Haiku, cubed
oh so compact cube!
Syrah is juicy and hot
simple but pleasant
*props go out to my buddies at Red Wine Haiku blog, for inspiration for this piece
When I was home for Mother's Day my mom gave me a Wine Cube she picked up at Target on a shopping trip. Isn't it fantastic the ways moms will continue to buy you random stuff that makes them think of you, even when you're a confirmed adult? Thanks, Mom.
The cube I tried has the equivalent of two 750 mL bottles inside and fits snugly into a small space in your frige. I really enjoyed giving it a whirl, especially since it's so cute. I would definitely take the cube along with me to a party this summer - it's good enough to not be declared bad on the spot (can't you picture them saying "oh horror! boxed wine!"?) but forgettable enough you won't mind if it's scarfed by a drunken party-goer or two when you're getting your BBQ outside.
What else to say about this thing? It's available exclusively at Target, and it's inexpensive - $9 for the equivalent of two bottles. I tried the 2003 California Cabernet-Shiraz blend, and they've got a few more types available, including Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. But what I really like about the cube is that it's further evidence of good ole' Tar-jay's successful movement into the realm of hip and cool stuff. First they had Isaac, now they've got the cube.
The taste? Really simple, but not bad. I didn't think the stuff really merited a serious tasting note, so, taking a cue from my buddies over at Red Wine Haiku blog, I thought I'd try my hand at the medium to describe the stuff succinctly and cutely. Appropriately, in other words.
Enjoy!
I recently had the great pleasure of visiting one of the best estates on Napa's Spring Mountain, Smith Madrone. I'd connected with the two brothers who own and run the operation, Charlie and Stu Smith, through Stu's wife, Julie Ann, with whom I recently became acquainted. Julie Ann said that if I was ever in Napa looking for a good spot to visit and taste, I ought to consider her husband's place. When I planned a trip earlier this month, I reconnected and made an appointment. Boy am I glad I did! In going to Smith Madrone I felt like I took a step back in time. 
The first clue was this gorgeous and mysterious cave entrance I drove by just before I got to the winery. Charlie Smith, who welcomed me to the winery and showed me around, says it's an old pre-Prohibition relic. 
They were making wine on Spring Mountain over a hundred years ago, he reports; further evidence of activity up on the hill way back when can be seen in these ancient olive trees that reside in the midst of their 200 acre property. They, too, are more than 100 years old. 
One of Napa's better known mountain appellations, 
Here's a picture of Charlie Smith, who makes the wine at Smith-Madrone. Charlie is fantastically entertaining and highly quotable; I found myself jotting down funny things he said throughout my time there. A sampling: on why wine undergoes a funky period often referred to as "bottle shock" just after bottling: "wine is like a nice lazy dog - it just likes to lay around [in the barrel]." 
And, about the freaky looking tools hung up on the wall next to the tasting table, "those are for our S&M room downstairs." 
What DID come up, however, was a lot about winemaking, old Napa, and life in general. Charlie's something of a philosopher, a fact evidenced in this charming sign he has hanging up next to barrels in the winery. 
"We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine. - Eduardo Galeano." I mean, COME ON. How great is that?!
Charlie reports that they've gone back to a "big" style and are using malolactic fermentation and lees stirring - the whole nine yards - in making the stuff. 
Now, the '05 Riesling, also from estate fruit. WOW. Here are my tasting notes, verbatim: "nose: grapefruit, flowers! like a buncha lilies. Also that green quality, like sugared grapefruit and honeysuckle; mandarin orange. Candied lemon zest, honey, apricot." When I read Charlie the notes he was thrilled, because apparently they use a German yeast that makes the stuff smell like grapefruit. 12.9% alcohol, .9-1% RS. 
Here's a final pic of Charlie, who, if you look very carefully, is sillhouetted in the giant doorway of his winery, chatting to someone outside. Inside, I was savoring one of his amazing Rieslings and thinking that, if this is the kind of kindness, hilarity and genuine sincerity you could expect from every winemaker in Napa I'd be here even more. What a treat. 
And so. The tasting was very nice, as I said earlier. I'd love to tell you about my favorite wine which, as you may have guessed, I had the opportunity to try twice since I was there for, ahem, quite a long time. But first, here I am with Greg O'Flynn , proprietor of the 
My absolute favorite was a Chardonnay from 
Time for a food break. There was some very yummy food at TASTE, although not as much in terms of quantity as I might have hoped. And, the hot prep food was crowded together in a corner of the outside area, making for a serious bottleneck when the tasting was at its most crowded. 
The purveyors made up for the crowds with excellent eats, however. The best to be had were the delicious salumi and sausage offerings from Geyserville's Santi Restaurant. 
Here's a pic of Dino & Ari from Santi, clutching their good stuff. An Italian friend of mine assured me this was "the real deal" - so good he's considering having it shipped to him on a regular basis just to get his fix. 
Tripe! Also from Santi. When was the last time YOU had tripe? Love the weirdness of it. 
Here's Clayton Fritz, the head of the operation and a really nice guy. His 2005 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc was excellent - very crisp with good mouthfeel - as was his 2004 RR Pinot Noir. Both are highly recommended. 
Frick's 2002 Mendocino County Carignane was my second favorite wine of the day after the aforementioned Chardonnay. Made from vines over 100 years old and just $16 a bottle, this beauty was redolent with earth and dark fruit. I would enjoy sipping this with all sorts of foods, although the handy notes they had at the table suggest pairing it with duck pate, pasta marinara, salami sandwich and sharp cheeses, amongst other things. Covers a lot of territory, apparently. 
Also of note: there were these cute signs reminiscent of street signs pointing out where wines from the various sub regions could be found. I was oblivious to them until my sister said, "I'm tired of Dry Creek, I want to go to Russian River." And I thought, "what is she talking about?? We're in San Francisco, for christssake." Then she pointed at the sign, and I had to smile. Apparently I was so seduced by the wine and salumi I hadn't thoroughly cased the decor, including these signs.
Quickie: There was some fashion on display at TASTE. Just a little reminder that we were, after all, in the big city.
