re probably thinking “blah, chardonnay” and “blah, indie chick-flick”, but recall my previous admonition: Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

The Sea Ridge Chardonnay is a creamy California wine with that smells like citrus, and tastes and feels like butterscotch. It’s got a crisp notes of pear and lemon wrapped in a smooth, contrasting finish. Like many California wines that I’ve tried, it has a heavy fruity emphasis, but it’s more of a bright citrus-y taste than a sweet overpowering apple.

In the same way, (500) Days of Summer was not what initially expected. Its sweet and clever, but not a love story or a romantic comedy, and that’s expressed very clearly. With it’s wit, killer soundtrack, and quirky cast, this movie leaves you wanting just one more sip.

An interesting note about the stars in the movie: Joseph Gordon Levitt went from Angels in the Outfield child-star to being in Inception. That kind of transformation and versatility in an actor is amazing. Ditto with Zoe Deschanel. She's a singer songwriter (from the band She and Him) and has been in movies with Jim Carrey and Sarah Jessica Parker. She keeps you guessing. By the end of the movie you love to hate her character, but you still love her.

Last note about the wine; it’s got its own secret surprises, chiefly the fact that you can get it at Vons for less than $3.00 a bottle. Literally, a steal. I’ve served this at dinner parties, and used it in sauces (and I don’t cook with wine I wouldn’t drink), and always gotten rave reviews.

So next time you want to try something that might be a little out of the realm of what you might normally drink (or watch), whip a little pear and brie crostini, open a bottle of Sea Ridge Chardonnay, and turn on (500) Days of Summer. I can almost promise it will leave you wanting more.

Wine and Movies

Movies and wine are becoming something of a recurring theme here, but I like that.  They have a lot in common as I’ll explain in this post, inspired by Beach City Girl’s comment on my last post.

For those of you who don’t remember (or more likely didn’t read) the last post, Beach City Girl called me out on when I said I wouldn’t pair a wine with Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants because I had no interest in seeing it.  She stated: “I think you would actually really enjoy Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... As with wines, don't knock it til you try it.”

I am going to use her comment as a jumping off point to explain why movies and wine are similar, and to tell why my anti-Traveling Pants attitude isn’t actually narrow minded, but just me showing a bit about my preferences in movies and wine.

For starters, how many different wines are there in the world?  Different varietals, makers, vintages, etc… there are a ton, right?  More than you could ever possibly try.  Even Parker who supposedly tries 10,000 wines a year doesn’t come anywhere near trying every wine made.  Now movies, how many different movies have been made?  Different genres, actors, countries of origin, etc… there are a ton, right?  More than you could ever possibly watch.  Even Roger Ebert doesn’t come anywhere near seeing everything that comes out.  Since these professionals don’t even come close to keeping up with their industry, how could I, as a casual fan of both ever dream to?  Well, with movies it’s relatively simple- advertising, pedigree (from actors and directors, etc.), reviews, and recommendations from friends and family help me determine which movies interest me, and based on these “previews,” I choose to see or not see a particular movie, knowing that I cannot see them all, but figuring that I might as well select the ones that I am most likely to enjoy.  Back to wine where it’s a bit more complicated.  Wineries rarely advertise, so I don’t have commercials and posters to pique my interest.  Pedigree and recommendations are what we have to go off of when we choose a wine.  The reputation of a particular region, winemaker, or vintage are usually enough to gain my interest and make me want to try a wine.  For instance, it was the reputations of both Biondi Santi and Heitz Cellar that drove me to try their wines recently.  It was the tradition of Bordeaux that made me try their wine for the first time years ago, and the tradition of Chianti is part of what makes it a favorite of mine.  Recommendations are huge too.  Friends tell me about good wines all the time, and from these recommendations, I have discovered some amazing wines.  Again, realizing that I cannot try (or afford) them all, the goal is to try and make selections that I am most likely to enjoy.

So, based on this logic, I do not see my anti-Traveling Pants stance as narrow minded, but as playing the percentages after having seen previews and after not having it recommended to me until Beach City Girl said I would enjoy it, just a few days ago.  It wasn’t on my radar as something that I would enjoy, so I wouldn’t gravitate towards it.  Wine is similar- I’m not drawn to Pinotage from South Africa or big, buttery Chardonnays from California for the same reasons.  They are rarely recommended to me, and based on their “previews” I make the decision to spend my time enjoying other wines.

Now, the argument that I just laid out is a solid foundation for me, but as you might be thinking, it sounds like it could get boring and monotonous- always choosing similar things because that’s what you like and never being all that adventurous.  That leads me to another similarity between wine and movies- random discovery that is made because of other’s decisions.  How many times have you seen a movie because you went on a date and saw something your companion wanted to see?  Or how many times have you been over at a friend’s house and seen something that you had never heard of or never really considered watching yourself?  How many times have you been bored one afternoon and watched a movie just because it was on TV when nothing else was?  And, of all of these movies that you just happened to happen upon, how many of them did you enjoy?  My bet would be that there are a bunch of them.  When it comes to wine, how many times have you been to dinner at a friend’s house and been exposed to a new wine you enjoyed?  How many times have you visited a friend and been to a local winery, thus discovering a new region?  How many times have you been tasting and tried something that pleasantly surprised you?  Again, my bet would be that this happens pretty often.  All the questions I posed above involved situations that were (mostly) out of your control, so they pushed you into a new situation, and at least sometimes, that new situation left a positive impression on you, allowing you to grow, and possibly changing your mindset somewhat, thus revising what movies and wine previews are likely to influence you in the future.  These random situations help us keep our love of wine and movies from growing stagnant, they help us learn more about the vast genres that we will never fully master, and, more to my original point, they keep us adventurous while helping us avoid being narrow minded.

This being said, Traveling Pants might now deserve a second look now that it has been recommended by a credible source.  Maybe Beach City Girl can recommend a wine to pair with it to truly make me watching the movie a new and random event?

Wine Pairings and Football Movies- An Addition!

Well, I’d like to write more on my Italy trip, and will do so at some point, but I realized something last night that I don’t want to risk forgetting…

When making my list to pair wines with football movies, I forgot about Jerry Maguire!  Come on guys, I know some of you at least read that post, how could everyone forget about Jerry Maguire?  I need to get my readers more involved (hint, hint…)

Anyway, I was watching Jerry Maguire last night, and I had a glass of wine during the movie, only to discover that it paired pretty darn well.

Vons grocery stores is doing their 30% off wines sale at the moment, so I decided to take the opportunity to stock up on some everyday wine and buy a few nicer bottles that I wouldn’t normally buy.  One of those bottles was a 2005 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon.  I’d always heard good things about Heitz, so I decided this was as good an opportunity to try it as any.  The wine itself was phenomenal.  It was amazingly bold yet still soft and easy to drink.  I tasted raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry on the fruity side, but also anise, pepper, and smoky flavors all at the same time.  It was a bit overwhelming at first, but when paired with a steak, it was great.  Too bad it’s too darn expensive for me to drink often.

After dinner, my roommates and I watched Jerry Maguire, and as I was sipping my wine, I tried to think about which wine I had paired this movie with.  I couldn’t remember so I looked it up.  I was shocked when I realized that I forgot about Jerry Maguire.  I’m ashamed that I forgot it!  Anyway, now, my list is fixed- my movie-wine pairing for Jerry Maguire is Heitz Cellar Cabernet.  The strong and powerful wine goes well with the great movie that’s depth matches that of the wine.

Now readers, once again, if any of y’all can think of any movies that I’ve forgotten, or if you’d like me to try to pair a wine with one of your favorites, let me know.

PS… I reserve the right to decline requests- for example, I will not pair a wine with a movie that I’d never be able to sit through- think “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”

Italy Trip- My Shopping List

Well, I’m back from my whirlwind tour of Italy, still trying to comprehend the fact that I was actually in Italy for the last week, and that the trip just wasn’t a blur in my imagination.  On the last day of our trip, our tour guide remarked that he had never been on a tour that packed so much into a 6 day trip.  That being said, I didn’t have much free time to dig up stories for the blog while I was there.  I did, however, come away with several interesting stories that I’ll share in the coming days…

Whenever I go back to Italy, wine is always one of the main things that I bring back with me.  Over the years, I have become a savvier shopper over there- only buying what was significantly cheaper there, or buying what was impossible to find over here.  Here is what I came back with this time…

2003 Biondi Santi Rosso di Montalcino.  I tried a glass of this at a wine bar a few days before buying it and decided that I had to have it.  Biondi Santi makes an expensive wine, but in my experience, it has been worth the price each time.  This wine is the only one that I brought home that I’ll be opening anytime soon.

2004 Le Due Sorelle Brunello di Montalcino Riserva.  I’ve never bought a Riserva Brunello before, so I figured that 2004 was a good vintage to try my first.  It was pretty expensive, but after reading a bit about the producer and knowing that the vintage was excellent, and knowing that it would be impossible to find here, I had to get it.

2004 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino.  I got this Biondi Santi Brunello to keep my bottle of 2001 Biondi Santi company while it ages for a few more years.  Biondi Santi is the maker that is said to have created the first Brunello wine, and now, a hundred plus years later, they still do a great job.  Anytime Brunello has a great vintage, I’ll be looking to pick up a bottle of Biondi Santi.

2006 Colpetrone Sagrantino di Montefalco.  This wine from Umbria is among the boldest I’ve ever tried.  I don’t know if I’ll open it soon and have it with a steak or if I’ll hold onto it for a few years to see what it is like when it softens up a bit.  Either way, I highly recommend that you try a Montefalco wine should you ever come across one.

This post was didn’t really require much thought on my part- like I said, the trip is still mostly a blur in my mind.  I’ll have some more insightful Italian posts in the coming days- I’m still digesting the trip.