Sonoma Cellar, Wine Clubbing (or not), and Paso Plans!

I know I promised to tell y’all about the Sonoma Cellar dinner last week, but there’s so much to cover! All I can say is that the dinner was great, the company better, and the wines were Nickel & Nickel. Need I say more? The wine family in Las Vegas relatively small, yet we’re always surprised when we see each other at these events.

Besides, I lost my notes and some of the details escape me. Sorry! Maybe my fellow Bloggers, Scott and Elaine Harris at http://vinolasvegas.blogspot.com can pick up the loose ends. I belong to several wine clubs. I love them all and wish I could join more! But there are wine clubs and there are wine clubs. In my life there are several types, and there is a definite love/hate relationship with some. Read more

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How clean is your glass?

This isn’t an official entry for the week, but I have a question to pose to everybody.

While in the process of preparing for last week’s CSE-L class, I discovered that wine people are very passionate about their wine glasses. Not just their glasses, but how their glasses are cleaned!

I have always done the following when it comes to my glasses (wine or otherwise):

Rinse glass

Wash with soapy cloth

Rinse very well in hot water

Wipe dry

Ta da
Apparently, the very fact that I would use soap is repugnant, nay, downright *abhorrent* to many!

“Use diluted vinegar only.”

“Use plain hot water”

“Never use hot water on CRYSTAL! Only use lukewarm.”

“Lukewarm will never clean the glass well. Use hot water and only (fill in the name of the product ________) to clean your wine glasses.”

“Only use linen cloth to dry the crystal. *Never* use cotton!”

“Air dry only. Rinse and wipe well with a towel that has no fabric softener in it just before you plan to use it.”

See what I mean?
Oh, and then there was the argument between glass or crystal. The snootiness factor rocketed right off the charts on that one!

So here is my question to you. How do you clean your wine glasses? Which type of glass do you prefer, glass or crystal? Does it matter?

Help me bring peace to the glass wars!!

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Oh Say it isn’t So!!! Marché Bacchus Newsflash. CSE Lite info

Before you cry, wail, grieve, throw yourself into sackcloth and ashes or under a train, you

Gregoire and Agathe Verge are the founders of Marché Bacchus, the wonderful French Bistro/wine store located in the community of Desert Shores in NW Las Vegas. MB’s patio is located along the edge of Desert Shores which ma

So she and Greg decided to sell their much-loved business to sit back and reassess their

The new owners are Jeff and Rhonda Wyatt and Christophe and Noanie Ithurritze. Because of the “busyness” of the day I didn’t get a chance to talk with them at length, but I can tell you that Christophe is formerly of Spago’s here in Vegas, where he worked for Wolfgang

Christophe has an infectious smile (that’s him on the left), and it looks like the two of them

The last CSE (Combatting Swirl Envy) Lite! class of the year will be held on Wednesday, October 24, at Valley Cheese and Wine in Henderson (of course!). This class is going to

PS: I’m working on a review of the awesome wine dinner we had at Sonoma Cellar at Sunset Station last Tuesday. Stay tuned …

 

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Spirit Therapies, HenderZIN (aka Paso Zins ROCK), New Releases and More!

Where do I begin? I can’t even think. I have had what seems like the busiest weekend of my life, but it was all good!

I’m going to touch on the 1st Annual Beer and Wine Tasting for Spirit Therapies, an organization that provides opportunities for developmentally disabled children to learn how to ride horses. Of course, it’s more than *just* riding horses; it’s about interacting with other people and the animals, learning a skill, building self-esteem, and realizing the joy of accomplishment.

Thanks to Scott & Elaine, Mike, Celeste, Jana, and Zach (see story on Two Buck Chuck) for giving of their precious Friday night to do the pouring for the guests who came to financially support the cause. They already know how much I appreciate their time – if and when you run into them, thank them. This is a wonderful cause, and (Irene gets on soapbox) I feel that everyone needs to support a charitable cause of some kind if they have the ability to do so. While the pourers weren’t supporting this with their money, their time is just as valuable a commodity for an organization such as this. I encourage everyone to find a cause (or two or more), support it with your money, your time, your heart. The world would be better off, as would those who are less fortunate. Most touching was the presence of some of the riders. These kids have to deal with disabilities that would bring us to our knees, and they do it with courage. It is humbling seeing a child whose twisted form has to be transported in a wheelchair because he cannot even crawl, but who is able to sit high and proud on a gentle horse. For once, *he* gets to see life away from the wheelchair. Don’t be afraid to check them out. You may find that your heart is miraculously softened. (Irene steps down from soapbox).

And now for HenderZIN. This was the second annual, and my second time enjoying the festivities. Of course, this time going as *the* Vegas Wineaux (LOL), it was a little different. Now to my good friends who didn’t attend last year … neener neener! I’ve had this much fun TWO years in a row!

Issa and Nura have done a wonderful job of putting the event together, and we can’t figure out how they managed to do it, especially with a new baby!

Let me go over some of my highlights (if you were there, your highlights may vary. I took notes).

First, a few shout outs to everyone whom I recognized. If you remember running into me and your name isn’t here, let me know! Mel and Gene, Michael, Mitch and Amy, Don and Mark, Robin, Debbie and Mitch, and Tori. And of course, the wine elite were there! Tobin James, Kent Rosenblum, *the* Jim Lambert of Stanley Lambert, Bill of Four Vines (official title: Zin Pimp), and our wonderful Vegas pourers, including Carrie, Maureen, and Paul. Natalie and Teresa of Vino 100 stopped by to enjoy the festivities. Whew! There were many more there I knew, but my poor gray matter is fried!

The wines were wonderful. Opolo, Four Vines, Brochelle, Outpost, Montevina, Palm Cellars, and more! There was a band playing, BBQ, and lots of Zin!

And now give me a moment to offend a few people. First of all, *all* of the wines were wonderful. The wines were from all over California (I didn’t see the New Zealand Zin this year), and were varied in type and structure. With that being said, I have to say that Paso Robles Zins as a group kick Napa Zin butt. The Paso wines are more fruit forward as opposed to having a dustier, earthier character which typify the Napa Zins. That’s not necessarily a good or bad thing. Two of the wines I could drink by the cup are Opolo Mtn. Zinfandel (Paso) and Outpost Howell Mountain (Napa). Very different styles, both delish. However, there are *more* of the Paso wines I could drink by the cup than those from Napa.

As I peruse my notes, I realize that my favorites were Tobin James Dusi, Fat Boy, and Blue Moon, Opolo Mtn. Zin, Four Vines Dusi, Brochelle, Outpost Howell Mountain, Sequum Kidd Ranch, and the unreleased JDusi – a Zin made by the granddaughter of the original owner of the Dusi Vineyard in Paso Robles. This had more complexity and more Napa in style than the other Dusi wines. Once again, all of these comments are my opinion. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMI).

One more opinion: Paso Robles OWNS Zin. So there. Neener neener.

My good friend Elliot (going to be a Papa in a couple of months!) gave me the heads up on the new upcoming releases from Stanley Lambert. They are Three’s Company (GSM blend), Thousand Words (Chardonnay), Silent Partner (100% Cabernet), and Nordic Frost (Riesling). There were too many folks having a great time to get release dates, but stay tuned! I’m pretty certain that there will be tastings, and you can be sure I’ll be there!

Whew. And there’s still more! In the upcoming Blog entry, there will be information about wine clubs; in particular, one of my favorite local wine clubs. In addition, I will address the rumor about the departure of a dearly beloved wine friend (say it isn’t so!). I am planning to turn into an intrepid cub reporter (didn’t you ever read Superman comics?!?) and get to the bottom of a disturbing and saddening rumor. There is a Vegas Wineaux event in the planning stages for November.

Curious? See you next time!

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Swirl Envy Lite, Restaurant Prices, Wine Bigotry, Calendaring!

One of my favorite email wine publications is 30-Second Wine Advisor

The first article was about the prices of wine in restaurants. As you all know, this is a particular pet peeve of mine. When I went into a particular restaurant some months ago (that I named once and won’t give them publicity any more) that had an $11.00 bottle of Nobilo (a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc) on their wine list for $46.00, I went ballistic. We’re not talking about a carefully stored wine that may have earned a higher price because the restaurant ensured its providence, but we’re talking about a wine that is under screwcap and can be stored in a cooler somewhere. A good wine (delicious, as a matter of fact), but certainly not worth *that* kind of markup! There was not that kind of perceived added value.

Restaurants routinely mark up the prices of wine three to four times the wholesale price that they pay, therefore making quite a tidy little sum on each bottle. While I am the last person to deny anyone a decent profit and love the free-market system in which we live, I feel that this is unjust and does not help the restaurants.

At any rate, 30-Second Wine Advisor printed the following, which is an excerpt from the email:

Still, a $25 price tag on a $5 bottle seems to be pushing it … yet it’s not uncommon. It’s no wonder that wine lovers enthusiastically embrace BYO where the law allows; and that many more elect to pass on wine in favor of beer or a non-alcoholic beverage when dining out.

Accordingly, I’m watching with considerable interest as a local restaurant rolls out a cheeky challenge to wine-list practice. Louisville’s Bristol Bar & Grille

, celebrating its 30th anniversary, announced that effective immediately it will offer its entire wine list at twice each wine’s wholesale price, effectively matching full-retail wine shop prices.

As a practical matter, this means that the Bristol’s bottle price for Heidsieck Champagne will drop from $57 a bottle to about $33. Trevor Jones “Virgin” Australian Chardonnay, $31 on the old list, now sells for $19. The sought-after Cakebread Chardonnay, which sells around $70 at many Louisville eateries, now goes on the Bristol’s list at $38.

I think this will be fabulous for the restaurant *and* the consumer, and I’ll tell you why.

First, I admire the guts it took to tackle the problem head-on. Second, if a person knows that he or she is going to pay something close to retail, that person is likely to buy an entire bottle, or, if in a group, won’t hesitate to try multiple bottles if the event calls for it. Let’s see. Customers buying more stuff. More wines may mean more food. That means a larger check total, customers that feel satisfied and not ripped off, and everybody is happy. Customers are less likely to bring in a bottle and pay corkage because they know that the prices on the restaurant’s wine list are fair.

I would rather pay $25.00 corkage for my bottle of Williams Selyem than pay $200.00 for a bottle I paid $60.00 for. Do the math. That’s a “Duh!” moment. I have opted to only buy one bottle of wine at a restaurant and have gone home to open up something else to share with my guests later. Drinking the wine in the restaurant in a celebratory fashion is much better, more fun, and far more festive! I will do my best to continue to track this story to see what the impact is on that local area’s restaurant wine prices.

Now, lest you think that I have a pure, unbiased view of wine colors, I have to correct that assumption. I prefer red wines. Deep and rich, they offer full-bodied complexity. Not unlike myself. Their dark fruits and earthy character enthrall me and reds will always be my favorite.

The upshot is this: Don’t be a wine bigot. Try different wines. Read up on stuff about wine and wine pairings. Understand that some wines will go better with some foods (Chenin Blanc and Steak = Bad. Chenin Blanc and fresh Oysters = Yum).

Speaking of My Space, I’ve learned to love it! I have lots of “friends” which include Hug Cellars and Vihuela Winery of Paso Robles! I’m currently waiting for Clautiere to add me on their list. Don’t forget to send pics to my gmail account at vegasrenieatgmaildotcom so that I can post them in My Space. If you’re member, look me up at www.MySpace.com/vegaswineaux .

Until next time!

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