Box versus Bottle

A good friend of mine recently sent me an article about how boxed wine known as cask wine in many other countries, is economically, practically, and environmentally superior to wine stored in glass bottles. This article spurred me to do a little more research on the topic. I could find no research (granted it was just what I could find on the internet over a 45 minute period) that contradicted the above article's position. I have to admit that I was very surprised by this finding. I came in extremely biased against boxed wine, which stems from the fact that I have never had a boxed wine (and I have tried a dozen or so) that hasn't made me regret allowing its content to pass over my lips. Plus, I have personally witnessed the evils boxed wine can bring on a person, but since I don't have permission to share this epic story I will have to leave this evidence locked in the Great Stories For Another Time vault.

Now let me share the true story behind boxed wine. My first lesson on the history of boxed wine came several years ago when I was living in Australia. I found out that it was a South Australian who created boxed wine. Australia has a thriving boxed wine market. I was then informed that boxed wine had another important function. Soon after boxed wine hit the Australian market reports flooded back of people whom, once the bag had been emptied of wine, were inflating the plastic bag and passing out while using it as a pillow. The bags that hold the wine have earned the name of Space Bags. Many people will tell you this name was given because of the shiny metalic silver color which gives the bags a space age feel, but the true story is that they are aptly labeled as Space Bags because the people who go through a whole bag of boxed wine are spaced out in more ways than just being obnoxiously drunk. Furthermore, anyone who passes out, resting their head on the opulent comfort of the Space Bag, after consuming vast amounts of wine that has been deemed worthy of a box and plastic bladder will have some of the trippiest dreams/nightmares that the human mind can create. With this being said, next time you are offered a second or third plastic cup of boxed wine think about where the night could take you...and if it does take you to a night on the space-bag please please please email me the story.

I must admit that this article, and the other "research" I have encountered has opened me up to the idea that boxed wine could end up being a good deal. I have allowed the idea of throwing a party where a few boxes of wine are freely flowing to enter my mind, but I don't see this happening for many years to come...not until my current pillows have lost every onze of plush. I personally will not be heading in the direction of boxed wine until the market starts offering many options at the higher quality range of wine.

Wine and Freedom

This weekend Jessi and Lachlan were invited to Cousin Lisa's baby shower. Lisa is due in just a few weeks, so Jessi, Lachlan, and Grammy braved the mountain pass to attend the baby shower. I jumped on the opportunity to get out of town myself and indulge myself in one of my all time favorite activities; wine tasting! My friends John and I also tackled the mountain pass in order to taste some excellent wine in Walla Walla. Here it is almost April, and not only was it snowing on the pass, it was actually snowing in Seattle and Walla Walla at different times this weekend as well. The snow was beautiful.

This weekend I was struck by how drastically my definition of "freedom" has shifted over these last ten months. . In the past I would have thought of this time away as a weekend where I was free to do what I wish, but this wasn't what I was feeling this time. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed spending time with my friend John and sipping a wide array of high quality wines, but I really felt the absence of Jessi and Lachlan. It hasn't been often that I have spent a night or two away from them, and I really missed them. Freedom is no longer me doing what I want when I want to, freedom is being with my family. I now find freedom in being the man I am called to be as a father and husband. I have found a beautiful freedom in being a father to my amazing little Lachlan, and a member of a family of three. It is interesting to ponder how my sense of identity has changed since Lachlan has entered my life. Ten month later it is impossible to picture life without him. All ready his presence has transformed me in many areas of my life. His presence has forever changed my identity; being a father is an awesome and amazing responsibility and joy.

Being a father has changed much, even how I engage with wine! Although it is true that Lachlan has changed life significantly, I am still me! I love wine. I love laughing with good friends, and sharing stories, dreams, desires, and fears with those I love. I love walking into a wineries' tasting room with the anticipation and excitement about what I am about to taste for the first time; will it be good, bad, simple, complex, etc. or will I find myself in the presence of a breath taking wine? That was what this weekend was for me. A time to share good stories, much laughter, decent food, and great wine with my good friend John.

I believe we visited close to twenty wineries throughout the weekend. Let me mark some of the memorable wineries and wines we encountered on our wine weekend away. On Friday, John and took a short detour to the Red Mountain wine region and sampled wines from a couple local wineries. I was so excited to find the winery Fidelitas nestled in the region. I was lucky to try a bottle of their merlot a couple years back, which was beautiful. Their wines were superb. They had a Syrah that was worth every penny of the fifty dollar price tag, but I didn't have 50 dollars to give to this noble cause!

The next day we started at Isenhower Cellars, which had solid wines across the board. My favorite was the Rara Avis, which was a Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah blend. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Snap Dragon, a mix of Roussanne and Viognier; a very flavorful white. We stopped at Waters' Winery, which not only had powerful wine, but also had two amazing pieces of art worth stopping in to see even if you don't appreciate good wine. Waters Winery tasted three Syrah's grown in different vineyards. It was shocking how different wines made from the same grape and wine maker could taste so different from one another. All their wines were good, with the most talked about wine being the Syrah that had a powerful flavor profile of smokiness and bacon fat. Another notable winery is Northstar Winery, whose self-stated mission is to make the best merlot in the region. I have to say they are doing a remarkable job. They were offering a verticle tasting of their Merlot's from 2001 through 2004, all of which were outstanding wines. Next on the list was Pepper Bridge Winery; which only had two wines for tasting, both of which were excellent. I found their Cabernet Savignon to be one of the best I have tried in all Walla Walla. It has a delightful force of power which is perfectly balanced by harmonious fruit and tannins. Another winery worth mentioning is Saviah Cellars. They had a great line up of wines with my personal favorite being their 2005 Walla Walla Valley Malbec. I was astounded by how silky smooth and flavorful this wine was; definitely worth tasting if you ever have the chance. In addition, I was finally able to try the wines of Cougar Crest Winery, which were all worthy of gracing my palate; their Cab Franc is worth pairing with a quality steak. Last, but not least, was my re-visiting of Trio Vintners, where I returned to pick up a couple bottles of their delicious Syrah. It was a real treat to be served by one of the wine makers, who remembered me from a couple months back, and also knew of my earlier blog post regarding their winery. It is very special to get such personal attention, where the wine maker has the time to share his or her passion for wine, and even give a tour of the winery (which happened the first time we went to Trio Vintners). To get such small town attention from wineries serving such world class wines is such a delight to experience.

Overall, this weekend was a wonderful time to further my growing love affair with Walla Walla wines and wineries. Thanks to my good friend John the weekend was so much more enjoyable. On this Sunday night it is very good to be in the company of my beautiful wife and son. It is good to be home.

Big Weekend

This past weekend was a once in a lifetime occasion for my wife. For the one and only time in her life Easter and her birthday were the same day. (Disclaimer: If Jessi lives another 220 years then I will definitely post a correction). It doesn't take a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for me to get in celebration mode, so this occasion definitely brought out my celebratory spirit.

We had a great weekend marking Jessi's first birthday with Lachlan in the picture. On Saturday we got together with my siblings and nieces to enjoy a great manicotti lunch my brother-in-law Gary had put together. We had a great time eating and catching up. The alarm went off at 6:05 Sunday morning. We had been invited to Sunrise Easter service. The service was simple, yet moving. It was a special time sharing Easter and Jessi's birthday with Lachlan. We then shared an amazing breakfast with those who attended the service. After Lachlan got in a much needed nap, we were off to Jessi's parents house. We had a wonderful time together sharing great food, wine, and conversation.

This occasion called for another first; I went to my wine refrigerator and pulled a memorable bottle of wine for the occasion, Saltram of Barossa's Mamre Brook 2002 Shiraz. When Jessi and I moved back from Australia back in May of 2005, we brought back a few bottles of wine, while leaving a few more in the safe keeping of friends. This was a wine we had thoroughly enjoyed on several occasions while living in Australia. It was fun to reminisce about the times we had drank this wine, and also to think back to the time we toured the winery while on holiday with good friends. I will never forget the night we were vacationing with Jessi's sister Laurel and our friend Kelly at her grandmother's house on the beach a few hours south of Sydney. We had an all-star line up of wine and a decent amount of one of the greatest beers found in the world; Coopers Sparkling Ale. We ended up staying up all night drinking good wine and beer, while playing a cut throat game of monopoly. (Laurel won the game). We then ended up walking down to the beach and watching one of the more breathtaking sunrises I have had the pleasure of experiencing.

It was a great experience to try a wine that we have had cellaring for over 3 years. The wine had gone through a significant change over these years. The intense lively fruit we remember in 2004 had toned down significantly. The fruit was still there, but it had taken a back seat. There was a very enjoyable toasty oak flavor, and a great smack of spice on the nose. We found the wine more simple than we remembered it. It was extremely smooth, but with less life than we had hoped for. We really enjoyed this semi-aged wine, but both agreed that we preferred the younger version. I loved being able to try this wine 3 years later, and would recommend doing this with several wines in order to experience what age does to a wine and if you prefer younger or older wines. Ideally it would be great to have half a dozen bottles of the same wine to try every few years to see how it has changed over time. Of course you need a wine of solid quality and has the structure and tannins to age well over time.

After returning home from Jessi's parents later that evening I popped open a nice bottle I had found a couple months ago that I bought specifically for Jessi's birthday. I had heard a raving review about Cougar Crest's 2003 Estate Reserve Shiraz, and when I finally tracked down a bottle I had to have it. This wine was big. It was almost too big for us to fully enjoy. This was a wine that I felt like 3-5 years of cellaring would have been done wonders for. It felt like there wasn't enough room in my mouth for both the huge fruit and big tannins. We did enjoy this wine, but would have to give it a pass in the future at 42 dollars a bottle.

What an amazing weekend to share so many firsts with my beautiful wife, Lachlan, and family. I am really excited to pull out more of my aging bottles from the "cellar" to experience these wines several years later in the future. Remember, life is too short to drink bad wine!

The Best (Wine) Party of 2008

On March 8th I hosted my first wine tasting party of 2008, which was the 2nd ever wine tasting party I have hosted in the U.S. (My best mate Steve and I co-hosted several wine tasting parties in Australia in 04' and 05,' which were a blast). This last party was the biggest yet, with around 25 people contemplating the aroma and taste profiles of several solid wines, while also enjoying many delectable appetizers and captivating conversations with the fellow party goers.

The food was amazing; my good friend Marc has done a phenomenal job on the appetizers for the last two tasting parties. My brother-in-law Gary also contributed to the all-star food line-up with his mouth-watering stuffed mushrooms. We couldn't have done this without our good friends the Clarks' letting us use their massively spacious living area for the party. If they were only staying in the area long term I am sure we could have made a thriving business out of hosting wine parties!

I love hosting these tasting parties. I thoroughly enjoy "researching" and buying the wines, coordinating the food and setup with all involved, and most of all I enjoy sipping a fantastic glass of wine while looking around the room seeing my dear friends enjoying the food, wine, and each other.

It was a blast to hear people positing an opinion about what they detected in the wine. It was especially fun to have my friend Bruce, who knows almost nothing about wine, come up to me and tell me he was detecting hints of chocolate and cherries on the bouquet, which I also detected. Wine is such a fascinating world to explore, especially when the exploration is done in the company of friends.

We tasted two whites, 6 reds, and 2 dessert ports. Suffice to say, there was enough wine for everyone to enjoy the evening, all of them were from Washington State. We started the evening with a Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Sav Blanc from Horse Heaven Hills, this wine was a solid Sav Blanc, at 12 dollars I would drink it again. The second wine we tried was from Dunham Cellars Four Legged White, a Riesling from the Columbia Valley. This wine had a great balance of acidity and sugar. I enjoyed this wine quite a lot. At 18 dollars a bottle I thought it was good, but also thought there were plenty of other Rieslings you could find in this price point or cheaper. The third wine we sampled was Forgeron Cellars' Zinfandel from the Columbia Valley. This wine was excellent. It was unique and delicious; definitely worth seeking out if you can. At 30 dollars a bottle this isn't an every day drinking wine, but for a special dinner this wine will only add to the occasion.

Happy Anniversary!

It has been awhile since I have posted. Life sure has came at me fast. Fatherhood, work, school, and internship have really kept me hopping. Yet, through this busy time I have been able to enjoy some wonderful times with family and friends where wine helped mark these events.

The first event I have been wanting to share is Jessi's and my 6th anniversary celebration. On February 8th we borrowed my parents-in-laws' all-wheel drive jeep and headed over the mountain pass to Walla Walla. We sure were lucky, because about an hour after we crossed the pass, going 25 mph in a snow storm, the pass closed. The pass didn't open until the 10th, just before we returned. Jessi, Lachlan and I spent our anniversary weekend in the exciting town of Walla Walla. For those of you who have spent any amount of time in Walla Walla you may be thinking, "what is he thinking using the adjective exciting?" Let me clarify, Walla Walla is not all that beautiful, at least not in February, and most of the town is quite boring in every way. The excitement is earned because, the overall quality of the wine is exceptional. Jessi and I got to try wines from 13 different wineries, and overall we were blown away by the quality of the wines we sampled. The wine industry has spurred growth in other sectors as well. There are great cafes, specialty stores, and several high quality restaurants. We were shocked to hear that there are well over 100 wineries in the area.

The highlights of the weekend were the whirlpool tub in our room, which Lachlan seemed to enjoy almost as much as his parents, the great wine, excellent dinners and breakfasts, and the complimentary bottle of waterbrooke Syrah in our hotel room, which Jessi knocked over at 4am when she became so frustrated because Lachlan had woken up once again, and was refusing to sleep. When she encountered a pillow in her path she instinctively kicked it as hard as she could. I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I heard the clink of the glass bottle topple on the counter. This was just one of many moments where the only appropriate response was to say, "Happy Anniversary!" Just some advice to anyone wanting a romantic getaway to mark a special occasion. Children staying in the same bed as you, who are also on antibiotics and a nebulizer for heavy congestion don't do much to enhance the romance factor of these occasions. Telling each other, "Happy Anniversary," was a great way to humorously remind one another of the absurdity of bringing a sick baby on an anniversary weekend. With this said, we really did enjoy ourselves.

Our hotel was right in the old section of town, where most of the good restaurants, cafes, and several tasting rooms are all within walking distance. Jessi and I were able to embrace the humor in having to eat our fancy anniversary meal at 5:30pm, because we had to be back to the hotel room by 7pm to get Lachlan to bed.

Some of the tasting rooms we visited were, Forgeron, Amavi, Preston, Ash Hollow, Dunham, DaMa, Foundry, Trio Vintners, Spring Valley, Reininger, L'Ecole 41, and Adamant Cellars, I just can't remember the names of the other 2 wineries at this time. Overall these wines were stellar. The standouts had to be Spring Valley, Ash Hollow, Forgeron, and L'Cole No 41, with only a couple of the wineries giving a lackluster performance.

Disclaimer: What I am about to write I really have not business writing, but I will write it all the same! Walla Walla is the next Napa valley. Don't let the crappy location, dismal vistas, and horrible summer heat fool you, because the quality of the wines will keep tourists drinking enough wine to make all of the less than desirable qualities fade far far into the back ground. Invest everything you have into Walla Walla. (Please talk to someone who actually knows something about investing before you do anything with your money).

As we were driving away from Walla Walla Jessi and I both said we will definitely be back before the year is out. Here's to a beautiful wife who has shared 6 good years of marriage with me, a beautiful son who has mixed things up in astounding ways, and the phenomenal wine and food that helped us mark this truly remarkable occasion.

The Best Wine Personality in the World!

The time has come for those of you who love wine, or just want to get to know the world of wine a little better to be introduced to Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary does a podcast about wine 5 days a week. My friend John introduced to his podcast about a month back and I became immediately hooked. One of the greatest aspects of Gary and his podcast on wine is his desire to release the world of wine from the clutches of the snooty, stuffy, haughty so called wine experts. He is making the world of wine more approachable for you and me. He wants everyone to be able to wear the wine club membership pin!

He invites and inspires everyone to embrace and trust their own palates, instead of only listening to the critics about which wine is good and which isn't. I love the message that Gary brings to his podcast. I particularly love the passion, energy, humor, and quirkiness Gary brings to the wonderful world of wine. Trust me when I tell you that you will never have more fun with wine than you will when you see Gary on his podcast.

Personally, I really connect to Gary's genuine desire for people to get more connected to one another. In many ways Gary and I see certain aspects of wine very similarly. Wine is amazing, yet wine is meant to be shared among family and friends. Wine is meant to bring people closer together, to mark special occasions, to enhance the life that is all ready being lived. I encourage anybody who has an interest in wine, and/or an interest in the Jets football team, and/or an interest in Thunder Cats action figures, and enjoys living life well to check out the tv wine library, a.k.a. The Thunder show. I promise you won't regret it.

Australian Leanings

What a week. Lachlan's immune system decided it was high time to introduce several new bugs and viruses all in the same week. Although Lachlan means warrior, this little guy was given more than he could fight off with a stomach virus, which seems to still be affecting him a week later, and a nasty ear infection. Instead of spending his time battling against these little harbingers of illness Lachlan directed all his energy into orchestrating a monumental attack against any and all forms of sleep. Lachlan's war against sleeping left Jessi and me as the innocent casualties of our son's successful campaign. This week left me exhausted. I went to bed earlier than usual, but Lachlan's battle against sleep infiltrated all times of the day and night, having no regard for the usually peaceful hours of 3, 4, and 5 in the morning. When Jessi came back from some time away on Saturday I was ready to escape into the beautiful world of wine, which is exactly what I did.

The wine shop had two different tastings, as if they knew that one tasting wouldn't be enough for the week I had! I started off tasting wines from the proprietor of a lovely winery in the Alsace region of France. I wish I got the name of this winery; I was just too tired to think clearly. She had a picture of a quaint town in the Alsace region showing where the specific vineyards were located, and with a little more conversation she warmed up enough to point out where her house was located in the picture. It is fascinating to listen to her talking about these wines, and how important terroir was to her. Her picture spoke volumes about how important sense of place was to her and the wines she was sharing with us.

It felt like many of us just weren't getting it; we weren't understanding and/or caring why this lady placed so much importance in showing us exactly where these wines came from, and where the town was that dealt with these grapes. For her, the life of these wines came not only from the quality of the grapes, the weather during the growing season, the wine makers decisions regarding yield, how long to age wines, what type of barrel to age in, etc. but was inextricably tied to the people of this region and town, and to the earth which she has known all her life. My only interest in her land was in regards to how well it aided the growing of quality fruit for the wine, but she didn't see the land as just a means to getting good wine, which in turn would give her enough money to live, she had a relationship with her vineyards. She held a respect, love, and passion for her vineyards and town. I believe her town and vineyards helped define who she saw herself to be. That got me thinking about how I am impacted by sense of place. Do I have anywhere I am deeply connected to? Is there a place I love, respect, and feel passion for? (By the way, her pinot noir and Pinot Gris were exceptional).

After trying her wines I walked to the other end of the store to embark on my second tasting of the afternoon. They were tasting a Portuguese red blend, a Bordeaux, Minnervois, and a semillon/reisling blend dessert wine from France. They were all enjoyable wines, with the exception of the Bordeaux, yet I found myself drawn back to the French vinter. I went back over, asked for another taste of her Pinot Noir, and listened to her interact with tasters for another 10 minutes. I asked a couple questions, but I couldn't figure how to ask the question that would help me enter her world. I finally moved on and went to look at the Australian wines.

I was excited because Jessi and I had agreed that it would be a brilliant idea if I brought home a bottle of wine for the evening, or afternoon if life left us no other options! There were several wines from the two tastings that would have filled our need for wine adequately that evening, but I chose to wander through the Australian wine section. In the end I brought home an Australian bottle from the Barossa valley; the 2004 Glen Eldon Dry Bore Shiraz. I didn't know it at the time, but I believe I brought home this wine because Australia is the land where I feel the most connection. My family left Australia when I was 7 years old, and Jessi and I were blessed to be able to live there between 2003 and 2005. When I went back to Australia I was surprised to feel a sense of connection with the land and place that I had never felt anywhere else. This French lady helped reconnected me with this intriguing feeling of connection I have felt with the place where I was born. Upon much reflection I realize that my feeling of connection is not just to the eucalyptus trees, the stunning white sandy beaches, the rich red earth, and the smell of the bush, but it is as much to the people and their laid back way, their irreverent yet inviting sense of humor, their unflappability, and their genuine sense of caring. I am left wondering how Australia has shaped who I am today, and how being American has shaped me as well. How has living in several different places affected who I am? I am guessing that there are pros and cons to moving often and to living in one place ones' whole life.

Wine has often connected me to memories of friends and family, but this is the first time I have been able to put words to the reality that wine has connected me to a place, a place I am undeniably joined with. It is amazing how an innocent glass of Shiraz holds the power to help a person find his place in the world.

I don't want to neglect to let you know my humble opinions about this Barossa Shiraz. This wine was very good, every sip was enjoyable. The color was a dark purple, but not quite as viscous to the eye as the Ste. Michelle Cab Sav. The bouquet had blueberry hints followed by a solid wiff of blackberry and cedar. The mouth feel was smooth with a medium body. This wine exhibited great blackberry flavors, subtle cedar and oak components, and had the most interesting hint of kerosene on the back of the palate. There was also an enjoyable dusty feeling in the mouth. For 23 dollars I would seek this wine out again. The great thing about Australia is that you can find a lot of great wine in this price point. I would score this wine a solid 92 points.

I thought about ending this post with a warning: beware of wine because you don't always know where it will take you, but I don't really feel that way. What I really want to say is: pay attention to where life takes you; what a glass of wine may leave you pondering, what a innocent conversation with a friend or stranger may leave you feeling, ways that a meal, email, book, phone call, picture, etc. may connect you to your past, present, and/or future. Treasure the relationships you have with people, place, and wine.