Last year in August I signed up for the Cellar Rat's Pinot 2.0 Project. I've been waiting over a year for the wine to arrive, and today I find myself waiting like a kid on Christmas Eve. The wine is supposed to arrive at my office tomorrow. That means on Thursday I get to bring it home. I think its safe to say I'm giddy. I've been watching the FedEx tracking page intently since it shipped. According to FedEx its last known location was Reno, but I can taste an update coming any minute now.
I had some reservations about this whole project when I started. Would the wine be good, would Crushpad still be in business, what was then a long year away. Well Sunday's tasting party laid my fears to rest after I tasted a brilliantly made 2006 Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir. I'm as excited as ever about the wine. Now if it would just hurry up and get here dammit.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
A weekend of wine
The weekend of Nov 10th Chicago was literally awash in wine events. I was out of town Saturday, but Sunday saw me devoting an entire day to tasting wine. The Midwest Wine Expo ran from 11-4, but that wasn't enough to satiate my taste buds, I also hopped over to Enoteca Roma for a Crushpad party.
The wine expo was phenomenal. I don't think it would have been possible for the event to have been better planned, better staffed, or better attended. If you didn't go, you missed out on a great event. It surpassed my expectations in almost every area.
I've been harping on Bordeaux for a long time. Its no secret to readers that I have a soft spot for the wine. It seems every time I open a bottle I learn something new. So I was happy to see that the expo included not three, not four, but five tables of Bordeaux wines. And if that wasn't enough, there was an entire seminar devoted to the region, hosted by someone who may have been one fo the best wine speakers I've ever heard, Shields Hood.
Bordeaux wasn't the only wine at the expo though. Attendees, at least the ones who noticed it, were treated to a multi table array of Spanish wines. Garnacha Ltd. put on an impressive display of wines, foods, and pictures from all over Spain. After spending half an hour tasting through their wines, I'm more interested in visiting the Iberian Peninsula than I've ever been.
The surprise of the day though was the complete lack of Pinot Noir. Be it Califronia, Burgundy or New Zealand, I was shocked at how little Pinot Noir was being poured. On top of that what little Pinot there was on the tables was uninspiring. I don't know what it was, maybe my palate was blown by all those big cab blends I'd been drinking, maybe I just don't like Pinot that much, or maybe all the good Pinot in town was over at Navy Pier that weekend. I considered titling this post "Pinot is Dead", but that seemed a little dramatic. There is no denying though that it was a no show for this year's Midwest Wine Festival.
I hope you got a chance to check out the festival; and if you didn't, well next year you should. This is a first class event, and if you are at all into wine, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Like I said, the festival wasn't enough. After a few solid hours of sipping, I headed over to Enoteca Roma. Crushpad put on quite the party. The event was mostly to court perspective clients, and to give them a chance to mingle with people who were already making wine. They had a few wines there to try, including a very tasty Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot. This was the wine I was hoping for, and still am hoping for, out of the Wentzel Vineyard Pinot I helped with. I'm hoping to get back to Enoteca Roma for a normal evening at the bar. I'll post something when I make it.
The wine expo was phenomenal. I don't think it would have been possible for the event to have been better planned, better staffed, or better attended. If you didn't go, you missed out on a great event. It surpassed my expectations in almost every area.
I've been harping on Bordeaux for a long time. Its no secret to readers that I have a soft spot for the wine. It seems every time I open a bottle I learn something new. So I was happy to see that the expo included not three, not four, but five tables of Bordeaux wines. And if that wasn't enough, there was an entire seminar devoted to the region, hosted by someone who may have been one fo the best wine speakers I've ever heard, Shields Hood.
Bordeaux wasn't the only wine at the expo though. Attendees, at least the ones who noticed it, were treated to a multi table array of Spanish wines. Garnacha Ltd. put on an impressive display of wines, foods, and pictures from all over Spain. After spending half an hour tasting through their wines, I'm more interested in visiting the Iberian Peninsula than I've ever been.
The surprise of the day though was the complete lack of Pinot Noir. Be it Califronia, Burgundy or New Zealand, I was shocked at how little Pinot Noir was being poured. On top of that what little Pinot there was on the tables was uninspiring. I don't know what it was, maybe my palate was blown by all those big cab blends I'd been drinking, maybe I just don't like Pinot that much, or maybe all the good Pinot in town was over at Navy Pier that weekend. I considered titling this post "Pinot is Dead", but that seemed a little dramatic. There is no denying though that it was a no show for this year's Midwest Wine Festival.
I hope you got a chance to check out the festival; and if you didn't, well next year you should. This is a first class event, and if you are at all into wine, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Like I said, the festival wasn't enough. After a few solid hours of sipping, I headed over to Enoteca Roma. Crushpad put on quite the party. The event was mostly to court perspective clients, and to give them a chance to mingle with people who were already making wine. They had a few wines there to try, including a very tasty Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot. This was the wine I was hoping for, and still am hoping for, out of the Wentzel Vineyard Pinot I helped with. I'm hoping to get back to Enoteca Roma for a normal evening at the bar. I'll post something when I make it.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Making the Most of the Expo
I've noticed a spike in traffic this week due to people looking for info on Binny's Midwest Wine Expo. Last year I posted a primer about preparing for a tasting. This year I wanted to take some time to cover my plans for the tasting. I'm not above whoring content for better search results, but for the sake of good taste I'll call it catering to my audience.
First some notes about preparation. Nobody wants to think about being responsible when they go to a wine tasting. A big tasting like this is like Disney World for adults, so we tend to act a little like children. There are a few things you can do though to make sure you get the most out of your experience and don't end up puking in the bathroom or getting thrown in the drunk tank.
First off eat a good meal before you show up. Oak Brook has tons of great restaurants that will be happy to serve you Sunday brunch. Go to one of them! Second spit. I know, I know, its gross. There are 700 wines at this tasting. You CAN NOT drink a 1oz sample of each of them and live to tell about it. That would be almost 30 bottles of wine (no thats not a challenge). Spit, you'll be much happier. Besides, your mother spent your entire childhood telling you spitting was bad manners. At a wine tasting its anything but, take the opportunity to stick it to your Mom.
Off my responsibility soap box, and back onto the fun box. How do you taste all the wines you want before your taste buds are so overwhelmed that can't taste any wine at all.
If you don't take anything else from this post, take this. At least take a look at the Expo Book(PDF) before you go. It has all the wines that will be poured, along with price, and the tables they will be on. Do a little planning and figure out if there is anything you really MUST taste. You would hate to get to the good stuff last when your palate was so blown out that you couldn't taste it, and even worse, you would hate to find out that someone ran out of your favorite wine.
Another opportunity to maximize your fun is to attend a seminar. Take a look at the expo book, and see if any of them interest you. These are a great way to quickly up your wine know how. I'm zeroed in on the Bordeaux Seminar (regular readers will not be surprised by this). Should be a good one.
As far as the specific wines, I think that there will be a good representation of Bordeaux there, and it looks like a fair number of quality California Pinot bottlings will be available. There are also a couple of what look to be some really interesting and good value Spanish wines. I'm hoping to take the opportunity to try some Italian wines, since thats a region I've mostly ignored throughout my wine drinking life.
If you are planning to attend the festival, maybe I'll see you there. Have a great time, and remember to drink responsibly.
First some notes about preparation. Nobody wants to think about being responsible when they go to a wine tasting. A big tasting like this is like Disney World for adults, so we tend to act a little like children. There are a few things you can do though to make sure you get the most out of your experience and don't end up puking in the bathroom or getting thrown in the drunk tank.
First off eat a good meal before you show up. Oak Brook has tons of great restaurants that will be happy to serve you Sunday brunch. Go to one of them! Second spit. I know, I know, its gross. There are 700 wines at this tasting. You CAN NOT drink a 1oz sample of each of them and live to tell about it. That would be almost 30 bottles of wine (no thats not a challenge). Spit, you'll be much happier. Besides, your mother spent your entire childhood telling you spitting was bad manners. At a wine tasting its anything but, take the opportunity to stick it to your Mom.
Off my responsibility soap box, and back onto the fun box. How do you taste all the wines you want before your taste buds are so overwhelmed that can't taste any wine at all.
If you don't take anything else from this post, take this. At least take a look at the Expo Book(PDF) before you go. It has all the wines that will be poured, along with price, and the tables they will be on. Do a little planning and figure out if there is anything you really MUST taste. You would hate to get to the good stuff last when your palate was so blown out that you couldn't taste it, and even worse, you would hate to find out that someone ran out of your favorite wine.
Another opportunity to maximize your fun is to attend a seminar. Take a look at the expo book, and see if any of them interest you. These are a great way to quickly up your wine know how. I'm zeroed in on the Bordeaux Seminar (regular readers will not be surprised by this). Should be a good one.
As far as the specific wines, I think that there will be a good representation of Bordeaux there, and it looks like a fair number of quality California Pinot bottlings will be available. There are also a couple of what look to be some really interesting and good value Spanish wines. I'm hoping to take the opportunity to try some Italian wines, since thats a region I've mostly ignored throughout my wine drinking life.
If you are planning to attend the festival, maybe I'll see you there. Have a great time, and remember to drink responsibly.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Saved!
So, I've officially been saved. My weekend out of town has been whittled down to Friday and Saturday. What does that mean? Midwest Wine Expo here I come.
Also, I've been invited to attend (and I'll hopefully make it) a Crushpad tasting at Enoteca Roma. The tasting is only for people who made wine with Crushpad, or for those are thinking about it, and requires an RSVP. They are going to be at Pinot Days as well. You can find more info on all that here.
I will be posting later about my experiences with Crushpad. I get my wine some time next week. So far its been a fun experience, but I'm withholding judgment until the finished product has passed thru my lips.
Also, I've been invited to attend (and I'll hopefully make it) a Crushpad tasting at Enoteca Roma. The tasting is only for people who made wine with Crushpad, or for those are thinking about it, and requires an RSVP. They are going to be at Pinot Days as well. You can find more info on all that here.
I will be posting later about my experiences with Crushpad. I get my wine some time next week. So far its been a fun experience, but I'm withholding judgment until the finished product has passed thru my lips.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Here come the Holidays
Well, love it or hate it, its Christmas time again. Here in Chicago we are getting our first real taste of winter today. Temps will drop into the 30's tonight, and by tomorrow we have an overnight low of 26. My wife makes the arrival of the holidays official by tuning her radio to 93.9's all Christmas music, all the time, playlist that began just this week.
In the wine world we know the holidays are just around the corner because all the wine shops are hosting their annual holiday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas wine tastings. Keep an eye on the calendar, as I'll be posting several of those tastings up there.
One of my favorite things about the Holidays is how closely linked they are with wine. Despite its inability to pair well with any wine, Thanksgiving is the ultimate wine meal, Christmas Dinner just begs for a good red Bordeaux, and despite my dislike of sparkling wines, I don't think it should be legal to pass on a glass of bubbly at New Year's. There is no getting around it, this is the season of wine.
For me, this is a time for family. I think it is safe to say that my favorite thing in the world is to sit around a table eating with family. I don't think it is possible to derive greater pleasure from any activity on earth. Well, okay, it is possible, but only by putting a few bottles of wine on the table. I'm already looking forward to those meals. I'm picking out the wines to bring home, and dreaming of all the good food and company to come.
In the wine world we know the holidays are just around the corner because all the wine shops are hosting their annual holiday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas wine tastings. Keep an eye on the calendar, as I'll be posting several of those tastings up there.
One of my favorite things about the Holidays is how closely linked they are with wine. Despite its inability to pair well with any wine, Thanksgiving is the ultimate wine meal, Christmas Dinner just begs for a good red Bordeaux, and despite my dislike of sparkling wines, I don't think it should be legal to pass on a glass of bubbly at New Year's. There is no getting around it, this is the season of wine.
For me, this is a time for family. I think it is safe to say that my favorite thing in the world is to sit around a table eating with family. I don't think it is possible to derive greater pleasure from any activity on earth. Well, okay, it is possible, but only by putting a few bottles of wine on the table. I'm already looking forward to those meals. I'm picking out the wines to bring home, and dreaming of all the good food and company to come.
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