Blog Splitting

Well, I have finally decided to start another blog on a special topic that I have come to appreciate over the years. I will continue writing on this blog talking about politics, technology, culture, etc. so don't go away. What I have decided to do is write more on wine. Yes, there are hundreds if not thousands of blogs out there talking about wine but this one will be different, it will be mine. This blog will not be written from the view point of a professional wine person or of someone to whom money is no object or to play the part of "wine snob" and try to show off what (little) I know about wine. This will truly be the work of an amateur, someone who does something because they like it.

Catching Up

It seems like it has been a while since I posted on here so this is an attempt to catch up on the personal side. First, Mr. Beau and I took a little trip up to the Santa Barbara area for some wine tasting. This was in part to just get out of town for a couple of days and in part to provide a wide selection of wines for Mr. Beau to taste and help me gauge where his wine preferences lay. Over a three-day weekend we traveled to and tasted wines at the following wonderful wineries:

Brander Winery (excellent all around offerings)

Gainey Winery (very good wines, nice chardonnays this year)

Kalyra Winery (a fun winery with some excellent lighter and dessert wines)

Beckman winery (top-notch Syrahs and and tasty Grenache... and the hottest pourers)

Bridlewood Winery (they seem to have come up a notch in their offerings since the Gallo buy-out)

Firestone winery (Good wines, nice Riesling)

Fess Parker Winery (Davy Crockett knows his wines, but watch the alcohol content on the new Syrahs)

Curtis Winery (wonderful Rhone-style wines)

Zaca Mesa Winery (a new one for me, great offering, don't pass up the Z Cuvée or the Z Three from them)

We dined at the consistently great Hitching Post and discovered another fantastic place to dine at the local casino Willows.

As usual the trip was too short but it was relaxing and wonderful to get away from "the real world" for a couple of days.

For the Fourth we spent a lot of time together taking turns taking care of each other. On the Fourth we went to the San Diego Zoo, saw a movie, took a walk along the beach talking about what the day meant to us (and how we both tend to say "Independence Day" instead of "Fourth of July" when mentioning the holiday), had dinner at a local cantina and sat on the beach while watching one of the best fireworks presentations I can remember. On Saturday we used my San Diego Art Museum membership and took our friend Sarah to "get some culture" and then spent time relaxing at The Prado having appetizers and drinks and enjoying each person's company. I can think of very few ways of passing time than just being with friends and loved ones and I hope that you had the same privilege this weekend.

A Gem In Temecula

Mr. Beau has been showing an interest in wines so last Saturday we took a little trip up the 15 to Temecula. In earlier posts you read of my trip with Elbert and some of the places we visited. On this trip I thought I would do two things: introduce Mr. Beau to more wines and find perhaps another place where I could get local wines that I would not be afraid of offering to my friends. As luck would have it I hit the jackpot on both with our first stop, Leonesse Cellars. In fact, I liked it so much I joined their wine club. After a couple of samplings together (a good representative Pinot Grigio, stainless-steel fermented so you get the melon and light green apple notes and their not overly oaked Chardonnay showing some traits of malolactic fermentation) I turned Mr. Beau loose on the whites (his palate tended towards the sweeter white Merlot and their rather good Riesling with very nice fresh fruit aromas) while I went off into red land. Their Melange de Reves is a nice medium bodied Rhone blend of Syrah, Cinsault, and Grenache with good berry tastes and just a hint of smokiness. Their 2004 Syrah is a good representation of a smooth Syrah, almost seductive with layers of black fruit, pepper, and a hit of smokiness. A big surprise was their Zinfandel which, given the current trend of overly alcoholed concotions was very smooth with good blackberry, pepper, and hints of clove with soft tannins. To top it off we had a fantastic lunch at their recently opened Block 5 restaurant. I really do recommend spending the extra time there sipping wine in the outdoor environment and enjoying their wonderfully prepared food.

So, Temecula is showing promise. I look forward to seeing how the area develops over time.

Iron Man A Conservative?

Well, at least Robert Downey, Jr. In an interview with the New York Times Downey makes the following self-outing:

"I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics every since."

Another little tid-bit... when Downey was trying to get back into films but uninsurable, it was Mel Gibson who put up the money to insure him so that film companies wouldn't be scared off. Now Mel has his own issues, but it's an interesting little piece of news that somehow didn't quite make it into the major press markets (shoot, look how far down the interview RDJ's "confession" was buried).

Hmmm... will Stark Enterprises make a bid for Halliburton?

Putting My Life Back Together

Saturday was a big event for me. Not in terms of an earthshaking activity but something of great importance. It was the first time since the separation that I have had people to the house without Aleks by my side. It wasn't huge or elaborate, but it was something I did all my own. On Saturday I had guests over for a home cooked meal. Mr. Beau, Elbert and his partner Cory came to my house and we spent several hours eating, talking, drinking and just socializing. It felt good to finally get back into the kitchen. The menu, as prepared with my own little hands, was:

Beef tenderloin steaks with a balsamic Vinaigrette reduction

Roasted potatoes with bleu cheese and chives

Green beans lightly salted and sauteed with gralic

Sauteed mushrooms

French bread (the only thing I didn't make)

Pumpkin cheese cake on a gingersnap crust

The main wine was Penfold's Bin 389 followed by Curtis Heritage Cuvée. The cheese cake was served with a nice Guwerztraminer. We also opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate good news from both Mr. Beau and Elbert.

It was fun, from staying up until almost 1am the night before making the cheese cake after a software release to even doing the dishes on Sunday. Do I still miss Aleks? Absolutely. The difference between six months ago and now is that I can see my life continuing.

Renfaire

Last Saturday Mr. Beau and I went to what is affectionately known as Fall Escondido. For some of you who read this blog these pictures may be too nerdy, but for the rest of you just relax and enjoy the show.

The faire had been moved back a week due to the fires. When Mr. Beau and I arrived there are a good crowd who had gathered to see men in tights and ladies in dresses running around acting as if they had come from another era (me, I go for the food and the shopping and a few of the shows). After a quick surveillance of the merchant stalls (and my purchase of a leather wrist band) Mr. Beau and I hit the beer tent, then back out again to look around. Soon we were greeted by a "walking billboard" for an act called "The Bawdy Juggler":



As the stage was near the beer tent we decided we would go back and await the arrival of my friend Sarah (you can find a link to her Livejournal site on the right of the main page):



The juggler was pretty good and his schtick was fun. Not terribly bawdy but just enough without being gross:



Next up was a great musical act, The Merry Wives of Windsor. Very talented young ladies, if you get the chance and you like folk and Celtic music you should give them a listening to:



Of course, the big show is court. When I was "doing faire" I was a member... first as household and then as Dr. Dee, the Queen's advisor. Court at Escondido is done by St. Elizabeth's Guild. Here's a quick shot of court during the Queen's prayer for the people of Escondido after the fires



After court it was more wandering and shopping. What else did I buy? Well, with some prompting from Sarah and Mr. Beau here is what I wound up looking like:

I didn't select a hat but the coat did come home with me.

Hard to believe that THIS was a date. He didn't run off screaming... that's definitely a good sign.

Three New Additions To The Family

Just arrived today...

The Vine Anniversary

I'll pick up the wine tab if anyone wants to go with me...

Crib Building

Well, I finally made like a good daddy and got my "children" a new crib... that is, I bought a bar. As it is officially fall and the beginning of hibernation season I spent most of the weekend indoors. I had bought a large amount of fresh vegetables and spent a couple of hours preparing home-made stew (love the smell of it as it permeates the whole house). Then after dinner last night I poured a glass of Iron Horse Merlot (nothing exciting... middle of the road Merlot) and went to work building the crib. You know, it's funny, but it was one of the most enjoyable things I have done in quite a while. I actually built something. Granted, it wasn't complicated, but it was something I did on my own from beginning to end. And you know what, it doesn't look bad at all.



That frame you see laying on the top in the center is my first certificate towards being a sommelier! I passed the class with a perfect score. Next class is more difficult though, have to analyze 10 different pairings of wines. Oh, such difficult labors! * grin *

Anyway, the crib is a hit with the family. Here are some of my "kiddies" all nestled in their new beds (the other 50 will have to wait where they are for now):

Final Exam

Well, I just finished the final exam for my first wine tasting course. Such gruelling work... how ever will I continue with these studies? :-)

And On A Happier Note...

I got back the results of my first test in my wine tasting course (prepping for the sommelier exam). I got a perfect score! Yippee!

Pre-Exam Prep

It's not what you think. For the last few weeks I have been experiencing incredible headaches and usually at the most inopportune times. So, even though my yearly physical is a scant two weeks away I got in to see my internist. He's a great doctor, very thorough, but it seems like most times I see him needles get involved. Though I think this time I did myself in. After a pretty damned rigorous gross physical (including basic neurological tests) he said "Didn't you tell me your grandfather had coronary blockage?" and I just HAD to be honest... I told him yes. Well, that did it. Above my protestations he immediately started filling out forms for lab work. They drew four vials of blood and I have to have a cranial MRI.

* sigh * Needles AND my mild claustrophobia, what a combination.

Feeling a bit down I decided to do what any other red-blooded American (and I know my blood is red when it hits oxygen, I saw it in the tubes), I drove home, grabbed a book and walked to The Vine. It's Tuesday night so I know that my favorite waitress in OB, Tutu, is there. To help (1) dull my anxiety and (2) improve blood circulation I decided to take this opportunity to work on my tasting for my sommelier exam and did a comparison of two Zinfandels, the 2005 Di Arie (Amador county) and the 2005 Roshambo Zinfandel (Sonoma). Of the two I prefer the Di Arie. I found it less "hot" (the legs on the Roshambo were pretty danged thick) and I found the tannins of the Di Aria more "chewy" and full. I also found the Roshambo to have a bit of weak finish. The nose on Di Arie seemed to be more "traditional" Zin with a bit of "jam" and just a hint of chocolate. So between the Vine burger and the two glasses of Zin I am feeling better... still apprehensive, but better.

Some Weekends Are Just Better Than Others

It's Monday and back to work. Kinda hard as I had a really nice weekend. It started Friday evening when I went with my friend Vince to a lovely newish restaurant in San Diego, Cafe Chloe. Great food! We had their cheese plate, oops, plat de fromage, and I had rabbit for the main course. We paired dinner with a Pouilly-Fuissé (a white medium-bodied Burgundy) and it was excellent. I highly recommend it (both the wine and the restaurant).

Saturday I spent a huge chunk of time with Mr. Beau. One of the last real gentlemen in San Diego. We've gone out a few times and every time I have been made to feel quite special. We had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. I think we're both hooked on the Hefe Weizen. After eating and talking we walked around the Gaslamp area and I took him to Cesar's Cigar Bar where my gentleman friend purchased two very nice cigars and we spent some time in the outdoor area where I taught him the finer points of how to handle a well-made cigar.

Sunday I had breakfast with Aleks (it was nice but a little distant... I still miss him), did a little cleaning, and then went to The Third Corner where I spent time with a couple of other "cork dorks" sampling a couple styles of Mourvèdre. I've decided to work on my certified sommelier award so I need a lot of practice (now if THAT isn't an excuse to drink wine I don't know what is). I found the 2005 Holly's Hill quite a nice little wine.

I wound up with maître blanc napping on the couch with the fourth disk of Heroes playing. About 11pm he work me up for his end of the evening kibble and I waddled upstairs and into bed.

Exciting? For the most part no. One of my better weekends? Absolutely!