Never too early to drink.

So I have to be quick because Peter is forcing me out the door to the Cubs game (that's what he calls it - I say - umm - aren't the Dodgers KICKING THEIR ASS? So wouldn't you call that the Dodger's game?)

At any rate, we had a fantastic bottle of wine last night. Elio Grasso, Barolo, Ginestra "Vigna Casa Mate", 2001. I had the pleasure of meeting the winemaker, Gianluca Grosso, a couple months ago and unlike La Spinetta there's no rotofermenters, so the wines tend to be not as upfront with the fruit, but they are
extraordinarily complex. A great balance between traditional and modern. Very perfumed and the tar and dried herb flavors are so deep and enticing. It's not cheap, but considering the quality, it's not expensive either. Peter bought this at Woodland Hills Wine Co. for $54.99. The texture of this wine was so explosive - the tannins and acid were totally huge and rich and WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA'AM. Delicious. We drank the bottle in about 35 minutes. Pathetic. We may have been a little premature opening it so early, as this wine has a long long time ahead of it. I need another bottle!

I'm sure, however, that the Barolo won't even come close to comparing to the warm flat $9 Rolling Rock in a plastic cup that's in my near future at Dodger's stadium... Go team.

Mmm Mmm Good.

It's been such a crazy two days - I missed my post yesterday because I shot a Campbell's Soup commercial and was being tortured by 2 five year old boys all day. It was great! Not sure when it will be running, but keep an eye out, I'm the mom playing pirates with her two adorable blond boys. Can I be more WASPY? (don't answer that).

So... I love today's wine... La Spinetta, Barbera, Ca' di Pian, 2005. I look forward to the release every year and it seems that the span of time it's available is getting shorter and shorter. So my advice is to buy a few bottles and keep it around for a while. It's $24.99 at the Wine House and you can get it at Palate too, though I'm not sure of the price (Steve?). La Spinetta is one of the modernistas in Piedmont, and I love this Barbera because it shows really soft new oak without all the hardcore rustic elements that Barbera sometimes exhibits. (And the dark rich color leads me to believe maybe there is a little roto-fermentation going on??)

I've been using it as a door stop for about 2 months now and thought it was finally time to blog about it! It tastes great and the empty bottle does indeed hold a door open even in high winds.

Oh, and after eating about 16 bowls of Campbell's chicken noodle soup over a four hour period, I needed a real dinner last night. My hubby look me to the Langham in Pasadena (formerly the Ritz Carlton) for a serious 8 course meal. The chef came out to the table to talk to us about our likes and dislikes - totally unexpected and personal. Dinner was fantastic, the food is just so good. They have a live acoustic guitar player (which was very hip and romantic) and the service is young and fresh. Matt, the sommelier, and Robert, the big boss, hooked us up big time with an esoteric wine and beer with our courses (Retsina anyone??). Tre cool!!

So... if you still have that check from George Bush lying around, go out and treat yourself to some Mmm Mmm Good cooking at the Langham.

HELLO LAFARGE.

My friend Jill from Domaine 547 had a brilliant idea this morning ala Wine Library's Gary Vanderchuck (sp?). He apparently gives away wrist bands that say something to the effect of "I'm a Wine Library Fanatic" if you buy his book. I don't have a book (yet) but I'm now inspired to brand myself...

...what about red terry cloth sweat bands for your head that say HELLOWINE...?? I think that would be just GREAT! (Jill's idea)

In other news, I discovered Comcast OnDemand TV last night. Did you know that you can just press a button and watch a movie? It's better than Netflix!

So speaking of sweat bands for your head, I watched Juno (OnDemand for $3.99) and polished off half a bottle of Michel Lafarge, 2003 Bourgogne Rouge. It was delicious! Lafarge is a top producer in Volnay and makes incredibly traditional wines that have a very forest floor dried herb sort of thing going on. You can get this wine at the retail store at Palate for around $28. It's elegant and ephemeral. Providence pours the 2004 by the glass, but be preapred the 04 is a little bit greener - but me still likey!

Now... to order your homemade head band please call....

Palate cleanser.

Today's wine:

Txakoli Gurrutxaga, Bizkaiko Txakolina, Spain, 2007.

Another rosado from Spain. (I emptied the bottle into my belly before I snapped the photo - so you can't tell it was once rose!) This was a super refreshing wine that took me a few sips to get adjusted before the full enjoyment effect kicked in.

It was a little spritzy at first, with lots of fresh strawberry fruit, tart cherry and mineral flavors. Not complex, just good everyday drinking rose. It's all done in stainless steel making this wine very bright, fresh and clean. It's the total opposite of the oak driven oxidative style of the 1997 Rosado I wrote about below. It's also only 10.5% alcohol, so it's perfect for mid-day Saturday drinking while planting your summer tomato garden. Yum!

Txakoli (pronounced Cha-co-lee) is from the Basque region in Spain. there are 3 D.O.s (Denomination of Origin) here. This one is from Bizkaiko. It's made from 100% Hondarrabi Beltza, a native red variety in the region.

This is $17.99 at Palate Food and Wine. If you haven't been to Palate in Glendale - you must go! It's brand new, Chef Octavio formerly of Patina and genius wine guy Steve Goldun, formerly of Woodland Hills, have opened an amazing space. There is both a restaurant and a retail store. This is going to be the next big restaurant in LA, mark my words!

And ready for this?? I challenge anyone out there to find a place that is offering the prices and the selections available at Palate. Two weeks ago, Peter and I drank a 2001 Talenti Brunello there for $68. We came home and saw it on wine-searcher for $75. It was on the list at the restaurant for less than retail price. I almost fainted. I can't stop talking about it. I'm an evangelical convert. This is the restaurant I have been waiting for my whole life!

And it's not like Steve is offering this one wine at that price because he got it on close-out (like the riesling at Hatfield's). The prices are outstanding for every single wine on the list, because he wants people to drink great wine. I love that!!!

And the food... well.. you just have to go and experience it yourself. Check out the free range (house dry aged) WHOLE lamb. Octavio is very proud to support his local farmers - and even though meat makes me queasy I think I will chow down on some lamb on my next visit!

Make a reservation there NOW. I command you.

My favorite rose ever?

This is one of the best / most interesting roses / rosados I've possibly ever had. Lopez de Heredia, 1997, from Rioja.... $27.99 at CheeseStore of Silverlake.

I know, you're thinking, 1997 Rose? Really? And yes really. This wine is barrel aged for 4 and a half years before bottling. Then it's left in bottle until the winemaker deems it appropriate to release. It's just insanely complex and delicious. For those of you who swear by Domaine Tempier rose (which is now a whopping $39.99 at most small retail outlets) try this baby. It's got incredible depth, viscosity and concentration of flavor. It's not just a serious rose, it's a very serious wine.

And it's comforting, like mashed potatoes. Yes, that's it, it's the mashed potatoes of the rose world. A real treat for those of us who like to treat ourselves.

And Chris (pictured) will recommend a fantastic Spanish cheese to accompany this, and then you can die and go to heaven.

P.S. I'm not the only blogger out there who loves this wine... check this out...

Vinoteque.

My friend Adam just opened a very cool spot called Vinoteque in Culver City. They have live music every night and small plates with wine pairings. I was supposed to stop by on Friday night, but Peter's flight arrived really late. I can blame my lame Friday night circling the airport on United.


I stopped in to see him last week and asked him what he was loving on the list and he pulled out J.J. Christoffel, Urziger Wurzgarten, Riesling, Kabinett from the Mosel. This is what Adam says, "The 2006 vintage is full-bodied with a little residual sugar, nice acidity and a lot of juicy fruit." It's $10 a glass, which is just a great price for a good glass of Riesling.

Not quite Chef-boy-r-de, but...

When I first started working at aoc we had Borie la Vitarele, Les Terres Blanches by the glass, one of my favorite wines to recommend to customers and one of the cheapest! It was delicious, but I haven't seen it around in awhile. It's from Saint Chinian in the Languedoc in Southern France, a blend of syrah, grenache and mourvedre.

I was at Silverlake Wine last week and saw it on the under twenty table. This wine is perfect for a stay at home spaghetti night because it is loaded with spicy oregano, earthy tomato and meaty flavors - which sounds weird - but is actually really good and savory and grounding. Om.

And you can see the price point. $15. Yum!