Bohemian Highway Blues

posted by Adam in Snooth, Wine, Guest Bloggers, Music

“Uncork, unwind and let the journey begin” - Bohemian Highway Winery

The first time I purchased Bohemian Highway Chardonnay was just after a long windy drive down the actual “Bohemian Highway” while en route to Cazadero, CA. After such a memorable and scenic route, I immediately noticed the artwork and label name on the wine bottle during a stop at a local wine retailer called Sophie’s Cellars. I especially liked the price point ($8.99 though I’ve now seen it as low as $5.99) and decided to give a few bottles a try.

Prior to moving to California, I worked as a music supervisor for independent films in New York. The most recent film I worked on was titled Shooting Livien and featured Dominic Monaghan (Lost), Jason Behr (Roswell), and Sarah Wynter (24). My favorite part of the process of pairing music and film was “scoring” a scene - choosing the right lyrics, tempo and mood for a particular moment in a film’s plot – a moment where the song playing in the background can tell as good and as important a part of the story as the images themselves. A musical score in this capacity acts as an “enhancement” of the movie experience. Music adds color and context, and pulls the story together in a very poignant and special way. When the pairing is done well, magic happens.

As per recent studies published on wine, music has been proven to similarly enhance the experience of wine. I generally find the “mood” of the track is easier to pair than the lyrics. After discovering that Vetiver’s music and this chardonnay are a great match from a mood perspective, I was excited to find that the song “Blue Driver” lyrically exemplifies the concept of a nice relaxing drive on the “Bohemian” highway.

“Foot upon on the throttle, watching the old slow road, looking out the rear view mirror, for the highway patrol“- “Blue Driver” song lyric

The track is a bluesy fun filled tune with acoustic guitars and a relaxed tempo. As much as this song compliments the taste of the chardonnay itself, the addition of lyrics about highway driving in tandem with the imagery of the label is a nice coupling that adds to the experience and in my book makes for an unforgettable Wine and Music pairing.

Enjoy!

Wine: Bohemian Highway Chardonnay

Wine Year: 2005
Wine Style: Chardonnay
Wine Region: Northern California, Russian River
Wine Label: Bohemian Highway
Wine Link: http://www.snooth.com/wine/bohemian-highway-chardonnay-2005-5/

Wine Description: This lightly-oaked Chardonnay is marketed as the “embodiment of the casual, free-flowing spirit you’ll find along the way when driving the Bohemian Highway“. The wine is great for summer and is clean and crisp and full of fresh apple and pear flavors. I have shared a few bottles with a salmon dinner and some friends, and on another occasion with a picnic lunch hike and it was perfectly suited for either occasion. I was not as impressed with the merlot from Bohemian Highway, so would steer interested parties toward their Chardonnay.

Artist: Vetiver

Music Year: 2008 (May)
Music Style: Folk
Music Region: San Francisco, CA
Music Label: Gnomonsong
Music Link: http://www.midheaven.com/artists/vetiver.html

Music Description: Vetiver is guitarist and songwriter Andy Cabic and a host of his instrumentally savvy friends and touring buddies. Vetiver’s most recent album “Thing of the Past” is comprised entirely of cover versions of some of the band’s influences and favorite songs.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Vetiver perform live on a number of occasions and they are always a treat. They have been releasing albums since 2005, which is the year of the Bohemian Chardonnay included in this pairing. As the band is from San Francisco, comparisons to The Grateful Dead and other psychedelic folk/Americana bands are often used. I do agree with these comparisons, but find that Vetiver has its own unique and desirable angle - one that is especially evident in songs such as the one posted here.

In line with the relaxing, uncorked layed back mentality of the Bohemian Highway, it’s worth noting that - “Blue Driver” was originally written and performed by Michael Hurley, a folk legend from the late 70’s who has recorded records in many different parts of the country, including California. Although Hurley has never gained a large audience, critics, musicians, and loyal followers have all sung his praises. Hurley’s music is a known influence for popular acts including Lucinda Williams, Smog, Yo La Tengo, and Cat Power. Hurley sings with Vetiver during the chorus of the song included with this post, and is the voice of the police man at the very end of the track. Fun stuff – check out Michael Hurley singing his own version of the track here.

Vetiver - Blue Driver - blue_driver.mp3

Adam Rabinovitz is Senior Director of Retail Marketing at IODA, the global leader in digital distribution, marketing, and technology solutions for the independent music industry. IODA distributes music from over 4000 labels, representing over 50 different countries and over 170 different genre styles.

Complimentary Cool

posted by Adam in Snooth, Wine, Guest Bloggers, Music

For this week’s Wine and Music post, we continue to explore the pairing potential of Willamette Valley, Oregon with a 2006 Pinot Noir accompanied by a silky smooth folk re-issue from early 70’s groove wizard Rodriguez.

Cool (adjective) - moderately cold; neither warm nor cold

Willamette Valley is known for its cool climate and has been acknowledged as one of the best regions for Pinot Noir. The founders of Benton-Lane moved to Oregon from California in order to set up their shop in the best growing climate for this type of wine.

Cool (adjective) - characterized by great facility; highly skilled or clever

Rodriguez’s lyrics and style epitomize the “cool” so frequently associated with the early 70’s and though admittedly the 2006 Pinot and this music have over 30 years between them, and pairing “cool” is as cliché an approach as it gets, I find these two cool products are complimentary to one another and that they are an undeniable match.

Wine: Benton Lane Pinot Noir 2006

Wine Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Wine Label: Benton-Lane
Wine Year: 2006
Wine Type: Red: Pinot Noir
Wine Link: http://www.snooth.com/wine/benton-lane-pinot-noir-2006/

Wine Description: Benton-Lane Winery is a family owned estate which operates on the grounds of an old sheep ranch called Sunnymount. Their first vintage was in 1992 and they have since gone on to win two Top Wines in the World. Benton-Lane’s environmentally conscious vineyard practices have earned them certification under the internationally sanctioned L.I.V.E (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) program, and regionally sanctioned Salmon Safe program. Benton-Lane was founded to release great Oregon Pinot Noir and they have certainly accomplished that goal.

This wine has a great spicy yet smooth character and a balanced black cherry and plum flavor. I found it to be extremely pleasant and will definitely be picking up some more. According to the company website, “This deep ruby colored pinot noir has impressive and varietal aromas of cherries, red plums, hibiscus and wild mushrooms.” I’ll admit I wasn’t aware of the mushrooms until reading about it after the tasting, but I did notice something else in the mix which offered a unique earthy feel.

Music: Rodriguez

Music Region: Detroit, Michigan
Music Label: Light In The Attic
Music Year: August 2008 / Original Release - March 1970
Music Type: Folk : Psychedelic/Rock
Music Link: http://www.lightintheattic.net

Music Description: The Rodriguez “Cold Fact” album is being re-released in mid August by uber-hip Seattle label, Light in the Attic. Rodriguez - born Sixto Rodriguez - but who referred to himself as Jesus Rodriguez, is an early 70’s psychedelic folk musician who had a decent amount of success in South Africa and Australia, but has been a relative unknown in the US and Europe. Originally from Detroit, Michigan- Rodriguez’s albums are full of a unique flavor, and have been described as “outspoken lyrics, unforgettable tunes and a trippy vibe.” For lack of better ways to put it, Rodriguez aged incredibly well over time.

Rumors of Rodriguez death in the late 70’s sent the musician into further obscurity where he remained for many years. Only recently has his name starting surfacing again, much as a result of the re-issue of this album.

Light in the Attic has released some great albums recently but this one hits the ball out of the park. Each track is a gem, and is reminiscent of early Simon & Garfunkel or Donovon but with much more of an edge- an edge that sits closer to a Bob Dylan or a Fela Kuti. There is a obvious psychedelic slant to the album, evident from the colorful and catchy hit “Sugarman” as well as other tracks such as “This is Not a Song, Its an Outburst” and “Crucify Your Mind” but his approach does not water down the message or come off too “hippy-dippy” (a term coined comedic great George Carlin).

Including with this post is Rodriguez’s popular hit single “Sugarman“. As far as I know, Snooth is the ONLY place you can download this song until the album comes out on August 19th. Extra Special Thanks to everyone at Light in the Attic for granting permission to share this track in advance of the album release and for bringing this amazing product back into the market.

Rodriguez - Sugarman - sugar_man.mp3

Enjoy!

Oregon Originals

posted by Adam in Snooth, Wine, Guest Bloggers, Music

For this week’s Wine and Music pairing I have chosen a band and a bottle from Oregon – a 2007 Adelsheim Rose from Willamette and Portland based Blind Pilot.

There is a great review of the wine by Matt Kramer in The Oregonian (June 16th) which has a reference to music and wine.

Matt comments that we can all grow fatigued by complex flavor filled “symphonic” wines but that this Adelsheim Rose can be considered a – “catchy pop tune” which “you’ll be humming along with pleasure and the bottle will suddenly be empty.” I would have to agree with Matt on this and I find that a catchy pop tune from a local band is a great match.

In addition to inducing pleasure and humming, this wine has a friendly and summery mood which won’t be out of place this 4th of July weekend on the picnic table with BBQ and beer.

Blind Pilot were introduced to me last week by a friend and I’ve listened to this album at least 20 times already. It’s a phenomenal pop/folk blend with intelligent lyrics and bountiful instrumentation. The band is touring the west coast this summer (on bicycles!) from Portland, Or all the way to Mexico. Learn more by visiting the band’s website or a check out this recent article in the Oregon Willamette Weekly which talks about the band’s first tour, and the band’s founding.

Music Region: Portland, Oregon
Music Label: Expunged Records
Music Year: 2008
Music Type: Pop
Blind Pilot: http://www.blindpilotmusic.com

I am equally excited about this Pinot Noir Rose which I discovered (and finished) last night with my friend Sean. Adelsheim Vineyards, is located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and was founded in 1971. The 2007 Adelsheim Rosé is a clean and crisp wine with present, but light fruit (cherries and strawberries). We only picked up one bottle of the Rose last night (at K&L here in San Francisco), but I will definitely be picking up a few more before the weekend and will certainly be enjoying along with Blind Pilot’s debut album “3 Rounds and a Sound“.

Wine Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Wine Label: Adelsheim Vineyards
Wine Year: 2007
Wine Type: Rose: Pinot Noir
2007 Adelsheim Rose: http://www.adelsheim.com/

Included with this post is the Blind Pilot song titled “The Story I Heard” which is my favorite so far on the album.

Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard - the_story_i_heard.mp3

Enjoy & Happy Independence Day to All!

Adam Rabinovitz is Senior Director of Retail Marketing at IODA, the global leader in digital distribution, marketing, and technology solutions for the independent music industry. IODA distributes music from over 4000 labels, representing over 50 different countries and over 170 different genre styles.