Found Art: Fish Colors (April 3, 2010)

More found art from the Santa Rosa Farmers' Market (Saturdays and Wednesdays, 8:00AM to noon, all year 'round, rain or shine, in the parking lot of the Veteran's Memorial Building, across the street from the Fairgrounds).

Sometimes the food we eat is astonishingly beautiful. I loved the spots on this salmon and the bright stripes on the halibut. Pretty--although maybe not quite as pretty as the flowering trees that are everywhere right now?

Wines I'm Drinking: 2006 Château de la Meulière Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux

Last night I opened a bottle of the 2006 Château de la Meulière Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux. This is one of a number of wines I picked up recently on sale at Beverages and More. Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux wines come from a strip of hilly land sandwiched between the east side of the Garonne river and the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation. The area mostly grows Merlot. This wine is a 50-50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasting notes follow.

Deep plummy red. Barnyard scents and leather—rather stinky at first, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Cocoa as well. Initially quite closed on the palate. Tannic, but not at all harsh. Cherries, but rather closed. Mid-palate is very light, followed by a fairly bright, slightly tart finish. Doesn’t seem especially long, although there is a lingering subtle sweetness offset by soft, tannic astringency. Clearly has potential but not in a generous mood at the moment. Bordeaux can be very deceptive; wines that seem like nothing at first can start opening up like flowers after 15-30 minutes in the glass--so I decanted the wine. Going back to it later, I began to get hints of cinnamon, but mostly attractive animal scents--musk and leather. Still, the wine was noticeably sweeter and fuller on the mid-palate and there was more fruit apparent. It continued to evolve slowly, getting better. The tannins that initially masked most of the flavors eventually dropped away to reveal a nice chocolatey element offset by subtle acid and delicate tannins.

Not a powerhouse by any means, but balanced and tasty. This may not appeal to fans of very ripe, alcoholic, California wines, but I can recommend it for everyday drinking if you know and love the little wines of Bordeaux. I believe this would repay cellaring for another two to three years, perhaps a little longer. A good value on sale at $14.99 for two bottles at Beverages and More, but I don't think I'd stock up on this at full price.

[Just opened my second bottle of this today (July 20, 2015). Wow. Perfect. Ripe, round, soft, delicious. What a difference five years has made. Wish I'd bought this by the case.]

I write about many topics, not just wine. Use the labels at the upper right to browse the blog. For more wine reviews, use the Wines I'm Drinking label.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Cistus x skanbergii

First blooms today on Cistus x skanbergii, below the "Ray Hartman" Ceanothus. Only one or two buds have opened. With rain predicted again for tomorrow and through the weekend, this is unlikely to start blooming in earnest until next week at the earliest. The Cistus salvifolius plants in the garden have had almost no flowers since the single blossom of nearly two weeks ago. I expect this to follow a similar pattern--one or two flowers and then a lull before a burst of color. Last year, this plant bloomed on April 6, yielding a year of 360 days.

Birds I'm Watching: The Ninth St. Rookery, Santa Rosa

My son's clarinet lesson happens to be near what is locally known as the "Ninth St. Rookery," a spot in the middle of Santa Rosa that herons and egrets have used as a nesting place for many years. I had heard about it, but never been there. Today, while waiting for my son to finish, I drove by.

It's remarkable. In three or four large trees in the median on Ninth St. (between Stony Point Rd. and Dutton Ave., but closer to Stony Point) there are three large trees that now have about 100 nests in progress. I saw snowy egrets, great egrets, cattle egrets, and black-crowned night herons (photo) in the trees or flying around, bringing in nesting material. Of all the suitable trees in the area, why do they choose to use these that are right next to a busy street? Who knows?

The birds made the strangest noises. I'm not aware of any of these species ordinarily vocalizing much, but there was a constant undertone of bizarre sounds that at first reminded me of Pokémon, but Pokémon wasn't quite right. Still, there was something very familiar about the noises. After some thought, it finally hit me: It was one of the ringtones built in to the iPhone. Turn on your iPhone. Go to Sounds. Choose Ringtones, and then go to "Robot." That's what these birds sound like.

Birds I'm Watching: Bodega Bay (April 2010)

Warning: This is a post only a bird watcher could love.

I spent the morning today, April 1, out at Bodega Bay, bird watching. It's a time of transition. Overwintering birds are starting to leave. Spring migrants are beginning to arrive. Birds are moving from winter plumage to breeding plumage. Today I saw four birds I've been trying to see for some time, so it was a good day; I got clear, unambiguous views of a White-Winged Scoter, a Red-throated Loon, a Glaucous-winged Gull, and a Red-necked Grebe in breeding plumage (top photo).

At Bodega harbor, I saw Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Western Grebe, Hermit Thrush, Band-tailed Pigeon, California Towhee, Hutton's Vireo, Osprey, European Starling, Brewer's Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, Turkey Vulture, and Horned Grebe. On the way home, passing by this point, there were about 350 Marbled Godwits (lower photo; the fellow with the two-tone bill), many Willets, Western Sandpipers, and a Dunlin or two, with at least one in breeding plumage (lower photo; the Dunlin is the bird with the black spot on its belly).

At Bodega Head, I saw Western Gull, Black Oystercatcher, Pelagic Cormorant, Pigeon Guillemot, Red-throated Loon, Common Murre, Eared Grebe, Scrub Jay, and White-crowned Sparrow.

At Campbell Cove, I saw Pigeon Guillemot, Common Loon, Willet, Brant, Surf Scoter, Raven, Marbled Godwit, Northern Harrier, Red-winged Blackbird, Great Blue Heron, and Brandt's Cormorant.

Across from Owl Canyon, I saw Brant, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Bufflehead. At Owl Canyon, I saw Allen's Hummingbird and Turkey Vulture and heard Bewick's Wren and Wilson's Warblers.

At Gaffney Point, I saw Osprey (3), Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Brant, American Goldfinch, House Finch, and American Crow.

At Westside Park, I saw Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, Brant, Caspian Tern, Brewer's Blackbird, Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, and Pigeon Guillemot.

At Porto Bodega, I saw Osprey, Double-crested Cormorant, Black Turnstone, Whimbrel, Pelagic Cormorant, Willet, Common Loon, and Turkey Vulture.

At Doran Beach, I saw Pigeon Guillemot, Peregrine Falcon, Red-necked Grebe, Turkey Vulture, Western Gull, Surf Scoter, Common Loon, Red-throated Loon, and Marbled Godwit--about 50 species in total.

Miscellaneous: Sandra Bullock's Texas Hat Trick

In the checkout line at the supermarket yesterday I found myself staring at the usual racks of magazines and candy as I waited for my turn. There in front of me was poor Sandra Bullock on the cover of four gossip magazines. I guess it's a big story in the world of gossip magazines. I think they should just leave her alone.

Three goals by the same player in a hockey game is called a "hat trick." Everyone knows that--but what do you call it when a player scores four goals in a game? Apparently, it's called a "Texas hat trick." You know, a little bigger than a regular hat trick? Learn something new every day.

Found Art: Honeycomb (March 30, 2010)

At the Santa Rosa Farmers Market this week one of the beekeepers brought in some comb that a swarm of bees made in one of his hive boxes last year. It was like a sculpture or an architectural model. Something made me think of Gaudi and Barcelona--where I plan to be this summer.

Notice the two different sizes of cells. The smaller cells in the front are ordinary brood cells, used to raise worker bees and also to store honey and pollen. The larger cells at the back are drawn for raising drones. Drone (male) bees are considerably bigger than worker (female) bees. Found art. Beautiful.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: "Pink Lady" Apple

First blooms of the season today on the "Pink Lady" apple tree--in the pouring rain. As pretty as the cupcakes I just mentioned.... I can't seem to find a record of when this bloomed last year, but the photo is from March 26, 2009. Assuming that was the date, a year according to this plant was 369 days.

Food I'm Eating: Cupcakes Take Over the World

Cupcakes are taking over the world! Well, not really. But I see and hear an awful lot about cupcakes these days. When did cupcakes go from being a school birthday party staple to a gourmet offering? Is this one of those transformations that happened while I lived in Japan all those years? Why am I just noticing?

I have mostly bad memories of cupcakes. Those birthday party cupcake trays were usually studded with cupcakes from an off-the-shelf mix that somebody's mom didn't really want to make. No love in that.

Cupcakes seem to have followed the same trajectory as jelly beans, chocolate, and soda water. Marketing (and some dedicated and creative enthusiasts) have transformed these once ordinary products into fancy specialties with myriad variations. There are bakeries devoted entirely to cupcakes these days. Am I way behind the curve on this one? I think so. I guess it's time I tried a gourmet cupcake instead of simply enjoying the pictures I keep seeing. Luckily, I just got a coupon for two free gourmet confections of the cupcake kind from Sift, a Cupcakery, in Santa Rosa, as a thank-you from KRCB Radio for renewing my membership (and also two tickets to attend West Coast Live in person--and two CDs to boot).

The tasty-looking mini-cupcakes above are baked fresh each day at my local Whole Foods, on Yulupa Ave., in Santa Rosa. They're decorated by the lovely Megan and others. Megan used to be out front, by the display case making coffee and hot chocolate for people. About a year ago (longer maybe?) someone seems to have discovered she has quite a talent for decorating cakes, and cupcakes, and tarts. Now she works in the inner recesses of the bakery and we get only an occasional glimpse of her. She and the rest of the bakery staff make wonderful treats, but I miss seeing her smiling face.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Wisteria

The first blooms opened on the wisteria today. As usual, only one or two have opened. It will be a week or so before the plant is in full bloom and the air is thick with the sweet, root beer-like scent of the flowers. They are a favorite of our big, very loud bumblebees. Lying in the hammock, reading in the early spring can be rather noisy. If it gets too noisy to concentrate, I just put down my book and go to sleep....

This wisteria was grown from a seed collected in Imari, Japan in 1999 or so. There is a plant on either side of the arbor that supports the hammock. So far, only one of the two has bloomed. I had hoped to see the color of the second one this time around, but it looks like I'll have to wait at least another year. The parent plant was a wonderful, deep pink. This one, while pretty, is closer to the usual purple color. I still cling to a hope that the other one will be pink. The wisteria bloomed on April 4 in 2009. A year according to this plant was thus 359 days.

Miscellaneous: Fun with Fiverr

Not long ago I discovered an interesting little site called Fiverr. What's the idea? Create a marketplace for just about anything. The only condition is that every transaction has to be valued at five dollars. It seems like a great idea to me. There are plenty of things I'd happily do for five dollars. I already have seven or eight gigs posted. One of the most popular so far has been my offer to tell people with a tattoo in Japanese (or considering one) whether the design they have used (or will use) really says in Japanese what they think it does: believe me, I've seen some unfortunate mistakes.

People are offering all kinds of services, some of them seem to me to be worth far more than $5. Some are just plain silly, but some are eminently practical.

Martin, for example, will send three real cards (that is, paper and ink cards, not e-cards) for you anywhere in North America for only $5. He puts them in the envelopes, attaches (and pays for) the stamps, and sends your greetings on their way, so you don't have to. Brilliant. Just one of hundreds of useful things you can get done for a simple fiver. Martin's gig is here.

Movies I'm Watching: Delicatessen

Last night I watched Delicatessen, the next film on the three lists of little-known cinematic gems I'm going through. (For more on this topic, see my initial post on the subject, or use the "Movies I'm Watching" tab to the right.)

This one certainly fits the bill. I'd never heard of it, but it's wonderful. I'm virtually at a loss to describe it (I'll think of something, no doubt), so let me start with the conclusion: This is strange and wonderful and highly recommended. It's one of those films that seems both perfect and to make no sense at the same time--the sort of film that you keep going through over and over in your head for a long time after seeing it. It's a high-speed drive down the Autoroute strapped into a car that seems on the verge of losing control. There's nothing to do but sit back, watch the scenery whizzing past and hope to survive.

Delicatessen (French; 1991; Directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Starring Pascal Benezech, Dominique Pinon, Marie-Laure Dougnac, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, and Karin Viard) is like an underground comic come alive. The entire film plays out in, on, or immediately around a single crumbling building in a city of the future (Paris?) after some cataclysm has reduced the world mostly to rubble--or in the underground sewer tunnels controlled by what might be described as a group of vegetarian commandos. Food is scarce. People above ground do whatever they can to feed themselves. People are quietly hunted for meat like rats.

But there is some semblance of society still functioning. There are taxis. There is a mailman who delivers mail. There are newspapers. The butcher, owner of the delicatessen at street level in the building, keeps an ad running that seeks a handyman to help with chores. The people that answer these ads keep disappearing....

The film starts with the arrival of the latest handyman, one Louison (Dominique Pinon), a former circus performer who proves more resourceful than the butcher bargains for. Delicatessen is a small war in progress and the viewer has a seat at the front lines--obscured as the view is by heavy mists and the frightening, unfamiliar rules of this post-apocalyptic world. A general sense of disorientation is heightened by effective use of montages and distorted dream sequences.

The sound of Delicatessen is wonderful. Some of the funniest scenes in the movie (and this is a comedy) involve orchestrated sound samples. Patching together the sounds of everyday actions to produce music is now a staple of TV advertising, but once it was a novel idea. I don't pretend to know who thought of it. I first heard something like this listening to Pink Floyd's 1973 Dark Side of the Moon--remember the opening of Money, where the cash register sounds "play" the introduction? Delicatessen uses this device to wonderful effect. Everyone in the building is subordinate to the Butcher and dependent on him for food. The point is hilariously driven home when the squeaking springs of the amorous Butcher's bed momentarily take over control of everything going on in the building; every sound begins to fall in with the gradually quickening rhythm of the Butcher's love-making. Later, handyman, Louison, looking for the noisy coil to oil is just as funny when he tests the springs of the squeaky bed with the Butcher's lover (she has asked him to silence the squeak--and he does).

To say too much would be to spoil the fun. (For the squeamish among you, there is very little blood, despite the gruesome premises behind the story.) Strange and wonderful and highly recommended.

[Update: I was just reading about the film and I see that the writer of the screenplay is normally a writer of comic books--which explains a lot.]

Found Art: Blacktop Scribblings (March 28, 2010)

I liked these chalk scribblings on the playground at my son's school. Pure, unselfconscious expression. I love the handprints. A modern Lascaux.

Rain is in the forecast. By the time you see this post, this little bit of art may have already vanished.

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.