VinDivine - Living it Up John & Janine Style

An Open Letter to K&L Human Resources

Dear K&L HR,

It's me. Your favorite Mystery Shopper. I don't ask for a dime. Just your consistent, enduring snobbery. And for that I thank you. Hell, what else would I jabber about?!

Sooo. Time stamp this one K&L HR: Friday July 18 3:19-3:27 PM PST. SOMA branch. No one can buy a mixed case faster than me! Especially because no one ever bothers to interrupt me to see if I need help! Or bothers with idle chit-chat at the checkout line. Time-suckers like 'Hi there", "Did you find everything OK" and "Thanks, come again" are so superficial and they downright invade my personal space. Glad you understand. If I ever have to visit Stalingrad I'll come here first for some immersion training.

So why, with all this bitching, do I pull out a baseball statistic ".500" for today's visit? Well, 'cuz one person was quite friendly and one was a dismissive prick. That's why.:) Hey, you asked.

So, back to you, HR: You have a slightly older gentleman that was working this shift. Gray/white hair, spectacles, and a beard...Holy crap you hired Santa Claus! Oh. Nevermind. That was silly. Anyhoo this guy was very nice, asked if he could help me and created a less-than-icy situation at the check out. 'Cuz the dude that rang me up - back to physical descriptions here.

BTW HR, why don't you make your people wear name tags?! It'd be so much easier! Hmmm, maybe a symptom of a deeper issue...Well, enough of my armchair psychiatry. So the checker whisked in (no one was behind the counter), didn't even look at me or utter a word, and just started ringing up the bottles. 'Robotic' comes to mind. Oh yeah, the physical description! Ha. Lost myself for a second. Tall, 'bout 6' I'd guess, mid-30's, spends too much time getting that hair coiffed, little earring in the right lobe. Oh, one last detail I almost forgot. Gender = male. That may help you nail it down.

But like Santa swooping down on a snowy rooftop to bring cheer to the kiddies, your star employee that previously offered help came right over, discussed the wines and foods they went with as he was boxing them (although he fell kinda silent when he saw the $9 bottle of Bogle) and...wait for it...offered to help lug it out to the car! Kudos, nice person without a name tag so I cannot give you real props!

Two takeaways today, HR:
1) As I have asked before, talk to Finance and free up a few bucks for a couple more mini-shopping carts. It will have a positive ROI.
2) Batting .500 might earn ya  a Ty Cobb award in baseball, but it's a pretty crappy standard for a business!

2005 Sequel Syrah

I know what you're thinking: 'Syrah? How desperate were you guys?! Must've been down to that or the 40 of Olde English in the back of the fridge!" Yep, any 'o you VdVers that follow us know we don't have a ton of praise for most of this varietal, reminiscent of Vick's Formula 44 in at least color and finish. Eww.

But I went into a great wine shop the other day (Ha, I can almost hear the K&L people's anticipation: "We made it! They really do like us!" Nope, suckas it's Time for Wine in Tahoe City. If they had a website I would link to them) to get a gift for a Syrah fan, and figured "hey I like the label on this one." That's right, even stewards of the wine-tasting world like us are not immune to a great label to help make the buying decision.

Hey, this Columbia Valley (that's in Washington) wine is pretty damned good! Beats the pants off of just about any Aussie Shiraz I've had, that is 4 sure. Why? Well grab a drink, pay attention and I'll tell ya!

This puppy is refined for a Syrah. So many are hot, over-extracted with awful taste. The Sequel is loaded with dark cherries and chocolate, but with great balance and minerality. And slightly oaky tannins that don't overpower the fruit. I know only rookies typically use the term 'smooth' to compliment a wine, but I cannot resist (or maybe as some of you more snarky types have accused, maybe I am just a rookie!).

This wine is made by the same winemaker that made the legendary Penfold's Grange for fifteen years - John Duval. Glad ya learned a few things and made a tamer, more well-rounded wine this time around, Duval!

Oh yeah, that 'gift' never made it to its recipient! Bad for him, good for us!

Goes for about $50 bones. And like Time for Wine, Sequel doesn't seem to have a website either! Google it, you'll find a retailer to get it from.

Veña Godeval Cosecha

Well, hello there sexy. Yeah I'm talkin' to you. You are sexy. Say it with me: "I am a sexy animal". Feels good doesn't it? Wait, before we get carried away, maybe I just have wine goggles on. 'Cuz I just polished off a bottle of killer wine that you've never heard of. Betcha. Even you, Gants!

Let me introduce to your fizzled taste buds (it's Sunday, we know how y'all party on the weekends!) the 2005 model of Cosecha from Veña Godeval. Yummy. First A couple facts - 1) This is a white wine (people in the know would say 'blanco'). So, I'll say Blanco, you can keep calling it White Wine. Oops, I just got snarky...I hear I get that way sometimes. 2) This Blanco hails from Spain, one of my fave fave fave regions these days. Where in Spain? Hell if I know, somewhere named Galicia, I think in Northwest Spain. Whatever,  Google Map it if you care that much. This isn't geography class.

So what makes this wine yummy?

It's good. That's it...JHC, you need more detail?! My word isn't good enough anymore? Fine then:

Well, characteristic of many Blancos, this Cosecha has a crisp minerality that is just so fresh and clean.  Wait, isn't that an Outkast tune? Anyhoo, the Cosecha has bright pear flavors, a little green apple,  with a very very subtle pine note. No shit! The acidity is perfect, not so much it makes you pucker but tight enough to make you smack your lips.

Where to find this wine? Well, our buddy Brian Reccow, who started Thirsty Bear and is the owner of Sol y Lago in Tahoe City, gave us a bottle. So I think you need to drag your carcass here to SyL and get yerself some. Rockin' tapas, killer tacos, get the SyL Margarita, and the...wait for it...BEST chips & homemade salsa on the Lake. Get there Pronto! Chill - we're gonna blog SyL next!

Valdez Rockpile Road Zinfandel

Talk about The Attack of the Killer Zin! How the hell hadn't I heard about this juice before?! Hey, y'all can tell me about a wine sometime, hear me? Dang guurrll, one sippa this 17% alcohol bruiser and you get the picture...sweet crude, baby. Say it with me. Just like an oil slick of yummy goodness oozing down your gullet. Grab the reigns and hold on tight! Woo Hoo! Grab a chug of this and it'll do the Men In Black mind-eraser (get one here $159) on any negative connotations from that other Valdez...

Nope, and if you were thinking...did that alcoholic (I don't mean that in a bad way) rat-bastard (I do mean that in a bad way) ship pilot Joseph Hazlewood made amends to the world, and hundred if not thousands of fish and waterfowl, by hand-crafting a Zin named after his big f-up? That's right, you guessed it! HEY WAKE UP. Damn. Better yet, just close this tab in Firefox and don't return. That dick may have hit the sauce, but you actually thought he had the chops to pull this off? No sirree, this wine has a much more heart warming origin. As that dude on In Living Color always said, Wrote a Song About it, Wanna hear it? Here it go:

(cue Gene Hackman voice over) From a remote village in Michoacan, Mexico, to the vineyards of Sonoma County, this is the story of Ulises Valdez'  pursuit of the American Dream, culminating in the first releases of Valdez Family Winery, on July 8, 2006. This year marks twenty years in the vineyard business for Ulises, first as field worker, then as a partner in the vineyard management business, and now owner of Valdez and Sons Vineyard Management. Working on several hundred acres of vineyards has enabled Ulises to select some of his favorite blocks for his first wines. Collaborators include such acclaimed winemakers as Mark Aubert, Jeff Cohn, Paul Hobbs, Kent Rosenblum and Rolando Herrera.

The Valdez Rockpile Zinfandel hails from the same vineyard as Rosenblum's Rockpile Zin,(btw rated Wine Spectator's #3 wine in the world) so you know the fruit is gonna kick it.

Tastes? Now now, you all know to scroll to the bottom for the meat if you want to skip the rant...Big, rich and luxurious, this heavyweight Zin floats like a butterfly (an iron one anyway) and stings you like a bee. That 'ol buzz fairy comes along to tap you on the shoulder pretty fast, let's just say. There's not a shy bone in this wine's body. Whew. Got it? Great balance of smack-you-between-the-eyes alcohol and exotic blackberry, winter spice, and chocolate notes. On the finish you'll just love the crap out of the smoky espresso notes. Yummy! 

We found it at Houston's Restaurant on The Embarcadero in San Francisco, but realizing the worldwide popularity of VinDivine, I understand that is only relevant to a very small percentage of our faithful readers. A very puny percentage, in fact.  Too bad it's sold out on the Valdez Winery website so you'll have to find it elsewhere on the world wide web. Hey Valdez, sell more off your own site and keep the margins! Why give it to people like K&L?! They don't even provide shopping carts. (sorry I couldn't help myself).

Oh yeah, goes for about $36. Hey don't whine it's good.

Tough Love for K&L Wines

Dear K&L: Please, please take this at its most constructive. Just like when my parents beat me for flunking grammar class in 6th grade "because they loved me", I implore you to see the sunny side of these rants. 'Cuz look at me now! Thanks Mom & Dad. OK? Alrighty then, now that we understand each other...Hey K&L, invest in more than one shopping cart why dontcha you cheap bastards?! I mean, seriously. Seriously. You want to up that Average Order Size? Well, do ya, punk?! Then make it a tad easier to fill 'er up then. Damn, have you seen the demographics of your buyers? 'Spring chickens' does not pop to mind. Jesus, making them lug around 25 pounds of wine in those damn totes is almost inhumane.

I know, I know it's a cramped place, you need to rack 'em and stack 'em to make the biz work. You don't want shopping cart destruction derby going down. Especially with all that glass. But how about 3-4 additional carts? Whatdya say? Maybe even mini-carts. So people can whip them threw the maze you call aisles without doing too much damage? Just tell me you'll consider it. You know how to reach me. I just hope you don't find out where I live;)

Oh yeah, all these rants are about the San Francisco shop, I don't know crap about the other locations. For all I know there is a very high 'shopper to cart' ratio.

Oh yeah again: I gave you guys 2 backlinks! One more helpful little suggestion - the title tags on your site should be shorter and more concise for better SE rankings. Try 'buy wine online', or 'online wine sales'. I just can't help myself!

K&L: The Love / Hate Relationship - Breaking News!

Heeeyy! So I stumbled into my favorite wine shop I love to hate today (I don't think that is proper sentence structure, just pretend you're listening to my say it and spray it all over you), and what a surprisingly joyous experience it was! Who The F cares about the wines, this is about the wine buying EXPERIENCE! So, I stroll in all intent on buying some cheap stuff.  I mean, tenderloin-lying in the gutter - brown bag crap. Just to see the reaction. And, I kinda like cheap sh#* sometimes. A little Chef Boy-Ar-Dee and some juice. You get it.

Anyhoo, of course no one asked me if I needed help. I am used to that here at the ol K&L. Although I really don't get it. I mean, seriously. Oh well. Not in their DNA I guess. Also, never a 'hey how's it going?' when you walk in. Odd. I mean, seriously there are not that many customers at any one time NOT to say hi.

Wait. LOL. I actually started this post to say GOOD things about K&L. LMFAO. OK, so it gets better. I throw 6 bottles of homeless-wino crap on the counter and this dude doesn't give me attitude! WTF?! He was nice! "Hi man! Did you find everything?" (not even a '...you cheap bastard' look in his eyes or tone in his whiny voice). "How do you like this swill..I mean , affordable table wine? Can I help you out to your car.." (I mean...shopping cart, you loser). Very polite and nice actually.

Well, that's it VdV disciples. A positive vote for K&L. Damn that hurt. But I'm still not going to add a link to your site..keep trying!

Wild Oak Cabernet Sauv

OK so here we are fresh back from the 'hood. That's right bitches, The Mission. Yah, we hang there most Sundays. LOL. Anyhoo, we hit Delirium and Elbow Room and caught a mini-buzz. But that's not what we're here for tonight, kittens.

It's kinda rare I bother to blog about Cab Sauv. I mean, I like it and all and it's been my best friend at 3AM more than once, after I've drained the Patron and random saké in the fridge, but all in all I think there are so many Cabs, and so many mediocre cabs I don't bother.

But the other day, some poor bastard's wine club shipment was mistakenly routed to my office (sorry Mr. Daniel LeFrancois;) So, in a weak moment, I decided to take the bait. Yes, basically steal wine! OK, it wasn't that weak..

Anyhoo, one of the three bottles was a Wild Oak Cabernet Sauvignon. Something about the bottle and label seemed..REAL.

So I remove it from its nest of popcorn styro, and caress it in my arms for a minute. Sniffing and stroking it's smooth, green neck.  Next, I pop that cork like a maestro.  And I gotta tell ya, it popped right back! OK that just got weird. Here's the real deal:

This wine rocks. Would I waste our precious time otherwise?! Unless it really sucks, that is. This is an awesome Cab, I really enjoyed it. It has an excellent structure, with a deep color, dark ripe berry (blackberry and persimmon) ha, persimmon -  just making sure you're reading! rich cherry, and perfect tannins. It has  a blend of 15% or so Merlot, and although I despise merlot the mix is SWEEEET. Adds a tasty chewy-ness and killer finish.

Go getcha some! No shit. Goes for about 23 bones. I suggest the FineWineHouse.com

2003 Wild Oak Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Stag's Leap FAY Cabernet Sauvignon

OK so I just polished off a bottle of this fiiinnne juice all by my lonesome so excuse the typos. And my breath. And the way I stare at you. Never mind. For a change I'm gonna cut to the chase and say, even at $65 or so a pop, this crusty old Stag's Leap brand has a winner on their hands. A solid 9 outta 10. Woo Hoo! And that's not the wine talkin'.

So as I was rummaging around the wine cellar (aka fridge) earlier I pulled this puppy out. It was supposed to be a holiday gift for a buddy of mine, but I got a cheap attack at the last minute and kept it for myself (sorry, Gants). Figured, what the hell let's pop the cork on this puppy and take a ride. And this crap caught my attention - I mean, I was just looking for sustenance. Yeah, I know a $65 vino should provide more than a cheap buzz, but I really didn't expect much. Bada bing - this crap hit me right between the eyes.

FAY, you had me at the get-go. Awesome, strong fragrances of cherry and anise (no, not anus idiots). Yummy. But it keeps on keepin' on. It even tastes good! This is a killer vino with layers of dark plum and cocoa with a long finish that hints at some kind of leathery incense. I was never that much into burning incense so can't really nail the exact one. You get the idea...COMPLEX. yeah. It's like breakfast, lunch,  dinner and a saddle all in one.

You can get this wine almost anywhere, I got mine at K&L...'cuz they're around the corner. And 'cuz they treat me like such a king every time I walk in;). But how 'bout going direct to the source at the Stag's Leap website? Not sure it'll be in stock but give it a go! 

Rosé Trio Throw-down

I know, I know. Common wisdom (which if you possess, means you are prolly not reading this blog), would suggest that it is a tad late in the year to be talkin' about Rosé. But hey all you SF'rs, has it not been summer-like all the way through November? Just like it tricks the flowers to bloom in winter, it makes 'ol J&J think it's still prime time Rosé time. 

Plus a little Rosé at the beginning of your wine bender is not a bad way to begin, regardless of the weather. So without any more yammering, away we go, with a Cali, Languedoc, and Loiré Valley Rosé fight to the finish. None from Provence? Are we MAD?!:

2006 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare.  You sassy girl you (all Rosés are female if you didn't know. Just like all King Charles Spaniels are female, and all bulldogs are male. Follow me?)
even though this one has a cigar-shaped spaceship on the label, which has guy-like implications for obvious reasons. Anyhoo, back to the taste. Ahh yes, the taste or the Flavor Profile, as we professionals call it. This wine exhibits fine minerality, and light fruit notes of cherry (not dark cherry, think lighter) and strawberry. Slightly sweet, with hint of vegetative taste on the finish, in character with Provence style Rosé. Goes for about $10-12 bones. Great value! If you demand super-duper dry Rosés skip this one, but itsa thirst quencher. 

2006 Domaine Begude Pinot Rosé. This vino from the Languedoc region of southern France is closest in proximity to Provence, the home of my all-time fave Rosé, Bandol. But we're not talkin' about Bandol today. No sirree. The Domiane Begude is a bit more delicate than the sassy Vin Gris above. This contender also displays notes of strawberry and cherries, and has that awesome salmon color that only real French Rosés seem to possess. Slightly less minerality than the Bonny Doon as well, I enjoyed this wine, but there was something about the finish that let me down. Goes for about $12-13 bucks. I wouldn't necessarily reco this wine due to the gamey finish. But for  $12 bucks, it may be worth a try.

2006 Sylvain Bailly Sancerre Rosé This Loiré Valley Rosé takes the prize, as it is head and shoulders above the previous two. This player has attitude and class all wrapped  up in one very satisfying wine. It's chock full with with tart cherries and excellent minerality, subtle strawberry notes as well. And there's something about this wine that just feels good in your mouth. OK, I'll stop there. Yummy! This one will set you back about $18-20 bucks, but hey, life's short. Go get some!

I believe you can find all these wines at K&L either on the website or their stores. And, where VdV talks smack we must give props. The past two times I have shopped at the SOMA location, the employees  have actually been NICE. Conversational. Pleasant. Hmmm. I am suspicious! Still not a lot of proactive help, but maybe I just look like I Know My Shit (yeah, riigghht!). No, this is NOT a paid advertisement. Anyhoo, y'all know we'll keep you up to date  on the soap opera that is our ongoing experience with K&L! Will it turn from hate-hate to love-hate, or even LOVE? Stay tuned!

2003 Bella Big River Ranch Syrah

Yeah, I've given Bella Vineyards big props before, for their Hillside Cuvee in fact. I like these guys. Nope, never met 'em but they seem like they'd be a kick to hang with. And whatever, I DIG the wines.

The latest? A syrah of all crackhead crazy things. I swear to the lord I have tasted dozens of Syrahs and I haven't been a fan. Robo-Tussin is what my main takeaway is. And I only like 'tussin when my momma is given it to me. Nevermind. Anyhoo, what that means, is cough-syrupy, kinda hot, over extracted. Not enjoyable when you need a chaser with your Syrah. 'Nuff said.

So, on with the review - I'll tell ya, this is a big  ballsy wine. They shoulda called it the Big Balls Ranch Syrah. The nose? Well, since you asked so politely, it has a nose I believe that pinhead Robert Parker (junior) would describe as '...a nose hair burner...' I mean, this stuff jumps outta the bottle, grabs a wad o' those curlies and sets fire to 'em. Whew. Which worried me a little 'cuz I figured, here's another of those hotter than satan's bbq Syrahs. (Like how I so eloquently wove in references to both the lord jesus and satan all in one post? Are there awards for this stuff?).

Enough with the nose, ya don't get drunk snorting this stuff. It tastes great! Earthy notes, but not vegetative. Dark very ripe blackberry fruit, moving on to  a subtle chocolate flavor melding into a nice spicy white pepper finish. That's right! Next up, I just tasted a great Syrah from Trouchard, look for the post! Two good Syrahs in a row, WTF is going on?!

The Bella site is sold out :(, check for it on WineZap, VinQuire or somewhere else. Or try a different vintage, you'll still love it.

Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves
9711 West Dry Creek Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
866.572.3552