Rich and hot

Certainly not a dating profile. This is the Warr-King Columbia Valley Roussanne 2015. It is indeed rich and the bottle is hot, but it doesn’t taste like handsome billionaire. Not that I’ve been licking that sort of man.

But this wine is the LA arts district artist you have theoretically been dating. And by you I mean me. I haven’t been dating artists. But go with me on this metaphor. There are things there that make you think they are sweet. They smell like honeysuckle and sweet orange. And they are good snugglers and kiss your neck in just the right way. But then they make meme art on the side that is kinky in ways that take you on a bit of a trip. Unusual this one. Not bad just…oh, my, so that is your hobby!

I’m pairing with Taco Bell by the way. Like one should all mentally invigorating dates. It works well with cheesy potatoes. There is enough acid to match (okay I dip my taters in the hot sauce) the body and complexity of cheesy potatoes. Potatoes are complex I tell you. Doubt not. And the not-sweet-but-full nature of this wine counteracts spiciness.

Speaking of, the spice on this golden-hued wine is frankincense and myrrh. So it is like dating a wise man who saw Jesus? Which neither you nor I know. Because that was like BCE right? Give or take a few days. SO! Let us eschew ephemeral wine notes.

WSET style notes: Dry, medium minus acid, I THOUGHT medium alcohol but this bae is 14.4 percent! So you may get oops! crunk! As opposed to “I need to kill my sorrow” drunk. Only crunk. Body is full, flavors are honey, frankincense and myrrh, white flowers of assorted sorts and clover blossoms. The finish screams floral vanilla. Holy cow just found out it was fermented in new French oak say what?!!! But it is working for this.

I’m working for this. Started two new wine writing jobs in the last month and starting the WSET Diploma program too and this is a sweet end-of-reading-night treat. And it goes well with spicy shit. DO IT.

It finally happened

I inadvertently had a birth year wine. Sadly much like me from the womb most of this was jettisoned into the bushes on the Warner Brother lot.

Just kidding I was a C-section child. Hence my perfectly shaped head. And all my WB movie lot experience to date has been scrambling around with a headshot trying to find whatever casting office called me in. And laughing at tourists on trams who are hoping they will see a celebrity. And last time I was there doing some contortion for a horror movie. Good times.

I had dreamt of birth year wine. I didn’t plan on this. I’m not particularly fond of Gewurtz but this one was thankfully not a lychee bomb. It was pretty damn elegant.

It found its way into my glass as I was a volunteer sommelier assisting the winemakers at Winemasters, a gigantic wine and food event held on the WB lot to benefit cystic fibrosis.

I’d already had an exhilarating night as I’d met the maker of my favorite affordable buy. Joel Peterson was there pouring Ravenswood and I FANGIRLED out. And my friends from TOP were there with beautiful Roussanne and Syrah from Paso Robles. Elena and Stanley are the best. Get your hands on their vino.

The actual event was over and I was partying onnnnn with some of the patrons I knew who had actually bought tickets–admittedly being a volunteer was part me attempting philanthropy and part me finding a way to attend. But some of these ticket holders had brought their own amazing wine collections.

I’d left the table and was snapping up cheeses and water crackers leftover at the Beverly Hills Cheese shops’ station. One of the event organizers was nearby and poured the Stony Hill into my glass. I sipped, slurped, nodded in approval and propelled was was in my mouth into the nearby bushes. Not because it was bad but because it was probably the 30th thing I’d tasted and I was headed back to the table where a 1965 Wente Pinot, a 2000 Tempier Bandol, and even more treasures were being bandied about like they were wine coolers.

But I gasped when I saw the year. Finally! A birth year wine. Now to find that birth year Port I dream of…I should volunteer more though. Rising tides lift all boats.

New column! Crack the Dom Ruinart!

I’m going to be contributing to Delectable–first column here! For those of you not aware Delectable is the app arm of Antonio Galloni’s Vinous. It serves as both a way to keep track of what you drink, and a way to see what others are saying and drinking! I’ve actually made friends using it. Do take a read of what I titled:

The Big Guys V The Rest of the World

For my first column I spent the weekend at Effervescence LA, a three day celebration of bubbles, and wrote about the difference between Champagne and other traditional method sparklers. Check it out! I’ll still be putting things up on Scrumptious Gruel, and The Whine Situation podcast is coming up on a one year anniversary so there is much to celebrate. Thank you to everyone who is tuning in to any and all of my wino exploits. Someday I wish to toast with every one of you.

❤