Good Friends We Have Had, Good Friends We Lost

'Brut Force With a Touch of Finesse'

The single-most enlivening part of my time in the wine industry, without a doubt, has been the people I’ve met. People drive me. Their quirks, life stories, clothing choices, cleanliness, eating habits, accents… they’re fascinating. From high-profile sommeliers to legendary winemakers and writers, I’ve shared some amazing dinners, been welcomed into people’s homes, and popped some stellar corks at my relatively young age. Those who have made my experiences most worthwhile up to this point, however, are all the young people I’ve met during my stint as a ‘traveling winemaker’. Sadly, last week I learned that one of those bright young stars is no longer with us. 

Niki Dow was a young guy from New Zealand I met last year during my brief ‘harvest’ time in California. He shared a tiny room in a modest suburban Santa Rosa apartment with some friends who were working at a different local winery. He was a seamless counterpart in the cellar. His constant, quick-witted grin was enough to make you laugh in even the most stressful situations, or elicit laughter in the calmest of times. He put up with the crazy antics of his Moldovan roommate ‘John’ who didn’t speak a lick of English, and even managed to convince us all that John was a good guy at heart, despite some of his outward antics. Niki lightened the mood for anyone who cared to share in conversation. His eloquent stories of his rugby days from college made me wish I could have spent time as a fit young kiwi bloke; I was stoked to get an old rugby shirt of his when he moved back to NZ, even though it had a few holes in it and plenty of stains from a tough vintage. His physical aptitude was apparent, and he seemed to be the type that succeeded in every task he took on. Nonetheless, he possessed the ‘Kiwi-Humble’ I’ve come to know and love; so overwhelmingly sarcastic and jabbing (in a lighthearted sense) upon first impression, but in the end full of compassion and friendship. Nik, as I knew him, embodied all that I’ve come to love about harvest. A young person, fresh out of school with the world ahead of him, when it was easier to find a fulltime, well-paying job at home and settle into normalcy he embarked on a journey to follow his dreams, better his craft and expand his world outlook.

With a number of vintages under my belt I’ve gotten pretty good at saying goodbye. We, as seasonal harvest workers spend so many hours together in a relatively short timeframe. Best friends are made alongside the wine, and when it’s all said and done, everyone usually parts ways and moves on to the next job. I have fostered some high quality friendships and kept in touch with a few people, but have also lost touch with many more I was sure to see again. The wine industry is so small though that you never know when you might one day cross paths with an old friend. I somehow figured that would happen with Nik so his passing hit me like a bag of bricks. Maybe it’s also because it could have been me if I hadn’t decided to stay home this vintage. Maybe because it’s a harsh realization of hope, so quickly lost. He was in Portugal working for a world-class Port producer, a job that isn’t given to just anyone. Only 23 years old, he was surely brimming with excitement and infusing the locals with his positively high-octane energy. They were surely challenged, yet humbled by his work ethic, so notable it has inspired a Facebook tribute group called ‘TheLegacy of the War Donkey-Niki Dow’.  I encourage you to check it out.

After sorting through the emotions in his passing, I move forth with a renewed energy and outlook. I’ve reached out to a few old friends who deserve a better effort from me. I’m going to do a better job of busying myself with work that I truly love, push myself to physical and intellectual extremes, and be sure to laugh a little more often, knowing that today could be my last.

Cheers to you Nik! You will be missed, but your legend will live on and inspire us all.

Vall-YOU!

Though I've had quite a few experiences lately that are blogworthy and I intend to write on them here in the next few days (2009 Drouhin Tasting and Washington State Winemakers Tasting) I really want to get the ball rolling on writing about things that have been requested by dedicated readers. So, the shoutout this time goes to my friend B who has transplanted from the idyllic mid-west (excuse my partiality) to San Francisco, and is wondering about hot value wines. B, I hope you are taking advantage of the close proximity to wine-country, to say the least. Here goes nothing:

To be perfectly honest, lately I have been spending a significant part of my budget on wine. I've probably been spending out of my price range to try things that I've heard about or deem as 'must try's' for a wine geek up and coming. That being said, I do have my favorites that have tried and tempted (thank you Wood Brothers) and tried again. The following wines you should be able to find under $15, even under $10 and you will go to sleep happy and definitely will re-buy the next time you're in the wine shop: (Side note: I've read a few blogs lately about Costco and pricing. Basic market principle makes for a scenario where Costco has the absolute lowest pricing. However, their availability is not the same and their customer service is not either. If you know what you want and you can get it at the big box, I get it. However, as a small retailer I tend to side more with the local business mentality and the idea that a dollar more is worth it in the long run).

Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling (Washington): $10-$14 Rieslings are choice, especially for those of you converting to wine and needing some sugar to make it happen. This one comes from a former rock concert promoter and industry visionary producing some cutting edge juice out of Washington. The acidity pops on your tongue while the sweetness is medium. Notes of melon and ginger dominate and demand that you have this wine with some spicy Thai food (that is if you can't get enough of it on its own).

Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay (Livermore, California): $10-$15 An absolute over-performer for its price. Have anyone who loves Chardonnay from any price range and they will give a fair nod. Tropical fruit aromas of banana and pineapple tickle your nose as the wine leads you to a full, rounded palate with subtle oak and a nutty, buttered popcorn finish. MUST BUY!

Garnacha de Fuego (Spain): $6-$9 This one is my HOT BARGAIN. I hand-sell caseloads of this every week at my store. A juice bomb packed with everything from black cherry, plum and licorice to vanilla and spice box. Super smooth, super good, on its own or with much anything you please (can you say tacos, burgers, MSNBC or MTV)?. Old vine grenache (the vines for this wine are on average 60 to 80 years old) from the Catalayud Region of Spain. I adore this wine for the price.

Villa Pozzi Nero D'Avola (Sicily): $9-$12 Excuse my (English) but I have winemaker friends who call the grape Nero D'Avola a 'slut'. Dark and inky, literally meaning 'black from Avola', a town on the southeastern coast of Sicily. This wine has it all. Fruit, body, acid, and a decently lasting finish. Dark raisinated fruit and juicy vanilla dominate. I've been geeking on Sicilian wines lately because of their uniqueness and progression in the last 10 years. If you're at all interested you should read the book 'Palmento' by Robert Camuto. It got me hooked.

There you have it friends. I'm sure there are plenty of wines at or below this price range in your market that deserve attention; These are just a few of my favorites. I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the crucial things in your wine consumption is building a relationship with a local retailer. PLEASE find a local store with a decent wine selection and get to know the wine specialist on a first name basis. They will be glad to learn your palate and budget and be overjoyed at providing you wines to fit your needs. Please share any comments or suggestions freely. I look forward to your thoughts and ideas for future posts.

Cheers!
Spring is on its way.

What is your favorite budget wine for any given evening (or sunday afternoon)? How much are you willing to spend on a bottle for daily consumption? What do you want to see covered here in my ramblings? Please comment below!

I can also be reached with any questions, suggestions, comments or complaints at dougrweber@gmail.com.

The Year of Syrah

Happy New Year Everybody!

Every past year's end spurs new ideas and resolutions. I am quite content and inspired at how I've grown in the last year; It opened with a fit of madness in a square in Florence that was followed by a couple months exploring the Renaissance city and its environs, a stint on a farmstead in the Umbrian Countryside, and a brief respite at home in Cedarburg. Soon-after I moved to Minneapolis to commence a new chapter in the city and a new wine-buying job in the North Suburbs. My job is steady and life is good, and I look forward to the year to come.

We had a meeting today at work focusing on projections for the new year. It has been deemed, unofficially, as 'the year of wine'. I hope that as the economy takes an upturn, that wine will continue to grow in the daily lives of my friends, family and customers. It has led me, inadvertently to come up with my own new year's wine resolution (among others). Drink more SYRAH! While I've honed in on the popular tastes and trends of the wine-drinking public, I feel that this lovely, large grape has so much unexplored and forgotten potential as a whole. My goal is to drink more of it, learn more about where it comes from, how its made, its history, and pass that on to anyone I can. From Hawke's Bay in New Zealand, to blends in the Rhone region of France, the beefy Shiraz's of Australia, or the progressive juice in Washington, there's much to be said, and discovered.

I'm about to uncork a bottle of 2008 Zepaltas Rosella's Vineyard Syrah from the Santa Lucia Higlands in central California. Although I'm partial to this producer, one of my favorites not only because I worked there, but because the wines truly tell a story, the bounty that awaits is tickling my tongue. Such a versatile food and party wine with quite a bit of character, there's no reason that people should say, 'Syrah sucks'! It's complex enough to baffle in a blind tasting, yet in the New World, approachable enough to quench the palates of the more pedestrian palate. Therefore, I hereby declare 2011 as 'The Year of Syrah'. Bear, and drink with me friends. We are in for an interesting and enlightening next few months.

Cheers.