Magnificat Birthday Weekend

It was nice for Franciscan to schedule their Magnificat release party on my birthday, so I put together a nice balance of fun for a long weekend in Northern California.

Starting off day 1 of my birthday weekend with a round at Pebble Beach on Thursday - its an up and down round, but par a bunch of holes.

Stop by Petar's in Lafayette to see my friend - Dave that is still performing there after all these years. They did a nice remodel on the restaurant. But the St. Mary's crowd has taken over.

Friday morning its a round of golf at Pittsburg's Delta View - front nine was a little shaky but play 5 over on the back nine. My buddy Gary beats my score by 10.

For my birthday - Gary brings over a bottle of Joseph Phelps Bachus - 2004, we pay the corkage at Grissini's and have a great Italian dinner.

Now its time to still check Friday wine tasting at Wine Thieves (http://www.winethieves.com/) Jim and Ben are there, but the tasting doesn't come close to the Bachus we had earlier. I purchase a mixed case to fill some gaps in my current collection.

Saturday making a change by having a big breakfast for a change before heading up to Napa.

1st stop in Napa - Robert Sinsky on Silverado Trail. Love their Cabernet Franc and their Marcein red blend.

I have worn out my Joseph Phelps vest - so a quick stop to buy a new one, but what the heck - let's taste some wine too. Chardonnay, Pinot and a Merlot was on the tasting which they hadn't made since 2002. Normally the Merlot is reserved to blending in the Insignia. They were also pouring the 2006 Cabernet and of course Insignia. As a bonus we get a taste of 2005 Bachus.

Now its time to head over the Franciscan - we zip over on Zinfandel lane back to Hwy 29 and we make it on time. There was a private tasting with Janet Myers which I scored by being one of the 1st to register for the Magnificat tasting. Which is their Meritage blend.
Janet speaks to us about oak and its effect on wine. We get to try the recent vintage of Cabernet that is in Light, Medium and Heavy toast. Most of us like Medium toast the best. But we also mix all three to create own blend before heading into the library for the 2006 Release.
They are pouring 5 different vintages of Magnificat today. I like to drink Newer to Older, but speaking with Janet Myers she like to do the opposite. For me my taste buds have to warm old to the older vintages. Janet said the fruit in the newer vintages can over power the older vintages.
I start with the 2006 - still a little tight for me today, but then I decide to take her advice and jump over the 2001 and its amazing and better yet one of my favorite wine hosts is working the room with the '01 - Tom...who years ago we called Bob all day before realizing the mistake. He's a midwest guy and normally only works on Sunday. He's one of the best in Napa.
I jump over the 2003 which was in little 375 ml bottles and learn that the wine ages faster in smaller bottles. The '03 is fantastic too. Back into the limited access and there is music - two woman playing violins, great food - the Kobe beef sticks and the Salmon are very tasting with Franciscan's blend. The last vintage I taste is the 2004. Very nice, but you can't beat the 2001.
But then we find out that a wine club member brought in a 1989 Magnificat...you had to go into the 2006 room and say; "I heard a rumor..." Gary and I get the last two tastes of the '89 from the decanter. It has been well cellared, the cork looks good and how many times do you ever get to taste a 2o year old Napa blend. But now that's gone it back to see Tom with the 2001 and I camp out there for the remainder of the afternoon. Normally I like wine 3-5 years old, but the '01 is perfect with an amazing finish.

We were going to stop at Auberge for a burger, but we had some much food at Franciscan we head back to the East Bay.

It's Saturday night, but I'm too tired to head out.

Maybe golf in the morning.

It's been a great birthday - year 49 is off to a good start.

-Brian

MORE NAPA SUMMER FUN

ROBERT MONDAVI SUMMER CONCERTS

6/27 B-52s
7/4 Preservation Hall Jazz Band with fireworks
7/11 Ozomatli
7/18 Natalie Cole with Napa Valley Symphony
7/25 KC & Sunshine Band
8/1 Smokey Robinson

FRANCISCAN MAGNIFICAT TASTING

coming up on 7/18 www.franciscan.com

NY Summer Hot Spots

The Pony - American Beer Bar 44th & 10th Ave in Hells Kitchen. Rotating american beers on tap. Sister restaurant to Lansdowne Road. Another reason to party in the old neighborhood. Say Hi! to Dan for me! And keep track of your beer tasting - free shirt after 100 beers (not in one setting please)

Just opened NY's Largest Beer Garden "Studio Square" huge outdoor space and grill 20 beers on tap. 35-33 36th Street, LIC, NY http://www.studiosquarenc.com/

McGarry's Pub grand opening of Summer Beer Garden with $20 mix buckets of Mexican beers. Weekend brunch $11.95 417 9th Ave 212-810-2115

Hoboken Bar & Grill: On Washington - over 60 beers - taste them all and you make their hall of fame. Fantastic Food and outdoor seating. Yours truly 1st member of beer club...but still have some beers to consume.

Dog's Ear Bar: On Hudson in SoHo - new restaurant and bar opened right next door to our new CBS studios. They must have known about us moving down...nothing on tap yet, but good beer selection. Excellent Bacon Cheeseburger, Cobb Salad, Salmon, Fish & Chips and more. Very nice setting.

Water Taxi Beaches: they're expanding with one on Governor's Island (7/4 opening) and South Street Seaport at the north end of Pier 17 - opening May 10. Great concept and a lot of fun. Bring the beach to the city!

Summer Events in Napa

Napa Valley Festival Del Sole - July 17-25 Music fine wine art and more at spectacular Napa Wineries http://www.fdsnapa.org

Ravenswood Release Party - Saturday Aug 29 The home of No Wimpy Wines is releasing the 2007 Vineyard-Designate wines. Single vineyard Zins. Ravenswood also offers Morning Tour & Tastings at 10:30 - see who says it has to be noon? Or Afternoon Vineyard Wine & Cheese Tour at 3pm. Weds 5:30 - 7:30 - after hours with Uncle Bob - Ravenswood wines with snacks and Bob! www.ravenswood-wine.com

More events as they come in...put them on my blog so I can find them again.

-Brian

Taste of Hope Wine Dinner

April 16, 2009

Tribeca-Manhattan, NY. - The Hope’s 3rd Annual "Taste of Hope" Dinner and Wine auction to support City of Hope was a huge success last week. Raising a record breaking $225,000 at the event that was easily the heaviest gathering of the entire music and radio business in years with LA Reid, Steve Bartels, Richard Palmese and a couple of former NY Knicks John Starks and Allan Houston were in attendance. Learn about last year's event >>

As a table wine sponsor I lined up what turned to be an amazing evening for everyone at table #16. This was evident when we made a lot of new friend when they heard what we were drinking;

Starting with a nice Champagne Toast from Chad Brown (who hired me in NYC).
We get into Califorinia' Greatest Hits:

1) Champagne Toast - Bollinger Champagne (not from Cali...)

2) Cakebread Cellars – Chardonnay 200 Napa Valley

3) Cakebread Cellars – Chardonnay Reserve 2005 Carneros Napa
Drink now -2011. Consistently scores 90+ pts in WS.

4) Duckhorn – Merlot 2006 Napa Valley
One of the Napa’s biggest Merlots. Drink now – 2009. 90 pts in WS.


A Salute to Robert Mondavi and his Napa Cabs scoring over 90 pts in 2000’s and 1990’s
VERTICAL TASTING – Different Vintages of same wine *bonus taste

*) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Napa Valley
Best from now – 2018 92 pts in WS.

6) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Napa Valley
Best from 2008 – 2018 95 pts in WS. Very Nice

7) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Napa Valley
Best from 2005 – 2012. 94 pts in WS. This was fantastic too!

*) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 Napa Valley. Best from now – 2011. 90-92 pts in Parker recent tastes& 90pts in WS. Although no considered a great year for Napa this was very nice for 2000 vintage.

9) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 Napa Valley
Best from now-2012 94 pts in WS. This was spectactular!

10) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 Napa Valley
Drink now - 2011. 95 pts in WS. This wine has held up well and maybe one of the finest expressions of a big Napa Cab - Thanks Bob!

MERITAGE - BATTLE OF THE BLENDS
(Merit + Heritage) Red Meritage Wines must be a blend of at least two of the following: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab-Franc, Malbec or Petit Verdot. No single grape may make up more than 90%. The price point doubles in each of these bottles. ($60, $125, $240) And people were surprised that Trilogy at that price point holds it own!

11) Flora Springs - Trilogy - 2003!

12) Rubicon Estate - 2002 Rutherford, Napa Valley
A Bordeaux expression in Napa. Co-owned by Francis Ford Coppola. Drink now - 2012. 91 pts in WS.

13) Joseph Phelps – Insignia 2001 Napa Valley
Meritage blend (Cab , Petit Verdot and Malbec. A more recent vintage of Insignia finished #1 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list and the price skyrocketed! Drink now - 2012. 94 pts in WS.

http://www.cityofhope.org/giving/fundraising-support-groups/music/taste-of-hope/Pages/default.aspx

Here's what a typical table looks like...some of the finest wine assembled...

Where's all the food?

Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail 2009

Altoona, Pa - I met up with my parents and good friends Ken, Cheryl, Carl, and Michelle hopped aboard the bus for a tour of the six wineries in the Susquehanna Heartland.
The wineries are all spread out, so we only made it to four.

The Juniata and Susquehanna River Valleys are beautiful even though spring has not arrived yet. Note - The Susquehanna River which actually starts in upstate NY is one of the largest fresh water sources of the Chesapeake Bay. OK enough water trivia…

1st stop was Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery – close to State College home to Joe Pa and Penn State. Starting with the Reserve Chardonnay - $18.99 very clear and has seen very little oak – which is the trend lately to show case more fruit flavors. On to the Reds…Montage $15.99 their version of a Meritage blend. Cabernet Franc $13.99 my fave for this winery and a new grape which I unfamiliar – Chambourcin $11.99. Had the aroma of a Pinot Noir. That’s it for their dry winers – the local favorite is one called Tailgate Red which comes in 1.5 Liter bottled perfect for tailgating at Penn State.
My purchase here was a sweet/sour mustard. http://www.mtnittanywinery.com/

For a point of reference I brought a long a bottle of NY wine –Bedell Taste blend and a & Washington Wine – Northstar Merlot. BTW – no comparison to PA.

According to the arrow Ken seems to think there's a bigger attraction than the wine...

15 minutes later we made it to our 2nd stop Brookmere Winery located in a stone & wood bank barn in the beautiful Kishacoquilla’s “Seven Mountains” Valley.
Start with a Niagara Spumante that’s very tasty, then on to the a nice collection of reds.
Here’s the Chambourcin again $11.00 – dead ringer for Pinot. Autumn Red $10.00 thin, but pleasant. Cabernet Franc $13.50, then 1st red to catch my attention – Carmine full flavor with a nice pepper finish. Than another surprise Alexander Red – blend of their Chambourcin & Cab Franc – very nice at $15.50. The Cabernet Sauvignon was just OK and they had a crazy red called Red Foxx that is sweet & spicy at same time – think hot & sour soup – it was interesting. But the big winner with our group where the fruit wines like “Tears of the Goose”, “Frog Hollow” and their #1 wine is called “Berries Gone Wild” Ken and I realized we’re not in Napa and start to embrace these fruit bomps.
http://www.brookmerewine.com/

Ken and my Dad get into the spirit at Shade Mt. while Brian & Cheryl pose out front.

It’s a longer trip on Rt. 522 to Shade Mountain Winery in Middleberg, PA and somehow a bigger bus has beat us to this winery. Shade Mountain has a nice beautiful deck overlooking 60 acres of vineyards and there are 43 wines to sample – YES 43 at one winery.
Starting with the Reds; Merlot-Dry $10.99 ok but a little chalky finish, Pinot Noir $10.99 not bad but is lacking structure. Sangiovese $9.95 was very pleasant as was the Cab Franc and Cab Sauv both $11.99. Unlike the other wineries no limit on how many you wanted to try here…so Porque No! (so why not?)
Bad Moose Mead – sweet honey wine – that oddly enough was very tasty. Six Dwarf’s Mint Wine – where are my Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies to complement this wine…and by the way – only 6 dwarfs, because one took off with Snow White.
They have a whole bunch of Fruit Wines: Plum, Cranberry, Strawberry, Cherry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Blueberry and Smokehouse Apple – very nice.
http://www.shademountainwinery.com/

After 3 wineries somehow I'm the only one who can still read a map...and our driver isn't drinking? The bus driver get us to our 4th winery on the other side of the Susquehanna River - Spyglass Ridge Winery near Sunbury.
There is a live band and damn that huge bus beat us here too, but there are over 20 wines to sample and there is a good food spread.
2005 Chardonnay – pleasant – aged in PA American Oak for 18 months. 2004 Chambourcin – 28 months in oak and is more hearty than the other Chambourcin wines of the day. 2005 Cab Franc Reserve – where they mix in 5% of Chambersin and this wine is almost sold out.
The most requested wine here is one called “Tam’s Red” deep and rich in color with cherry notes – perfect with dark chocolate and only $10.00
Some of the fruit wines were “Tommy Appleseed” which tasted like biting into an apple and “Sour Cherry” a wine they describe like tasting like summer and I agree this would be refreshing on a hot August day.
http://www.spyglassridgewinery.com/

We ran out of time to visit the other two on the trail.

Just south of Spyglass is Benigna’s Creek Winery in Klingerstown. http://www.bcwinery.com/

And farther downriver is Hunters Valley Winery that has been in operation for over 20 years and has just moved into a new building that has breathtaking views of the Susquehanna River. Sit on the porch and watch the Millersburg Ferry cross the river in the summer…good plan. http://www.huntersvalleywines.com/

Ok so it wasn’t Napa, Sonoma, Woodinville or Santa Ynez valley, but with good friends and my parents it was time well spent.
Little did I know there were wineries so close to our family cottage and I’ve been wasting all my time fishing…

-Brian

For more info visit: http://www.pawinetrail.com/

California Wine Experience in NYC

Manhattan - Wine Spectator hosts a few events in New York every year, the earlier one was the Grand Tour.

The California Wine Experience is an opportunity to the best that California has to offer.
Most people will never get the chance to taste this many fine wines in one location. It would take weeks to visit all these Napa wineries.

This time I tried to keep the order of the wines tasted for future reference.

1) Snowden Cab
2) Shafer Hillside Select (first Wow wine of the night)
3) Spottswoode (nice)
4) Silver Oak - Napa
5) Staglin -this is their blend (2nd Wow)
6) St. Clement Oroppas (nice but the other wines were bigger)
7) Joseph Phelps - Insignia (still one of my all time favorites)
8) Pride Mountain
9) Quintessa (very nice blend)
10) Lewis Cellars (for all the hype on this wine I was disappointed)
11) Plumpjack (SF's Mayor Gavin Newsome is one of the founders)
12) Paradigm
13) Opus One (a meritage blend before the name existed)
14) Pahlmeyer (Napa Valley Blend - this is fantastic)
15) Rubicon (best vintage I've tasted from them)
16) M by Michael Mondavi (1st time I've tasted his wine - very nice - lots of fruit up front)
17) Peter Michael (nice)
18) Nickel & Nickel
19) Neiman (blend 1/3 Cab, 1/3 Merlot & 1/3 Cab Franc)
20) Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - SLV
21) Sterling (very nice wine)
22) Chateau St. Michelle - Syrah (odd that a WA wine is at the CA Wine Experience)
23) Domaine Carneros
24) David Bruce - Pinot from the Santa Cruz mountains.

and this was just on the 6th floor, now down to the 5th floor

Rochioli Chardonnay (one of my faves)
Darioush (beautiful tasting room on Silverado Trail)
Duckhorn Merlot
Northstar Merlot (Another WA wine)
Araujo Cab - this is one of Napa's cult wine - fantastic!
Harlan Cab - another big Napa wine.
Barnett
and topped off the night with Kevin from Bennett Lane - they used to call it Primus, but have dropped that moniker from their top of the line Cabernet.

There were some other great wines on the 5th floor that I didn't make it to:

Paul Hobbs, Dunn, Far Niente, Col Solare, Grgigh Hills, Chalk Hill, Groth, Girard, Hall,
Etude, and more.

Emerald Isle Golf

Took my first guy's golf trip to Ireland

Here are my favorite phrases of the week besides: "another Carlsberg beer..."

1) "Just a wee bit left..."

2) "This club will do you no harm" obviously my caddie didn't see me play Port Rush the day before...

3) "I heard a rumor that Irish golf courses actually have fairways"

4) "Have you ever considered playing tennis over here - we might be able to find your ball"

I had a great time and no golf clubs were injured in Ireland, but that might have been a good idea.

It was a trip of a lifetime - 10 rounds of golf on 8 days/7 nights on Ireland's best courses.

Luckily found a direct flight into Belfast:

Day One: Portstewart Golf Club with accomodations at Bushmills Inn.

Day Two: Ballyliffin Golf Club - "Old Couse" for two rounds

Day Three: Royal Portrush Golf Club - "Dunluce Course" for two rounds.

Day Four: can I stll walk? Royal County Down Golf Club - Slieve Donard Hotel

Day Five: County Louth (Baltray) Golf Club - Westin Dublin Hotel

Day Six: Royal Dublin Golf Club in the morning followed by The Island Golf Club in the afternoon.

Day Seven: The European Club

Day Eight: sleep the whole way back to New York.

Can't wait to see how different the golf courses are in Ireland - the weather will be unpredictable and the pubs should be fun - exactly which wine goes with fish & chips?

And I Learned a long time ago not to go drink for drink with the Irish...I think I've learned.


-Brian

Stratus - Niagara Falls VQA

Stratus Winery has one of the best looking tasting rooms you'll see. And the wine was up to par with the new construction.

The have a nice white blend and ice wine too, but I was impressed with "Red" a blend of the 5 noble Bordeaux grapes and a little Syrah which creates a fantastic finish. And this helps take a way that thin taste in most red wines outside of Napa.

"Pretty Good Wine - Eh?"

They also make an impressive Cabernet Franc which flourishes in this region. And make sure you try their ice wine to harvest the temps have to be -7 to -10 for consecutive day, by the way that's Celsius.

And Stratus is the 1st "Leed" certified winery in the world making them eco friendly - more information at http://www.stratuswines.com/

-Brian


note: VQA stands for Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario - Setting the standard for Ontario's premium wines. http://www.vqaontario.com/

Upcoming Party at Franciscan

This is one of my favorite parties at Franciscan:

Magnificat Release PartySaturday, July 12, 2008 at Franciscan WineryCome taste the latest release of Franciscan's flagship wine at this exclusive event open only to wine club members and their guests. RSVP to events@franciscan.com or by calling 707-967-3993.VIP Hour 12pm-1pm: $70 per person. Advanced reservations are required, attendance will be limited. Enjoy passed hors d'oeuvres and special library wines. Each guest will take home a bottle of the newly released 2005 Magnificat signed by the Franciscan winemaking team. Admission to the main event is included.Main Event 1pm-4pm: $40 per person. Continue the party with live music, barrel samples, fantastic food, and Franciscan wines.

City of Hope Wine Tasting

I'm hosting a table this year at the City of Hope Wine Dinner and Auction.

Saluting California Greatest Hits in Wine

1) Cakebread Cellars – Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Napa Valley
The blend of 89% Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Semillon and 4% Sauvignon Musque creates a mouthwatering aperitif. A rich vivacious white wine with enticing grapefruit, gooseberry, kiwi, green apple and hay aromas. Full bodied on the palate with green apple and citrus flavors. 91 pts - Connoisseurs' Guide

2) Rochioli – Chardonnay 2006 Russian River Valley Estate
The Russian River Valley in Sonoma County produces some of the best Chardonnays with hot summer days and cool nights. The wine boasts a multilayered texture with aromas of pineapples, peach smoke and butter. Produced with 50% new French Oak. Robert Parker consistently rates this wine from 93-94pts and it has scored 97 pts in WS.

3) Williams Selyem – Pinot Noir 2005 Russian River Valley
25th Anniversary. Aromas include blackberries, plums, cloves, black truffle, cola and crème brûlée. Rich tannins accentuate blackberry-plum which complement the creamy, silky, yet fat finish and spicy berry flavors. Robert Parker describes this Pinot Noir at its most seductive and opulent. 94-97 pts -WS.

4) Shafer – Merlot 2005 Napa Valley
The Shafer family is widely regarded as one of Napa’s best Merlot producers. A blend of 86% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc from their Stag’s Leap and Yountville vineyards. 100% French Oak. Robert Parker says; “has an elegant bouquet of berry fruit, menthol, sweet cherries and spice” One of the biggest Merlots that you’ll ever taste. Consistently scores 92+ pts in WS.


VERTICAL TASTING – Different Vintages of the same wine

5) Whitehall Lane – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Napa Valley
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Commemorative Silver Anniversary Reserve bottle with a glass stopper. This classic, opulent Napa Valley Cabernet has aromas of black cherry and scents of creamy vanilla framed by toasty French Oak. Flavors of blackberry, mulberry and mocha with a long, silky smooth finish. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 25 months. 93 pts in WS.

6) Whitehall Lane – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Napa Valley
A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petite Verdot, this wine has a deep, intense color and a distinct fruit center that begins with black cherry, violet and currant aromas. Well balanced, elegant and sleek on the palate, delivering very long berry and cherry flavors through to the finish. James Laube says; “sharply focused and finishes with a long rich aftertaste.” Aged in French and American oak barrels for 22 months. 93 pts in WS.

7) Whitehall Lane – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 Napa Valley
Wine Spectator ranked Whitehall Lane’s Cabernet #3 on Top 100 list and the Reserve scored even higher, but wasn’t eligible for the list due to limited production. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine has richly floral aromas of crushed flowers, violet and ripe cherry. The texture of this wine is generously fruity and delightfully silky with flavors of blackberry, blueberry and toasty oak. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 22 months. 95 pts in WS.

few bonus bottles: 1996 Bollinger Grand Cru Champagne and 2000 Flora Springs 25th Anniversary Cabernet - both magnum bottle.

Silver Oak Release Party

E-mail from Silver Oak:

2003 Napa Valley Release Day - February 2nd
Dear Brian,
Release Day is almost here! We hope you can attend the festivities on Saturday, February 2nd to celebrate the release of our delicious 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

If you are unable to join us, you still have the opportunity to pre-order the new release or Collector Edition online or by calling (800) 273-8809.

Silver Oak COO Tony LeBlanc draws a crowd while opening a 12 Liter on Release Day. This year, we are pouring a limited amount of our 1998 Napa Valley Cabernet from our library.

Join Us for Release Day! Date: February 2, 2008, Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Alexander Valley: Geyserville Estate, Napa Valley: Oakville Estate

Invite a friend to Release Day.

This is Superbowl Weekend - nice combo - Super Wine Saturday followed by Super Bowl Sunday - Go Giants!

Ringing in the New Year!

A bunch of us had to work on NY's Eve so why not throw a little party when you have the best view in the world from my Times Square office.

To celebrate it was another vertical tasting this time with Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon vintages 2004, 2003 and a 1996 Mt. Veeder Reserve Meritage blend.

We started with the newest first. 2004 very pleasant fruit forward, then the 2003 little more must on the noise and a smoother finish, then on to the reserve granted its a Meritage blend containing all 5 noble Bordeaux grapes....lots of barnyard on the nose, but its only been open for 10 minutes...but it tastes much better like a French wine.

As the night progressed the extra year on the 2003 became more tasty and not until hours later did the '96 settle down and open up.

On the hours before midnight there is a countdown and they list the country where its became the New Year...Rio, Bermuda, and oddly one on the half hour Newfoundland then finally New York.

Leaving Times Square where it was civilized until we got outside the barricades on 8th Ave, still busy on 9th. But not too busy stopping in at Mr. Biggs on 10th Ave for a Turkey Burger to soak up all the wine.

Our offices are supposed to move downtown by next year, so this might have been my last one from Times Square.

But so happy it was another safe NY's eve in NY.



-Brian

Christmas is Better in the Bahamas

This Christmas time I've been working instead of heading to an exotic location and drinking Margaritas until the new year.

It's now 12:30 AM on December 24th...Christmas Eve and wind is almost blowing out the windows and ths sound of sleet is slapping too.

That's it I have to escape Manhattan.

After a few web searchs on kayak.com, sidestep.com and finally expedia.com I find a nice package deal for the Bahamas at the Wyndham Nassau -Cable Beach. It's a direct flight from LGA so I can be in the sun in the afternoon. Check the forcast and it calls for low 80's perfect!

No traffic today so I make to LaGuardia in minutes and its just a 2.5 hour flight to Nassau - perfect. It about a 40 degree temp swing but I'm wearing a pair of Eddie Bauer pants that are perfect for this situation - the legs zip off to become shorts...exactly what I envisioned upon purchase.

Cool the golf clubs made it and its a quick taxi ride to the hotel - looks like its best days where decades ago, but there is a casino and the golf course is right across the street. I check out course and make a tee time to be 1st out on Christmas day.

On the way back is restaurant called Johnny Canoe's - where I down a few Kalik beer and enjoy Conch chowder and Blackened Grouper.

It's off to the casino - win 3 times on Roulette and its time to crash - I'm dreaming about golf tomorrow...1st tee time is 7:15.

Nice Christmas day golf and its warm - yes this is the present I wanted.

Cable Beach Golf Club is a par 71 at 6453 yards and its my 1st time on this track and I head out with no warm up. It's a magical day and start off with a 42 on the par 36 front and that includes a double bogey. I'm warmed up now on the back nine - Check out this drive over water on #11 287 yd par 4. Missed the eagle chip but walk away with a birdie 3.

I'm one over on the back and start thinking about my score and finish with bogeys on #17 & #18. Finishing the back nine +1 on the par 35. Wow that's still a 78 and as I told the starter it was possible to play 18 holes under 2 hours today my time is 1:55 not bad for a course that I haven't played before...

It's off to the beach to catch up on my tan. I'm on in Nassau for 25 hours, but what a wonderful day. We should enjoy every 24 hours like this.

-Brian

Magnificat Vertical Tasting

"What is a vertical tasting?"

It's when you experience the same wine from multiple years. This can give you an idea of how the wine will age...better or worse. For me I really love wines around 5+ years old.

The vertical tasting was from Franciscan Oakville Estate, their Meritage blend call Magnificat (is named after a Bach overture) and all three wines with hitting the high notes and we agreed all the wine was magnificent!

The contenders: 2004, 2003 and 2002 Magnificat. Original retail price $50.00. Notice the new label on the '04 vintage.



http://www.franciscan.com/

This is a meritage blend with Cabernet Sauvignon normally the prominent grape and the rest consisting of 4 of the 5 Bordeaux grapes. There have only been two years where there was more Merlot than Cab...the 2000 and 2004 which we're tasting today.

The blends: in order of content.

2002: Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec
2003: 71% Cab Sauv, 25% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
2004: 50% Merlot, 49% Cab Sauv, 1% Petit Verdot

- Wine opened 30 minutes before tasting at the recommended 66 degrees.

We started with the newest and progressed to the older vintages.

For a wine that was just released this year the '04 hits you up front with great fruit and a smooth clean finish.

Next is the '03 and you can already taste the difference with a lower percentage of Merlot - this is more like a big California Cab - very nice, but so far we digging the '04.

By the time we make it to the '02 that year has had another 30 minutes of aeration. The '02 is a "Wow" Still big up front and a very subtle black licorice finish. Its the only one of the 3 that contains Cab Franc and I feel that is the reason why we all liked this one better - definitely more complex than than the other two.

Second time around we liked the '03 a little better. The consensus was the '04 is great right now and will be amazing in a couple of years. But the '02 was "Amazing" now. And how can you go wrong when you but Cab Franc in the mix...which is always a winner for me.

And most likely after a vertical tasting you'll be horizontal...sooner than later... :)

-Brian

Holiday Parties & Weekend of Wine

Holiday parties are in full swing.
Friday we had the NY Media Party across the street at the Marriott Marquis. Our new boss christened her office with a pre-party in our offices. Not a bad way to start off the morning...bloody mary's, Vevue Cliquot, '98 Dom Perignon and some 2005 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay from New Zealand and a 2004 Simi Landslide Cabernet - and this was all the pre-game.

The following Monday we had our holiday party at STK, a steakhouse in the Meat Packing District. They have a sister restaurant in Hollywood on La Cienega. Wine was served from a magnum, which appeared to be GS (grocery store) so opted to stick with the Corona...which was a good call because we ended up at Kareoke 1 downtown and sang songs until 1:00 AM. My personal highlights were "Wonderwall" by Oasis and "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey.

Thursday crashed our sister station's holiday party at Taboon, 52nd in Hell's Kitchen.
They were serving a nice French Pinot Noir, but never got a look at the label. After saying Hi to everyone headed over to the CBS Media Party at Black Rock. This was quite the party...one of the highlights was speaking with Harry Smith from the CBS Morning show.

A bunch of us had to work late on Friday so we did a little Pinot Noir comparison. A value 2005-Estancia Pinot Noir - Pinnancles Ranch ($16) versus 2005 Whitehall Lane Pinot Noir - Carneros ($36). (Note originally I incorrectly listed the Whitehall price at $50 which would still be worth it in my book...my friends at Whitehall called and corrected me...sorry Tom)
Surprisily the Estancia isn't bad, but a little thin....very nice floral noise and not overpowering. Next we open the Whitehall -its hot and at first all we can smell is the 14.5 % of alcohol. This a new wine for Whitehall Lane...and well done for the inaugural release. It's a shade darker and has a much bigger finish. After 15 minutes the real bouquet of the Whitehall appeared - and to me it wasn't any contest...but considering you can drink bottles of Estancia to one Whitehall - its a great value, so one of our tasters would go by price...but to my taste buds I'll spring for the Whitehall anyday.

http://www.whitehalllane.com/our_wine/facts/fact_05_Pinot.php

Winter storm warning was in effect for NY - so stayed indoors this weekend. Keeping the comparison going I opened a 2006 Ferrarri Carano Pinot Noir - Russian River Valley ($32). Aged in custom french barrels it features strawberry, raspberry and cherry cola with a hint of spice. Reminds me more of the Santa Ynez valley Pinots. It's already sold out...so stock up on the Whitehall Lane, now that I know its only $36...I'm down to my last few bottles from the case I purchased.

Sunday winter has arrived in Manhattan and after 2 days of Pinot...needed something special to go with making chocolate chip cookies...found a 1996 Franciscan Library Reserve - Cabernet Saugvinon - Napa ($80 originally). The cork looks great and comes out easily which tells me that when they break in half at a restaurant they have the bad habit of storing there wine upright. Using the decanter - the color is still vibrant. Little earthy on the noise, has a touch black licorice with a very solid finish. The wind is whipping outside, but its nice and warm with my big cab inside...

Its the last week before Christmas which is extra work for the programming people. So one night this week I'm hosting a Franciscan Magnificat vertical tasting...'99, '01, '02, '03 and '04. We'll have to order more John's Pizza to make sure we get through all the wine.

And who knows maybe Santa will put a few surprises in my stocking this year.

-Brian

Big Week in the Big Apple

Monday - ratings day - the monthly breakout shows that our radio station has moved all the way up to #2 in NY its only a trend, so no Champagne yet. But Monday night I do break out a '2000 Silver Oak Alexander Valley - sadly it is slightly corked.

The ratings news makes the NY Daily News:
Oldies looking golden at WCBS-FM (101.1)
By DAVID HINCKLEYDAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Tuesday, September 18th 2007
WCBS-FM (101.1) seems to have rocketed out of the box with its return to "the greatest hits of the '60s, '70s and '80s." while monthly audience estimates for radio are notoriously imprecise indicators, extrapolated figures released yesterday for August show this: Among advertisers' favorite age group, 25 to 54, WCBS-FM had 67,300 listeners in the average quarter hour, nearly double the 36,900 estimated in June under the station's old Jack format. That figure makes WCBS-FM the No. 2 station in the city for August among that age group, trailing only WBLS-FM (107.5 ). In June, WCBS-FM was No. 15. WCBS-FM also had the second-highest share of the total listening pool in August: 4.8%, trailing only WHTZ-FM (100.3). For WCBS-FM that's up from 1.9% in June. "We're excited about our progress," said WCBS-FM program director Brian Thomas. "I've never seen this kind of response to any station."


Weds - I've been wanting to attend one of these for years - Mercedes had a cancellation so I treat myself to the AMG Challenge at Pocono Raceway. It's a quick drive on I-80 West from Manhattan. The AMG Challenge is a racing school and allows you to drive the AMG Mercedes products in race conditions. My fave of the day the new CL63, E63 and the quick CLK 55. Instructors for the day are Tommy Kendall, Brad Noffsinger, Bobby Seymour, Al Unser III, Tony Hunt and my guy was Mike Liebl. Morning sessions include Road Courses and Timed Autocross - my time beat Al Unser - not bad....
In the afternoon - High Performance Carting wearing helmut, neck braces, and full racing coveralls - I win my heat in the prelim's then they take the top 8 times and let us go at it...I finish #2 in the finals - lots of fun. Next was Full Throttle Challenge in the very rare CLK 63 Black Series over 500hp in the coupe only 300 imported to the US -tits basically their F1 Pace Car without the safety light - I do the 1/4 mile in 4.5 seconds that is the fastest I've ever gone in a car.
Then finally open lapping on the oval at Pocono - you follow the lead car and the closer you follow the faster the lead will go - sadly the CLK 63 Cabriolet feels squirrley at 90 miles per hour on the bank while I'm trying to keep up with the lead car CL63, but it flies through the corners. Later I drive the E63 and my lead car is the same - so game on...this car is much more balanced and I surprise my lead by how I'm able to stay on her tail through the corners...she was impressed - I've never driven car this fast and had so much confidence - the AMG products are amazing and now of course I want one...
At the end of the day we have a Champagne toast (Moet White Star) - just a sip I still had to drive back to Manhattan...and on the way home suddenly 90 mph feels slow.

Saturday was supposed to be nice, but it rains so no golf or fishing, but do open a Chateau St Michelle Chardonnay and its a perfect blend of Flavor with a touch of Oak.
Sunday turns out to be nice - play a muni in Westchester called Saxon Woods walk the course and shoot 85 - its the 1st day of fall, but one of the nicest all year in NY. Later in the day open a Millbrook Reserve Cab Franc - not bad for a Hudson River Valley Wine.

It's back to work tomorrow - not ready for the weekend to end...

-Brian

Bay Area Visit

A visit to Cali, was long overdue...but its been so busy with re-launching CBS-FM in NYC.

And the great way to start the weekend is at the Friday Night wine tasting 5:30-7:00 at Wine Thieves in Lafayette. Schlumberger Wines was on premise pouring some nice whites and blends. Say Hi to Jim, Ben, Rod and Peter. They had some good values like a 2004 Wente Chardonnay for $10.99. Wente was the 1st producer of Chardonnay in California.

http://www.winethieves.com/

After tasting walk across Mt. Diablo Blvd for Bo's Barbeque - the best this side of the Mississippi. Bo is a music lover and has Blues Bands on his expanded patio every Friday Night, plus he has a great wine list. Get the Brisket sandwich and choose your wine.

After some good eats - you have to stop over to Petars and say Hi Dave - best one man show in the East Bay.

Saturday morning would not be complete without a round of golf at Pittsburg's Delta View, a great track for the price. If you can score on this course you can play anywhere.

I always enjoy getting out with good friends Gary and Rich. After an early morning round you have to have breakfast and a Bloody Mary at Zandonella's Sports Bar which has been remodeled. Here's a shot of Gary in his element.

Later in the afternoon Gary and I headed up to Franciscan for the Magnificat tasting.

This was their 20th anniversary of their Bordeaux Blend.

At the event which was private this year the tasting started with a new wine called Fountain Court a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, and Chardonnay - a little too sweet for my palate, but refreshing on a hot day.

Across the Wine Library we tasted the 2004 Oakville Cabernet and Merlot - both great values under $20 for members.

Next was meeting with winemaker Janet Myers for barrel sample of next year's Merlot in French and American oak...oddly we all like the American oak more - it seems to provide a better finish with the Merlot.

Clos Vineyard Reserve 2003 was the next wine $75 retail price point - fantastic.

The 2003 Magnificat was next and was tasting perfect and today had the best price point of the lot.

The big find was a new high end entry called the 2004 Winemakers Reserve - 100% Cab - big and hearty. We hung out at this table for quite a while and enjoyed the fantastic food. Salmon Kabobs, Burgers with carmelized onions, Shrimp - great food.

Finally what we're here for....the 2004 Magnificat but here's the big surprise - this year its 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauv and only 1% Cab Franc. The only other year that Merlot was the #1 ingredient was back in 2000.

Here's their descriptor; aromas of dark cherry, black plum with a dark chocolate with notes of sage and tea.

Have to say I like the 2004, but today it was priced higher than the 2003 with a blend of 4 grapes and really think is the better value.

It was another great party at Franciscan and love that is was only open for members this year, so it wasn't like Piranha's on the food. So nice to chat one on one with Janet and Matt.

Well you can't go to Napa and only go to one winery - so had to see my friends at Whitehall Lane - and have always loved their Cab's but the big news was their Carneros Pinot Noir $36 retail. Finally Napa is doing Pinot right and had to get a case of this fine wine.

It's a great day and thanks to all the food at Franciscan, Gary and I have not over done it this time. We hop in the Crossfire Roadster and head back to East Bay.

A great visit and one of those weekends that makes you miss California.

-Brian

Family Wine Makers of CA

Upcoming Events
August 19th – Family Winemakers of CA – Consumer and Trade Tasting, San Francisco, CA – Fort Mason Center. Family Winemakers of California and Laura Zahtila look forward to welcoming you to the largest tasting of California wines in the world ... a showcase for the state's small, family owned wineries.
Sunday, August 19th 12:00 – 4:00 pm - open to the public and to the trade, no charge to trade Tickets are $45 in advance ($40 for groups of 10 or more), $55 day of event. Call the Fort Mason Box Office, (415) 345-7575, http://www.fortmason.org/boxoffice/index.shtml

2004 Magnificat Release party

At one of my favorite wineries - Franciscan Winery Saturday August 25, 2007

This year the celebration wil be held exclusively for Wine Club members and their guests. VIP Experience: From 12-1pm, our VIP hour will be hosted by Winemaker Janet Myers. Attendance will be limited to 100 guests who will enjoy passed hors d'oeuvres and special library wines. Each guest will take home a bottle of the newly released 2004 Magnificat signed by the Franciscan winemaking team. Admission to the main event is included. $70 per person.Main Event: From 1-4pm we will continue the party with live music, barrel samples, fantastic food, and Franciscan wines. Attendance will be limited. $40 per person.Advance reservations are required. Please RSVP no later than August 17 by calling 707.967.3993 or via email events@franciscan.com
We hope to see you there!Cheers,Your friends at Franciscan Winery