Off track

I'm going to have to stray off the wine track for once. Why you ask? Because I finally went to the movies for the first time in a year. What was the flick that drove me to give in to my cinematic abstinence? Bond, James Bond. How could a Bond freak like me not go see Casino Royale on the big screen. And let me say, Bond is back. Pierce Brosnan was great in Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies, but the last two he did were watered down plots with as many explosions as the producers could cram into two hours. And Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist, yeah, I bought that one. Why not cast Mr. Bean as Bond, that'll be believable. Anyways, the new film delivers in rare form. A great action movie, with strong performances all around. The fact that they changed the focal point of the movie from a high-stakes baccarat game to no-limit hold 'em poker, well no one's perfect. Daniel Craig is superb as Bond. No one will ever top Connery, but he is the closest anyone will ever come. He's rough, yet sophisticated, pompous, yet deep. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd is exactly what Ian Fleming envisioned the Bond girls to be, sexy, smart, and more importantly human. And lord knows I can't avoid wine for too long, Bond drinks Bollinger and Chateau Angelus, nice choice! Anyway, I highly recommend you drag yourself out to the theaters full of annoying talkers and chair kickers to see what Bond was supposed to be all along, a man I wish I could be! Till next time...Bartender: "Shaken or stirred?" Bond: "Does it look like I give a damn?"

Wine, Oh Wine

What a week for wine consumption. We plowed through some nice bottles in the past week or so. Most notable on the list was Friday night with Phil and his girl Annie. We started the evening with some Honig Sauvignon Blanc and Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon at The Up River Cafe. Then we headed home, where the lineup included but was not limited to, Katie's 2001 Swanson Alexis Oakville, a '05 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc Napa, and a nice little Santa Barbara Pinot Noir from Sanford. Then last night, Mike stopped by to cook up some amazing food. He made an outstanding roasted butternut squash soup and a spectacular duck dish with fennel, shallots, and fingerling potatoes. For wine we had a beautiful 2004 Foley Clone 99 Chardonnay, some 2004 Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir from Oregon (where else) and a 1998 La Familia Colmera by the Mondavis. Lets just say I need a break from wine for a bit. I plan on taking it easy through the holidays. Speaking of Holidays, Katie and I are going to have our anniversary dinner during our Holiday break in Orlando. We are going to be eating at Victoria and Albert's at the Grand Floridian. And from what I've read, it should be a once in a lifetime experience. Well, I am going to lay down and take some medication to try and kill this little bug I am fighting. Till next time..."Wine is 99 percent psychological, a creation of where you are and with whom."--Lawrence Osbourne, The Accidental Connoisseur

P. S. Rumor is that Up River Cafe will be hosting a Honig Wine dinner April. Is it too early to make reservations?

Wine from A to Zin Recap

First and foremost, my deepest apologies for the delayed post. As some of you know I have been battling a nasty cold/sinus infection/plague since last Thursday. The Wine from A to Zin Night on Friday was more than I could have imagined. We had over twenty people to taste the five wines. And what fun did we have! The food was excellent and the wines held their own. Katie and I had selected the wines based on previous experience, but we had no idea everyone else would love them as much as we do. Especially the 2005 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc, or as its now commonly being referred to "the grapefruit wine." I am already in the early stages of planning the next extravaganza, and its looking more and more like it will be a Pinot Noir focus. Special thanks to all who attended. I hope I didn't come across as snoody about the wine. I loved talking to you about wine, my knowledge about it is something I have been dieing to share. Thank you again! Till next time..."Don't go passing out or going to the Dark Side."--Jack, Sideways

Sneak Peak

For all of you too anxious to wait, I decided to post a preview of what we'll be tasting Friday night at the inaugural Wine from A to Zin party. The theme for this party is wines from California, and they are all at reasonable prices. First, we'll toast to the night with the Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley. This sparkling wine is a spectacular value and my personal favorite. Next up will be the 2005 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley. This is a popular wine in our household and brings back great memories of our trip to Napa Valley. Rounding out the whites will be the Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay. And yes, I first tried this wine because it's named after my lovely wife. For Reds, we'll taste the current Rosenblum Vinter's Cuvee XXIX Zinfandel. This non-vintage wine is a complete steal at it's going rate. And finally, the 2002 St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County. It's hard to find a high-quality California Cabernet for under thirty bucks, but this puppy does the trick. And if you hang around long enough, I might just wander to the cellar and pull out something special to try. Katie and I (especially me), are looking forward to Friday and know we'll all have an exciting time. Till next time..."Wine begs to be shared."