Buy Me Some Pinot and Crackerjack

“This is a game to be savored, not gulped. There’s time to discuss everything between pitches or between innings.”
–Bill Veeck, former baseball franchise owner

Every ballpark has its own beer. At Wrigley Field, they slam down Old Style like it’s going out of style. In St. Louis, they drink Bud, Because U Deserve What Every Individual Should Enjoy Regularly. In Milwaukee, it’s always Miller Time. Beer and baseball have a long history as teammates on a glorious afternoon. The question is, “Why?”

I mean, beer makes sense at a football game. Can-crushing fans watch quarterback-crushing defenders, ice-cold longneck meets man with no neck. Football is fast action in spurts, beer-drinking is long slugs interspersed with longer pauses. Football is hot wings and barbecue, foam hands and cheerleaders, and beer is a drink before the war, a burst of cool refreshment slamming into your gut like a Saints defender pounding Brett Favre. But baseball?

Baseball is a day at the park. It’s leisurely, and meant to enjoy. The anticipation before a pitch, the unfolding plays, the drama of a man on third leaning out, ready to go at a moment’s notice. None of this is really built for beer. Baseball is sausage and garlic fries, crack of the bat and seventh inning stretch. It deserves its own drink. And I say: why not wine?

You laugh. Even from here I can feel your laughter. Well, take a breath, there, beer guy, and follow along.

An Afternoon with Olsen Estates at Sip

This winter, we were invited to sit down with the folks from Olsen Estates to sip on their new portfolio of 2007 wines. We jumped at the opportunity, and headed down to the new Sip at the Wine Bar & Restaurant in downtown Seattle to meet Martin Olsen (winery manager) and Robert Johnson (distributor).

Walking into Sip, you feel like you’ve just joined a millionaire’s club. A long strip of terraced seating areas with leather couches and chairs complete with coffee tables and lamps suggests relaxed but swank social situations. (If only you could smoke cigars!) At the top of the ramp, you find a 3/4-circle bar protruding into the restaurant area, and table-seating facing an unlikely outdoor seating arrangement with a lawn. The sun was shining through the windows, tempting us to go outside, but it was still ridiculously cold outside, so we resisted.

The layout of the restaurant caters to any situation; casual cocktail hour, light lunch, or dinner parties. You could easily pass your entire Friday night away with vino and friends, or grab a quick glass and some nosh with your co-workers after the horn blows.

Sitting down with Martin and Robert, we decided to order lunch. Service was friendly and attentive (black-clad and fishnets all), and to complete the something-extra vibe of Sip, Voss water in glass bottles was brought to the table with accompanying goblets. A swank touch.

Why I Shall Remain Loyal to Hooverville Forever

For wine drinkers, there is always a heartbreaking moment when that vintage you love so well runs out, and you realize one of two things: You’re going to save that last bottle for a special occasion that will never come, or you are about to drink the last bottle you’ll ever have, and you will cling to its memory like Glenn Beck longing for those innocent times of yesteryear. This has recently happened in Seattle, with my quest for Rittenhouse Rye.

For quite some time, I would gather with friends at various watering holes around the city, and enjoy a nice glass of this delectable rye whisky, with its subtle hints of Pennsylvania pine and surprising sweetness that disappears faster than federal bailout money. But slowly, we began to see a disturbing trend: Bars were running out, and were unable to find any in Washington (N.B., in the state of Washington, all liquor stores are owned by the government, and only liquors that the state chooses to stock actually get sold here. Rise Up, Drinkers! Let the state know that we want and deserve choices! Call Gallatin, and let’s have another Whiskey Rebellion!). It was within this slightly panicked frame of mind that we first wandered into Hooverville, on First Avenue.

WSU AgWeatherNet: Now for the BlackBerry Farmer

In the olden days, farmers would consult their almanac and stare at the sky to determine when to plow, plant, prune and pick. I’m sure there was also a fair amount of gut-hunch involved, guts no-doubt benefiting from individual experience, generational advice and genetic memory. But gone are the times (mostly) of intuitive agriculture. With choosy consumers, dog-eat-dog marketplace competition, and the need for both revenue and sustained profitability, technology continues to advance and be deployed in farming operations. Better produce, higher yield, lower costs, fewer migraines, what’s not to like about technology?

Enter the Washington State University and the AgWeatherNet project, and three new products to aid farmers.

Bottleology – White Heron Cellars with Cameron Fries

Grape vines have a unique ability to thrive in fairly harsh conditions.  Vineyards are often planted in dry climates to encourage their root systems to plunge deep into the ground in search of essential water and nutrients. It is this struggle and these stressed conditions that are essential in the production of high quality wine grapes, and which allows for greater individuality as a wine in the bottle.  While there is an element of “survival of the fittest” in the vineyard, this element can also be found throughout many aspects of the wine industry.

Cameron Fries, winemaker of White Heron Cellars and his wife Phyllis have met all the challenges of owning their own winery head on since their first vintage in 1986.  It’s the “sink or swim” scenario. It’s about the struggle and the daily demands of the business world that required this husband and wife team to dig deep throughout the growth of their winery from the ground up.  Here’s a bit of what Cameron experienced:

Casey’s Top 10: Wine Songs

“He who loves not wine, women and song remains a fool his whole life long.”
–Martin Luther, German theologian (1483-1546)

Aaaahh, wine and song. Among their many common traits, one has to be that the best wine, like the best song, is one that is shared. Show me a man who has never cracked a bottle with his best friends, and I’ll show you a man that has never strolled down the street, arm in arm with his companions, bellowing “Would You Like to Swing on a Star?” to all passers-by. Given the long history and interweaving of these most extraordinary arts, what, I asked myself, would be the best songs about wine?

I began this mission quite simply: I began drinking. Then I set about establishing rules. I decided that the songs needed to be relatively modern (I’m sure there are some delightful Latin Gregorian Chants regarding wine; they just won’t make my list). The song must be primarily about wine in some way (thus disqualifying songs like “Champagne Supernova” as it only uses a word in a pseudo-creative poetic fashion). And the song cannot suck (which greatly helps avoid the UB40 trap). Finally, it had to be a song I would be excited to share with my friends.

As you read through this, understand that this is my top ten, not yours. So while you may chafe at the omission of Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” (“He even says Bottle of Red, Bottle of White,” I hear you cry in dismay), remember the rules: that song bloooowwsss. Feel free to write me with your disagreements. I’m sure I can muster some degrading sarcasm to heap upon you with my scorn shovel.

Without further ado:

10.) “Gimme That Wine” by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross

This jazz trio released their eponymous album in 1960, and featured this pretty little ditty that was subsequently covered by such luminaries as Bruce Springsteen and Blood, Sweat and Tears. This one is meant for smoking to.

Best Lyric:

Gimme that wine (Unhand that bottle!)
‘Cause I can’t get well without Muscatel
I only drink for medicinal purposes anyway

Listen here: Gimme That Wine

Wines of Substance Named a “Hot Small Brand”

Wines of Substance has been given the nod by Wine Business Monthly as Number Two among “Hot Small Brands” for 2009. The annual Top 10 Hot Small Brands list recognizes up-and-coming wineries with annual case production under 150,000. That kind of case production is huge in Washington terms, but not so big when you consider some of the big guns in the world wine industry.

So, how does Wine Business Monthly choose the Hot Small Brands? According to Cyril Penn, they “gravitate toward wineries and brands that represent market trends or innovation, that take a leadership position in their regions, or that make unusual varietals or unexpected wines.” They take marketing strategies and growth into consideration, too, but the wines themselves have to make the grade.

Bottleology – Woodinville Wine Cellars with Sean Boyd

During the month of September and through most of October, the grapes of Central Washington reach the end of their maturation process. These grapes are then politely plucked from the vine and taken away to serve a new, more noble, purpose: WINE! Usually under the cover of darkness, blanketed by cooler evening hours preserving freshness, this fruit is transported by truck to the many satellite wineries throughout the state. Awaiting these shipments at the wee hours of the morning, are the men and women who make up the Washington State wine industry. Ladies and gents, please take a bow, we love you!

For Sean Boyd, winemaker of Woodinville Wine Cellars, it was watching a truckload of Sauvignon Blanc grapes show up to the winery that has been one of the most memorable experiences for him as a winemaker—it was his “this is the job for me” moment.

More That Meets The Eye: Sean Boyd isn’t just another wine making descendent from California who moved to Washington State to start fresh.  Sean is very well traveled. He’s also made wine in four different countries, loves the wine from Washington State and believes in the potential of this wine region. He gained instant cool points when he told me that his father, Gerald Boyd, was the original editor of Wine Spectator.

Crafts-Man (ship): In the years leading up to making wine (professionally), Sean perfected his craft in many ways.  “I started in 1986 at Liquor Barns in California. I worked in wineries as a winemaking apprentice in four countries and spent many hours fine tuning techniques. I have worked harvest, sold wine at retail, and I have been making wine since I moved to Washington in 1998.  I love the hands-on experience, and working with people in restaurants and wine shops. I like the craftsmanship,” Sean said.

Bottleology – Desert Wind Winery with Greg Fries

Whether it’s a trip to your local grocer, a voyage through the back roads of the Northwest wine country, perhaps the magnetic draw into your favorite wine shop, or an in-depth read of your favorite WINO Magazine blog entry (Bottleology!), I can pretty much guarantee that you will cross paths with Greg Fries—or at least have a run-in with his value driven wines.

Greg Fries is a really nice guy, but FAR more importantly, Greg Fries is a winemaker. He’s worked very hard to get to where he is today, and he has spent many years managing and making wine for his very own Desert Wind Winery.  With the help of one very influential woman (Ms. Mother Nature—strictly business), some great vineyard sites in Eastern Washington and Oregon, a degree from UC Davis and a pilot’s license, Greg has been able to contribute to the world of wine in a big way.

[Purple] HAZE-lnuts: Commonly referred to as “filberts,” these nuts can be found all over Oregon. I refer to them as Greg’s family’s “gateway crop,” a crop that they ultimately replanted into vast g rapevine vineyards (vitis vinifera). When Greg was younger, his family farmed cotton and tomatoes in Californ ia. Growing up in that kind of environment most likely sparked his interest in agriculture and also played a key role in Greg’s decision to go to school for Agricultural business.

You See!: Going to school and getting an education CAN be fun! At UC Davis, Greg earned a degree in Fermentation Science. He took a beer brewing course, and as luck would have it, while he was there, his family started a winery!  It’s called Duck Pond Cellars. JEALOUS!!!

Pappas Wine Co. 2008 Pinot Blanc

*Bottle #84: Pappas Wine Co. 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Blanc
*Price Tag: $16
*Running Tab: $1,161
*Retailer: Sixth Avenue Wine Seller, Pacific Place, Seattle

From what I’ve been told, husband and wife operated-companies can be the best of times and the worst of times. I would think the path to doom comes down to the fact that you take your work home with you and take your home to work with you.

However, when it comes to any type of relationship, be it with your business or soul mate, it all about the effort put forth that makes it a success.

Likewise, when husband and wife duo, Stewart Boedecker and Athena Pappas, couldn’t come together on winemaking styles, they did what any stubborn individual would do – go their own way and try to kick more ass than your opponent, er, partner, with an outcome of two critically-acclaimed styles. And that’s just about their Pinot Noirs.

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