Syrah at K Syrah Syrah

Syrah grapes ripening at the Osgood's in Napa.

Wine Tasting

A great day with the Osgood's (of K Syrah Syrah Vineyards) and the Boyd's (of Boyd Family Winery). We visited Elyse Winery and Darioush Winery. Elyse was a smaller production winery with a specialty for Rhone grape varietals. Everything we tried was outstanding. We especially enjoyed the Rhone varietal blends. Darioush has an amazing (albeit over the top) property, which sent up warning flags to us; but their wine is delicious - unfortunately a tad overpriced. We had a barrel tasting there which was extra special.

South African Wines

Spent the day exploring the wine regions outside Cape Town, South
Africa. I kind of felt like that French guy in the movie "Bottle
Shock" in that I knew nothing of the wines or region, was unable to
buy anything because of lack of luggage space (we are travelling
light), but wanted to learn and taste - and found wines that were
world class where we did not expect it. We skipped the tourist bus and
hired a knowledgeable driver to take us around after explaining that
we knew wine, just not South African wine. The wine regions around Cape Town are huge, far surpassing Napa/Sonoma in size and number of wineries. We visited the up and
coming Paarl region, the French influenced Franschhoek region, and the
Dutch influenced Stallenbosch region. Our guide took us to both big
and small wineries. Two notable varieties they produce in SA that I
have not seen elsewhere are the Chenin Blanc & the Pinotage. Chenin
Blanc is perhaps a cross between a Chardonnay and a Savignon Blanc,
while a Pinotage is like a cross between a Syrah and a Cabernet
Savignon. I can see how a pure Pinotage can be difficult for some
people to swallow but many vinters make delicious, more desireable
blends with it. One winery worth noting on our tour was Lynx in the
Franschhoek region. He's a German engineer who knew nothing of
agriculture and bought a grape farm (table grapes). He soon ripped out
the table grapes and planted wine grapes. His operation is small, only
producing 10-15 barrels per variety and all made by hand. Check out
his cement tanks pictured in the attached link. It's hard work that
definitely showed in the quality of his wines.

http://www.lynxwines.co.za/cellar.html

Mustard In The Vineyards

I was up in Napa this past weekend and noticed great beauty in the now dormant vineyards. The mustard undergrowth is blooming a brilliant yellow! At first I thought it was just a weed with a fortunate feature, but soon realized that the mustard was not growing everywhere like an unwanted weed would. It seemed to be isolated to the vineyards.


I asked around and learned that it does indeed have a purpose (other than looking beautiful in the middle of winter). Mustard blooms in late January and early February, and provides a habitat for birds and animals who feed on vineyard pests. Additionally, the root system of the mustard allows nutrients to be absorbed more readily into the soil, which in turn help the vineyard. Once buds break in spring, the mustard is cut back so as not to take too much water away from the vines.

Usefulness aside, color in winter is a nice treat.

A Really Goode Ride

They announced the Top 10 for the Murphy Goode Winery's "really goode job" today, and I was not on the list. :-( It was an honor to be supported, publicized, and encouraged by my friends, colleagues, family, and people they know - so thank you all for the support. I realized though, realistically, that the odds of being on that Top 10 list were against me. However, I was quite proud to have made the Top 50 out of nearly 2,000 applicants, and I believe the show of support I had from people helped. Wow, what an honor! Thank you!

Reflecting on the process to reach the Top 10, there was a huge focus on the video itself however I think there came a point in the process where it was not all about the video. The video got you noticed (and provided a barrier to entry for the 'not so sure' applicant or the technically challenged one), but your experience got you further in this process I believe. I definitely have the technical and professional acumen for the job, which likely carried me into the Top 50 - but probably lacked in media and culinary/wine industry experience to make the Top 10. It's not clear what Murphy Goode is looking for in a candidate exactly, but since it is a job process and not a contest - I imagine the most well rounded applicants in their eyes prevailed in the Top 10.

C'est la vie as they say! I had a great time being creative, making the video (thanks again Brent & Estella for creative input), breaking down personal barriers, and meeting people via social networking. I still think it's possible that my work & experience here could lead to something. Like, maybe I'll get some calls from people about something or other, eh? o_O

There were certainly some noteworthy people when it came to votes and views, like Martin Sargent ~the overall vote leader with thousandSSSS of votes and views (who wasn't selected to the Top 50 somehow :-/ )~ but I thought I'd mention that the shortened link to my video that I created and publicized (http://tr.im/goode) received over 1,000 clicks as of this post! I had some big days too; like ~300 clicks on May 21st when I launched my video, ~100 on May 29th after a little self-promotion, ~125 on June 26th when I made the Top 50! People viewed my video mostly in the United States; but also in Sweden, France, Germany (@AndysGoodeLife?), The United Kingdom, Slovenia, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Australia, China, Mexico, Georgia, and Taiwan! (Whoa!) -- As of this post YouTube shows my video received over 1,100 views! Not too shabby, if I can toot my own horn for a sec! Hey, it is my blog afterall. :-)

But Craig, what we really want to know is -- who do YOU think is going to get the job? Well, I am not going to be politically correct here, say something cheesy like "they all should get the job", and pretend I don't have a pick in mind on who I think is going to get the job! Based on what I've seen of people online, I'd put my money on Todd Havens with Hardy Wallace a close toss up. Good luck fellas. Of course though, Goode Luck to all Top 10 candidates!

La Ferme Julien Rosé - a review

I've been on a bit of a Rosé kick now that summer is approaching. During my many trips to Napa this spring so far, the variety seems to be the casual drinking wine of choice. And why not! Once you get over yourself that the drink is pink; Rosé is usually inexpensive, refreshing when served cool, and pleasing to most palates.



The problem is that not a lot of wineries produce a Rosé, and even fewer stores (at least in San Francisco) seem to stock them. I don't think everyone has yet heard the news about Rosé wines being IN. I was in Trader Joe's in SF and saw 1 Rosé variety stocked (ONE!). So I decided to try it.

It was the La Ferme Julien Rosé 2007. First thing I noticed was the super cool label. I don't know why exactly, but I like the goat. Score 1 point. The price was $4.99 (wow, cheap! Recession proof!). I know that price is not always an indicator of quality, but I am still skeptical of any wine for under 5 bucks. It's screw top too, which I am also not a huge fan of (even though I do understand the benefits of a screw top, I still am not completely over the hump in accepting it). La Ferme Julien proved me wrong though!

This wine was quite good! Not too sweet, well balanced, pleasant aroma. Serve slightly chilled but not too cold. Serve before dinner, with some cheese/crackers, while BBQ-ing, or if some friends pop over late afternoon. I wouldn't recommend it with a meal really, felt it was more of a casual drinker.

Definitely going back to get a few more bottles. Should fit almost any one's budget.

To read more reviews about Trader Joe's wines, head over to this blog.

In case the Murphy-Goode gig doesn't work out

If the real deal doesn't pan out, maybe I can get a lifestyle corespondent gig promoting bum wines? - as seen at www.bumwine.com. "...so curl up to a heating duct and enjoy..."!



Cisco: "Liquid Crack". Also, since when is "red" a flavor?
Night Train: "sober to stupid with no roundtrip tickets available"
Thunderbird: "What's the word? Thunderbird!"
Wild Irish Rose: "Gimme a pint of rosie with a skirt" (aka paper bag)
MD 20/02: "BlingBling"

The video on this page is hilarious. I love the music (Mike Tyson's PunchOut on Nintendo if I am not mistaken?)

Thank you bumwine.com, for the humorous distraction --- and thank you Burnz for the tip.

Wine Tasting 101

I realized this past weekend while I was up in wine country, that the process of wine tasting has become second nature to me. I am fortunate to live in a part of the country (Northern California) where wine and the opportunity to go to a winery for a tasting is abundant. I realized however that wine tasting might not be so familiar to everyone, and perhaps even intimidating, so I thought I'd log a few pointers in my blog.

First off, wine tasting is not just about "taste". It's meant to be a multiple sensory experience. You should not only focus on what you are tasting, but also on what you are seeing and smelling. Although there is a certain etiquette to it, the process is very simple and has become much more casual in recent years. So when you go to winery, here's how it will go down:

1. You show up at the bar and let the server know you'd like to have a tasting. Many times the tasting is free, however more and more wineries are beginning to charge for tastings. In the range of $10 per "flight" of tastings is not uncommon. You may be able to select a "reserve" tasting instead for an additional cost ($15?), where they will pour you low production wines or wines of older vintages. If you've never been to the winery where you are at, you may as well start with the regular pour. You are not obligated to buy a bottle, however I always feel like I should if the tasting was free and there was something I liked (and the price is agreeable). It is not rude, however, to say "thanks" and leave without buying anything. Some wineries that charge for a tasting will take the cost of the tasting and deduct it from a bottle purchase, which I always appreciate and think all wineries should do when they charge for a tasting!

2. You will receive a glass to begin your tasting. You will usually start with the sweetest white and work your way to the dryer whites, then the lighter reds to the darker reds. If the winery, for example, doesn't produce whites then you might taste just the lighter reds to the darker reds. Contrary to what it may seem, it is NOT necessary to wash your glass out with water between each taste. That is not to say you should mix wines (you should not). If your glass is empty but just coated with the previous wine, you are ready for the next wine in the flight without it ruining the taste of the next wine. The one exception is going from white to red. Once you go to red wine, if for some reason you go back to white - then you should rinse your glass to avoid getting a "rosé" inadvertently. (Real rosé is in fact not a blend of red & white wines but rather made from red wine grapes, but the skin is remove shortly after fermentation begins).

3. You will notice "spittoons" and usually a water pitcher on the bar (maybe even some crackers if you are lucky!). You are not obligated to finish everything they pour you, and it would not be considered rude to pour something out if you don't like it or if you don't want to finish it for some reason. If you don't like it, no need to make a face or bad comment, just pour it out and carry on. Some people will say that it is ok to physically spit something out into the spittoon. While this is true in a professional wine tasting scenario (so the taster does not get drunk and end up with impaired judgment), I'm not so sure it would be appropriate at your casual wine tasting. What I would do instead is swallow the taste, and break the "no water" rule above and have a drink of water to chase it.

4. During the tasting what you want to do is use sight and smell, as well as taste. Take the wine and hold it up to the light, and admire the color and clarity. Swirl it around in your glass a little and take a big sniff from the top of the glass and admire the aroma. Take a look again and look at the "legs" of the wine. The legs or "wine tears" are little drops that form at the top of where the wine coated the inside of the glass. They slowly trickle down like tears on the inside of the glass (seen in the picture at left, in the glass' reflection). Scientifically, the legs indicate alcohol content - even though the common belief is that they indicate wine quality. In fact, they have nothing to do with quality but I find them enjoyable to watch nonetheless. Ok now, you've got the sight, you've got the smell, now take a taste!

5. In tasting a wine, critics will often find taste comparisons to other fruits or herbs. There is a great description on this Wikipedia page of common sensory descriptions based on wine variety. You don't have to always agree with what the critics or the wine maker suggest, and in fact, you may sense something completely different. As an example, recently I tasted a Cabernet Sauvignon where the wine maker sensed a taste of leather. I did not taste the same thing. He was smart about it though, and only told me what he thought after I told him what I thought - so as to not influence my interpretation of what I was tasting.

6. Sometimes there are dessert wines available to taste. They are usually very, very sweet. I would recommend tasting those last, just like with actual dessert. The sweetness could alter the way everything after it tastes. It would be a good idea to rinse your glass with water before and after tasting a dessert wine, especially if it is going across colors (red to white or visa versa).

Part of what is spectacular about tasting wine is finding something that YOU like. That is really the secret to wine tasting. Just because something was rated a 90 by Wine Spectator doesn't mean that you have to like it. Just because something costs $100/bottle doesn't mean that you have to like it. In fact, if you find a $10 bottle of wine that you like - I'd say you scored and you should buy a case immediately! It's really all about what YOU get out of it, and not what the experts think. The more you taste, the more you will learn to appreciate the differences in various wines.

Here's another good article on wine tasting 101 from wineroad.com (Sonoma County, California). It's an overall great site from the beginning.

Muprhy-Goode Job Applicant - @cgiven

Ok it is done. I submitted my application and video for the Murphy-Goode Winery's, A Really Goode Job. I saw the opportunity first on either sfgate or Twitter, the day they had the kickoff event in downtown SF. I thought about it half wittingly, but really became inspired when I saw some of the boring videos that were being submitted! There are definitely a lot of requirements for a mere 60 second video, but the one requirement I thought people were missing the most was, "It should be entertaining". "Put up, or shut up", I thought to myself. So, here it is:

Some interesting facts about my video:

• I wrote, produced, directed, and starred in this video. Other than valuable feedback from friends and family on draft videos I created, I did everything myself. (see feedback credits below)
  
• The equipment I used to shoot was a Canon Powershot SD770IS Digital Elph and a stand (pictured below with my niece). I used iMovie software on a Mac to cut the video.
  

• The idea for this came to me in a dream. I dreamt I made a video of me downing a full, huge glass of wine as quick as I could while spilling it all over my shirt.
  
• I actually tried to down a huge glass of wine as part of the video, but I could not do it fast enough. (I used water instead of wine to time myself)
  
• To not waste wine, I replaced the wine in some shots with watered down apple juice that I painstakingly compared in appearance to Murphy-Goode's Fume (which I drank later).
• I needed another wine bottle as a prop, and noticed unknowingly and conveniently; an empty bottle of Murphy-Goode Fume in my sister-in-law's recycling (she lives downstairs from me). Score!!!
  
• My cat Lucy is usually a royal pain, always begging for food or attention. However, she slept the whole day I shot the indoor scenes. I had to wake her up for her cameo appearance. She wasn't happy.
• The vineyard shots were at Ksyrahsyrah Vineyards in Napa,CA (with permission from the owners - special thanks to The Osgoods)
  
• I had to shoot the vineyard shots on 2 different days, b/c the shots I took on the first days were sub-par in draft feedback from friends. After some tips, I went back for a 2nd day of shooting and battled sun and wind. I took over 50 takes for several hours for about 15 seconds of video.
• I found out later that the vineyards were sprayed the night before. No wonder I felt light-headed afterwards.
• The indoor shots were all done in my flat in San Francisco.
• The music is "Grateful Dawg" by David Grisman & Jerry Garcia (purchased legally from iTunes specifically for this video, b/c I could not find the CD I thought I had of it.). The song also came to me in my sleep.

There was definitely a lot of project management involved. Before even picking up the camera, I wrote a detailed script with each scene getting a specific amount of time so I would properly plan for exactly 60 seconds. I even timed myself saying a bunch of different lines to see how long it would take me to say them. The planning definitely paid off, as it makes shooting much easier when I had an idea of what to shoot and the time constraint for the particular scene I was shooting.

After I made my first cut, I put it up on my own website and invited a select group of friends and family to view it and give me feedback. The final cut did not change much in context from the original, but it definitely got fine tuned. This was one of the most important phases. Not only did it give me validation in what I was doing, but some corrections and creative ideas came out of it. I am definitely a big advocate of not working in a bubble for just this reason. Special thanks to @craisin, @brentium, Julia, Suzanne, Noel, Dad, Aunt Janet, Alice, Cathy, Rupert, & David for all your feedback.

Ok now it's time to talk some smack! Some people submitted some really, really bad and boring videos. So, for all of you people who didn't even try, here is The Murphy-Goode Job Applicants Video Fail Guide, featuring a list of trends and observations I noticed in other people's videos that drove me nuts:

• Hand held cameras (this isn't the Blair Witch Project) - FAIL!
• Noticeably reading from a script (you can't memorize a little or wing it?) - FAIL!
• Drinking wine on camera and giving a cheesy expression of satisfaction afterwards (the most boring 10 seconds your audience ever watched) - FAIL!
• Talking about how much you love wine (uhh, DUH!) - FAIL!
• Using less than 60 seconds (Really? You couldn't fill up 60 seconds?) - FAIL!
• Not including a *video* of yourself in your video (they didn't ask for a Powerpoint presentation) - FAIL!
• Saying something cheesy and inspirational, like you are reading it off of the back of a wine bottle (Even wine makers laugh at some of the things that get put on the back label) - FAIL!
  
• Putting credits with links at the end of your video (Did you also give them these links in your application? I bet you did. You just wasted 10 seconds of video on something no one will read) - FAIL!
  
• Not being entertaining, at all - FAIL!

That's all folks. I really enjoyed this as a project, and I really REALLY hope to make it into the next round. The video competition is starting to heat up as compared to the first few weeks, as I'm seeing much more creative content submitted. If at the minimum with this experience, I learned a lot about making a video and how to better operate my camera. Now I want to start taking more video than photographs! May need a bigger hard drive, as my materials for this 60 second video alone were close to 1GB!

Update 5/22/09:
Go on over to Andrea at Andy's Goode Life Blog, who was kind enough to feature a guest posting from me about my video! Thanks Andrea!

3 Ring Circus

So the other night, in a dream, an idea came to me for a potentially great video for the Murphy Goode Winery's A Really Goode Job contest. I had a video in mind already, but it was boring...just me talking about my qualifications, personality, blah blah blah. I think the video I dreamed about will be much more entertaining. Afterall, the idea here is to get noticed!

The "Goode dream video" as I call it, is currently in production. There are a number of videos already on YouTube from applicants. Most or plain and boring, like my original video idea, so I hope the "Goode dream video" will be far superior.

As they say, PUT UP OR SHUT UP!
(Give me a few days to complete it)

I like Hardy Wallace's video. At first I thought this was the stupidest video ever, but Hardy kinda grew on me -especially his catch phrase and how he says it "It's Murphy Goooooode!". Hilarious! What a goof ball! I bet Hardy would be a hoot to meet! Of all the videos submitted to date, I liked his the best.