Dream collaboration announcement: I was recently asked to create a tasting around Alberta Ferretti's new capsule collection for Macy's Impulse. HeLO amazing fashion opportunity! It gets better: they're dressing me in the clothes. It's all going down at Macy's SF Tues. April 17 and called, officially: Stylish Sips: Wine Pairings for Ferretti Fashions. I'll be creating a tasting around four featured outfits (so the wine will literally be paired with the fashion), plus styling food pairings to match. It's like, FREE (!) to attend, but RSVP is a must.

Oh, and they'll have personal shoppers on hand for those of you who'd like some extra attention (you know who you are). Let's share a drink to being ever more fashionable. Drop me an email or leave a comment here if you'd like to be added to the guest list. - xoxo, CC

Posted by Courtney at 09:26 PM • Comments (0)

Hip Tastes brings you speed dating, with wine. Why meet strangers with nothing in your glass when you could sip on something tasty while stumbling through awkward first-encounter banter? Taste five wines and meet ten strangers, leave at least wiser about what's in your glass. And you never know: you just might find a new partner while you're at it. And we don't just mean drinking partner.

The nitty gritty:

* hetero singles 25-35
* 5 minute meetings
* tasting flight of 5 eclectic pours (ice breaker: talk about what's in the glass!)
* we'll synch you up via email with your mutual matches after the event

See? Easy.

Where?
PRESS CLUB
20 YERBA BUENA LANE, SF 94103

2.7.12 - Learn More/Sign Up
3.8.12 - Learn More/Sign Up

Posted by Courtney at 10:57 AM • Comments (0)

Enter to be considered for a spot on the bottling line for Hip Tastes' new red blend - our first-ever commercially available wine - debuting this spring! A small group of Hip Tasters will pitch in over barrel samples and snacks at Oakland's Urban Legend Cellars this Saturday 2/4/12 (note: timing and details to be confirmed once bottling team selected). To be considered, visit our Facebook page, like us and post a note on our wall telling us why you would make the best wine bottler ever.

Extra points for creativity, natch.

Posted by Courtney at 11:40 PM • Comments (0)

One of the most delightful new people I met - virtually, via Facebook in this case - in 2011 is Nikki Nelson of Liquid Farm. Nikki runs Liquid Farm - a 100% Chardonnay project - with her husband in Los Angeles, with the wine made in the Lompoc wine ghetto. She was kind enough to share with Hip Tastes these pics of her "Wine Nerd Wedding" with Jeff, a longtime rep for Henriot Champagne. After the jump, more on their in-the-vineyard nuptials (I so love this pic of them holding grapes in the vineyard, which they captioned "Chardonnay and Us") and the startup label, which takes inspiration from the whites of Burgundy but equally channels the richness and purity of the Santa Rita Hills. Onward, to wine geek fabulosity!

Continue reading "Liquid Farm: Insanely Cute Wine People, Liquid Gold, Santa Rita Score" »

Posted by Courtney at 03:18 PM • Comments (0)

Last week I paid a visit to the affable Steve and Marilee Shaffer at Urban Legend Cellars, their Oakland-based vinous outpost that strikes quite the appropriately urbane mold. I'm working with Steve and Marilee to create the next Hip Tastes blend, a red featuring Amador County fruit to be released March 31, 2012 at a splashy HIP TASTES Event at the winery (mark your calendars!!).

At their website, Steve and Marilee describe themselves as: "Husband and wife, serial entrepreneurs, high tech alumnae, flavor junkies, and, likely, moderately crazy, but in a nice, togetherness sort of way (would that be a folie a deux?)." Check out the Flickr album for more on their technicolor tasting room, cool mechanical pipettes for blending (srsly high tech!), our method and the day that was. Oh, and there's also a pic of my cool new cowboy boots for a hit of fashion flair. ;)

AND: Stay tuned for more on what's shaping up to be quite the exciting collaboration!

Posted by Courtney at 10:21 AM • Comments (0)

Hip Tasters gathered Saturday at Sutton Cellars for our first ever urban winery event with Twitter-powered scavenger hunt. Featuring the debut Hip Tastes wine (Hip Tastes Red!) and custom blended beverage-inspired scents, 'twas a merry day in Dogpatch. Stay tuned for more on future wine collaborations, events and Hip Tastes culture. For now, happy almost T Day. May you drink well and make many good memories with your nearest and dearest.

See the pics - by the one and only John Curley - at Flickr, and don't forget to "Like" Hip Tastes on Facebook! Images are posted there, too, so please tag yourself and share, share, share!

xoxo, Courtney

Posted by Courtney at 01:25 PM • Comments (0)

Originally penned this for a freelance client who didn't love this wine, hence it's landing here (you may recall an earlier entry in which I teased the piece - but it didn't wind up being published after all). I'm a fan of this easy-drinking red so no matter. If you're acquainted with Match.com, it's almost a beat-by-beat adaptation of the profile format.

About Me & Who I'm Looking For: I'm looking for someone adventurous who loves to LOL, doesn't take himself too seriously, and - this part's a "must" - has a deep, uncompromising love of pizza. Deep dish, thin crust, New York, Neapolitan - it doesn't matter to me which type you [heart symbol] (though it's even better if you [heart symbol] them all). So long as you partake of the pie when we're together, this relationship is destined to be one with sizzle.

Continue reading "MUST LOVE PIZZA (Match.com Vinous Fantasy + Existential Tomatoes)" »

Posted by Courtney at 01:27 AM • Comments (0)

My coverage of last night's fabulous Top 100 tasting just dropped at EaterSF. Here's a teaser on the intro:

"The vignoscenti turned out in their best duds last night for the annual Wine & Spirits Top 100 tasting, a gustatory tour de force highlighting the best of some 10,000 wines the mag's staff samples annually. Many a back was slapped, luxe bubbly tippled and Hog Island oyster slurped against the winking backdrop of the SoMa skyline as seen from Cityview at the Metreon at dusk..." Full story at Eater

***
Read on here after the jump for more on one of my fav wines of the evening, a 100-year-old Sherry, and how it's hands-down the best tool for basting your turkey this Thanksgiving. Pictured, moi with said Sherry. (For all of my event snaps, check out my Flickr album.)

Continue reading "Vignoscenti, Willamette Valley Bender, "Smokin" Pours, T-Day Insights at Wine & Spirits Top 100" »

Posted by Courtney at 06:03 PM • Comments (0)

I'm something of a Sake pacifist, I must admit. It's a drink I've always loved but never written a lot about, penning a meager one write-up of a divine sparkling version of the stuff some years ago. But when I received an assortment of very special bottles from Oregon craft producer Momokawa, I knew I needed to delve a little deeper into the fabulosity that is rice wine.

The perfect occasion presented itself in a Labor Day pool party I attended with my sis. It was at a smartly re-imagined Marin abode that just underwent an update by a young couple we know. The whole vibe was very California indoor/outdoor living in the 60s/70s. I took all these shots with my iPhone and put them through the photo filter application Instagram when I got home for a really cool 60s/70s patina. I'm loving the 'gram so please follow me there to check out what I hope will be a rich feed going forward (handle is @HipTastesMaven, just like on Twitter)!

More on the sake after some snaps...

I wrangled some partygoers and did an impromptu tasting right there in the backyard. Hardly ideal tasting conditions, but it was really a fun excuse to show some friends something new (for the record, I tasted my two favs, the Organic Creamy Nigori and Organic Medium Rich, with sashimi and they. were. to. die. for!).

Continue reading "Labor Day, With Sake" »

Posted by Courtney at 04:30 PM • Comments (0)

I had the good fortune to enjoy a gorgeous mid-July lunch in the Russian River with DeLoach owner and bon-vivant-extraordinaire Jean-Charles Boisset, his affable and talented chef, Michel Cornu, bulldog Frenchie and a few other lucky scribes. The occasion was a tasting of DeLoach's brand new - as in first release ever, the 2009 vintage - Marin County wines. We were accompanied by winemaker Brian Maloney and consultant Dan Goldfield, Mr. Coastal Pinot himself, a real treat. It all got me wondering: what could be more chic for a Nor Cal-er keen on all things local??? Pretty sure you can see where this is going...

Click here to view my Flickr album from the day. After the jump, my fav wines and more on what I learned about Marin wines.

Pictured, on top: Chef Michel Cornu, myself, J-C Boisset; below, I make friends with J-C's mega cute pooch Frenchie (how apropos).

Continue reading "Marin County Wines: The Ultimate Accessories for Your Nor-Cal Local Lifestyle" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:29 AM • Comments (0)

I headed over to Dogpatch 7.24.11 to check out Carl Sutton's Jug Sunday. It was my first time at the recurring event and it did not disappoint, especially as I was lucky enough to be there on the release of his brand new wine, a sparkling Carignane (way to be weird, Carl!), Fize. He'd literally just disgorged a bunch of it by hand, and you can see some of that in these pics. Also: cool booze containers of all shapes and sizes, some urban winery atmosphere and a very cool car. Enjoy.

FLIKR ALBUM from Jug Sunday 7.24

Sutton Cellars

Note: Sign up for Sutton Cellars mailing list for invite-only admits to these and other events.

Posted by Courtney at 11:45 PM • Comments (0)

As you can easily imagine, I was tickled when an expat princess - or some sort of Germanic royalty, for that matter - phoned me up recently and asked if I would like to meet the head of Champagne uberpowerhouse Krug (AKA Ms. Krug). Though I'm short on German words for "hell yes" - okay, downright bereft - I managed to accept and immediately commenced planning my outfit for the interview. I felt, you see, as though I needed to get dressed for the Champagne as much as for the woman. Two things that, depending on how you look at them, are more or less the same thing in this case.



Hey, Champagne: There's a New Gal In Town
Turns out Margareth "Maggie" Henriquez is not your typical Champagne house CEO. For starters, she's not French. But not only is she not French, she is - mon dieu! - Latin. As in, Venezuelan. Though unmistakably elegant, Maggie's is a subdued elegance that probably strikes the insanely-turned-out Parisian women she bicycles past as inadequately outree.

Continue reading "Krugtastic Fabulosity Starts Here" »

Posted by Courtney at 09:05 PM • Comments (0)

This just in from The Swill, my beverage gossip column at Eater SF. It's my coverage of this week's Taste of Mendocino here in SF - lots of great pics and insider tidbits on this northerly region. Watch for dish on Navarro Vineyards, Phillips Hill, Trinafour Cellars, Philo Ridge, Elizabeth Spencer, Toulouse, Goldeneye & Roederer Estate. On the food front: Shamrock Artisan Goat Cheese, Mendocino Sea Salt and Seasoning Co., canner/blogger Caroline Radice and Wicked Bon-Bon Chocolatier.

***Via Eater:
Mendo likes to hang its hat on being green--as in, the "greenest wine region in America." The area boasts the greatest percentage of certified organic vineyards of any wine region in the US, so there's some truth to the claim. But let's talk about what else is hot about Mendo: pot and people...

Continue reading at Eater

Paparazzi PS: View my entire Flikr stream from the event here.

Posted by Courtney at 11:50 AM • Comments (0)

Wherein I compare this illustrious Austrian grape to a certain Austrian ex governor of ours. Read it to believe it. Big thanks to Michael Mina somm Josiah Baldivino, Sons & Daughters bev maven Carlin Karr and Roland Micu of Napa's La Toque for their fabulous commentary. I'm looking forward to Assyrtiko sending "gateway wine" Gruner the baklava!

Read on @ Eater SF

pictured: sommelier Josiah Baldivino

Posted by Courtney at 11:05 AM • Comments (0)

With "crowd-sourcing" firmly entrenched in the 21st Century lexicon, it's only natural that the collective movement should find its way to the wine world. But that it should do so hilariously seemed too much to ask; then again, that was before rubber chickens were introduced to the equation. Galvanizing his "Twisted Few" (read: wine club members and anyone quirky enough to get on the bandwagon) to participate, California vintner Jeff Stai of Twisted Oak winery recently initiated his annual "Take Your Rubber Chicken to Work" contest, which just concluded. Participants submitted photographs of the winery mascot in their various places of business (the OR, a writer's retreat), creating an oeuvre on the winery's site that tells its own sort of tale: one in which a spot's fans are as key in driving identity as the vision and output of the founders themselves.

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Stai seems poised to keep pushing the envelope where wine and collective branded identity goes. Yes, please.

Pictured: cover of contest winner, Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, edited by Tina Caputo, my fellow scribe in about-to-be-launched iPad wine mag, Uncorked (Nomad Editions)

Posted by Courtney at 03:54 PM • Comments (0)

As some of you know, I moonlight as a spokesperson for the Wine Market Council. When they asked me to pen a piece on cookie pairings recently, I was like "HelLO! Dream assignment!" I am an unabashed cookie fanatic. Don't give me pie. The hell with creme brulee. Bring on the round crunchy ones, preferably liberally laced with chocolate. Oh, and the perfect pour to accompany. And so:

"They say the secret to a lifetime of happiness is retaining your child-like enthusiasm for simple pleasures. And it seems there's little as pleasing - in a way we can all recall from our younger years - as cookies. Whether they're warm-from-the-oven gooey or of a crispier constitution, cookies warm our souls while wrapping our palates in tasty sensations that even the most world-weary among us can appreciate. Herein, tips on how to pair them with wine..."

continue reading my article at WineAnswers.com

Posted by Courtney at 08:51 PM • Comments (0)

I'm totally loving Ashley Teplin's fab shots of my PinotFest adventures from last Friday's phenomenal event. Every year I look forward to this like a kid on Xmas morning. But who needs Santa when you have the Sta Rita Hills? Check out the Flikr stream for pics of top Pinotphiles like David Adelsheim, Dick Sanford, Nick Peay, Matt Licklider, Michael Michaud and the hilarious ex fisherman guy from Hitching Post. And don't miss my comments down below for the inside scoop on top wines and event highlights. And yes, I am wearing leather pants...whoever said wine and fashion don't mix wasn't drinking Pinot. Pictured above with Mutineer Magazine's Alan Kropf, Hitching Post's Gray Hartley and below with the always-stylish Keiko Niccolini.

Posted by Courtney at 12:04 AM • Comments (0)

Feeling down? Let these cheerful wines turn that frown upside down. (Just in from my column at WineCountry.com!)

This time of year - and this year in particular (sheesh) - there's a laundry list of things that could be getting you down. Lost jobs, money worries and holiday stress are just a few of the icky items that could very well be a drag on your otherwise sunny mood. Happily, we're here with a list of wines known for their mood-boosting powers, all packaged into a convenient list. So, should you need them, we offer not just a few but 10 reasons to stay cheerful this wintry season.

Read on!

Posted by Courtney at 10:41 AM • Comments (0)

JIT for the wintry (can you say FREEZING, anyone?) weather, I am super pleased to present my list of top holiday films, all matched up tastily with wines, natch. So you can get Scrooged while drinking some Pet, or laugh along with Clark Griswold and crew while sipping some seriously flamboyant Zin. Cheers and happy holidays from Hip Tastes! Courtney ;)
***
"When it comes time for the holidays, little sounds as good as a cozy night in with loved ones and a great seasonal film. So read on for our list of top holiday films - each one paired, of course, with a superb vinous partner. Because here at WineCountry, we wouldn't have it any other way.

10: Miracle on 34th Street
9: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
8: Home for the Holidays
7: Scrooged
6: Home Alone
5: A Christmas Carol
4: Meet the Parents
3: Love Actually
2: A Christmas Story
1: It's a Wonderful Life

Read it all here

Posted by Courtney at 12:26 PM • Comments (0)

In a curious twist of linguistic fate, some decidedly frightening-sounding statements have been lately transformed into vehicles of praise. Mostly refashioned, as far as I can tell, by loquacious members of the surfer/skater culture prevalent in California, the phrases run the gamut of topics and references, but given the time of year I've singled out two that undoubtedly invoke Halloween.

A sampling:
"These [insert noun in the plural form] are scary good!"
Translation: These [things] are delicious.

"That [insert noun] was wicked bad." Translation: That [thing] was very cool/extremely impressive. (Note: True to the ironic spirit of this group, the use of two negative descriptors - "wicked" and "bad" - in this one makes it all that much more complimentary.

And so, to borrow a page from this verbally adventuresome sub-culture, I'd like to say that the following sweet wines are scary good, and that serving them on Halloween this year would be wicked bad of you.

Continue reading my latest on sweet treats and wine at WineCountry.com

And another piece on the same subject - but covering wine pairings for more savory Halloween fare (think sliders, mac 'n cheese and other kid-inspired fare) at WineAnswers.com * Happy Halloween!

Posted by Courtney at 03:11 PM • Comments (0)

Let's face it: the recession taught us many of things, perhaps the most important: you've got to appreciate the small things in life. And with 2009 drawing to a close, we can all look forward a renewed perspective (not to mention uptrending economic indicators, whew!) in the new year. To go along with this reinvigorated view of things, we offer the following ten wines that are destined to be hot in 2010. Because if another thing is altogether clear as we head out of this strange era: Wine is and always will be a hallmark of the good times. And, it's time for each and every one of us to start living the good life again.

So go on: The little things in life are beckoning - and go down swell with a swill of some excellent vino...

Continue reading my latest at WineCountry.com for more on:

The Well Edited Chardonnay
The Portuguese Player
Oregonian Initiation
The...Ahem...Mature Red
The Israeli Upstart
The Secret Sauce Syrah
and more!

Posted by Courtney at 02:51 PM • Comments (1)

"Wine hasn't been big in Oregon's bucolic Willamette Valley for long - in fact, it was only in the 60s that the first plantings were made in what is now considered by many to be some of the most hallowed ground for wine production in the world. With a cool, moist climate that favors Pinot Noir in particular, the region just an hour's drive from Portland has fast turned into one of the most exciting places to swirl, sip and savor your way through wine country. Read on for my top ten wines tasted on a recent visit."

Continue reading at WineCountry.com

TOP 10 WINES
Number 10: 2007 Penner-Ash Willamette Valley Riesling ($18)
Number 9: 2007 Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($32)
Number 8: 2007 Adelsheim Caitlin's Reserve Willamette Valley Chardonnay ($40)
Number 7: 2007 Lange Estate Winery "Three Hills Cuvee" Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($40)
Number 6: 2006 White Rose Estate White Rose Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($75)
Number 5: 2007 Penner-Ash Dussin Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($60)
Number 4: 2007 The Eyrie Vineyards Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Gris ($16.75)
Number 3: ???
Number 2: ???
Number 1: ??? --> check out the article!

Posted by Courtney at 09:45 AM • Comments (0)

"As with so many things in life, trends in food and wine come and go. One season, chefs scramble to pair Riesling with faddish new foam sauces, the next they're matching up Cabernet with the likes of PB&J. But a handful of tried-and-true pairings consistently rise above these of-the-moment fads, delivering the unsurpassed pleasure that can only result from an absolutely perfect marriage of food and wine. Read on for our favorites, and bon appetit."



Click here to continue reading one of my fav pieces penned for WineCountry.com - it hits some super sweet wine and food notes we should all absolutely experience!! Topics include:

Acidity Affinity
Crustacean Sensation
For the Sake of It
The Good Earth Gives
Foie-tastic
It's Amore
Cult Classic
Opposites Attract
Decadence Delivered

Posted by Courtney at 10:15 AM • Comments (0)

This is Taylor Price, reporting again for Courtney on the fabulous world of California wines! Check out my other stories on Family Winemakers, Sangria and Pinky Vodka!

I was inspired to write a piece on Wind Gap Wines after experiencing the magnificence that is their 2006 Sonoma Coast Syrah. The combination of this wine, along with a delicious and totally pimped-out meal with some girlfriends, provided for one of those rare dining experiences you just can't get everyday - and probably shouldn't for your waistline's sake!

Wind Gap is actually the most recent wine venture (founded in 2008) of Pamela and Pax Mahle, the founders of Pax Wine Cellars - a Syrah powerhouse with vineyards located in the cooler regions of Mendocino and Sonoma County.

Continue reading "Wind Gap Syrah - A New Fav for Girlfriend Eves" »

Posted by Courtney at 11:16 AM • Comments (0)

The dog days of summer rightly inspire sips of something so altogether light and crisp (not to mention heavenly floral and fruity) as to transport you beyond the scorching hot wherever-it-is you find yourself these HOT days. Enter Riesling. Criminally underappreciated, Riesling is a wine that - when made by a solid producer in a good region - almost always overdelivers. Oh, and the price can be quite nice. Read on for my latest article at WineAnswers.com - powered by the Wine Market Council - where I dish on fav regions (go NY, Mendo, WA!) for Riesling.

Because couldn't we all use a little chill factor these days? Read it here.

Posted by Courtney at 10:26 PM • Comments (0)

One of my fondest memories of an early trip to Burgundy was visiting Chateau de Meursault. Though not one of the most celebrated estates in all of Burgundy (indeed, its initials don't include DR or C), the place is absolutely elegant and I'll always associate the appellation's nutty-rich whites with the property. It helped, as well, that there was a wedding going on that day on the grounds - a gorgeous affair that led me to think it would certainly not suck to get married in Burgundy, at Chateau de Meursault, while (of course) drinking much of the region's celebrated white swill. And until today, it had been a while since I was been transported back to this lush spot.

Today's mental journey was aided, as you might imagine, by a Chardonnay whose body was so fabulously rich and aroma so buttery and nutty (yet fabulously lifted and elegant, as Burgundian whites always are!) that I simply could not help but revisit that very spot. The best part? The wine wasn't even French - it hails from our very own shores, and from the hands of a very fine domestic winemaker: Greg LaFollette (of Flowers Winery fame). Read on for tasting notes for Greg's 2006 Tandem Sangiacomo Vineyards Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($32).

Continue reading "Champagne Wishes, Caviar Dreams and...Meursault? Try Tandem" »

Posted by Courtney at 03:11 PM • Comments (0)

As my own sis is about to be hitched, I took due inspiration for this latest piece for WineCountry.com from the many activities that lead up to and really make a wedding an EVENT. Yes, you can see that this maid of honor is officially in full wedding-planning-assistance mode, so when WineCountry asked me to pen a piece on the topic I was, let's just say, READY. Enjoy!

"As every bride-to-be knows, a wedding is about much more than just the ceremony - it's also about the many special occasions (Dress shopping! Shower! Bachelorette!) leading up to "the big event." What's more, every oeno-inclined bride-to-be also knows that each and every one of these occasions is destined to be still more memorable when paired with the perfect glass of wine. In this spirit, read on for our complete list of wine suggestions for weddings - as well for all of the associated fetes that come before happily ever after.

(List includes wines for:)
The Proposal
The Engagement
The Dress
The Shower
The Bachelorette
The Rehearsal
The Cocktail
The Dinner
The Toast
The Honeymoon"

Read it here!

Posted by Courtney at 02:35 PM • Comments (0)

This just in from Robert Camuto, a very nice American dude who moved to France a while back and became enamored of - you guesses it! - French wine. In a blog post just up that inspired the title of my own, the good scribe writes:

"I love un-pimped wines that reflect their place and vintage, and I don't want to see them limited to a ghetto of Parisian Bobos (bohemian bourgeois) and international hipsters. Going fundamentalist will only turn off the next generation and push them towards the next thing. Like martinis."

Amen. I reviewed Camuto's recently released book, Corksrewed, a bit back at WineCountry.com. Check it out here.

And for the full Fear and Loathing piece from the man himself, head over to his blog to read it.

Posted by Courtney at 10:13 AM • Comments (0)

Firing, roasting, and grilling are decidedly du rigueur during the summer months, but finding wines that work well with this tricky fare can be a challenge. Just as shining a spotlight on an actor onstage brings her features into focus for an audience, these cooking methods serve to concentrate the flavors of whatever's being cooked, necessitating a wine with both strength and personality to stand up to the food.
Read on for the low-down on some of the more common characteristics of flame-cooked fare and how to track down the perfect wines to pair with these traits.
***
Continue reading my take on wines to pair with everything from BBQ sauces (from sweet to spicy) to grill methods at WineCountry.com

illustration by Mitch Shernoff for "Get Your Grill On", a HIP TASTES Event I produced in San Francisco in April, 2006. See party pics here. ;)

Posted by Courtney at 01:38 PM • Comments (0)

Chere Rose, you mean the world to me. You are so pure, your flavors so balanced (More approachable than red! More filling than white!) I find myself fantasizing about you day and night. Often I picture myself, feet up at the end of a long day, meditating on your pale pink robe, pausing to savor a sip so lush it takes my breath away.

O Rose! You are so refreshing, you are so lively, you are the perfect companion to a slice of pate or nutty frommage comte.

I love you just as you are - never change, Rose!

Signed,

Your Biggest (AKA most loyal, ahem) French Fan

Mon Dieu! Rose At Risk
You don't have to be a die-hard rose fan to know there's something enchanting about the appealing style of wine that's neither white nor red. And while much has been made over the years about pink wines' romantic appeal, pitch-perfect summer coloring and remarkable flexibility in food pairing, little fuss has generally been raised about the way in which it's made.

Until now, that is.

Continue reading at WineCountry.com

pictured: moi, sipping rose on Sunset with great pal Alexis in LA earlier this month

Posted by Courtney at 01:38 AM • Comments (0)

As the locavore movement gains speed and strength, it seems only natural its philosophy would make its way to the wine world. Enter Kevin Kelley, founder of Natural Process Alliance, an organization dedicated to producing wines with minimal waste and additives - and then distributing them solely within a 100-mile radius of his Santa Rosa winery. Sound kooky? I think it's anything but.

Continue reading

Posted by Courtney at 08:11 AM • Comments (0)

Ah, Oscar time. Enjoy this next Top 10 List from WineCountry.com - my second annual Academy Awards wine pairing lineup for them:

"Come February 22, many of us - film and wine buffs alike - will find ourselves settling in to enjoy the time-honored tradition of watching Hollywood's annual version of an all-you-can-eat buffet with extra helpings of couture, paparazzi and bawdy political jokes thrown in for good measure. That's right: it's Oscar time! And, to further enhance your viewing pleasure, this year we're pleased to present our second-annual Academy Awards tasting lineup, complete with frank and - hopefully - amusing commentary on nominated films and personalities.

So whether your star picks turn out to be winners or just plain winers, you'll be guaranteed a good laugh along with a good glass as you take it all in - the most winning combination we can think of.

(List details available at WineCountry.com)

The Curious Case of...Oh, Hand Me the Magnum Already
Drink Wine, Not Milk
Reading Between the Wines
Slumdog Zinfandel
Frost/Nixon Flavors
Vicky Cristina Barcelona...Lake County?
Wrestling with Reputation
Tropic Thunder Thirst
Wall-E Wine
Revolutionary Red"

Read the full list here

Posted by Courtney at 10:14 AM • Comments (1)

If the unseasonable blooms outside (if you're in Cali, anyway) have you looking for something a little lighter in your glass, read on...

Crafted from fruit grown in a single vineyard in Mendocino's Potter Valley, the 2007 Factories and Smoke Pinot Noir ($28, 97 cases) hails from my good friend Kenny Likitprakong and offers a bit of sweet clove, bright cherry and pomegranate, a kiss of earth and a touch of forest floor along with a smooooooth, soft texture that's perfect for early spring sipping. In a word, it's the real deal. The real Pinot stuff. Maybe the best part? It's light in color - like a blushing rose - a naturally light shade perfectly befitting Pinot that's been made unfined and unfiltered and without the additional pumping up of mega extraction and all the other techniques that are used to create the techno showboat wines that are so popular today (snore).

The point: this is Pinot with soul...but definitely not a showboat. If you prefer your wines over the top, don't bother. But I'll go a little further and be provocative: if you know good Pinot when you see it,

Continue reading "Poetic Pinot for Early Spring Sipping" »

Posted by Courtney at 02:22 PM • Comments (0)

Excerpted from my recent article at WineCountry.com:

With the Dow marching steadily south, unemployment on the up and deflation dangerously near, it's easy to feel there's little source for cheer these days. Still, if there's anything a trying economic clime coupled with an already frigid winter welcomes, it's uncorking a wine worth brooding over. Read on for a list of our top picks for wines with which to weather the current season - whether your portfolio is up, down, or you just can't bear to look. No matter what, we've got you covered.

Liberation Libation
Orin Swift Cellars "The Prisoner" Napa Red Blend ($35)
Cost Advantage
Pinot Evil Vin de Pays de l'lle de Beaute Pinot Noir, France ($5)
Back to Basics
Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany ($30)
Sinful Zinfandel
Wild Hog Vineyard Porter Bass Zinfandel Russian River Valley ($30)
Cheap & Cheerful
Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes, Argentina ($12)
Shock Therapy
Shooting Star "Black Bubbles" Lake County Syrah ($16)
Seeking Serenity
Wild Horse Bien Nacido Vineyard "Unbridled" Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley ($24)
Panic Button
1999 Henri Giraud Cuvee Fut de Chene Ay Grand Cru ($275)
Heart of Darkness
Plaimont "Plenitude" Madiran, France ($35)
Medicine for Melancholy
Municipal Winemakers Santa Barbara County "Bright Red" ($20)

Get the full scoop at WineCountry.com

Posted by Courtney at 03:40 PM • Comments (0)

A big thanks to Jessica Yadegaran over at the Contra Costa Times for interviewing me for her very cool piece on cheap New Year's bubblies. Check it out at InsideBayArea.com, and in the event this catches you before you're off to buy your NYE bubbles, hopefully you'll find a few suggestions to your liking for fewer than 20 bucks. Highlights include domestic bubbly from New Mexico, Cremant from France (looks and tastes a lot like Champagne but costs less than half as much) and my all-time favorite bubbly, sweet red Brachetto d'Acqui from Piemonte. Most of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Here's to making '09 a banner year, no matter the economic clime. As my mother likes to say, "this, too, will pass..." In the mean time, we've got wine. ;)

Image: Donna Mehalko, illustrator, Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine

Posted by Courtney at 04:20 PM

It may sound obvious to put a girl in blue jeans in an ad for wine (like, helLO, this is an advertisement for youths, duh), and therefore not that interesting, but for some reason it works. Sacre Bleu's frankly young-looking model, along with product placement at the hip Miami music venue The Fillmore, support of charitable organization Rock the Cause and funny winemaking videos from French Gustave (it's always nice to have a Frenchie in the mix), put the brand at the top of the wine-marketing-to-Millennials heap. Haven't tasted the wine yet, but seeing as it's coming from France's promising Languedoc, my bet is it's not half bad.

Posted by Courtney at 10:20 PM • Comments (2)

As a spokesperson for the Wine Market Council I'm occasionally interviewed on all sorts of subjects, and this fall the queries turned - no doubt unsurprisingly - to the upcoming election. That's right, upcoming as in TOMORROW!!! (Sheesh, I've got to admit I'm pretty stressed about tomorrow, and am in fact contemplating something pretty dramatic if Obama doesn't get elected. Like maybe drowning my sorrows in oceans of White Zin.) No matter what tomorrow's outcome, you can get the goods on my election night food and wine suggestions in the article "Election Party Food and Wine" at SheKnows.com. It includes some interesting tidbits on wines Republicans prefer versus those Dems gravitate towards, along with pairings to spice up your election night viewing party. So even if the *%&! hits the fan come winner- (or loser-) time, at least you'll be well plied. Cheers to that.

Posted by Courtney at 09:37 PM • Comments (0)

It's almost the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I wanted to send along some links to stories I've written this October about breast-conscious winemakers whose rockin' projects support breast cancer research. Let's start with American Roots Winery, a project started in 2005 in support of Lori Ondaro, a single mom who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. When the news hit, Lori and her family were blindsided by the news that this time the cancer had spread throughout her entire body. Lori's heroic story can be found here, at WineCountry.com, along with details on the critically-acclaimed wines her family's winery now produces, with proceeds going to support breast cancer research. (Pictured, Lori & Family.) Yay, family!

This also a terrific time to recognize the many other wineries whose programs support breast cancer. Read on for highlights of some of my top picks, which include Cleavage Creek Cellars, whose name makes good on the winery's unique geographic situation as well as its mission. Read about the rest

Continue reading "Winemakers: Breasts' Best Friends" »

Posted by Courtney at 06:10 PM • Comments (0)

As a big fan of New Zealand's Kim Crawford wines - I had the pleasure of pouring them at a number of my book launch events last fall - I was thrilled when the folks behind the wine asked me to create a series of custom party tips for their newly revamped website. Now, the tips are finally live, and I'd love to share them with all of you. There are party ideas for pairing wine with music (seriously!), creating your very own component tasting (for a funny explanation of component tasting, click here), and a whole new kind of brown bag tasting party. With the holidays upon us and more reasons than ever for staying IN this holiday season, I hope you'll check out my Hip Tips, invite over some friends and put them to good use. Check 'em out here!

Note: Illustration by Marcos Chin and courtesy of Kim Crawford.

Posted by Courtney at 10:14 AM

Okay, so the goose doesn't exactly make the Pinot, but Toulouse Vineyards' mascot is most definitely a goose, and their Pinot is without a doubt off the charts (though admittedly made by human hands). I absolutely loved the 2006 Toulouse Anderson Valley Pinot Noir my sister picked up in Mendo recently, and which I had the pleasure of quaffing a few days ago in the baking hot Central Valley, where I'm visiting my family. The newish operation (their first vintage was 2002) is run by Vern and Maxine Boltz, a retired Oakland fire chief and United airline stewardess, respectively, and Toulouse Vineyards represents

Continue reading ""Huge Blocky Goose" Makes Great Pinot" »

Posted by Courtney at 09:03 AM

Woop, looks like another celeb designer has gotten in on the wine design thang. Busy Italian designer Roberto Cavalli - famous for his flamboyant, figure-hugging frocks worn by adventurous celebutantes on many a red carpet - has just released Roberto Cavalli Selection, a Tuscan IGT made with the assistance of Italian wine guru Carlo Ferrini. Just about 5,000 bottles were made of the debut vintage, 2004, a portion of which come in this appropriately flamboyant box covered in leopard print used in the designer's 1996 Spring/Summer collection and...

Continue reading "Design My Wine: Roberto Cavalli" »

Posted by Courtney at 01:15 PM

"From Major Leaguers to major religious leaders, celebrities of all stripes are catching the wine bug these days, lending their names and likenesses to bottles, participating in the promotion of the wines and sometimes even cuing up the blends themselves. And while celebrity wines are hardly a new phenomenon, the most recent influx of offerings brings with it a surprisingly diverse mix of celebs, not to mention a fascinating blend of prices, styles and blends to boot...

Continue reading "Almost Famous: Celebs Put New Spin on Wine" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:45 PM

Keller Estate's Syrah-based 2007 Sonoma Coast Rose is a delight. I'm always searching for a rose from California that's not too pink and not too sweet (not to mention a lot of fun to drink & great with food) and this one fits the bill just right. Made for the winery founder's 75th birthday, this medium pink-hued quaffer offers up delightful aromas of watermelon Jolly Rancher candy (always a favorite), caramel, chamomile, rose water and a kiss of pink grapefruit...

Continue reading "A Sprightly Rose for Spring" »

Posted by Courtney at 02:38 PM

After a week in New York - including a couple of downright cold days upstate to give a talk at Cornell - I have to say it definitely doesn't feel very spring-like on the East Coast! But, the buds are beginning to break on the trees in NYC, and last night my pal Lesley joined me out at a fab fete at the Theory store in the Meatpacking district in a skirt, sans stockings. She froze, for sure, but kept insisting, "It's spring, damnit!"

Indeed, depending on where you are the weather is turning warmer, albeit by varying degrees. In Cali, we've been enjoying beautiful days for weeks now (including two stunningly sunny 70-degree'ers when I was in Napa for a blissful Easter weekend; The French Laundry was beyond!!). And no matter where you are, it's not too early to start drinking for warmer weather. Read on for the lowdown on my favorite sippers for spring, and here's looking forward to balmier weather in everyone's not-too-distant future.

Photo: Vines at Smith-Madrone atop Spring Mountain, Napa Valley this spring

Continue reading "Sipping Pretty: Winning Wines for the Spring Season" »

Posted by Courtney at 07:20 AM

When I met Suzanne Phifer Pavitt at a recent conference in Napa, I knew I liked her immediately. Tall, blonde and friendly with a self assuredness amiably matched by a good dash of down-home Southern Charm (from Georgia, this one), Suzanne was thrilled to tell me about her new wine - Phifer Pavitt (Date Night) - that she lately launched with her husband, Shane Pavitt. And when I tasted (Date Night) - named for the weekly date nights during which the couple devised the plan for their own label - I was thrilled to find it equally charming.

Brimming with lovely aromas of toasty oak, caramel-and-chocolate-covered coffee beans, black cherries, star anise and cocoa, the full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon delivers big on the palate, too, with delicious flavors of ripe black fruits, cocoa nib, brown sugar and blackberry jam. In spite of its heft, the wine's super-rich, almost dessert-wine-like concentration is in balance, and the finish is loooong. I scored it 92 points. One to check out, although I don't recommend waiting around for a date night - this wine will win you over ANY NIGHT.

If you can afford it, that is ;) - 300 cases made, $75/bottle.

Posted by Courtney at 03:52 PM

If a prominent French Champagne producer's putting the American flag on a bottle of bubbly isn't proof of improving French-American relations, I don't know what is. This new, limited edition single serving offering from Pommery's design-forward "POP" (Product of Pommery) line of bubblies is just what it appears to be - a visual tribute to Americana, all the way from the blustery vineyards of northern France.

Made in a slightly sweeter style than typical Pommery Brut bubblies, POP America is being billed as the perfect drink for 2008 Fourth of July celebrations and summer BBQs, and I have to admit - a bucket of it would make a smashing centerpiece at a luxe Fourth gathering. Why luxe? Because at $13.99 per single serving bottle, these are pricey bubbs. But then again, who can put a price on independence?

Posted by Courtney at 05:35 PM

Dearest readers - I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I promise to start posting lots again very soon, and in the mean time please enjoy this snap from my recent NY book release party and a Valentine's-appropriate ditty I just wrote for WineCountry.com. Cheers, CC ;)

"Once upon a time, there was a wine so big, so bold and so outrageously outsized that its fans felt ashamed admitting it was their favorite. "Oh no," naysayers would insist, "a wine that big just can't be good with food. Why, it's so ridiculously over the top as to hardly even resemble what I think of as a wine."

Despairingly, lovers of Petite Sirah would retreat to enjoy their prodigious darling in the privacy of their own homes, away from the prying eyes of fellow drinkers who insisted that a wine must have impeccable balance - meaning it could harbor neither outsized fruit nor high-octane alcohol - in order to be enjoyed..."

Continue reading my latest article at WineCountry.com

Posted by Courtney at 02:37 PM • Comments (1)

There's nothing like a crazy winter storm to make you crave a deep, dark bottle of wine that's as brooding as what's happening outside. After waking up Friday to the biggest storm I've seen since moving here and an eerie all-day power outage (rumor has it some San Franciscans are still without power), I've been contemplating a wine that matches my mood. As luck would have it, I was recently sent a bunch of samples of Madiran wines - inky, wonderfully brooding reds from southwestern France that perfectly fit the bill.

The best of the bunch was the 2002 Plaimont Plenitude, an awesomely complex bottling comprised of 80% Tannat and 20% Cab Sauvignon. Tannat is the signature grape of the Madiran region, and Cab's the key player in blends from nearby Bordeaux, so it's not surprising that the latter shows up in the blend. Plus, Tannat has been recently recognized for its remarkably high amounts of heart-healthy compounds called procyanidins - always a good thing in wine.

Continue reading "Heart of Darkness" »

Posted by Courtney at 08:46 PM

How cool are these bottles?! I just received a pack of six of them in the mail as a thank-you gift (thank YOU to the person who was thanking me), and have to say it was tough to pop the cork on a few of them last night with friends, but we managed. It was tough because they're so cool-looking you just want to keep them around to, well, look at. But alas, like so many good things in life, these beasts just weren't meant to last.

The bottles are part of the POP Art line by Pommery Champagne, which commissions a new artist each year to create something totally unexpected on a Champagne mini. This year - the third for the endeavor - Japanese artist Takahiro Okawa created the POP Safari collection, which includes the "skins" of the likes of zebras, jaguars, giraffes, crocodiles, tigers and (wild?) cows.

Very limited. Insanely cool-looking.

I can't seem to track down the Safari collection, but another (frankly less cool!) collection is up for $60 for a six-pack at Wine.com.

Posted by Courtney at 08:05 PM

In a curious twist of linguistic fate, some decidedly frightening-sounding statements have been lately transformed into vehicles of praise. Mostly refashioned, as far as I can tell, by loquacious members of the surfer/skater culture prevalent in California, the phrases run the gamut of topics and references, but given the time of year I've singled out two that undoubtedly invoke Halloween.

A sampling:

"These [insert noun in the plural form] are scary good!"
Translation: These [things] are delicious.

"That [insert noun] was wicked bad." Translation: That [thing] was very cool/extremely impressive. (Note: True to the ironic spirit of this group, the use of two negative descriptors - "wicked" and "bad" - in this one makes it all that much more complimentary.

And so, to borrow a page from this verbally adventuresome sub-culture, I'd like to say that the following sweet wines are scary good, and that serving them on Halloween this year would be wicked bad of you.

Continue reading my latest article at WineCountry.com

Posted by Courtney at 11:07 PM

My grandmother from Colorado - of all people - just sent me a newspaper clipping about Kobe Bryant's Cristal binge at the recent opening of BLUSH nightclub at the Wynn in Vegas. She recognized Cristal from a mention in my book (she has an early copy - shhh!!), and was THRILLED to be "with it" enough to ID the famous bubbly. Great to see the Hip Tastes book having an impact already! The gist of the story is that

Continue reading "Kobe Hearts Cristal" »

Posted by Courtney at 10:24 AM

It's not the first time I've written about boxed wine in this blog, but it's still a memorable occasion for me. The reason is that this marks the first time I kept right on drinking a boxed wine until it turned - which means I found it pretty decent! I bought the Trove 3 liter-sized box at my local Safeway (the "crazy" Safeway, as I like to call it, on Market St. in the Castro - those who've shopped there know exactly what I mean) six weeks ago,

Continue reading "As the Trove Turns" »

Posted by Courtney at 10:31 AM

I was asked to do a guest blog for Glam.com - which went live today - and decided to answer this question as part of my entry. It seemed like the right thing to do, given the site. For those who don't know, Glam.com is one of the web's most highly trafficked lifestyle sites for women and covers everything from fashion to celeb gossip to, well, wine. Some of my favs featured include Hundred Acre Winery's "Gold" Chardonnay blend, which includes consumable fleks of real 24k gold, and Piper-Heidsieck's "Dressed" by Jean-Paul Gaultier, which arrives outfitted in a see-through red corset (the bottle, that is, not the delivery guy). Check it out here.

Posted by Courtney at 10:38 AM

Geeze, louise - I've been gone for so long everyone probably wonders if I've dropped off the face. Hardly! Just been wrapping up the Hip Tastes book (why didn't someone send me the "your book will take you WAY longer than you expected" memo?!) and taking some much needed R&R as that chapter of my life wraps up. As I'm coming up for air I thought I'd check back in and share with everyone a little 411 on the most AMAZING Pinot I've had in a long time - definitely one of the best ever. It's stolen my heart, that's for sure, Bon Jovi style. What's it called? Thought you'd never ask...

Continue reading "Shot through the heart (by Pinot)" »

Posted by Courtney at 08:59 PM • Comments (1)

Leave it to the renegades over at Three Thieves to put out the snazziest-looking bottle of wine I've seen in a while. The brand spanking new "The Show" California Cabernet Sauvignon isn't a serious wine, but it's seriously fun. And with labels created by 100+-year-old country music poster master Hatch Show Print (whose body of work includes show posters for the likes of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams & Patsy Cline), the bottles capture the spirit of the Old West alongside a consummately quaffable blend that's decidedly tailored to today's tastes.

Continue reading "Show Me the Cabernet" »

Posted by Courtney at 04:48 PM • Comments (2)

I'm currently enjoying a pretty wine from Germany's northerly Ahr region (sorry for the silly title; just be glad I didn't go with the pirate thing), where a unique strain of Pinot Noir called Fruhburgunder makes mega light reds that have been compared to light Burgundies. I actually find this one more similar to a Beaujolais Villages, but no matter: it's always a treat to find a wine I've never tried before, and it's even better when it's surprisingly tasty.

Continue reading "Ahr You Sure That's a Pinot?" »

Posted by Courtney at 06:55 PM

I know, you're going to feel really sorry for me. Today when I made a routine visit to my mail box down the street I found - much to my total delight - this absolutely fabulous - no, beyond fabulous (is there a word for super fabulous?) - magnum of vino. Ta da! Guess who's the proud new owner of a magnum of 2004 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills? That's right - a MAGNUM of Sea Smoke! For those who're wondering just what the big deal is, Sea Smoke is consistently rated in the top 100 Wines of the Year by Wine Spectator (the '02 Southing made the list not long ago with a score of 93 pts) and has received countless other insanely high marks and praise from the wine glitterati of the globe.

Continue reading "Holy Smoke!" »

Posted by Courtney at 02:06 PM • Comments (6)

"I think I smell a soupcon of cat's pee in this wine."
"Come again?"
"You know, pipi du chat."

Um, ok. Whatever you call it - cat's pee or the more sophisticated-sounding French version, pipi du chat - there's no getting around the fact that this is one ugly way to describe a wine. I've heard it used to describe the good stuff time and again and have hated it every time. I mean, can you think of a more unsettling way to describe something you're about to drink? But, I must say that when I attended a recent media lunch for Pouilly Fume's Claude MICHOT, pictured here with me, I really felt like the pipi du chat descriptor suited his wine. And that's not to say it wasn't good wine - on the contrary, it was outstanding!

Continue reading "Bring On the Cat's Pee!" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:53 PM • Comments (6)

If I had a dollar for every time I tried a new Gewurztraminer - the varietal popularly held to be "the spicy white" - and didn't find it even remotely spicy I'd be quite a bit better off than I am now. The fact of the matter is that Gewurz, which literally means "spice" in German, isn't usually all that spicy. It's super aromatic, to be sure: I almost always detect pronounced aromas of lychees, flowers and canned fruit syrup, amongst other things, but rarely the token spice I'm looking for. So imagine my excitement when I came upon what I've affectionately dubbed a Gewurz's Gewurz - one that tastes and smells exactly like the varietal's supposed to! Even better yet: this beauty hails, of all places, from little-known Tasmania.

Continue reading "Excuse me, did you say spice?" »

Posted by Courtney at 11:37 PM

A couple of Saturdays ago my sister and I took an impromptu trip to Santa Cruz. It was one of those Saturdays where you find yourself, surprisingly, with some free time on your hands, and so we thought "why not?!" I'd been itching to check out the area, and harvest time seemed the perfect time to do it. All I can say is that we had a simply fabulous time, particularly at very laid-back Burrell School Vineyards in the middle of this mountainous area, where we were lucky enough to sit down with owners Dave & Anne Moulton and hear their personal account of the winery's 30+ year history while looking out over an amazing view and enjoying some delicious food.

* Here we are posing on the Burrell School Vineyards tractor!

Continue reading "Harvest Tales: Chilling in Santa Cruz" »

Posted by Courtney at 07:12 PM • Comments (2)

Alright, alright, so it's not what you think! For those in the know out there, Chateau de Beaucastel, one of the most famous estates in France's southern Rhone Valley, is known for having enormous stones in its vineyards.

So large, in fact, that standing amongst them feels sort of like what I imagine being in quicksand would be like. "Like quick sand, but quick stones," is the way the operation's sommelier, Fabrice Langlois, explained it.

Continue reading "POSTCARDS FROM PROVENCE 7:
Stoned at Beaucastel" »

Posted by Courtney at 11:14 PM • Comments (9)

For those of you who've been reading my posts about very cool GREEN winery Medlock Ames FYI there is a tasting coming up at SoMa's Vino Venue where you can meet some of the folks from Medlock and - of course! - taste their wines! The focus will be on biodynamic and organic farming methods they use and you'll also get to sample their '02 merlot, '02 cabernet, and '02 red. Learn more and sign up at Vino Venue's site. I'll still be in France but hope those of you who are able to make it enjoy. Cheers!

$10 to taste plus 15% off Medlock wines

Posted by Courtney at 03:40 AM • Comments (1)

Everyone, meet Rodolphe de Pins, current winemaker-owner at Chateau de Montfaucon, a southern Rhone estate that's been around for just about a Millenium. Davis-educated, world-traveled, and totally down-to-earth, de Pins is in the process of rejuvenating his family's ancient estate and turning out some really excellent wines. In the process, he's beautifully marrying new methods with old locations and philosophies, as evidenced in his outfitting the estate's 500-year-old winery with new equipment and barrels. The result is a totally functional and appealingly harmonious coming-together of old and new, all situated just beneath his family's 1000-year-old chateau on the hill.

Continue reading "POSTCARDS FROM PROVENCE 3
Family Ties:
A Thousand Years Isn't Old in the Rhone" »

Posted by Courtney at 09:32 AM • Comments (3)

"It is a very good day. We got a new tractor and the cicadas didn't start singing until 9AM."

So began our wonderful day at Moulin de la Gardette, a small family-run estate in the Gigondas district of France's southern Rhone Valley about 45 minutes from Avignon. We spent a total of about five and a half hours with Jean Baptiste Meunier, the jovial owner and winemaker, during which time he showed us the grounds, the vines, the winery and the surrounding village before hosting us at a lovely luncheon in the town square. JC and I left with a feeling of total contentment and a conviction that if we are ever reincarnated as grapes, we'd like to be some of Moulin de la Gardette's.

Continue reading "POSTCARDS FROM PROVENCE Part Deux:
Good Vibes & Van Halen in Gigondas" »

Posted by Courtney at 09:51 AM • Comments (1)

Things got off to a very good start today after I disembarked from my red eye from NYC. Amazingly enough, my good pal and travel partner in crime JC was right on time meeting me at the Bordeaux airport, our chosen spot of contact for this leg of the trip. After high fives and mutual congratulations on our improbable promptness, we set out in our rented Peugeot for none other than Chateau Margaux, one of the five illustrious first growths of this great region, and an absolutely gorgeous spot.

Continue reading "POSTCARDS FROM PROVENCE 1:
Blondes Have More Fun At Chateau Margaux" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:35 AM • Comments (4)

I've always thought of wine as the ultimate interpreter. As interpreter par excellence of place, of people, of culture. I think there are other things that also capture time and momentum and the spirit of of an era. Film and music come to mind as the clearest examples of this ability of one thing to encapsulate so many different things cultural and temporal.

But wine, in its abstractness, like art becomes a sort of kaleidoscopic lense to view the world it comes from. What you get from wine, then, is not a pure reflection of things but instead a refracted, reinterpreted and ultimately more adventurous view of reality, one where ordinary things take on extraordinary qualities, and the sum of a thousand tiny influences takes on a new identity at once familiar and totally unique. And you can experience all this in a single glass of wine.

* pictured: Medlock Ames marketing guru Kenneth Rochford, as seen through my glass with the winery in the distance

Continue reading "Through the Looking Glass
The Wine Glass, That Is" »

Posted by Courtney at 09:09 AM • Comments (1)

I visited cult Cab producer PRIDE recently in my ongoing quest to learn more about the somewhat mysterious Spring Mountain appellation. Situated literally on the crest of the Mayacamas Mountains, the range that splits Napa County from its neighbor Sonoma (the break in vines in this pic is the actual county line!), Pride is a bit of a study in dualities. With 52% of its land in Napa, technically speaking, and the remainder in Sonoma, the folks at Pride understandably seem a bit torn between two opposites - the high point-scoring realm of Cult Napa Cabs and all the hoopla that comes with it, and the down-home "aw shucks, we're just farmers" MO of Sonoma-ns.

Continue reading "PRIDE: Split Personality on Spring Mountain" »

Posted by Courtney at 10:41 PM

Tired of aimlessly wandering the aisles of your local wine store like a bargain hunter at a played-out sample sale? Know your Two Buck Chuck from your Opus 1, but everything else in between seems...the same?

No more! It's time to feel fabulous about every bottle of wine you crack open, something the new HIP TASTES Wine Club makes possible, whether you live in San Fran, NYC or Wanker's Corner (yes, this place actually exists, in Oregon; we can currently ship to 30 states including CA, NY and OR). Take your pick from shipments of 2, 4, 6 or 12 bottles and get ready to start drinking more adventurous wines, which'll be delivered right to your door regularly so you have to do nada, natch.

Continue reading "And Then There Was a Wine Club" »

Posted by Courtney at 07:53 PM • Comments (1)

As an English major in college I was prone to long windedness. Fortunately, they looked fondly on that so long as you got your message across at the same time. Detailed descriptions, colorful but precise verbs and well chosen metaphors were preferred to, say, just saying something. Although a simple phrase like "The woman wept" may have been completely true, penning it as such would never get you Latin Honors at graduation. Instead, you might say something like "having cast off her youthful naivete and accepted that her love would never be requited, the lonely woman wept; in doing so she demonstrated both her vulnerability and her transition to the hard but all-comprehending world of adulthood."

Ok, so maybe that's a little overkill, but you get the point. Along these lines, one of my favorite things about wine is that it, too, can provoke long windedness. And I don't mean the kind that'll annoy your lit professor and provoke widespread eye rolling amongst your companions.

Continue reading "A Long Winded Wine" »

Posted by Courtney at 04:57 PM • Comments (2)

My sister called me the other day more upset than I'd heard her sound in a long time. "Dude," she said to me. "Yes?" I replied. "I've got viral pink eye." Doh! I thought immediately, Homer Simpson's catchall bummer phrase perfectly appropriate. You see, Claire's bday was coming up, and this pink eye thing put a major monkey wrench in her plans. Apparently pink eye - in both eyes nonetheless - is seriously contagious for at least 5 to 7 days' time. Her birthday is this weekend. She's had to cancel all celebrations and revelry. And, worst of all, she can't even see anyone for fear of transmitting the virus. Homegirl can't even go to WORK. It's sort of like solitary confinement, except that your boss still expects you to electronically transmit your work from your prison cell.

Continue reading "Of Pork and Pink Eye" »

Posted by Courtney at 06:04 PM • Comments (1)

Capri Suns are SO last year.

Although it seems like the 80s since I sucked one down (probably because it was), I couldn't help but reminisce when I took the plunge and bought Three Thieves' Bandit Pinot Grigio not long ago. The reason Suns came to mind is that the Grigio's packaged in this very cool juice-box-reminiscent...well, box. It's lime green and has three gun-wielding dudes on horses on the front. AND, there's booze inside, not some lame imitation non-alcholic fruit juice.

Yeah, NOW we're talking.

Continue reading "The Juice Box, All Grown Up" »

Posted by Courtney at 11:38 PM

I recently checked in on the mysterious Cain Vineyard & Winery on the same trip that took me to Smith Madrone on Spring Mountain above Napa Valley. I say "mysterious" because, although I've heard a lot about the winery's famous Cain Five Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend, until I was at the winery I'd never actually SEEN a real live bottle of the stuff. It was the much-lauded-but-never-seen wine. And it's bloody expensive. So, you know, I find it mysterious.

And intriguing. So I thought I'd go see what all the fuss is about. Boy am I glad I did.

Continue reading "Rapping & Racking on Spring Mountain" »

Posted by Courtney at 07:33 PM

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.

Continue reading "Haiku, cubed" »

Posted by Courtney at 08:37 PM • Comments (1)

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.

Continue reading "Smith Madrone On My Mind" »

Posted by Courtney at 01:16 PM

Naomi Campbell's ego. China's Great Wall. Dolly Parton's breasts.

There are some things that aren't ashamed of being big. That's my favorite thing about Petite Sirah, a monster of a grape that makes wines aptly described as "full throttle" by fans. Inky purple in color and loaded with ripe red and black fruit, spice, pepper and healthy tannin, Petite Sirah is truly one of the wine world's biggest wines.

A long misunderstood wine, Petite Sirah's history is still something of a mystery to most people. And because I've seen it more and more on restaurant wine lists and in retail stores lately, I decided to do a little research into its history and makeup.

Continue reading "PS: Nothing Small About It" »

Posted by Courtney at 04:08 PM • Comments (1)

The geeks did it in Revenge of the Nerds. Straight-legged jeans made their way back into the mainstream just this season. Heck, even carbs are making a comeback. And now California vintners are doing it with Merlot.

You see, Merlot is the new anti-Pinot, the grape that will soon have all of us scratching our heads and saying, "but, I thought I didn't want any fucking Merlot."

Maybe you should re-think that last statement.

Continue reading "Revenge of the Merlot" »

Posted by Courtney at 09:00 PM

Well, well, it seems that body art does indeed last longer than love. Love of a woman, that is. Uber famous and much tattooed actor Johnny Depp recently confessed to having his "Winona Forever" tattoo abbreviated (via laser) to read "Wino Forever."

No joke. Apparently the rebellious actor known in the past for trashing hotel rooms and dating some of Hollywood's hottest women (such as, obviously, Winona Ryder) has a serious crush on top Bordeaux. Decanter.com reports that in an interview with Madame Figaro magazine the actor announced that Chateau Calon-Segur, a Saint-Estephe third-growth, is his favorite wine.

Continue reading "Out with Winona, In with Wino" »

Posted by Courtney at 12:30 AM

His name's not Jim, but Melville winemaker Greg Brewer is about as dandy as they come. I met Greg and his colleague Stephen Janes (pictured, on my left and right, respectively) while at San Francisco's annual gathering of Pinot-philes, better known as Pinot Fest. The three hour tasting featured more than 40 producers of the absolutely fabulous stuff and included, besides Melville, such well known names as Flowers, Marcassin, Domaine Drouhin, and Etude.

Continue reading "Melville to the Rescue" »

Posted by Courtney at 06:47 PM

At a charity wine auction I attended recently someone jokingly put a bottle of infamous Thunderbird Wine on the $100 table, with its 99 cent price tag brazenly still stuck to the top of the bottle. I appreciated this person's humor so much that I purchased the bottle and determined to make a decent cocktail out of the stuff.

Enter much contemplation and some online research to draw inspiration. I discovered several things during the course of this research, and the end result was only a greater conviction to somehow transform the boozey wine so that, although it might never compete with cocktails made from some of the world's more venerable cocktail ingredients - top notch vodkas and winning vermouths come to mind - it might at least transform the nearly undrinkable nature of T-bird into something you can actually get down without choking.

Continue reading "The Bird is Back" »

Posted by Courtney at 06:15 PM