Vina Robles Petite Sirah

Paso Robles is known for dry farming, Italian immigrant wine-making traditions and Zins, right? When I think of this AVA, France most definitely does not come to mind. But it should. Do you know a Zinfandel lover in need of some strange? Have them try this Petite Sirah from Paso Robles. What exactly is Petite Sirah? It is the offspring of Syrah and Peloursin, (rhymes with the object of circumcision), otherwise known as Durif in France, after Dr. François Durif who discovered the vine in the southern Rhone in the late 1800s. And, like most lovable bastards , Petite Sirah isn’t welcome athis sire’s house. (Durif is not a permissible grape in the Northern Rhone.) No matter, this varietal is a survivor in the Southern Rhone and killer in Cali.
The Vina Robles Petite Sirah is everything a renegade vine should be: dark and brooding, yet mesmerizing. This wine has hues of Bing cherry and tastes of brambly berries and bittersweet chocolate. The finish is intriguing: Rough and velvety tannins with subtle vanilla. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe the nuances of this wine. Fortunately, I have time to hone my review of this red-headed stepchild. Perfectly delightful now, this Petite Sirah should gain even further depth after another year

Monte Volpi Sangiovese

Moll Flanders, formerly of Newgate Prison, now of Mendocino,is currently a successful picara in CA. Ms. Moll Sangiovese Flanders uses skilled bawdiness in the current New World vs. Old World grudge match, which began vagitus uterinus for this varietal.
Should one desire a Brunello that is powerful, yet ready to drink, this is your girl. Please pay attention to the following descriptors: Violets, toasted oak, strawberries on silk, sweet oven-baked tomato, moist furrows, silkiness mid-palatte, temperance meets alcohol. Sangiovese is a changeling.

WaRrioRs come out and play-ayyyy!!!

Lychee Cocktail: The Gateway Martini

Cocktails became popular during Prohibition to mask the taste of homemade spirits. Prohibition era drink recipes called for cream, egg, fruit juice, sugar, and other masking agents as add-ins. Thus, spirits such as gin, bourbon and brandy, previously drunk straight; were mixed to taste like shooters poured over ice. The current shooter-served-as-a-martini trend harkens to the days of bathtub gin. For some, sweet drinks are like gateway drugs: easy to consume.

In my opinion, a proper martini consists of gin, vermouth and one olive. The addition of any other ingredients makes the drink a shooter or a salad. The popularity of the shooter/salad martini, as palatable as a Tom and Jerry in July, has yet to fade in Richmond. In the spirit of camaraderie, a compromise can be reached. There are elegant, untraditional “martini” cocktails. These consist of infused vodka and/or light additions of flavor to vodka.

Unlike gin, almost flavorless vodka is a medium for mixing. Select an assertive one, such as Smirnoff, and add a splash of lychee syrup to make an exceptional cocktail. Lychee fruit, native to China, is a subdued version of Juicy Fruit gum. Fragrant, sweet, and feminine; lychee is a match with vodka. The slight burn of Smirnoff, or the floral and citrus undertones of Sky, fit hand in glove with lychee.


To mix the drink you will need: one can of lychee fruit, available at Asian markets; and vodka, (preferably Smirnoff or Sky). Fill a shaker glass with ice. Pour 6 parts vodka to a scant 1 part canned syrup. STIR the drink until chilled, about 10 seconds. (Shaking is optional; it will dilute the alcohol by introducing ice crystals into the drink—but will make the martini much colder.) For garnish, plunk a lychee in the drink; let it sink to the bottom of the glass to infuse with vodka.

Trevor Jones Tawny, in love with Punctuation

A candy thermometer seems needed, burnt sugar, orange peel, tops of creme brulee, roasted sweet nuts (hazelnuts),coffee loaded with cream and sugar, toffee, heath bars, much more viscous than most cheap Australian tawny ports, (this one costs about$10),however, good; and though we now use the word 'good' like Jane Austen used the word 'amiable', it isn't a complete sentence (or thought) of fortified wine...