Half Full

posted by Callie in Snooth, Wine, Guest Bloggers

Lately, I’ve been writing a lot of “how to” entries and I know these can be semi-mundane, but hopefully they’re creating a solid foundation for further knowledge. If you belong to a wine community like Snooth, chances are you already know the very basics of wine, but for those of you that I forced into joining just to read my blog (you know who you are); I’m now going to give you some hints on how to serve me wine the next time we’re in each other’s company.  I understand that in order to learn, practice makes perfect and in this case the ‘practicing’ is the best part.

So let’s say you’ve got some friends over with a nice bottle of wine chilled and you’re ready to tear into it… not so fast buddy.  Corking the bottle requires more than just muscle.  You’ll need some tools and first off I recommend the waiter’s corkscrew.  It’s light, easy to carry and doesn’t have those fancy wings.  Wing type corkscrews tend to have a really short screw and usually demolish the wine cork. Now let’s say, god forbid, you do end up breaking the cork in the bottle.  An easy remedy is to go back in with your waiter’s cork screw at an angle and try, try, again.

After you’ve opened your bottle, in many cases especially if you’ve opened an old red wine or even a very young and tannic wine, you’ll want to let the wine breathe for a bit.  Oxygen chemically changes a wine’s balance, therefore by letting the wine breathe it may improve the aromas and tannins.  You can do one of two things here.  One, pour the entire contents of the bottle into a decanter and let it sit… or two, pour the wine into individual wine glasses (preferably large) with big bulbs at least 10 minutes before you’re ready to drink.

Of course, not all wines need to decant before drinking.  Steer clear with light to medium bodied red wines that are less tannic, for example; Pinot Noirs, Dolcettos, lighter Zinfandels, Burgundies etc.  You can also skip this step with inexpensive, ready to drink wines, as they are generally less tannic and ready to go right away.

Now we come to the issue of glassware.  If you’re just hanging out for the night casually, then by all means use your favorite plastic Yankees beer cup.  However, if your girlfriend is coming over for your anniversary dinner and she knows a bit about wine, bust out the stemware (glasses with stems).  This isn’t because you have to impress her with your fancy style, it’s because good wine tastes better out of the proper glassware as it appreciates the wine’s value.  Glassware has the ability to create a certain mood, and as I mentioned before, it helps aerate the wine, bringing out the smaller nuances and complexities of your juice.  This will obviously make the entire experience that much more enjoyable and unique.  My glass of choice is the Spiegelau brand.  They’re clear, understated and elegant without breaking the bank.  Use larger stemware for your more tannic, heavier bodied reds, while lighter wines and white wines can be poured in the smaller glasses.  Fortunately, many companies make glasses that can cross over between white and red.

When pouring wine properly, this isn’t a case of more is more.  Fill up the glass to about half way so that you can stick your nose in it without getting wine up your nostrils.  You’ll also want to be able to swirl your glass without spilling.  Again, this isn’t so that you can look like a snob.  It’s so you can smell the different aromas and oxygenate the wine so that it will inevitably taste better.

General rules when serving multiple wines at a dinner party include:

1. Serve white before red.  White wine generally doesn’t stick to the palate like red wine does, therefore this order won’t confuse your taste buds as much.
2. If you’re having a course dinner, try serving your wines lightest to heaviest bodied (for the same reason as above)
3. Dry wine before sweet wine.  The taste of sweet generally has a long aftertaste, therefore if you drink a dry wine after, the taste can get lost.
4. Simple, straightforward wines before complex wines, so that you won’t tire out your taste buds. (It’s the same concept as smelling too much perfume at once).

You don’t need to worry about following the above tips all at once or else you’ll drive yourself crazy, but generally speaking that’s how things operate independently.

It’s a common misconception that if you’re tasting many different wines, you’ll need a new glass for each wine.  I’m not really a huge follower of this method unless I’m at a really formal dinner.  If you’re following a format where wine is being served lightest to fullest bodied, I wouldn’t worry about reusing your glass too much.  Although if you’re switching back and forth, I recommend trying out a new glass so that the wines don’t become polluted.

I understand it’s a holiday so you all should be outside enjoying your last days of summer, perhaps with a plastic cup in hand!  Here we come fall, my favorite wine-drinking season!  Cheers!

Callie Exas has just launched her wine career at New York Wine Co. in Manhattan. So far so good!

Pairing Wine and Music – Share in the Fun

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

“If you’re feeling what I’m feeling come on, all you soul searching people come on.”
- Delta Spirit

In an effort to share in the fun of Wine and Music pairing, I would like to open this week’s pairing to suggestions from others.

The album title “Ode to Sunshine” and artwork for this band are clearly a great fit for the Wine sect. To add a little incentive, the first 2 people to respond with their own pairing ideas will receive a complimentary copy of the debut album from Delta Spirit album.

As a pairing reference, I was in Santa Cruz this weekend and picked up a few local treats - I enjoyed the Delta Spirit album with both a 2004 Sones Petite Syrah and a 2004 Nuamann Estate Merlot. Both were purchased at Santa Cruz local wine guru Vinocruz.

Delta Spirit
Music Style: Rock: Pop
Music Region: San Diego, CA
Music Year: 2008
Music Label: Rounder Records
Music Link: http://www.deltaspirit.net
Music Description: Delta Spirit is a San Diego based 5-piece band known for their energetic performances and for their live incorporation of unconventional instruments such as trash can lids. The song included with this post is titled “Trachcan” and it’s the band’s debut single. The guy with the glass of wine in the album artwork is Dr. Thomas Payne, who is the uncle of Delta Spirit lead singer Kelly Winrich.

Delta Spirit’s debut album was released this week on 38 year old Massachusetts based label Rounder Records. Rounder’s most recent success was the duet “Raising Sand” by Allison Krauss and Robert Plant which has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has gone on to receive numerous awards and nominations.

Trashcan

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.

Larkmead Vineyards Harvest 2008

posted by Dan in Snooth, Wine, Guest Bloggers

Larkmead Vineyards Harvest 2008

Harvesting Hot

On August 15 Larkmead Vineyards commenced its 125th harvest.  And it was not the only three digits we reached on this day.  Temperatures topped 105 degrees on the Vineyard. Some say that good things come in threes – this year at Larkmead, most major wine activity took place on days that temperatures eclipsed 100 degrees.  On May 15 and 16 when bottling 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and 2006 Firebelle, temperatures reached 102 degrees both days.  On July 8, while bottling 2006 Cabernet, temp topped 108 causing us to postpone the next two days of bottling.  And with the start of Harvest 2008, as noted above, another scorcher.  There are other ‘F’ words I could use to describe this penchant for pyromania.  Far. From. Frigid.  (And you thought….)  Anticipating the heat this harvest day, we began picking just before 6 a.m. when temperatures hadn’t yet reached 60 degrees.  This is not only good for the workers, but also the fruit that is hydrated from a chilly night and early morning fog.

Chasing Harvest

Each year in <insert wine region of choice>, harvest brings a buzz of activity in the vineyard and wineries can be found working around the clock.  Since harvest is our most intense time, where days bleed into nights and weekdays into weekends for months on end, we need extra help in the cellar to start the winemaking process.  Coupled with the migrant farm workers manning the vines, you’ll see a number of International interns stomping around the cellar and singing the praises of winemaking in many different languages.  This year at Larkmead we have the help of two young winemaking-wannabes.  One joins us from South Africa (right) where he is Assistant Cellarmaster for Jordan winery and the other from the East Coast who recently worked harvest 2007 at a winery in Virginia.

Pressing

All grape juice is clear (or a translucent color of sort).  Red wine gets its color from the juice’s contact with its skin during the extended extraction of fermentation.  White wine gets pressed off the skins immediately to allow the juice to ferment on its own.  For our Sauvignon Blanc we used a two-hour press cycle that gradually builds pressure to squeeze flavor from the grape.  When the grape juice drops into the press pan its immediate contact with air (i.e. oxygen) causes a browning effect.  Not much different from leaving a cut up apple on a cheese plate for too long.  This is where that demon sulfur comes into play.  Sulfur binds with dissolved oxygen in grape (or fruit) juice and basically eliminates it.  We’ll sulfur the juice to kick-start the clarifying process and then let fermentation take over the rest.

Fermenting

Over the past couple of years, we’ve tried different vinification methods to gain complexity in our Sauvignon Blanc.  Traditionally you’ll ferment Sauvignon Blanc in Stainless Steel tanks. We’ve employed this method along with fermenting in barrel to allow the juice closer contact with its lees (the rich, textured, paint like substance that settles out of a wine during fermentation).  This year with our Sauvignon Blanc we are using a small percentage of New French Oak (10%) and Stainless Steel barrels (15%) along with the remainder in older, ‘neutral,’ French barrels.  Each vessel will have an impact on the flavors and texture of the wine.  When blended the wine will offer a more diverse set of characteristics than your standard, steely, racy Sauvignon Blanc.  Our goal is to create a wine with aromatic intensity (fruit) on the front end while maintaining a similar preponderance in the mouth (oak) and freshness (steel) on the finish.

Dan Petroski is Assistant Winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards in Napa Valley. Dan has an MBA from New York University and worked as an Ad Exec in New York for several years, before switching it up and trading his suit for a move out west.

The Wild West

posted by philip in Snooth

I was in San Jose all of last week - ostensibly for the Search Engine Strategies conference at which I spoke on Vertical Search, however, I used the fact that I was down there as an excuse to schedule a lot of meetings.

Specifically, and scarily, the panel I spoke on was called “Getting it right in Vertical Search” - clearly, as I joked to the audience then, this is a panel I should be listening to, rather than speaking at. For those that are interested, I’ve uploaded the presentation here: Vertical Search presentation by Snooth. Its basically an introduction to the kinds of things one would need to think of when building their own vertical search site. Hint - you need a big market to support the kind of affiliate or ad dollars a VC would like to see.

This doesn’t have much to do with wine, but I wanted to tell you about one of the highlights of the week: the Google Dance!

Until recently, I thought the Google Dance was what happened to your search rankings when Google decided to update their algorithm, however, its also the name of one of their annual parties.

Geeks paradise really is the only description I can use to describe it. The boys at Google really know how to appeal to everyone’s inner nerd. With popsicle stands, caricaturists, a dance floor, pool tables, beach volleyball, and of course free food, drink and dispensing candy machines it was quite the event. Everyone was given glow in the dark tshirts, wrist bands, glow sticks and other paraphernalia, and there were even Google engineers on hand to demo the various Google applications. If none of this appealed, you could hang out with the Google pets: I only saw some dogs, but they were very cute and seemed at ease with the throngs.

Best of all though, was that they’d set up a giant stage for us to go up and play the game: Rock Band. Complete with laser show, smoke and wind machines, when I first walked past I thought it was a Kiss cover band. It was only on second glance that I realized it was a bunch of search geeks like myself rocking out!

I didn’t go up, as the wait was so long, but it really looked like the highlight of the night. To the “bands” that really cut loose, you guys were amazing. I was one of your thousand strong fan base that night.

PS. The #1 highlight of the whole week was actually the Snooth Meetup in San Francisco, but HondaJohn beat me to the report on that, so I’m going with my number 2 story.

Snooth Meet and Greet

posted by John in Snooth, Guest Bloggers

I consider myself lucky to be able to blog on Snooth and even more lucky to have met some of the key people at Snooth, both Philip and Mark.  Snooth has become more than just a wine site for me.  It has truly become a community and site I visit daily because I have a shared interest with the people that are there.

When Philip asked me if I had time this week to meet up with him I said sure.  From there the meet moved from after work drinks to the, as far as I can tell, the first formal group meet for Snoothers.  Both Philip and I were concerned that it’d be the two of us and some random person that showed up for free drinks.  Luckily, that was not the case.  By my count we had more than 20 people over the course of the night.  It is an amazing group of people with a similar passion, wine.

We met at a small wine bar called Yield in San Francisco.  It focuses on organic wines.  My experience with organic wines is that they are hit or miss.  I can say that the wines we tried were all pretty much a hit.  Great little place that worked out perfectly for us.  In fact, we more or less took over the place for most of the night.

It’s not often that I feel like a novice with something but this was the case this past Wednesday night.  However, I never felt as if people were talking down to me or using a condescending tone.  It was just a bunch of people with a passion for wine sharing that passion.  The diversity and breadth of people that turned up was huge.  I got to meet fellow blogger Kirstin, another wine blogger Doug, Jim who is working on a better wine site for distribution and I can’t forget the people from Inertia (amazing wine company).

Snooth is a great wine web site but it is a great wine community too.  I encourage everyone that visits Snooth to jump in and participate … you’ll learn a lot, interact with some great people and maybe get to join in another Snooth meet & greet event.

John Andrews is a software product manager during the week and is a professional Tasting Room staffer at Loxton Cellars in Glen Ellen, CA on the weekends.

It’s My DOC in a Box

posted by Robert in Snooth, Wine Industry, Wine, Guest Bloggers

I may be the only one harping on the Italian Agricultural Ministry’s decision to allow wines graded DOC to be “bottled” in the fairly ubiquitous bag-in-a-box container but I think it will have a significant impact on the way the Italian’s present and sell their wines.

The first notion that needs to be dispelled is that the DOC wines in question will be of higher quality and uniqueness than the currently available IGT wines available in alternative containers. There are vast swaths of Italy dedicated to the production of everyday, easy drinking wines that have long been sold in such boxes and I doubt the consumer will be fooled into thinking that Pinot Grigio Frilui Grave DOC will be superior to Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie IGT. The difference is that some oft maligned and undersung DOCs will now have a chance to shine in the market where their bottle offerings no longer compete on price and quality.

Here are my picks for the potential winners and losers (with a note of caution):

Winner: I’d like to see regions like the Oltrepò Pavese raise their game by putting some of their more unique still wine offerings in box. The Oltrepò is a region that has not much to lose in its mid-tier offerings and precious little high end wine to protect. I can envision a day when white Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero Bianco) in a 3L box is standard fair at any BBQ or picnic. What consumers may not take a chance on in bottle they may just take a look at in box. Lower the per-liter price through packaging and not quality reductions and you may have a winner. This region also has oceans of easy drinking Barbera that would look handsome in cardboard.

Loser: Multi-disciplinary and tiered production zones may suffer from a reputation hit. While the image of box wine is on the upswing right now (along with the quality) there are still many sectors that look down upon the category. The box is denied to wines labeled DOCG, riserva, superior or tagged with a sub-zone, but what consumer is going to make this distinction? Chianti is usually a good example for these cases but even lowly Chianti DOCG is box exempt. However, Italy provides plenty of regions where the quality spectrum is very broad within DOC confines. Valpolicella DOC is such a zone and begs the question, will consumers stop paying attention to the classico or superior versions if a large amount of generic Valpolicella DOC becomes available in box? We will have to wait and see.

Caution: To all Italian producers looking to dump wines on the international market by leveraging the new freedom to box DOCs. What people want most of all from a glass of wine is simple enjoyment at a fair price. The aspirational and the geek markets are fun to play in but they represent a tiny fraction of the wine made and consumed. Here is an opportunity to show what legions of tourist already know, that local wine based on indigenous varieties can provide an extremely satisfying experience. Don’t box up that Italian Chardonnay that isn’t selling and for the love of momma please don’t start shipping Montepulciano up from Puglia to sell as Sangiovese from Tuscany – you know who I am talking to. Give us clean and honest wines - show me the Dolcetto and the Asprinio, the Grillo and the Teroldego. This is an opportunity to raise awareness of lesser known growing regions, so don’t blow it on a grape-grab that is bound to fail.

Robert Scibelli is a lecturer and administrator at New York’s premier wine school, International Wine Center.

The New Face of Snooth

posted by mark in Website Updates, Snooth

No, we didn’t hire a celebrity spokesperson, but we did freshen up the design a bit. It’s not that we didn’t like the old design, but when Clint disappeared into the design shop to help us shuffle some things around he couldn’t help but shake out some of the cobwebs a bit. The results have us all pretty impressed.

As you’re playing around, most of the functionality should be the same. You might notice a few tweaks we think are great improvements. For example, you can now search for wines from anywhere on the site. This makes it easy to get back to the core of what Snooth does best, even when you find yourself reading about the latest in Snooth Talk.

We also figured that location setting was somewhat hidden (okay, okay, plenty of you told us this — working with you to make Snooth better is our bag) so we made it more prominent.

Set your location and search!

Of course, a local search will limit your options. When shopping online, be sure to keep it national to get a better selection of wines. Don’t see what you like locally? This handy banner should help you out there.

We’d love to hear what you think. And of course, keep those suggestions rolling in!

Top Food and Wine Pairings

posted by Kirstin in Snooth, Wine, Guest Bloggers, Food

Inspired by John of Loxton Cellars, who posted his ten top wines of all time if money was no object recently, I am putting together by own list of top wine and foods pairings that I’ve experienced. Lately. Except, I’m going the Hi-Fidelity route, i.e., half-assing it and choosing my top five experiences. It’s tough trying to pick amongst your babies. I love none of you any less.

1.    Tomatoes and Wine

Maybe this pushes my list to six, but I couldn’t choose between a young Burgundy that I had with Zachary’s deep dish, sausage and pepperoni pizza, and Barbara and tomatoes, any way, any day. Way to go, high acidity, meaty wines and sweet tomatoes and cheese.

My favorite Burgundy for pizza pairing:
2005 Perrot-Minot Bourgogne Rouge “Vielles Vines”
http://vindelatable.blogspot.com/2007/07/what-to-do-with-young-burgundy.html

My notes on pairing Barbera with Tomatoes:
http://blog.snooth.com/2008/07/22/barbera-and-tomato/

2.    Herbed Aioli and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

I admit that a grassy, guava-bomb is not always my cup of tea, but with an herbaceous olive oil and garlic emulsion, few things are better than a spunky New Zealand sauvie.

A step-by-step herbed aioli recipe included on my blog, Vin de la Table, and the somewhat reserved Sauvignon Blanc that I choose to accompany this luscious sauce:
http://vindelatable.blogspot.com/2008/08/herbed-aioli-step-by-step-roasted.html

3.    Crottin de Chavignol and Sancerre, Chavignol

Regional cheese and wine pairings always have a special place in my heart, and those that originated in France’s Loire Valley top my list. In the following link I reveal my Chavignol and Sancerre dreams (a Sancerre from the tiny Chavignol appellation naturally edged it’s way in), but I’m nearly just as happy when sipping other cheese and wine matches from the same region.

The cheese and wine suggestions:
http://blog.snooth.com/2008/04/15/crottin-de-chavignol-cheese-its-wine-friends/

4.    Sparkling Wine and Potato Chips

High acidity, bubbling wine and crispy, salt-studded fried potatoes? Oh my god. Enough said. From Champagne to Lambrusco, I support bubbles and fat. Check out some serious research:
http://vindelatable.blogspot.com/2008/07/potato-chips-and-sparkling-wine-k-i-s-s.html

5.    Chenin Blanc and Almost Anything, Especially Spicy Anythings

Chenin Blanc is a magic grape. Like it’s aromatic friend Riesling, it comes in many shapes, flavors, sugar and mineral levels, and in ranging acidities, all perfect for pouring into my glass. In all the ranges it comes, Chenin Blanc just might be my favorite white for food and wine pairing. Except for all of the others, of course.

An ode to Chenin Blanc (Three of my top Chenins listed):
http://vindelatable.blogspot.com/2008/01/you-say-party-i-say-chenin-blanc.html

I just realized that this top five is nearly all white. Hmm… I may have to go for ten next time and make sure that reds don’t feel left out.

What are some of your top pairings of all times?

Kirstin Jackson Ellis works as a wine bar manager and wine and food consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes about wine and food pairing at Vin de La Table, her luxurious and lighthearted blog.

How to order wine

posted by Callie in Snooth, Wine, Guest Bloggers

For some, ordering their tall (or is it short??) double, skinny, mocha, latte, iced first thing in the a.m. is a no brainer, but don’t feel as confident when faced with the daunting prospect of ordering wine from a menu in a public institution.  I understand the pressure that can come with this kind of decision.  There are so many options and aspects to consider that I’m sure I’m not alone when I’ve decided to go with the “close your eyes and point” strategy.  However, there’s hope for us all because I’ve put together a couple of basic guidelines that will help you narrow down your search with little to no pain.

First things first: Glass or bottle??  By opting for just a glass, you automatically narrow your search to a handful of options.  From there you can either base your decision upon price point, or if you’re still a little bit confused, tell your server what you like and she can take it from there.  Your servers or sommeliers are very capable and should be quite intimate with the wine list.
If you’re sitting with 2 or more people, we recommend getting a bottle because it’s a bit more cost effective in the long run. Always try to have just one person in charge of picking the wine in order to avoid heckling over a merlot or a cabernet… choosing a wine doesn’t have to be completely democratic. Also, when going this route, choose your colors early in the decision process.  This narrows down your options by half, making the decision less painful.

From there, you can decide what will go best with your meals.  If everyone is having something different, try a soft red like a pinot noir, that can stand up to your red meats but also pairs quite well with your fish and poultry.  If white is what floats your boat, go with something crisp that has more body.  If you have a large group, I would recommend ordering both a bottle of red and a bottle of white for the table.

If this task stills seems a bit overwhelming, point to a wine in your price range and simply ask your server their thoughts on the wine.  They’ll be happy to guide you in the right direction.

Ok, moving on.  You’ve ordered your wine… now what?  You don’t have to feel like a bumbling idiot if you’re the person chosen to take that first taste.  When your server comes back to display the bottle, simply check if it’s actually the bottle you’ve ordered.  This part of the ritual isn’t for you to faun and admire the pretty label, so don’t worry if you aren’t sure you’re giving the right amount of accolades.  When your server opens the bottle and hands you the cork, go ahead and take a good gander at it.  If you’ve got a serious bottle, check to make sure the cork is moist, without any damage to it as it could be signs for a damaged wine.  When the wine has been poured, swirl the wine a bit to open it up, smell it and then taste it.  If it doesn’t smell musky or moldy, you’re good to go.

However, if you’re caught in that sticky situation where the wine has been “corked”, any good restaurant should be more than happy to take the bottle back.  Be polite but firm and don’t let it hang up your evening too much.

See, not as bad as you thought, right??  Ordering wine is no big deal, just take the bull by the horns and you’ll be a wine ordering pro soon enough.

Callie Exas has just launched her wine career at New York Wine Co. in Manhattan. So far so good!

Esoteric Electronic

posted by Adam in Wine, Guest Bloggers, Music

This week’s Wine and Music Pairing includes a 2006 Pinot Noir from Kent Rasmussen’s Esoterica label and a track called ‘Vine to Vine’ from Matthew Dear’s most recent full length album titled “Asa Breed“. It’s a rather enticing match which exemplifies the concept of pairing “dark and mysterious” music with red wine.

“The synergism of nature and technology - the old and the new - makes for a very centered and peaceful life.”

The above quote is from wine maker Kent Rasmussen, but it could very well have been from musician and producer Matthew Dear. In the same fashion which Kent has created a lifestyle and product which cull from new and historical methods of wine making, Matthew Dear crafts amazing and globally recognized music which blends live instrumentation (old) and modern sampling techniques (new) to form a unique and highly enjoyable result.

The Esoterica label according to the Kent Rasmussen website, is a “weird and wonderful” brand. The Ghostly International label, of which Matthew Dear was the first artist to be released, is also of this mind set.  Both the wine and the music label are known for bringing a consistent flow of top quality and innovative products to the market. Kent Rasmussen Winery has released a number of impressive wines, but prides itself most on its flagship Pinot Noir. Ghostly has also released a number of quality artists but maintains an immense pride, and has had a series of global success with its flagship artist Matthew Dear.  Kent Rasmussen has released wine on both his Kent Rasmussen label and its sister label Ramsey Wines (named after Kent’s wife Celia), and Matthew Dear has released music on both the Ghostly label and its sister brand Spectral.

Kent Rasmussen is known both for his wine making and his willingness (in 1979) to plant and harvest grapes in a region not yet established or trusted. Similarly, Matthew Dear was willing to blend the electronic genre with songwriting at an early time in music history when the electronic genre was not as favorable. In releasing products under different names and in different styles, both Kent and Matthew have stayed relevant and have carved out niches for themselves which allow for innovation and an established consistency of excellence.

Esoterica – 2006 North Coast Pinot Noir

Wine Style: Red: Pinot Noir
Wine Region: Carneros, California
Wine Year: 2006
Wine Label: Esoterica - Ramsey Wines / Kent Rasmussen Winery
Wine Link: http://www.snooth.com/wine/kent-rasmussen-winery-pinot-noir-north-coast-2006-1/

Wine Description: - The website for Kent Rasmussen Winery says “if I could tell you only one thing about us, it would be this: we make ‘Purely Poetic’ Pinot Noir“. Many historians in Northern California will claim that Kent is a not only a great wine maker, but a visionary based on his willingness and success in farming a region once considered too harsh for quality Pinot Noir. Carneros, CA is now considered one of the best growing regions in the world for this grape. Kent and his wife Celia Ramsey operate the winery with the help of their two sons. Ken originally caught the wine bug while living in Germany during his college years.

The grapes in this wine were grown on the Rasmussen Napa estate as well in Mendocino’s Potter Valley.  This wine is rich and complex, but smooth and soothing. Flavors of ripe berry -especially cherry are complimented by a nice toasted oak. I enjoyed the feel and texture of this wine in my mouth especially when enjoyed with music. It’s a fine example of Pinot Noir and well worth the $20 dollar price tag.

Matthew Dear

Music Style: Electronic: Pop
Music Region: Detroit, Michigan
Music Year: 2007
Music Label: Ghostly International
Music Link: http://ghostly.com/artists/matthew-dear

Music Description:  Texas born, Detroit based Matthew Dear has been releasing albums since the early 90’s and has won international praise for his work. The son of a folk singer, Mathew Dear also records under the successful techno moniker Audion.

Matthew Dear records for the prestigious Ghostly International label and its sister label Spectral Sounds (as Audion) and makes genre bending blends of pop hooks and electronic rhythms which he combines with sensible lyrics and layered vocals. No matter what moniker or genre, Matthew Dear always provides a unique musical experience with a spectacular fusion of live and electronic instruments. Unlike most electronic music, lyrics and story telling are a staple of Matthew’s sound and have helped achieve a high level of pop sensibility – one which is evident in the success of his most recent album. Be sure to keep an eye out for the deluxe packaging of the “Asa Breed Black Edition” (including remixes by Hot Chip and Fourtet as well as other bonus material).

The song itself was written about Mathew Dear’s great grand father who was killed by Texas rangers in the 1920’s.  I must point out that this track is VERY unconventional for Matthew Dear in the sense that is has a country tinge and he is a known electronic/techno superstar, however I find it blends fantastically with the wine as do most tracks on the “Asa Breed” album and of course the track name “Vine to Vine” is appropriate for a pairing of this nature.

Check out videos from Mathew Dear by visiting his website or more of  his music selections at his Myspace page.

Matthew Dear - Vine to Vine -  Vine_to_Vine

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.