I had finally made it into the big time. I won the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge after my 5th painstaking entry, but I wasn’t ready for the trappings of success. Elated and under the influence of wine, Dolcelatte and celeriac-fennel bisque, I bought cars, jewelry, villas, exotic pets and uncomfortable shoes. I thought I had it good. I thought I was a “baller” (for my international readers, that is a term of hubris in the US – not one of buggery.) Until I hit the bottom of my barrel, and I was over oaked. I was deceiving myself if I believed I was the artisinal toast of the town. I was a Diet Coked-up, punctuality challenged phony in this diabolically friendly competition of utter comraderie. Who was I fooling? Not The Drunken Cyclist.

He and my other wine bloggy buddies staged a compassionate, discreet intervention on Twitter. Only days since my infamous #MWWC14 win, Drunko Cycle-Boy tweeted “what are the odds we’ll get a theme from cheapwinecurious for the #MWWC15 ?” Yes, it was tough to see that tweet, but it was filled with love. RockinRed, FranklyWines, came to my defense as all enablers do. “Oh, it’s really about how esoteric her topic is.” Thanks, my friends, but you can’t cover the stains from my glass forever. if I don’t get help, I’ll be trolling the bottom shelves of every last grocery, convenience, drug and fruit stand from Los Carneros to Rockpile.

Auribus teneo lupum, I was holding a wolf by the ears. I pulled myself together, mustered the courage to proclaim “My name is Loie and I am a cheap wine enthusiast, but I often drink wines over $20, sometimes over $40 and if you’re buying, over $80. The #MWWC15 theme will be…SUCCESS!”

Dramatics aside, I do have an addiction to finding great inexpensive wines and when I hit a winner, I write a post. After tasting so many baddies, the only thing that can prod me to write is the sweet success of finding a goodie. When inspired by a delicious wine under $10 – nothing will get between me and that keyboard (a bucket of bubbly perhaps, but only for a tipple.)

In parting, I want to leave you with the story of a meme that has renewed and congealed my philosophy of success.

I was having wine at one of my favorite wineries, Ramsgate. I was taking in the view, contemplating my flight of their latest releases of Pinot Noir, Late Harvest Zin and Chardonnay. With me were two incredibly successful people I have had the immense pleasure of knowing for several years. Both mentors of mine at different stages of my career.

Both starting exciting new ventures. Both incredibly happy in their personal lives. Both financially prosperous far beyond my bank statement. After I tamed my notions of extreme murderous envy, I felt elatedly grateful they both came to this special place to drink wine with me.

As we were closing our lovely afternoon, being on the heels of Lunar New Year and the Year of the Ram, Ramsgate was providing fortune cookies at the end of their wine service. Oddly, both my guests received the same fortune and I am remiss that I do not remember their auspicious tidings. What I can share is the fortune I received. I took a picture and posted it on my Twitter feed and found that it resonated with my cadre of wineauxs. I witnessed by the number of their likes how meaningful this simple sentence was. This was a profound reminder and validation to me of what truly defines success in life. And with you, I am always happy to share the good fortune.

Stay curious!

NEWSFLASH! Here is the other fortune compliments of Ms. Jane Barratt:

I recently returned from an agave spirit hunt in Mexico. Long story short, I found some amazing Tequilas and Mezcals, perused the blue agave and cupreata fields of Jalisco and Michouacan, toured distilleries and spoke (gringo 7th grade Spanish) with master distillers about their craft.

The most fascinating experience was the barrel tasting we did in the cava of a Mezcaleria on the edge of the city of Morelia. There I tasted some Mezcals that had been aging in Barrels of new American Oak, new French Oak and repurposed American Kentucky Bourbon. The mezcallero had us try each one separately to experience the differences. The mezcal that had been aging for 1-2 years in the American Oak barrel was phenomenal. A deep golden liquor when held up to the light with a round smooth nuttiness and a “canela” cinnamon finish that was excellente! I was with a colleague who imports and distributes Gran Dovejo (which has been awarded some serious accolades in Tequila circles) and he expressed that this particular American Oak aged mezcal was something very special. All I can say, we are buying and bottling it. The mezcalerias in Michouacan do not have the DOC yet, so we await the Mexican bureaucracy with the vigor of an agave grow (let’s hope not – it takes 3-6 years before they can be harvested – ay yi yi!)

“In the past it used to be called vino de mezcal, or mezcal wine,” says Yira Vallejo, director of Mezcal From Oaxaca. “So if in wine you have grapes and you have different names like Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, in mezcal, you have Madrecuixe, Tobalá, Espadín, Largo, Cirial, Tripón, Barril—150 names.”* If you want to learn more about “Tequila’s rustic cousin” as Rick Bayless describes mezcal, click here to read a well done, succinct explanation on epicurious.com.

On with the show…here is my review of a Mexican wine that I found thoroughly enjoyable…

La Redonda Vinedos Propios Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, Querétaro, Mexico

Well, I’m not disavowing my wine blogging for agave spirits anytime soon. I was intent on finding a Mexican wine for under $10 USD or $140 pesos while perusing agave spirit brands in the bodega. Good news, not too difficult. But finding a wine in the appellation I was visiting was tricky. Jalisco is the Tequila capital, not really a wine growing and producing region. There are three main wine growing areas in Mexico, the central region (Querétaro), the La Laguna area (Coahuila) and the northern and most popular wine growing region (Baja California).** I am totally unfamiliar with Mexican wines, so when I finally found a generous selection of wines from Mexico (tequila selections have wine beat 4 to1) I chose a bottle by varietal. Based upon my experiences with Argentinian Malbecs and their success in similar arid topographies, I deducted that a Malbec/Cab blend from the central wine growing region of Querétaro should suffice.

La Redonda winery is located near Tequisquiapan, a “beautiful” village about 2 hours north of México City as described by Degrandcru on Snooth.com who wrote a great description of the area with pictures of La Redonda’s expanse vineyards and charming winery. These pictures are from the review provided by Degrancru and they epitomize the simple charm that I too experienced in small distilleries where very special spirits were produced and sold across the country.

My ignorance of Mexican wine and it’s potential did not give me much promise. Good news – this wine was very delicious. Light, fruit forward with berries, a little cinnamon spice, very balanced with a soft finish. It was not as chewy as some Malbecs can be and not as bold as most Cabs. The blend reminded me more of a Spanish Rioja that you would drink profusely with tapas. I found it to be highly drinkable and perfect for everyday. I rate it a buy again – so bring on the carnitas, huit la coche, escamoles, molcajete guacamole and some tortillas por favor!

This is a wine that is great at both starting a meal and a conversation. I suggest taking a chance on a Mexican wine, remember, the same padres who founded the industry in California started the North American wine making tradition in Spanish colonial Mexico. Although their industry is small by comparison, todays Mexican wine makers have a heritage rooted in centuries of experience. Let’s face it, their only obstacle was that Tequila stole the show. Buen provecho!

Stay curious,

Read more about this fabulous Mexican red wine at: http://www.snooth.com/talk/topic/wine-tour-in-queretaro-mexico/#ixzz3SY7q72eK

References:

* http://www.epicurious.com/archive/drinking/spirits/mezcal

**A toast to Mexico’s undiscovered wine country http://www.sfgate.com/mexico/mexicomix/article/A-toast-to-Mexico-s-undiscovered-wine-country-2463746.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop

Valentine’s day, as we know it, has evolved into just another feat of extreme consumerism. So what is my point? Well, it wasn’t always the holiday of paper hearts and cupids. Valentine’s Day has a storied past dating to Ancient Rome and the Lupercalia which was an archaic rite connected to fertility. As the years passed, Christians, persecuted and martyred, became the subject of liturgical celebration, thus several St. Valentinus were anointed through the ages.

The association to romantic love can be attributed to Chaucer in the 13c. Incoherent by today’s educational standards, his Middle English poetic prose spun tales of courtly love that laid the foundation for our modern day customs. But popularity was a slow, slow build, like my Twitter following, until 500 years later (like my Twitter following) in 18th-century England, St. Valentine’s Day became an occasion. Expressions of love through flowers, confectionery and greeting cards have become de rigueur, but it was all the rage for the Victorians and their gift to us of cherubs, lacy hearts and rosy cheeked doyennes fawning over mustachioed gentleman while a dove lightly drapes a ribbon over a doily is still recognizable today.

Roman martyrology aside, today, St. Valentine’s Day is officially deemed a feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Feast of Saint Valentine took on a new meaning for me recently. I learned of a colleague who famously arranged “pink” dinners with his family every Valentine’s Day for the past 8 years. The requirement was for everyone to wear, eat and drink pink. I was intrigued. I asked what he and his lovely wife and adoring son drank with their pink dinner….he was remiss. I gasped. “sir, there are a myriad of excellent sparking wines, Champagnes, rosés and fancy cocktails (including Shirley Temples for the bebe) that you must consider in this year’s menu. Hence my recommendation….

Anna de Codorniu Brut Rose Cava Reserva, D.O. Cava, Spain $8.99-$13.99

Buy online at http://www.annadecodorniu.com, Sonoma Market, and more locations at winesearcher.com

I passed Anna several times always intending to try, but never the opportunity. Well, how could I resist a brut rosé on Valentine’s Day? This wine is made by one of Spains oldest wineries. Anna de Codorniu has been continuously producing wines for half a millennium. Founded in 1551 by a family of winegrowers headed by Jaume Codorníu, this  one of the oldest brands in continuous operation in the world. Codorníu was started in the same century as Beretta firearms, Cambridge University Press, Toshimaya Sake and Löwenbräu. In 1976, the Codorníu cellars at Sant Sadurní d’Anoia were declared “a National Monument of Historical and Artistic Interest”^[2] by King Juan Carlos I. Fancy! Fancy! Made with the varietals Pinot Noir 70% and Chardonnay 30% (not the typical blend of macabeu, parellada and xarel·lo) in the Methode Champenoise, this wine has the traits of a quality sparkling wine you would get for 2-3x the price.   The nose was faint but the bubbles very active and effervescent. I noticed the mousse immediately with the pour. The color was intriguing as it had a varying depth luminescent strawberry color depending on the angle of the coupé. My first sip was expectedly crisp, yeasty, refreshing with young strawberry, apple, honey, sweet corn (a summer pairing with corn on the cob – yum) and an even acidity that led to a long citrus finish. This is a lovely wine that has nuanced delicacies that far out perform its price….and I am very OK with that. Moreover, I love this packaging. The signature print on the foil, the pink wrap on the bottle. This wine has the class of Möet and modernity of Sofia but priced much less. Paired with an entirely pink meal of beet dyed devil eggs, poached salmon and frothy buttery mashed beets and potatoes, this will also go perfectly well with a dessert of passion fruit pane cotta or strawberry sherbet. No matter the culinary extravagance, your “corazon” will be impressed by your selection of wine. I give it a buy again con gusto! 

Stay curious,

WARNING: This is not proper instruction on how to make wine. This is my personal journey, documented to full effect as an object lesson. Making wine is freaking laborious and downright nuts to do yourself.  However, the reward is getting your merit badge for trying and the humor of seeing friends and loved ones do countless spit-takes.

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My adventures in DIY wine making all started with a humble dream. A dream that came to life through courage, perseverance, patience, and the shrewd exploitation of family members. I was singular in my dream to be a vintner, a vision that crystalized once those vines brought forth their ample fruit.

I had inherited four vines of Chardonnay and one of Pinot Noir. My backyard estate was perfectly situated along the border of a historic vineyard of a Sonoma family wine dynasty. Why not be the first of my generation to make wine and to pass this tradition down to my progeny like so many other legendary scions of the Sonoma Valley. I have never made wine before, but I have faced greater adversities. I have never nurtured and farmed the terroir before, but I have enslaved my parents many a time, specifically when needing movers. Whatever the struggle, no amount of humility or threat of societal shame would stop me.

Here is my heroic story.

I ventured into Santa Rosa to the wine and beer making supply company of choice, Beverage People. I was rather intimidated as there were several highly experienced customers mulling about talking about this and that with aplomb. I was out of my element until this kindly young man asked if I needed help. He shall remain nameless as I never quite got his name but I’m sure he helps neophytes like myself so often we all blend into a sea of faceless, guiless suckers, ready to spend our money and time only to disappointingly create swill better put to use as toilet bowl cleaner.

I could see his concern for me when I immediately told him I knew nothing, had bushels of grapes and needed his guidance. I was a sponge. He was a reluctant teacher and kept referring to the free news letter they distribute at check out with all the steps to making wine with pictures included. Then some fashiony bespectacled insolent young guy who was manning the register solo, sniffed at my attendant about some other customer needing assistance blah blah blah. That was a conspicuous cue to abandon my boorish self for a patron far more worthy of attention. If I were to write a Yelp review it may read like this: “Dear Mr. Youngish Bespectacled Crotchety Wine Supply Merchant, I suggest you lighten up or risk giving yourself early onset enlarged prostate and a fast track to a sad existence without companionship, a weak urine stream, a fatty liver and a lifetime of Gold Bond Medicated Powder to keep things interesting.” But let’s not get personal, it would be unkind.

So I got out of there spending more money than I expected but I was set – for step one.

I forced everyone in my family to participate. A younger sister opted out which I shall take punitive measures to disinherit her from our wine fortune.

Not to be an ageist but I get a special tax break by employing the unemployable, so the age requirement for my workforce must exceed 75 (preferably 80) or born by 2010, no later, no earlier. I know, I know, I love to give back to humanity, it’s in my DNA.

We picked, sorted and cleaned the grapes. Not being one to make things easy for the sake of making things easy, I coerced my workers with promises of water and bread crust to destem the grapes by hand. I will claim this on the bottle as an added distinction of quality and craftsmanship. Then we crushed the grapes. It was a rather wimpy effort by a four year old and not cute enough to endure a tantrum after berating him so I insisted my husband crush the remainder of my harvest with a resolute potato masher. Success.

If you would like to know where I received my formal education in wine making go to this YouTube video – The Gift of Wine. Of the 738,071 views this man has received, I believe I’m responsible for the last 8,070, His Northern English accent still haunts my husbands dreams. I also hear his voice in my sleep and I’ve never slept better. His was the most simple instruction. However, I think I made a boo boo. This was how to make red wine. The Beverage People newsletter mentions straining the must (crushed grape skins that float to the top) before primary fermentation in a bucket. Well, it’s all going to be ok. I had all the equipment to measure brix (sugar,) a commercial grade Chardonnay yeast and a good size paddle to keep the juice agitated daily. What could go wrong? Uh, everything.

Secondary fermentation required I siphon the juice into a “carboy” a plastic jug that resembles a water cooler tank. That was messy but again, success.

There it sat probably for too long until some hapless dinner guests were enlisted to help me bottle the wine. We tasted it. It was kinda plasticy, high alcohol, not sour, not too harsh, but still bubbling with fermentation. It kinda tasted like beer. Whoops. Once bottled, I let my 16 bottles sit on their side in a dark, dank corner of my cellar. My curious nature had catastrophic thoughts racing through my head. Had I thoroughly F’d up. As luck would strike, I met a gentleman at my client’s office who was knowledgeable about brewing and wine fermentation. He was rather bookish on the subject so I told him I was going to conduct a tasting of my 2014 vintage in his office. He said he could help me diagnose any issues. Why do this with a client you ask? Because the checks should clear regardless of hospitalization. I’m not intimidated by the risks. I equate this to team building, like a trust fall.

The tasting was a  surprise. His verdict: “I think this is going to be a nice wine. Doesn’t taste screwed up, it tastes like it needs some aging. Good job.”

So there you have it. My first vintage on it’s way to being a perfectly “mediocre at best” wine to drink in the Fall. I plan to open a few bottles around Halloween with a label that says “Scary Shite” 2014 Chardonnay, CWC Prestige Cellars. I’m taking advanced orders if you are interested.

Stay curious,

This is the 3rd post in a series of sparkling wine reviews I ambitiously planned to write weekly until New Year’s Eve 2015. It was easier keeping my word to drink a bottle (or two) every week than it was to write a weekly review. However, I plan to post an aggregation of my sparkling wine reviews just in time to grab a few bottles before the clock strikes midnight….or with a few hours to spare before the stores close for the night.{Clink!}

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Here in Sonoma County, as with the rest of California, we have been suffering from a terrible drought. There has been no end to our suffering, until now. Although I have not lived in Northern California for the past 15+ years, I grew up here and remember weeks of drenching rain during the winter. The Russian River would flood, the roads submersed and mudslides imminent. We would get a “rain day” from school as God forbid little children risk being swept away by the torrent.

I believe the last time I enjoyed a rain day was in 1984 or 1985. The next time I had this pleasure was last Thursday, December 11, 2014. All the main arteries in and out of town were closed due to flooding. I felt pleasantly confined within the lovely township of Sonoma with the perfect excuse to cancel all engagements, nurture a cozy fire, stay in PJs and call a neighbor to come over and start drinking.

Baking cookies, darning socks and churning butter, psshaw! There are better remedies for ennui, and in this instance it was a Prosecco. I selected a neighbor who bore children the same age as mine. Once the brood arrived, we banished the kids to a playroom to build forts, play Hungry Hippos and stick a sow’s head on a stick as an offering to their Barbies. Aside from the squealing, power struggles and general ruckus, the kids were having a glorious time to themselves, so we proceeded to taste the first bottle of Prosecco before the call to restore order beckoned.

Franco’s NV Prosecco Brut Rustico, Non-Vintage, Italy

After gently coaxing off the cork from the bottle {pop} the wine poured with light effervescence. The nose was very light if almost non existent, but the first sip was incredibly pleasing. Classic stone fruit, peach, some pear with a light floral aroma. This dry Prosecco finished very clean and although it had a very light body, not very complex, my guest expressed that this was the perfect bubbly for those who don’t usually drink or like bubbly (do those people even exist?) Priced perfectly for anytime or for an event that requires fiscal restraint. I can imagine this wine pairing perfectly well with a white wedding cake as it is light, effervescent and easily appreciated by a wide swath of imbibers.

After the squall, the children safe, home shambolic, neighbor with pleasant glow, I reflected on what we learned from this experience. Be careful what you wish for? When it rains it pours? In case of emergency pop cork? Aside from finding a delicious new wine for under $10, I discovered a new favorite aphorism; “wet is the new normal.” The weather personalities on the evening news keep saying this over, and over, and over, and over and I applaud them for the catchy adage as an expression of their job security. For California’s sake, let’s hope these meteorologist realize their talents for prophetic acuity.

Franco’s NV Prosecco Brut Rustico is a case worthy wine that you can rely upon during any fair weather occasion or natural disaster. To that I raise a glass of this Prosecco to the California storm of the century and the rising water table.