A bucket list (for those who have lived in a cave for the last 20 years) is a list of things that you want to do or accomplish before you “Kick the Bucket”. While everyone has their own persoanl list, I offer my suggestions for my own personal bucket list… travel to Tuscany, Italy!
Ok, it seems like everyone has a bucket list these days. In fact a really funny movie by the name The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman was a huge hit a few years back. Most of us never actually write them down on paper, let alone work towards them. But I do believe most of us have a kind of working bucket list in our head that changes from time to time. They will change from time to time because life can (if you let it) really beat you down!
We all start out in life thinking life is going to be such a kick-ass time with everything playing out like it does on TV, or the way we play it out in our mind when we are young and naive.
You know what I mean;
We get out of college with a new BMW, a great Executive job, buy a big house, raise perfect kids that become doctors, and vacation in the Hamptons…
Right?
God blessed you if that is your life!But “real life” is full of challenges that we constantly have to contend with such as; down-turns in the economy, health problems, divorces, and job changes, teenagers, etc… And these challenges, and how we respond to them, build who we are as a person and what kind of character we have.
So, let’s get back to the bucket list and what that means to me personally at this time in my life. I say this “time in my life” because I would have had a substantially different bucket list in my twenties than what I will have now in my mid-50s.
Top of my bucket list: I love to travel.
I have always loved to travel, even when I was a kid. I couldn’t wait for Dad to load us up in the family sedan and drive us to some distant place that I had never visited before. Luckily my beautiful wife Margie and I do take a lot of small-medium size trips several times a year. But after marking off a huge part of my bucket list by not only visiting Paris, but my lovely bride and I were actually married in Normandy, France. And we returned to France in 2009 for 2-weeks of incredible wine tasting throughout; Loire, Chablis, Cote D Beaune, Alsace, and Champagne. (Check out previous articles for more details from those trips).
So… “where next” you say?
Italy
Tuscany for my Bucket List!
Top of my Bucket List: Rent a villa in Tuscany for 2 weeks with close friends. Then use the house near the center of Italy as a base where we make short 1-2 day trips to different areas of interest in Italy that I dream about.
Tuscany in Spring
Florence is at the top of my list because of The David and the other incredible works of art at the Uffizi Galleryhousing the famous masterpieces from Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Botticelli and Michelangelo!
Then? Days of touring the beautiful vineyards and wine tasting throughout Tuscany of course! The wine regions of Bolgheri (Antinori), Brunello di Montalcino (Argiano!), Chianti, and Chianti Classico for all the Super Tuscans! Some of the most incredible food friendly and world class wines in the world come from Tuscany. My good freind Michelle Williams actually just came back from touring the wine country in Italy. Check out her great blog at www.rockinredblog.com
On days when we are tired and simply want to relax (it is vacation after all), we head down to the local panetteria for fresh bread, macelleria for fresh meats and deli, and cook at the house. Of course we will enjoy the terrific wines we have picked while tasting throughout the region on the patio overlooking the vineyards of Tuscany! Those relaxing days at the house, and getting to know the locals, sound as great as the sights of Italy to me!
Tuscan Country Home
Then back on the road again with a day trip to Naples for “pizza vera napoletana,” true Neapolitan pizza. We are blessed to have a authentic Italian pizzia restaurant in our town of Frisco by the name of Pizzeria Testa that is serious about making real Neapolitan Pizza from a 7000 lb brick oven imported from Napoli, Italy. The chef Michele (pronounced Mi-kay-lah) D’Amelio was brought in from Italy, and has won two international competitions for pizza-making. So enjoying authentic pizza from Napoli, Italy and washing it down with a terrific Super Tuscan direct from terra firma really excites me!
Then off to the Amalfi Coast including Capri, and Positano for the beautiful Italian Coast, people watching and of course; Lemoncello!
Lemons are ready for Lemoncello!Delikatessen, Positano, Amalfi
And a Tours of ancient Pompeii is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Pompeii, stopped in its tracks by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, offers the best look anywhere at what life in Rome must have been like 2,000 years ago. An entire city of well-preserved ruins will be ours to explore. Once a thriving commercial port of 20,000, Pompeii grew from Greek and Etruscan roots to become an important Roman city. Then Pompeii was buried under 30 feet of hot mud and volcanic ash.
An overnight trip to Venice is a must for anyone’s bucket list! You just have to experience Venice at night to truly get how romantic it can be! And yes I know… it can be dirty, crowded, and expensive. But this is one of the most unique, romantic, and historic cities in the history of the world. How can you not take a gondola ride with your sweetheart, and get lost in the back streets of Venice?
Romantic Venice at night
Rome should be a 2 day trip minimum as well. History buff or no, it’s impossible not to marvel at a structure like the Colosseum, or stand in awe on the cobblestones of the Roman Forum and think about who walked there before you. Plus the incredible restaurants in Rome are outstanding. A must for my bucket list would have to be a fabulous dinner at l’Archeologia Cucina for fabulous Amatriciana Pecorino Ravioli or Beef Carpaccio!
The adventure of traveling to a distant land and immersing ourselves in the local cuisine, terrific wines, and the interesting locals of the land is something Margie and I really love.
When you dream about it, talk about it, and then put it down on paper as on a Bucket List; it is amazing how somehow it becomes reality. And the next thing you know…you are getting on a plane for an adventure!
Thank you once again for taking the time to read the rambling of a Texas Wineaux! Check back from time to time to see how my Bucket List is progressing as well as sharing my other dreams I have on my own personal list. I would love your thoughts so please leave your comments, suggestions you may have, or even stories of your own travels that you would like to share in the comments section.
Wines in California have been dominated of late by the modern style of wine making; i.e. big wines with high alcohol, low acidity, and very fruit forward. However there is a very discernable movement in the last few years to go back to the more “old world style” of wines where overall balance in all areas is much more important. This is the manifesto of in pursuit of balance.
Which is a better wine; rich buttery California chardonnay dominated by oak, or balanced French Burgundy that is dominated by terroir?
I have had this argument with many of my wine buddies, and often with my beautiful wife Margie. She and her girlfriends prefer the rich, buttery, oaky chards to the French Burgundy. The bigger the butter bomb the better in their opinion! And who am I to say what is right and what is wrong? Obviously the market ultimately decides what is most popular. The big butter bomb chardonnay, as well as over ripe pinot noir with low acidity have become some of most popular and best selling wines in America. Thank the movie Sideways for the explosion of Pinot Noir in the US 10 years ago this month. But the proliferation of plunk wines that comes with quick popularity has ended us at this juntion.
I personally do not enjoy these high alcohol and highly manipulated wines. In fact almost refuse to drink them. Life is too short to drink a wine I do not enjoy. So I have gotten to the point I simply open a bottle for her, and then open another bottle of wine for myself.
I became a member of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) club many years ago.
Then I toured and tasted Chablis and Cote d’ Beaune in Burgundy, France several years ago, and I discovered what the true expression of the Chardonnaygrape can actually be!
Chardonnay when done right and not overworked by an overzealous winemaker can be the most expressive, incredible, food friendly and world class wines in the world!
The same can be said for Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast, and of course Burgundy, France!
But the style of Pinot Noir that has been becoming more and more popular in California is made in the “Modern Style”, rather than “Old World” style. What is the difference you say?
The Modern style of California wine industry has been dominated by a richer, fruit forward, low-acidity, with excessive use of oak, and a high alcohol approach. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have been at the forefront of this movement. Balance (in my opinion) has completely been lost in making many wines, as some winemakers keep pushing the limits further and further. And even though we love big in Texas:
Bigger is NOT always better. Balance in wines is better!
So let’s consider balance, and why this is important when it comes to wine.
There is a group of individuals, wineries, sommeliers, and wine writers that have joined a movement by the name of In Pursuit Of Balance (IPOB). Organized by Jasmine Hirsch, of Hirsch Vineyards, and Rajat Parr, owner of RN74 and the wine director for the Michael Mina Group of restaurants, they are intent on highlighting what the organizers feel is a style of winemaking that goes underappreciated in California. That is a true balance in winemaking.
“The genius of Pinot Noir is found in subtlety and poise, in its graceful and transparent expression of the soils and climate in which it is grown. Balance in Pinot Noir enables these characteristics to reach their highest expression in a complete wine where no single element dominates the whole.” – The Manifesto Of Balance
This includes:
• Whole-picture farming and winemaking. Artisan winemaking techniques are a given at this point. Looking beyond that, let’s consider farming, or even pre-farming decisions, and the thought process behind identifying a great terroir. How do these decisions affect the balance of the ultimate wine?
• Growing healthy fruit and maintaining natural acidity to achieve optimum ripeness without being overripe. What is ripeness and what is its relation to balance?
• A question of intention: Can balance in wine be achieved through corrections in the winery or is it the result of a natural process informed by carefully considered intention at every step of the way?
• Reconsidering the importance of heritage Pinot Noir clones with respect to the omnipresent Dijon clones. What do heritage clones contribute to balanced wine?
Without getting to complicated and drug down by minutia;
Wines should be an expression of the soils, with a balance that incorporates all its main components; tannins, acid, sweetness, and alcohol in a manner where no one single component stands out above any other.
Sonoma Valley Grapevines
Robert Parker Jr. has been a big proponant of higher alcohol and very fruit driven wines for decades, and his 100 pt scale has rewarded exactly this style of winemaking. As such as you can imagine he has been very critical of IPOB. In fact he was quoted:
“I just don’t think that people making those wines should be trashing the other wines that are big, rich, full-bodied, and alcoholic as some sort of beverage for Neanderthals,” said Parker while speaking at a public gathering of wine professionals last year.
Now I understand that a so called perfect wine is not always possible. There are many things that have a huge effect on the grapes during the growing season such as the weather, soil, climate, and sunlight that play a large role in determineing an excellent, good or bad vintage.
But balance should be the main goal for every serious winemaker!
So if you agree with me and the IPOB movement toward a pursuit of balance in California wines, what is the next step? Where do you find these wines?
My personal favorite is Foppoli Wineslocated in Russian River Valley, Sonoma. Now granted these wines are almost impossible to find unless you are on the membership list. Foppoli believes; great wine is primarily made in the vineyard first and foremost, judicious use of new oak (or no oak), perfect acidity is paramont, and near perfect balance is the most important attribute. And I dare say Foppoli Lion Edition Chardonnay is one of the best chardonnays I have ever tasted. Email Christina Foppoli at ctfoppoli@yahoo.com next time you are going to Sonoma and ask for a personal tasting at the ranch. Foppoli insists on meeting you personally; this is the only way they will add you to the membership list or sell you wine. Trust me when I say it is worth it!
Check out the many wineries and producers such as Hirsch, Twomey Cellars, and Au Bon Climat who have committed to the Manifesto To Balance for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at the IPOB website here.
Thank you for taking the time to review my ramblings and thoughts. Please leave a comment (good or not so good) as I would love your thoughts on this or any of the other articles here at Texas Wineaux.
“I hold a beast, an angel and a madman in me…
and my effort is their self-expression.” -Dylan Thomas-
Dylan’s Ghost Wines
I haven’t been this excited about a wine shipment in some time as when I got the notification the Dylan’s Ghost shipment was FINNALY being shipped!
I have known about the winemaker Aaron Potts for many years. In fact he was recently named one of Food & Wines “Winemakers of the Year for 2012”.
When I read that Joseph Carr was producing a few cases of very select wines in the Staggs Leap District in Napa Valley with Aaron, I had to check it out! Joseph started this project 3-years ago, and Dylan’s Ghost Winery has recently released it’s first wines in very small lots.
Aaron Potts has worked with the true legends in Bordeaux including Michael Rolland. He was Winemaker for Château Troplong Mondot and Château La Tour Figeac Grand Cru Classé St. Emilion. In 2001 he returned to Napa to become the Winemaker at St. Clement and later in 2004 as GM and Winemaker at Quintessa. I love his thoughts on winemaking;
“I think I’m looking for what existed in Napa before the late ’90s,” he says. “All these artificially concentrated, superfruity wines are a bit boring. I’ve tasted so many great, older Napa wines, and I always wonder, why aren’t we making these wines anymore?”
Dylan’s Ghost “Angel” Rosé Napa Valley 2013
Cuvee: 100% Cabernet Franc
Appellation: Napa Valley; Oak Knoll District, with clay soils underlaid by gravel
Beautiful bright Salmon Pink in the glass. The nose of fresh strawberry and floral are the first to jump from the glass. First impression is this will be a slightly sweet Rosé, but NOTHING could be farther from the truth. You understand this immedeatly upon the first sip and swirl in your mouth; this is no wimpy Cali Rosé!
This is a bone dry, acidic, even slightly tannic wine very reminiscent of the Rosé of Tavel, France!
Rose in glass
Notes of Strawberry, watermelon, spices (cloves?), and minerals dominate. This wine coats your mouth and lingers on long after you have swallowed, making you quickly glance to the glass to make sure there is more to enjoy. This is a perfect wine for the hot weather in Texas. And, as this wine reminds me so much of the Tavel Rosé, it should be very food friendly! BBQ’s, Picnics, or simply sitting on the patio is perfect.
These wine s retail (while it lasts) for $25 for the Angel and $50 each for the Hell Hollow and The Beast This is a steal at that price! Go to: dylansghostwinery.com for more details. These wine s will NOT be available in stores.
2010 Hell Hollow
Deep Crimson in the glass. Blackberry, Black Cherry, Hibiscus, cedar, plus a slight old leather & olive on the nose.
Full bodied with medium tannins after an 1:45 decant. This bottle will benefit from a year or two on its side. In fact, I bet this wine will age effortlessly for 10-15 years. Acidity is damn near perfect.
The palate boasts black fruits, vanilla, nutmeg, floral, and a spicy black pepper that lingers on and on after you swallow. This is a quality wine.
60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 40% Cabernet Franc. The rustic nature of the Stags Leap / Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is mellowed and refined by the Cab Franc nicely.
For years I was “an every once in a while” wine drinker. Sure I liked wine, but I would just as well enjoy Vodka or beer to be quite honest. Then, like most of us that really enjoy wine and have a passion for it, I had a transformation. As the saying goes “There are 8 million stories in the naked city”, well here is my story.
My casual and somewhat erratic wine drinking became a “passion for the nectar of the gods” in September of 2003. My soon to be bride Margie and I journeyed to Paris, France on an adventure and to get married. I rented a tiny 352 sf. apartment in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, and we spent that evening enjoying my favorite pastime; sitting on a corner Bistro Café sipping wine, talking, and people watching. The next day we packed a bag and drove to a small village by the name of Ducey, not far from Mont St. Michel off the coast of Normandy. There my beautiful wife Margie and I were married.
Yes, I have been accused of being a hopeless romantic at times. And it being both of our second marriages, we decided to spend the money on a dream trip instead of a big wedding that neither of us really wanted. Neither of us spoke more than a few words of French, and with a bad Texas accent I might add. We were excited and nervous about what we would discover when we arrived, but we were in love and were ready for an adventure. It could not have been more exciting and romantic. I rented an incredibly charming room on the river at an Inn that began life in the 15th century as a mill. We were married in a 17th Century Chateau by the Mayor, who happened to be the owner of the Inn. Afterward we had a beautiful dinner in town at Auberge de La Selune, at the time a 2-star Michelin restaurant. We were so happy and in love!
The next day we took toured Mont St. Michel, and then further up the Normandy Coast to visit the D-Day museums where Margie’s Father had survived in the 1944 invasion. Afterward we journeyed back to Paris and our tiny apartment where we explored the ‘City of Lights’, arguably the most beautiful city in the world. Not a bad way to start a marriage wouldn’t you agree?
What we discovered very quickly (ok the first day!) is that wine is three things in France;
1. Cheap.
2. Available everywhere.
3. Really, really good!
In fact, at the time a bottle of water at a corner bistro was about $8-$10 Euro, and a decent bottle of red wine was about $5-$8 Euro.
Huh…wine is cheaper than water? We quickly huddled together for a ‘family meeting’ and came up with a great game plan to save money…drink wine instead of water whenever we possible!
After an unbelievable week in Paris, we inevitably were forced to travel back home (oh dreaming to have been born an aristocrat…). We had managed somehow that week to keep from drinking 14 bottles of wine, so we carefully wrapped them up in our luggage and brought them back to Texas. But alas, we soon drank all of those and started looking for replacements. This is where I got the Wine Bug. The more I; studied, read, tasted, and enjoyed this incredible thing called wine, the more and more I realized I really didn’t know much at all.
Besides being an occasional hopeless romantic, my other vice is; when I get into anything that I really love I become somewhat obsessed. I read every article on wine, attended every class, cornered every expert I can find and pick their mind, and …research, research, research.
Luckily for all of us that love wine, I am sure you can attest the wine research can be extremely rewarding as you open bottle after bottle and enjoy the contents inside!
Since this enlightenment into the wine world my collection has grown and grown. I have learned a few things in the few years since I started collecting, and perhaps I can offer a few words of advice, that you may get some value from it. Especially if you are just getting started in this wide, wide world of wine and you are considering expanding your collection to more than the 2-3 bottles that you may currently keep on hand for dinner.
STORAGE:
What ever you think your bottle count will eventually be, do yourself a favor now and double or even triple it! Allow for future growth. Your tastes and palate will evolve and change through the months and years and you should allow for the changes that will inevitably come.
Consider starting out with a simple 18-52 bottle wine refrigerator that you can find at your local home improvement store. You can also search the internet for great deals. These wine fridges are not expensive, and typically can be found in the range of $200-$800 depending on the size and quality. This is all you need to start. After the 52 bottle range, the price escalates quickly as you move into commercial models, but I would not consider a commercial model unless you plan on 200+ bottles or more collection.
Fun Fact: It is amazing how if you have an empty wine fridge, you will suddenly have the compulsion to stock it!
Bottom line is you will need to store the wine somewhere that is void of: Vibration, bright light, heat, and extreme temperature changes. If you simply do not have room for a wine fridge, then store them in a cool dark place like a seldom used closet or even under the bed. Never store wine on top of your home refrigerator! They vibrate and emit heat; both are very harmful to wine.
Bottles should be stored on the side, making sure to keep the corks moist. A dry cork can allow air to seep into the bottle and cause what is called “corkage”. This will cause the wine to age quickly and oxidize.
WHAT TO COLLECT?
What to keep in your cellar is a very personal issue, and every wine aficionado that I know has a slightly different idea of what the ‘perfect wine cellar’ would be. I would suggest starting with what you like and purchase a couple of extra bottles. Don’t get caught up with only buying 90+ point bottles that a so-called expert is hyping. Use your own judgment and drink what you like.
Question: What is a good bottle of wine?
Answer: A bottle of wine that you enjoy, no matter what the price.
My tastes vary from day to day, and sometimes I don’t know what I am going to pop a cork on until I go to the cellar and it jumps out at me. Other times the food or weather outside will dictate what to open. Most times however I just crave a Pinot Noir or a Cab! Wine and food can be incredible partners, and to truly enjoy this magic you will want to have a variety of different bottles on hand to mix and match to your particular tastes at the time.
If your goal is to have a workable cellar that you will nearly always have what you want or need on hand, I would highly suggest a game plan.
Here is a basic guideline I would start with:
WHITES:
6- Chardonnay; 3 oaked (Sonoma) and 3 un-oaked (Burgundy, Chablis).
4- Sauvignon Blanc; 2 New Zealand and 2 Napa or Sonoma.
4- Sparkling; 2 Champagne and 2 other such as Cava (Spain) or Prosecco (Italian).
2 –Riesling; 1 German and 1 Australian (Great with spicy food!).
REDS:
2-4 Bordeaux, buy either “off” vintages (2006, ’08, ’11, ’12) and good producers, or lesser known producers in great vintages (2005, ’09, ’10).
2-4 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Nothing better with a steak!
6- Italian; 2 Chianti Classico (Sangiovese), 2 Tuscan (blends), 1 Montepulciano, and 1 Barolo, Barbaresco, or Amarone. These are great food wines!
6- Pinot Nior; 2 Burgundy (see Bordeaux guidelines), 2 Sonoma (Russian River or Sonoma Coast), 2 Willamette, Oregon.
4- Grenache/Syrah blends (GSM); 2 Southern Rhone (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras), 2 from Australia, or Garnacha from Spain.
Everyone will differ on the exact bottles and even varities, but I believe this is a great beginning wine collection. You can grow it from this point!
Remember; don’t believe you have to spend big bucks on each bottle. Search for the steals, and when you find one…tell others about it! If I learned one thing from this odyssey with wine over the years, it is that spending ridiculous amounts on a single bottle of wine is just not necessary.
Befriend the owner or manager at your local wine shop, and ask him for suggestions on great buys. Join a wine group that meets a couple of times per month. Go to wine tastings whenever you can. Most of all find out what kinds of wine you like best and fill your collection with things you and your friends like and ‘want to drink’, not what a so-called wine expert put a high score on.
I hope you enjoyed reading this jaunt down memory lane as much as I did, and you got something you can use in your own wine journey. Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section!
