Wine Tasting Notes September 2012

WINE TASTING NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER 2012

I am getting close to reaching one year of posting my tasting notes.  I get to taste a  lot of wine. I am also responsible for writing different types of wine lists.  Not all the wines I taste deserve the time it takes to re-write my notes into this blog format.   So, from here on out, I will only post the wines that really stand out.   I feel very comfortable  adding any of these wines to the proper wine list.  I hope you enjoy my notes.  Cheers!

PL & JF Bersam Sauvignon Blanc Saint-Bris Burgundy ’10 

A village of Burgundy known for Sauvignon Blanc.  The village lies along a base of Kimmeridgian limestone stretching from the Dover cliffs.  This producer has made wine since 1453 and is imported by Aliane Wines.  It has aromas of lemon, citrus and pears with mineral notes.  I tasted this one day after being opened so it lacked vibrancy.  That being said, it has great acid and the fruit was still intact. All I could think was this wine must rock when you first open it. Read Full

Now I Know My Wine-Phabet: R is for Ruby Cab

In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

What is red, rare and retro?  No, it’s not a red zoot suit.  It’s not an under cooked steak on a sizzle platter.  And no, it’s not a white kid claiming to be a Blood.  Okay one more hint, Carignane.  Yes, that’s it! Ruby Cab!  Ruby what? Ruby Cab!  Don’t tell me this is the next big thing after pink Merlot!  Give me a break…I wouldn’t waste a letter of the Wine-Phabet on such a gimmick.

You can say Ruby Cab is “old school”, “keepin’ it real”.  Ruby Cab is not frontin’.  Ruby Cab is straight up gangsta.  I don’t mean Marky Mark gangsta and it’s not NWA gangsta.  Ruby Cab is back in the day gangsta, like the Fonz. Read Full

Corks and Canvas: Pairing Wine and Art

Corks and Canvas: Pairing Art and Wine will be held on October 13th at Island Prime & C-Level  San Diego.  This is the 2nd Annual Corks and Canvas.  Every art show pours wine.  Corks and Canvas goes to the next step…it pairs the wine with the art.  All of the artists work for the Cohn Restaurant Group.  It takes a real artist to work in the hospitality industry.  A person with vision, passion and ability to express oneself.  Corks and Canvas is the merger, it offers outsiders a look into the psyche of your server, bus boy, host and bartender.  The most amazing people I have met in my life have worked in the restaurant.

Wine is art!   Art touches our emotions.  Wines leaves an emotional impression.  At Corks and Canvas I will pair the emotion, structure and complexity of the art with the overall emotion, structure and complexity of the wine.  Art is a visual expression of life, wine is a living life form which pairs with art.  The two go hand in hand.  As a young student art school, I cannot tell you how many times wine influenced my art.  On October 13th, wine and art will come together. Read Full

Rock & Roll and Mark Ryan Winery

Day one of the Road Trip Washington Wine started off with a visit to one of the top wineries in Washington State, Mark Ryan Winery.  Mark Ryan hosted myself and four other road trippers at his tasting room in Woodinville, half an hour outside Seattle.  Mark is a guy’s guy.  I don’t know if the first hint into his personality was the Triumph motorcycle in the middle of the tasting room.  Maybe it was the rock posters of Pink Floyd, Supersuckers and (like a good Seattle guy) Brad.  Or is it that upon arriving to his winery, his priority was to turn on the music followed by popping a cork of Bollinger Rose.  That’s it!  Mark is a big guy, but in no way intimidating.  He’s got the personality of your best friend.  Rock & roll and pink Champagne, that’s Mark Ryan in a nutshell. Read Full

Can there, Will there ever be World-Class Dining in San Diego?

The sunshine brings people from all around the world to San Diego.  Yet, San Diego does not have a reputation as a city for world-class dining.  Sure, the Food Network showcases our taco shops and diners, but not our formal dining establishments.  I am a native of San Diego and I am always shocked when I hear, “Wow, you’re a native! I don’t meet too many of you.”  Being raised here I know a lot of locals.  That being said, it goes to show that there are also many transplants here.

San Diego draws people from all over the world for the perfect weather.  The city is clean and inviting for college students, young professionals and families.  There is a strong gay community here.  Being so close to Mexico, the Latin community is large and we can hear Spanish everywhere.  There are urban neighborhoods and affluent neighborhoods.  Although San Diego is a conservative city, the counter-culture is also very present.  What makes San Diego unique is that, although there is such diversity in the demographics, it is so spread out.  The outcome is a city in which everyone lives so far apart and these differences might never come together. A resident from the affluent neighborhood of Rancho Santa Fé  might never interact with a Mexican unless they are cleaning their house. Read Full