Wines I'm Drinking: And We Have a Winner...

We have a winner for the $50 Grocery Outlet gift card.

Jillyrh. Congratulations!

Go to the "Wines I'm Drinking" tab to see all 16 reviews.

Art I'm Looking At: Teaching Printmaking

Today was the last day of what ended up being a six-week course in printmaking I taught at the Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. I hope the kids (fifth graders) enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed teaching it (they seemed to). I was extremely impressed by the work these first-time printmakers did. We covered a variety of printmaking methods including etching, styrofoam "etching," collography with found objects, block printing, and linoleum block printing. The kids learned the basics of each technique; how to roll out ink and ink plates/blocks (which went reasonably well despite the cheap tools and inks the school was forced to use because of lack of a budget for anything better); how to print and title, number, and sign an edition; and matting.

Today, the last day, the students critiqued their work. The top photo shows the work of a single child using the styrofoam "etching" technique, a linocut, and a found object collograph in two colors. The second photo shows one of the most interesting linocuts the kids did. Entitled "Cat to Sun, Dog to Moon," this is by an 11-year-old printmaker that had had no prior experience. It's easy to underestimate what it takes to create a narrative work like this or the dexterity required to cut so intricate a design at this age. Very cool indeed.

Wines I'm Making: First Leaves on the Sangiovese Vines

The first leaves have opened on some of the Sangiovese vines in the last day or two. The light frost we had this morning doesn't seem to have bothered them. No sign of leaves yet on the Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc vines only a few feet away, but the buds are swollen. The Sangiovese is typically as much as two weeks ahead of the Cabernet. I pruned only a few weeks ago but already this year's wine is in the making. This will be our seventh vintage. The wine gets better every year.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Redbud

The first buds opened yesterday (March 25) on the redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) at the side of the house, near the garage. This is a variety with purple leaves, called "Forest Pansy." It was the wrong choice, but I didn't know any better at the time. It's not always easy to know what's the right thing to do, as Humphrey Bogart not so famously said, in The Maltese Falcon. A better choice would have been the Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis), as "Forest Pansy" suffers in the heat here, looking droopy in the dry summer months. As a result, it usually drops most of its buds before they open. I've been pruning it hard, hoping that its roots will keep growing while the canopy stays about the same. That and the heavy rains this year have left me with some hope that more than a few flowers will actually bloom this year. Pretty--and the flowers are tasty and festive in salads, too.

This is another plant that reminds me of Ohio. Everything seems to remind me of Ohio these days. We had one of these in the yard of my mother's house in Dayton. It fared much better there, shrugging off the cold and snow.

Wines I'm Drinking: Six Cheap Chardonnays

I tasted six inexpensive Chardonnays blind yesterday--the last of the wines from Grocery Outlet I've been tasting ahead of one of that company's twice-annual wine sales (20% off all wines March 30 through April 3). The six wines I tasted were:

• 2006 Imagine Sonoma County Chardonnay
• 2008 Barossa Boxer Barossa Valley Chardonnay (Australia)
• 2007 Ventus Patagonia Chardonnay (Argentina)
• 2009 Aussie Vineyards "12 Apostles" South Eastern Australia Chardonnay
• 2005 Fonty's Pool Pemberton Western Australia Chardonnay
• 2009 Fly South Eastern Australia Chardonnay

2006 Imagine Sonoma County Chardonnay
Pale gold. Quite thin at the rim. Wood scents. Pear blossom. Fairly delicate nose. Nothing really distinctive at first, but later there were strong suggestions of toasty oak. The change on the nose with a little time was fairly dramatic. Rich and buttery tasting. Highly extracted. Has real presence. Acid is pronounced at first, but the tartness falls off fairly quickly and then comes back on a rather long finish also marked by toasty oak scents again and buttery flavors. Solid Chardonnay. Not great wine, but good everyday wine. My favorite of the group of six. Recommended. $6.99 at Grocery Outlet.  

2008 Barossa Boxer Barossa Valley Chardonnay (Australia)
Pale gold again and likewise thin at the rim. Very different on the nose, however. Citrus scents. Gooseberries. Very strongly reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc. Hints of grapefruit and vegetation. I think any experienced wine drinker tasting this wine blind would call it a Sauvignon Blanc with little hesitation. Moderate to light in body, but good length with a dry finish tinged with a lingering acidity. If you can ignore the fact that this tastes more like a Sauvignon Blanc than a Chardonnay, this is tasty everyday wine. My second-favorite among the six wines. Recommended. $4.99 at Grocery Outlet. Perhaps the best value of the group.  

2007 Ventus Patagonia Chardonnay (Argentina)
Fuller, deeper gold with a greenish tinge. Buttery, butterscotch nose. Scents of oil and cereal. Suggested flaxseed or a multigrain flax-rich breakfast cereal. Very unusual scent for a Chardonnay--or any wine. Not unpleasant necessarily, but different. Toasted grain scents. Tasted like toasted grain as well. Otherwise, not very distinctive. A bit flat (lacking in acid) and one dimensional. Short finish. I liked this least among the six wines, but none of these were outright bad. $4.99 a bottle.

2009 Aussie Vineyards "12 Apostles" South Eastern Australia Chardonnay
Palest of the six wines. Nearly colorless. Perfumey nose. Scented soap. Cinnamon. Sandalwood. Incense. Reminded me of a 1970s head shop. Later, melon scents, sappy scents. A hint of asparagus. Sharp attack. Acidic at first, but the acid falls away quickly, leaving a rather flabby impression. Not much length. No distinctive flavors. Not especially unpleasant, but not especially interesting either. $3.99 a bottle.

2005 Fonty's Pool Pemberton Western Australia Chardonnay
Very similar in color to the Ventus wine--a medium gold with a green tinge. Smelled like lemons, lemon cake icing, lemonade, then cereal or grain scents again. Later I began to get suggestions of pimento-stuffed olives and something suggestive of champagne, which usually means yeast and green apples, but the scents weren't quite as easy to pin down as that. Fairly concentrated and powerful on the palate, but not quite as assertive as the Imagine wine. Sweet, grapey, fruity mid-palate. Moderate to good length. Slightly tart finish. Not as good as either the Imagine wine or the Barossa Boxer wine, but probably my third-favorite of the group. I preferred the other two wines, but this is quite acceptable for everyday drinking. $4.99 a bottle.

2009 Fly South Eastern Australia Chardonnay
Pale gold. Thin at the rim. Floral on the nose. Most flowery of the wines. Honeydew melon. Tart, bright first impression, but the tartness falls away quickly. Moderate body. Moderate length. Some canned vegetable flavors on the finish. Not terribly distinctive. Not one of my favorites. $4.99 a bottle.

Conclusions: Looking back at the past week, choosing all white wines and rosés was a gamble on my part. The somewhat older wines Grocery Outlet often buys can be tricky in the case of whites; a little age is more likely to be a good thing in a red--but I knew something good would come of what I picked. There were several wines I liked well enough to recommend: the Bardolino Chiaretto and the Frias Family Vineyard rosés among the pink wines, and the Imagine and the Barossa Boxer wines among the Chardonnays, followed by the Fonty's Pool wine, the Blue Cove rosé, the Yering Station M.V.R. wine from day two, and the Clos du Bois rosé. I hope that gives you enough choices.....  

I will announce the winner of the gift card tomorrow.

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY: I'm giving away a $50 Grocery Outlet gift card this week as part of the promotion. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is comment on one of my Grocery Outlet reviews this week (March 22-26), Tweet about one of the reviews or post a message about one of the reviews on Facebook. The winner will be selected at random from all eligible readers. The winner must agree to blog or tweet about what the card ends up buying at Grocery Outlet. That's all there is to it. Good Luck!

(For more information about the promotion, see my initial post on the subject. See more wine reviews by clicking the "Wines I'm Drinking" label in the bar at right. While you're at it, feel free to explore the rest of my blog. I write frequently and about many topics.)

Art I'm Looking At: Found Art--Lettuce (March 25, 2010)

A spiraling head of Romaine lettuce in the vegetable garden has sprouted up through the middle of a clump of frisée--dead center--making a temporary green sculpture, characterized by intriguing invaginations.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Rhododendron "Double Eagle" (2010)

First blooms today on the yellow Rhododendron potted on the deck, a variety called "Double Eagle." Of all the Rhododendrons in the yard, this one is doing best for some reason. I don't know why. "Double Eagle" bloomed last year on March 29. A year according to this plant was 361 days.

Rain: Beautiful Rainbow (March 25 through April 4, 2010)

After an extended period of sunny weather, we had a quarter inch of rain last night and this morning, and even some hail in the late morning today. That brings our total for the 2009/20010 season to 24.95 inches. The historical average for this day (March 25) is 27.54 inches in Santa Rosa. We are therefore about 2.5 inches inches below average but well ahead of last year, and some Santa Rosa stations have reported as much as 29.6 inches this season. Sunny and clear again now but with an occasional shower. Just missed one of the most perfect rainbows I've ever seen--a full double rainbow. Unfortunately, it was a faint single one by the time I got my camera. Still, the light was nice....

[Update: Since last posting (above) we've had another 1.1 inches of rain. The 2009-2010 total is now 26.05 inches as of the evening of April 3--but more rain is forecast for tomorrow and Monday....]

[Further update: On the evening of the 4th and the morning of the 5th, yet another inch of rain fell, bringing the total to 27.05 inches.]

Wines I'm Drinking: Six Inexpensive Rosés (Continued)

I tasted six inexpensive rosés from Grocery Outlet blind yesterday--more of the wines from Grocery Outlet I've been tasting ahead of one of that company's twice-annual wine sales (20% off all wines March 30 through April 3). The six rosé wines I tasted were:

• 2006 Blue Cove Rosé (South Africa, Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2007 Julia Chivite, Gran Feudo Rosé (Navarra, Spain, Grenache)
• 2008 Clos du Bois, Sonoma County Dry Rosé
• NV Enjoie Dry Rosé Wine (Napa, California, Grenache/Barbera)
• 2006 Giacomo Montresor Brolo Alto Bardolino Chiaretto
• 2008 Frias Family Vineyard Napa Valley Rosé 

Today I'm posting notes for the last three. See my previous post (yesterday) for notes on the first three. I enjoyed these wines with grilled herb-stuffed trout and herbed mashed potatoes, both made with chives, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme fresh from the garden (left).

NV Enjoie Dry Rosé Wine (Napa, California, Grenache/Barbera)
This had such a strange and unpleasant smell that I immediately suspected something was wrong with it--that it had been damaged in transit or storage. Just to be sure, I took it back to the store and got a new bottle. I make wine. I know how much effort and love goes into every bottle. I would hate to dismiss a wine because of a single bad bottle--and bad bottles occasionally happen to just about everybody. The first bottle I tasted smelled of burned sugar and reminded me of those horrible candy corn things that people STILL give out at Halloween (yes, I know some people like candy corn; I don't). The scent was very unpleasant. It tasted much like it smelled--with a strange burned, oxidized flavor. Short, nasty, and sour. Rarely is a wine so unpleasant that it's undrinkable. The second bottle was much better, but not entirely different. The wine still had a slightly oxidized nose and there was still something burned about the nose, although the odd scents were less pronounced than in the first bottle. There were suggestions of vanilla and perhaps root beer--which is not terribly common in wine.... On the palate, the wine was a trifle better than it had been, but still thin, sour, lacking in fruit, and unpleasant. I hate to say it, but this is not worth even the $3.99 asked. I don't know what went wrong here, but something went wrong.

But, no matter. I've just saved you the trouble of buying it, and, more importantly, the last two wines in the group of six I tasted were very tasty. Read on.

2006 Giacomo Montresor Brolo Alto Bardolino Chiaretto
A very pale orange-pink. Perfumed nose. Tropical scents. Coconuts perhaps? Also some interesting barnyard scents (this is a good thing; think Burgundy). Later there were suggestions of vanilla and wood. Very interesting nose. Clean and very dry on the palate. The driest of the six wines. It had a certain astringency that I rather liked, although this wine may appeal less to drinkers used to a sweeter, more fruity style of rosé. The wine seems to fade away but then comes back with a slightly sweet, woody finish. Delicate and subtle. I liked this better the more I tasted it. Excellent with the fish. Probably my favorite of the six wines (but see below). Bardolino is the geographic designation here, by the way, indicating wine from the area around the town of that name on the southeast edge of Lake Garda in northern Italy (Veneto). "Chiaretto" is an Italian term for any pale red wine--or a rosé. Bardolino rosés are made from the Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes, the same grapes that go into Valpolicella, which is probably a somewhat more familiar name. Excellent. Recommended if you like very dry rosés. I will go back for more of this. $5.99 at Grocery Outlet.    

2008 Frias Family Vineyard Napa Valley Rosé
Pale, rosy pink. Thinnest of all the wines but the most orange in hue. Had a nice, soft orange-marshmallow scent followed by strawberries and then something leathery--sandalwood, perhaps. Has presence on the palate. Offers fruity sweetness and has good balancing acidity, although I wouldn't have minded a bit more. This wine seems a little sweet coming right after the very dry Bardolino. Still, it was crisp and flavorful. Very tasty. Nice lingering woody, spicy flavors on top of the fruit. I enjoyed this one very much. Recommended. $4.99 at Grocery Outlet.

After tasting all six wines, I initially felt the Bardolino, the Frias Family Vineyard wine and the South African Blue Cove wine (see yesterday's notes) were the best. As I sat down to eat dinner (the herbed trout), I continued to taste the wines, thinking about how well they went with food. That changed my perspective a little. The Bardolino and the Frias Family wines remained excellent. The Blue Cove wine began to seem somewhat less interesting because of its relative sweetness (although the Frias Family wine has quite noticeable residual sugar as well). At the same time, both the Julia Chivite and Clos du Bois wines seemed to improve, particularly the latter. At the end of the evening, however, it was the Frias Family Vineyard rosé that had mostly disappeared and the Bardolino was almost gone as well, and that is perhaps the best indicator of quality and appeal; these were the two wines I kept coming back to. If I had to choose just one, I'd personally go for the Bardolino.
  

More wines from Grocery Outlet tomorrow--I'll be tasting more inexpensive Chardonnays. 

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY: I'm giving away a $50 Grocery Outlet gift card this week as part of the promotion. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is comment on one of my Grocery Outlet reviews this week (March 22-26), Tweet about one of the reviews or post a message about one of the reviews on Facebook. The winner will be selected at random from all eligible readers. The winner must agree to blog or tweet about what the card ends up buying at Grocery Outlet. That's all there is to it. Good Luck!

(For more information about the promotion, see my initial post on the subject. See more wine reviews by clicking the "Wines I'm Drinking" label in the bar at right. While you're at it, feel free to explore the rest of my blog. I write frequently and about many topics.)

Movies I'm Watching: Jump Tomorrow

One of the better video rental shops in my area, Rincon Video, in Santa Rosa, has a staff that knows movies (you'd expect that at a video shop, but it's not always the case). I'm grateful for their recommendation of Jump Tomorrow (2001; written and directed by Joel Hopkins; starring Tunde Adebimpe, Hippolyte Girardot, Natalia Verbeke, and James Wilby). I was renting Bubba Ho-tep and Delicatessen (next on my list), and was able to rent a third title free. This is what I got.

So many films described as laugh-out-loud funny simply aren't, but this had my sides aching, and it manages to incorporate a love story within the often hilarious tale of bumbling, uptight, clueless-yet-sincere George (Tunde Adebimpe) a young man who gets hopelessly sidetracked on the way to his own wedding, which is to take place in a few days (to a childhood friend he hasn't seen in years--a wedding arranged long ago in his home country of Nigeria by his relatives and hers).

He's somewhat dazed and confused from the outset; he's a day late for his appointment to pick up his fiancé arriving from Nigeria at the airport, where two chance encounters send him caroming in new directions. He bumps into Alicia (Natalia Verbeke), a sexy, vivacious Spanish beauty and falls in love at first sight. We get the impression he's never been in love before. He then bumps into Gerard (Hippolyte Girardot), a Frenchman who's just been jilted and left holding the flowers after proposing marriage to his girlfriend at one of the airport gates. We get the impression he's been in love far too often. The rest of the film is fueled by George's quest for Alicia, aided and abetted by the semi-suicidal Gerard who thinks he knows a thing or two about love, while George's wedding looms ever closer.

Jump Tomorrow's themes are familiar. There is much that's predictable here. At its core, this movie is about the struggle between the imperatives of love and lust on the one hand and the shackles of responsibility on the other--two conflicting forces that can and do scar lives when they clash. It draws shamelessly on our desire to see unfettered love triumph--to hell with responsibility--but it allows us to do so with a good conscience: Alicia's boyfriend is hardly a sympathetic character, George finds a path in life that appears to make sense, and Gerard comes to accept his situation. Yes, on one level there's nothing new here--the human struggle between love and duty is an old story, but it's a story we love to see play out.

The editing and visual presentation were striking. Particularly interesting was the use of plain backgrounds of a single (often primary) color with just a head shot or a single prop in a contrasting color that was common in the early part of the film. There is a quality about the design choices that brings Mondrian to mind. The starkness and plainness are perhaps intended to suggest the uncomplicated life that George has led so far. As the film progresses and George's life starts to go haywire, the device is used less frequently. Whatever the intent, it was visually arresting. While Jump Tomorrow is visually modern, the film's almost irresistible appeal to our desire to see George break free and follow his heart and the movie's ultimately hopeful, life-affirming message are reminiscent of films by Frank Capra like It's a Wonderful Lif and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Recommended.

Wines I'm Drinking: Six Inexpensive Rosés

I don't know why some people turn up their nose at rosé. They seem to think only red wine is serious wine, but who ever said wine always has to be serious? In my view, wine always has to be pleasurable, and that's all. And what could be more pleasurable than a beautiful pink wine in a sweating, crisply chilled bottle on a spring or summer day? I love to watch the glasses frost up with condensation when the cold wine is first poured.

I tasted six inexpensive rosés from Grocery Outlet blind today--more of the wines from Grocery Outlet I've been tasting ahead of one of that company's twice-annual wine sales (20% off all wines March 30 through April 3). The six rosé wines I tasted were:

• 2006 Blue Cove Rosé (South Africa, Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2007 Julian Chivite, Gran Feudo Rosé (Navarra, Spain, Grenache)
• 2008 Clos du Bois, Sonoma County Dry Rosé
• NV Enjoie Dry Rosé Wine (Napa, California, Grenache/Barbera)
• 2006 Giacomo Montresor Brolo Alto Bardolino Chiaretto
• 2008 Frias Family Vineyard Napa Valley Rosé 

Today I'm posting notes for the first three. Tomorrow I'll post notes for the remaining three. We enjoyed these wines with grilled herb-stuffed trout and herbed mashed potatoes, both made with chives, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme fresh from the garden (left).

2006 Blue Cove Rosé (South Africa, Cabernet Sauvignon)

A very pretty salmon color (a fairly deep orange-pink). The nose offered dusky strawberry scents and a hint of sulfur that was a bit worrisome at first but blew off quickly. With a little time I got the pleasant scent of linseed oil with the strawberries and a suggestion of cranberries. Medium body on the palate. Sweet but with a good balancing acid bite. Sweeter on the mid-palate. Gives an impression of richness. Quite long and with an interesting hint of tannin on the finish, including a little bitterness that was not at all unattractive. My initial impression of this wine was favorable, although with food, the comparative sweetness made it less attractive than some of the other wines. Perhaps best on its own? Still, this was among my favorites of the evening. Good value. Not especially nuanced, but recommended for everyday drinking if you prefer sweeter styles of rosé or if you're looking mostly for a stand-alone sipping wine. Good value at only $3.99 a bottle. To be clear, this is not a sweet wine, just a bit less dry than some of the others I tasted in this group of rosés. 

2007 Julian Chivite, Gran Feudo Rosé (Navarra, Spain, Grenache)
Very pale rose pink. Looks quite thin. Powdered sugar scents. Raspberries. Raspberries and cream. Sweet cake-like scents. Not very distinctive on the palate, though. Fairly short. Crisp, but not a lot of flavor. A bit sour on the finish with tartness lingering on the tip of the tongue. Overall, seemed thin and somewhat sour. Not a favorite, although it began to seem more interesting later, with food. While this is not a bad value at only $2.99 a bottle, there were better wines among the six I tasted. I preferred both the Blue Cove wine and the Clos du Bois wine (below) among the first three. Again, hard to argue with this at only $2.99 a bottle, but not among the better wines of the group of six. 

2008 Clos du Bois, Sonoma County Dry Rosé

Pale rose pink again, but slightly deeper in hue than the Julia Chivite wine. The nose was vaguely suggestive of candy apples, but generally fairly closed. Light in body on the palate. Moderate length. Sweetish but with adequate balancing acidity. The lingering impression is one of simple ripe fruit. Sweetness made the wine seem a bit heavy on the finish, but later and with food, this seemed more focused and interesting. Not a favorite, but quite acceptable for everyday drinking. Fairly priced at $3.99 a bottle. 

More wines from Grocery Outlet tomorrow--specifically, the other three rosés. Of those I tasted today, the Blue Cove wine was best, but my favorites of the six rosés were both among the second group (see tomorrow's notes).

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY: I'm giving away a $50 Grocery Outlet gift card this week as part of the promotion. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is comment on one of my Grocery Outlet reviews this week (March 22-26), Tweet about one of the reviews or post a message about one of the reviews on Facebook. The winner will be selected at random from all eligible readers. The winner must agree to blog or tweet about what the card ends up buying at Grocery Outlet. That's all there is to it. Good Luck!

(For more information about the promotion, see my initial post on the subject. See more wine reviews by clicking the "Wines I'm Drinking" label in the bar at right. While you're at it, feel free to explore the rest of my blog. I write about many topics.)

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Purple crabapple, Solomon's Seal

First blooms today on the purple-pink crabapple and on Solomon's seal (Polygonatum commutatum) behind the house. The crabapple bloomed on March 26 in 2009. A year according to this plant was therefore 362 days.

The Solomon's seal always reminds me of Glen Helen and other woodland spots in Ohio. I have no idea why it does so well here. It is not really adapted to our long, dry summers, but, in shade behind the house, it has proved a stalwart. Very pretty, and evocative of hikes in the woods in my youth--and other things. Solomon's seal bloomed on April 10 in 2009, so the flowers are quite early this year. A year according to this plant was only 347 days.

Wines I'm Drinking: Three Wines from Yering Station

Today I tasted three wines from Yering Station, in Australia's Yarra Valley, purchased at Grocery Outlet ahead of one of that store's twice- annual wine sales (20% off all wines March 30 through April 3). The Yarra Valley, about 30 miles east of Melbourne, in Victoria, mainly grows the big grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz (Syrah), with Viognier grown as well--often with a view to blending with the Shiraz, in imitation of the tradition in the Northern Rhône--, and Rhône varieties are gaining favor generally in the Yarra Valley from what I can tell. I chose two Chardonnays and a Marsanne-Viognier-Rousanne blend to taste. I tasted the three wines together, semi-blind (I knew what wines I'd be drinking, but I did not know which was which before tasting them).

2005 Yering Station M.V. R. Yarra Valley Marsanne-Viognier-Rousanne
14.0% alcohol, $4.99, Grocery Outlet

Pale gold. Fairly forward on the nose. Scents of wood, pear blossom, and musk with a hint of something sappy, suggestive of fresh vegetation. This latter scent gained presence over time. Later, there were some nice flinty hints. Later still, I began to notice a rubbery scent--which was not as unpleasant as that may sound--it's a scent I've noticed before in wine, particularly in white wines from Alsace. Medium body on the palate, sweet, moderately long, with a slightly peachy astringency on the finish. Acid not very pronounced. Comes across as a trifle flat, but not at all unpleasant. I suspected this was the blend because of the peach hints (common in Viognier), but, having said that, this did not have a marked Viognier character. Probably past its prime, but enjoyable enough for immediate drinking and it is quite inexpensive. The best of the three wines in my view. I'm not sure I'd buy this again, but it's probably a good value at the sale price, when it will cost only $3.99 a bottle.

2005 Yering Station Yarra Valley Chardonnay
13.5% alcohol, $4.99, Grocery Outlet

Pale gold, but the deepest in color of the three wines. Fairly closed nose. Slightly musky. Hints of oak. A suggestion of honey. Medium body on the palate. Much crisper than the first wine. Moderate length. Some caramel flavors, but not terribly complex and the acidity seemed a trifle forced. Again, probably past its prime, but inexpensive and acceptable for everyday drinking. Preferred the M.V.R., however.

2006 Yering Station "Nell" Yarra Valley Chardonnay
13.0% alcohol, $3.99, Grocery Outlet

Palest of the three wines, but again a limpid gold. Flowery nose. Musky, perfumey scents--I've known women that smelled like this. Fuller body on the palate than either of the other two wines. Initial impression is one of sweetness. A bit low in acid, which makes it seem a little cloying. Ripe pineapples. Fairly short, and not especially complex, but, with some time, the wine developed suggestions of caramel and honey on the palate and mint on the the nose. Not exciting, but certainly interesting enough to buy at the sale price for everyday drinking. I found the slight minty character intriguing. I've noticed mint in a lot of white wines from Victoria--especially in the dessert wines from makers such as Brown Brothers.

These are some of the wines I'm reviewing this week ahead of the Grocery Outlet sale, looking for underpriced gems. (I'm still looking.) More wines from Grocery Outlet tomorrow.

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY: I'm giving away a $50 Grocery Outlet gift card this week as part of the promotion. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is comment on one of my Grocery Outlet reviews this week (March 22-26), Tweet about one of the reviews or post a message about one of the reviews on Facebook. The winner will be selected at random from all eligible readers. The winner must agree to blog or tweet about what the card ends up buying at Grocery Outlet. That's all there is to it. Good Luck!

(For more information about the promotion, see my initial post on the subject. See more wine reviews by clicking the "Wines I'm Drinking" label in the bar at right.)

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Michelia Yunnanensis, Creeping Phlox, Bosc Pear, Isopogon Formosus

Sunshine and a wave of heat have brought several plants into bloom today--pink creeping phlox, the Bosc pear near the garage, Isopogon formosus, and Michelia yunnanensis (pictured). The Michelia seems finally to have gotten onto its feet, so to speak. The plant looks strong in contrast to the rather wobbly look it had last year. I'm very pleased to have got this beautiful plant going. The cold this year (23 degrees F) didn't bother it at all.  Today it's sporting about 12 small magnolia-like white flowers (the genus Michelia is closely related to the magnolias--or, if you accept recent taxonomic changes, Michelia yunnanensis has another name, and it is a magnolia; for more about this plant, see my post about it from 2009).  I love the contrast between the creamy white petals and the fuzzy cinnamon-colored sepals. The plant bloomed on April 1 in 2009. A year according to this plant was thus 355 days.

Isopogon is a somewhat bizarre-looking plant native to Australia that I first saw and fell in love with at the Strybing Arboretum, in San Francisco. This plant, too, looks strong and happy this year. Isopogon formosus (pictured left) first bloomed in 2009 on March 26. A year according to this plant was therefore 361 days. The Bosc pear bloomed on the same day last year (March 26) and thus calculated a 361-day year as well. The creeping phlox bloomed much earlier in 2009, on March 5, yielding a long year of 382 days.

I write about many subjects, not just the plants blooming in my garden. Use the tabs at upper right to explore other topics. 

Music I'm Listening to: Santa Rosa Symphony

I attended an enjoyable Sunday performance of the Santa Rosa Symphony yesterday. The program included Christopher Rouse's Der Gerettete Alberich (Fantasy for Percussion and Orchestra), featuring Allen Biggs on percussion, Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. The guest conductor was Barry Jekowsky.

I enjoyed the Rouse, a completely unfamiliar piece by an unfamiliar composer. This was quite a sonic romp. The excellent program notes detail the inspiration behind the work--essentially, a musical exploration of what might have happened to the evil dwarf Alberich, whose fate is left unclear at the end of Wagner's Götterdammerung. The composer, quoted in detail in the notes, explains the thinking behind the composition, but music is music. No program and no amount of background information changes the fact that music must stand on its own (as Rouse concedes), and this stands fairly nicely.

Although my grasp of Wagner isn't good enough to have appreciated all the allusions in the orchestral part, I enjoyed the highly inventive music, which is sometimes raucous, sometimes soft and sweet, and frequently surprising--particularly when the soloist, Biggs (pictured above), suddenly starts playing on what looks like a standard rock and roll drum set and the piece suddenly veers into the realm of pop music, momentarily. And why not?

Having said that, the volume of the percussion in some of the earlier sections seemed to overwhelm the accompaniment. There were entire passages during which the strings were effectively inaudible. The music seemed most effective when the two elements were better integrated--when Biggs played softly with his hands (rather than with sticks), when he played the marimba (especially against the backdrop of a haunting oboe solo), or in the later sections of the piece when the orchestra was playing loudly enough to stand up to the percussion. Still, this was fun and the audience was very appreciative.  

The Beethoven Symphony No. 4 left little impression, I'm afraid. I'm not sure why, but guest conductor Barry Jekowsky (left) took the performers through a brisk, nuanced performance of the Symphony No. 5 that highlighted the dynamics of the piece and showed what the Santa Rosa Symphony is capable of at its best, making it easy to forget the occasional wobbly entrance, the occasional false start, the occasional missed note elsewhere during the concert. Now, if only we could get the audience to stop coughing, talking, unwrapping candies, coughing, hacking, coughing......

(Performer publicity photos courtesy of the Santa Rosa Symphony.)

Wines I'm Drinking: 1999 Rutz Cellars Maison Grand Cru RRV Chardonnay

When I bought this wine I didn't look carefully at the vintage. I'm not sure I would have tried it if I had. I don't know many California Chardonnays that can age 10 years gracefully (which is not to say there are none). I didn't realize this was a wine from 1999 until I sat down to drink it.

The 1999 Rutz Cellars Maison Grand Cru Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($4.99 at Grocery Outlet) was a bright gold--very pretty in the glass--but, ominously, rather dark. I was expecting it to be somewhat oxidized. The nose, however, betrayed very little--at least at first. With some time, it began to suggest melons and then floral scents such as hawthorn and linden. These were followed by hints of Play-Doh (I wish I had a more elegant descriptor, but Play-Doh is right on the money) and finally by mint. The nose was encouraging.

On the palate, the wine came across as rather sweet, with a somewhat heavy, butterscotch flavor predominant, but it was actually more lively (had more acid, that is) than I would have thought likely. The flavors were slightly suggestive of oxidation, but the wine was not at all unpleasant and it had enough complexity to keep it moderately interesting--suggesting melons, ripe pineapples, and later honey in addition to the butterscotch. Slightly bitter on the moderately long finish.

I don't think I'll buy this particular wine again (I'm afraid it's over the hill), but  I enjoyed tasting it nevertheless and it makes me wonder what the Rutz Cellars Chardonnays are like when they are fresh. Probably well worth exploring. I enjoyed the wine with grilled chicken flavored with rosemary and Meyer lemons.

This is one of a group of wines I'm reviewing this week ahead of one of the two big wine sales Grocery Outlet holds each year (20% off all wines from March 30 through April 3), looking for underpriced gems. More tomorrow.

GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY: As part of the promotion, I'm giving away a $50 Grocery Outlet gift card this week. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is comment on one of my Grocery Outlet reviews this week (March 22-26), Tweet about a one of the reviews or post a message about one of the reviews on Facebook. The winner will be selected at random from all eligible readers. The winner must agree to blog or tweet about what the card ends up buying at Grocery Outlet. That's all there is to it. Good Luck!

(For more information about the promotion, see my initial post on the subject. See more wine reviews by clicking the "Wines I'm Drinking" label in the bar at right.)

Movies I'm Watching: Bubba Ho-tep

I recently embarked on a project to watch films I've never seen on lists of little-known films that, according to the list makers, are neglected gems well worth seeing. I compared three of these lists (one by critic Leonard Maltin and two others) and decided to start by watching the films that overlap (the films on more than one list--although there were only a few). Bubba Ho-tep (2003; directed by Don Coscarelli; starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis) kicks off the project. For details, see my initial post on the subject.

I sincerely hope this is not indicative of the overall caliber of the films recommended. Surely we can do better than this, can't we? Bubba Ho-tep seems over-praised. It has one or two witty lines, but the humor is mostly vulgar and sophomoric.

The bare bones of the absurd story piqued my interest before watching the film: Elvis (or his soul trapped in the body of an Elvis impersonator, or just an Elvis impersonator that thinks he's Elvis, or maybe doesn't think he's Elvis--it's not quite clear) and a black man that insists he's actually John F. Kennedy discover that recent deaths at their depressing home for the elderly in East Texas have been caused by a re-animated Egyptian mummy that was lost years ago in a creek near the home. It seems the mummy now survives by sucking the souls out of debilitated patients (through the anus). For some reason, the mummy wears cowboy boots and other cowboy garb; he is Bubba Ho-tep--but none of this really makes sense. Ultimately, a superficially interesting story idea, a vague attempt to say something meaningful about how we treat our old folks, and one or two good jokes aren't enough to make up for the confusing plot, shoddy production standards, and mediocre acting. In the end, the most interesting thing about this movie has been trying to explain to people what it's about--and that's not much of a recommendation. I think I'm beginning to remember why I've never used Leonard Maltin's movie reviews. I will say one thing for Bubba Ho-tep. It's unique. I suspect, however, that it would have been best left in its original form, a short story by Joe R. Lansdale. Maybe I'll read the story. On second thought, maybe I won't.

Miscellaneous: Health Care Reform

Finally, progress? Cautiously optimistic.

Miscellaneous: Fun with Fiverr

A day or two ago I mentioned a site I recently discovered called Fiverr (see this post). It's a lot of fun. I have seven gigs posted now. It's fascinating to see what people are offering. Some silly, some serious, some clearly a mistake--promising services worth far more than $5. I get the feeling that users will benefit more than the people posting gigs, in many cases. No, I haven't made any money myself, but it's fun thinking this stuff up.

Any suggestions?

My Fiverr gigs.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Rosa Mutabilis Chinensis, Salvia "Point Sal Spreader"

Rosa mutabilis chinensis--mutable Chinese rose--this plant is called, and it's well named. The buds are a rusty dull red. The flowers open a pinkish-red and then fade almost to white through shades of pink and cream.

Does anyone still use the language of flowers? There was a time when people communicated with flowers--or so we are told. How many people today know what the flowers are supposed to mean? The rose, perhaps, has more meanings than any other flower, usually depending on its color: Red for passion and romantic love; pink for somewhat less ardent love; white for virtue and chastity; yellow given as a token of friendship cherished, friendship longed for. What then would be the meaning of inconstant Rosa mutabilis? I do not know.

Rosa mutabilis first bloomed here on April 15 last year. This year, the first bud opened on March 19, yesterday. A year, according to this rose, was therefore only 338 days--by far the shortest year any plant in the garden has so far calculated. Impatient rose.

First blooms today on Salvia leucophylla "Point Sal Spreader." This has proved an extremely reliable large salvia. It has survived our droughty summers with little coddling (almost none) and has been happy at temperatures as low as 23 degrees F. The foliage generally stays fresh looking except at the very end of the long, hot summer. The delicate lavender flowers contrast nicely with the fuzzy bluish leaves.

Salvia leucophylla first bloomed on April 4 in 2009. A year according to this plant was 350 days--another comparatively short year. 

Movies I'm Watching: Sunrise

Yesterday, I finally got around to watching the silent classic Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (it's usually shorn of the subtitle) in its entirety and without interruption (1927, directed by F. W. Murnau). This was the Hollywood debut of director Murnau who is probably best known today for Nosferatu (1922). Sunrise won three Academy Awards at the first Academy Awards ceremony, in 1929, for films made in 1927/28. (Best Actress for Janet Gaynor, Cinematography, and Most Unique, Worthy, and Artistic Production, a category that later disappeared.

My interest in the film stems from a connection with the cinematographer, Karl Struss, who I came to know of by a circuitous route: I have a philatelic cover flown on one of the first Pan Am flights across the Pacific in the 1930s that was made by Struss and signed by him with a fountain pen in a bold, black hand. I picked it up years ago in a Tokyo junk shop. I noticed the same signature on a reproduction of one of his early photographs one day browsing the Internet. It wasn't until I did a little research that I made some connections and realized that my Karl Struss, the photographer by that name, and the Academy Award-winning cinematographer were one and the same person. It seems Struss was a stamp collector.

He was considered among the best cinematographers of the late silent and early talky period, although Struss worked through the end of the 1950s. He was nominated for the Academy Award for cinematography three more times: in 1931/32 (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), in 1932/33 (Sign of the Cross), and in 1941 (Aloma of the South Seas). Later he filmed Limelight and The Great Dictator for Charlie Chaplin, several of the Tarzan movies, and the original (1958) version of The Fly.

The Man in Sunrise (the character is simply called The Man) is played by George O' Brien (who happens to look like a cross between Dustin Hoffman and Jon Hamm). He is strongly attracted to and tempted by a pretty, dynamic woman visiting the countryside (The Woman from the City). He contemplates drowning his wife, selling his farm, and absconding with this temptress, but it's a plan hatched by the city woman, and, despite The Man's attraction to her, he seems to have no heart for the idea from the outset; we understand that he loves his wife. Still, he attempts to go through with the murder, rowing his wife out to the deep part of a lake, only to find himself incapable. The Wife, naturally, is horrified when she guesses his intent.

The remainder of the film centers on the events of a day and evening in the city after The Wife runs in horror from her husband--bolting from the boat the moment he's rowed it back to dry land--and hops a tramcar into town to escape him, having well understood what he contemplated. He follows, catches up with her, and eventually convinces her his actions were the result of a brief spell of insanity caused by the guiles of the city woman. They reconcile and end up enjoying a date in town lasting late into the night, like young lovers again. To get home, they decide to sail back over the lake in which The Man had intended to commit the murder. A storm suddenly comes up as they cross the water, and their small vessel capsizes. Believing his wife is lost, The Man drags himself on shore, crazed with anger at The Woman from the City whom he believes ultimately responsible. He has nearly strangled the woman when we learn The Wife has, in fact, survived and been pulled from the water by a search party. At sunrise, as a new day dawns, we see the man and his wife together again and the shamed Woman from the City leaving the countryside in a cart. The characters are generic--called simply "The Man," "The Wife," "The Woman from the City." The emphasis is on the universal rather than on character development, the plot is stark--good and evil drawn in black and white, and the acting is overwrought by today's standards, but Sunrise remains interesting.

It is easy to see why Sunrise got the awards it did. It pushes the technological barriers of its day, making excellent use of crane shots; long, slow dolly shots; and montages and superimposed images, frequently in scenes of reverie, rapture, or emotional stress. These last are extraordinary given that they had to be done manually, in-camera. I was impressed also by the lighting and the exposure that gives the entire picture a quality very evocative of still photography of the period--somewhat dark by today's standards but with beautiful, creamy, soft highlights almost never allowed to blow out, and with an extraordinary tonal range. We get glimpses of the German expressionist style in the sparsely decorated and sometimes oddly distorted interior sets that seem in keeping with the simplicity of the plot and the characters, and in swirling, misty night scenes, but not all is gloomy and there are some very funny scenes--the pig chase, the photographer's studio, and, perhaps most memorably, the sequence with the obliging man trying to help a lady with a dress strap that keeps falling down. Considering the time that has passed, Sunrise has held up rather well.

Miscellaneous: My New Cocktail Debuts--Sonoma Dry Sour

The cocktail I invented one day last year, inspired by Mad Men, has made its official debut, at the Zig Zag Café, in Seattle, mixed by the Zig Zag's Master Bartender, Murray Stenson, my recipe having been delivered to him by hand last night by Louis Broome, Seattle playwright of note, and my first-ever college roommate. Facebook had a hand in organizing the debut: I met up with Louis again only a few months ago (via Facebook) for the first time since 1979 and learned that he had become a cocktail enthusiast in the interim. Louis went way out of his way to get it right, stopping off to pick up some pink Murray River flake salt and a Meyer lemon to be sure all the proper ingredients were available. Thanks Louis!

I call it a Sonoma Dry Sour. I won't divulge the recipe here, but if you have a favorite bartender, let me know.  I'll send the recipe to any bar you name if you agree to order it there and give it a try (and tell me what you think--even if you don't like it). Or you can hand deliver the recipe, as Louis did. Surely you know an artist at the bar in your fine city that might like to add it to their repertoire? Feel free to pass this post on to any of your friends that appreciate cocktails or link to it from any appropriate site. This is partly an experiment in tracking the dissemination of the recipe.

Photo by Louis Broome.


[Update at the end of 2011: I laugh at my own naiveté here. For a better drink I've invented since this, see my December 2011 post on the Fertile Eve.]

Books I'm Reading: Four Essays on Liberty

I just finished Four Essays on Liberty, by Isaiah Berlin, a collection of his essays on liberty (obviously) with a long introduction (longer than at least one of the collected essays) refuting criticisms of his positions. The edition I read is ancient (Oxford University Press, 1969), and falling apart, but has that used bookstore smell about it that I love.

Very enjoyable, but hard work. The prose is lucid and deliciously dense, but therefore demanding of great concentration. This is the kind of book that requires multiple readings to digest. Highlights were the essays on determinism and John Stuart Mill. Berlin pretty neatly demolishes determinism and makes a cogent case for human free will. The Mill essay put Mill's thinking into some semblance of perspective for me--ignorant me. The essay on positive and negative notions of liberty was also interesting and what initially attracted me to the book, which I purchased years ago in Tokyo. It only took me about 15 years to get around to it.... Recommended (if you enjoy this sort of thing).

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Lithodora Diffusa, Halimiocistus sahucii

First blooms today (March 18) on Halimiocistus sahucii. When in full bloom, the plant is so profusely covered with flowers that the foliage is barely visible. Today, there is only one pioneering blossom on the plant. It will be at least a week before the flowers really start to take off. Still, it's nice to see even one. Sahucii is a very low grower. It stays within a few inches of the ground. It's excellent for covering bare areas that don't get a lot of water (drought tolerant once established). The sahucii flowers are an almost translucent white. Last year, Halimiocistus sahucii bloomed on April 2 here. A year according to this plant was therefore 350 days.

First blooms yesterday (March 17) on Lithodora diffusa (photo below), a pretty ground cover plant with blue star-shaped flowers. It does fairly well in our dry summers, but appreciates more water than it often gets. As a result, it seems to be happiest in partial shade.

I have no record of the first blooms in 2009, so I can't add this to my botanical calendar, but I record the 2010 first bloom date for use next year.

Music I'm Writing: String Quartet No. 5 (revised)

I've tweaked my String Quartet No. 5 a bit. I'll probably do more to it, but I'm in a bit of a lull right now as far as composing goes. I'm at the limit of my ability to get the notation software I use (Sibelius 6) to score and play what's in my head, and at the point where I need feedback from live musicians--which is a difficult thing to arrange.

So far I've worked entirely in isolation, teaching myself as I go. It's not Beethoven, but I'm pleased with it, considering that at this time last year I had composed virtually nothing. If you listen, remember that this is a dumbed down (MP3) version of an electronically generated performance. I trust it would sound better with live performers.... Link good until March 25.

Colin Talcroft String Quartet No. 5

Miscellaneous: Interesting Concept

Here's an interesting concept. Create a marketplace for...whatever. The only condition is that every transaction is to be valued at five dollars. It's called Fiverr.

Fiverr is still in beta, it seems. I had problems--I tried to join, but the site has failed to deliver the confirmation e-mail required to complete registration. So, I can't try this out yet. Still, it seems like a great idea. There are plenty of things I'd happily do for five dollars. What would you do?  Fiverr.

[Update: I eventually found the mail in my spam folder. I've put up my first gigs--offering to answer any wine-related question for $5, and offering to recommend bird watching hotspots in Sonoma County for $5. We'll see if I get any response.]

Wines I'm Drinking: Wine Sale at Grocery Outlet and Gift Card Giveaway

A few weeks back I reviewed a number of wines in these pages that I purchased at Grocery Outlet. The people at Grocery Outlet headquarters in Berkeley happened to see the reviews and they recently asked me to be part of a team of guest bloggers reviewing wines from the store ahead of an upcoming wine sale--one of the two big wine sales they hold each year.

I normally like to keep my distance from retailers and wineries when I write about wine. In this case, however, I've accepted a $50 gift card to buy wine at the store to review as part of the company's promotion of the sale (20% off all wine from March 30 to April 3). I also get to give away a $50 Grocery Outlet gift card to one of my readers. It could be you.

I accepted this trade-off because they told me I could say anything I liked, good or bad (which I would have done anyway) and because they even said I could take the money and run--that is, they admitted I might not buy wine with the card or review wine at all (but I will). So, the card came with no strings, and, frankly, it's nice once in a while to get something in return for all the work that an active blog entails. So, thank you Grocery Outlet.

Look forward to a series of reviews of bargain wines at Grocery Outlet in the week ahead of the sale (March 22-26) and to the gift card giveaway (details to be posted soon). With warmer weather looming, I plan to try mostly white wines and rosé, looking for underpriced gems.

(See more wine reviews by clicking the "Wines I'm Drinking" label in the bar at right.)

Tidbits: Tattoo-less Ladies

If things continue like this, before long ladies with no tattoos will be all the rage in circus freak shows.

Art I'm Looking At: Found Art (March 16, 2010)

On the playground at my son's school there are trees planted in openings in the blacktop that are filled with perforated bricks. The playground markings go right over the bricks in some places. This caught my eye recently.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Tulipa clusiana

First blooms today on the pretty yellow and rust-red species tulip Tulipa clusiana. Most of these were eaten by squirrels a few years back. That prompted me to plant a lot of daffodils, as they are poisonous and the squirrels ignore them.

Of about 300 Tulipa bakeri bulbs we had, about 30 are left (see previous post), and most of the clusiana bulbs are gone, too, but a few clumps survive here and there around the garden. The brick red is on the outside of the petals. It's visible only before the flowers open or when they close up for the night. The interiors are yellow. This and bakeri have proven the most dependable of the species tulips  here in Northern California. I don't have a record of their first bloom last year, so can't add this one to my botanical calendar--until next year.