News, Notes and Dusty Bottle Items Monday Morning Quarterback Edition

November 9 2009

News, Notes and Dusty Bottle Items – Monday Morning Quarterback Edition

Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass …

Veterans Day

Both of my grandfathers served in WWII and my Dad served in Vietnam. Despite growing up in a family in which service to our country was a reality, it wasn’t talked about much. Instead, it was acknowledged by dated Technicolor pictures of handsome men in uniform, their tremulous smiles denoting the unknown, along with other artifacts like heavy wool blankets, decades old, a memento to go along with the VFW membership, used by the little people in the family to keep the winter chill at bay every December, an itchy training ground for the holiday sweaters foisted on us in the weeks to come.

While I broke rank (pun intended) and didn’t serve, as the men in my family before me, I always call my dad on Veterans Day and thank him for serving. And, I would certainly do the same with both of my Grandpas if I could.

In keeping with Veterans Day, David Honig, Founder of Palate Press, wrote a brilliant article that traces his grandfather’s steps while serving the U.S. in WWI France. Via letters home, today’s sacred heirlooms, David traces Archie Brick’s route through France while offering asides with contemporary beverage reviews analogous to the region in which his Grandfather was located. It’s simple, it’s brilliant and I strongly urge you to read it today in homage to all those that have served our country so nobly.

The only Thanksgiving Wine Recommendation I will make

It’s getting to be that time … time for Thanksgiving wine recommendations – an event that roughly coincides with the release of Beaujolais Nouveau – a duopoly of wine events that wine writers love like getting root canals and watching senior citizens eat corn on the cob.

The only Thanksgiving wine recommendation you’ll catch me making is one I’ve already made in a post from January 2008 – the 2006 Cellar Rat Pinot Noir crafted by Alan Baker at Crushpad from Wentzel Vineyard fruit.

From my one case allocation, I have three bottles remaining. Like most wine drinkers I’m a wonderfully polyamorous drinker so drinking nine bottles in the span of a 20 months indicates what I think of this beautiful wine; it was naturally inoculated, unfiltered and lightly oaked giving it a delicate balance in between Old and New World styles – rustic and earthy, yet fruit-forward, nicely structured with balanced acidity. It made a lovely companion to Thanksgiving last year and will do the same for my table this year, as well.

The Cellar Rat is hitting its peak and probably has two to three years left of optimum drinking. Alan, immersed in a new wine project called Cartograph, is selling the last 10 cases of his stash for a 20% discount from the list price of $42 per bottle if you buy a ½ case. Free shipping if you buy a case.

Two barrels or 50 cases of this wine were made. If you like the artisanal story factor, you like Pinot and you like excellent foot-friendly wine, you can’t do much better.

Details here.