Crush It, Gary!

If you haven’t met Gary Vaynerchuk, you should do so immediately. He’s most famously known as the irreverent host of Wine Library TV, a daily on-line video wine blog. GaryVee isn’t the usual stuffed-shirt, espousing the proper way to hold your glass. He’s fresh, funny, and operates in a full-throttle, ants-in-your-pants, no-holds-barred sort of way. His video blogs include taste-offs, special guests such as winemaker Heidi Barrett and Wayne Gretsky, and pairings with fine foods such as Capt’n Crunch cereal. Gary is the master of new media, using streaming video, Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, blogging and other social outlets to get out his message. It’s loud, it different, and (short of Joe Plonk’s musings) perhaps the most useful wine information out there.

I just wonder, however, can you really trust wine recommendations from a Jets fan? Go 49ers!

Best, Joe Plonk

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Your First Impression

My visit to Black Stallion Winery, one of Napa’s newest Oak Knoll district wineries, wasn’t pleasant. Our server was rude and obnoxious – and I loudly barked about it in a blog posting earlier this week. In response, I received a lovely and heartfelt note of apology from Laina Brown, the winery’s President. Although that apology was appreciated and accepted, the first part of our day in Napa was nevertheless ruined. Out of deference to Ms. Brown, who appears to genuinely care about the experience of her customers, and who unfortunately hired a temporary bad apple, I’ve taken down my rant. However, this episode does highlight the critical importance of hiring and training the right staff for the tasting room, especially for a winery like Black Stallion that only sells wine from their property.

For many wineries, the tasting room staff creates the first impression of a winery – before the label and before the wine itself. With over 300 wineries in Napa, the margin of error is quite narrow. What would make me want to buy, return to visit, or recommend the wines of Napa Winery A versus Napa Winery B? Hopefully, the value delivered in the glass is primary, but what is perceived as value tends to derive from the overall experience. So, Wineries listen up! Your first impression is delivered by the tasting room staff. My recommendation is to train them well, treat them well, and retain the good apples. Otherwise, I’m happy to drive right by.

Best, Joe Plonk

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Lester Arthur

Lester Arthur came to Aptos for a visit last weekend.
He and his kin brought Markham Cabernet and Parducci Petite Sirah.
Also consumed over the weekend were Heart’s Fire Petite Sirah, Rubicon Zinfandel, Frank Family Zinfandel, Young’s Barbera, and St. Francis Port.

Lester Arthur is a friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him a-drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine.

Come back soon, Les.

Best, Joe Plonk

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XYZin Spells Winner

A recent addition to the wine list at our favorite restaurant, XYZin has quickly become one of our favorite bottles of zinfandel. In fact, last Wednesday night I arrived at our restaurant to find that TheWife had already ordered a bottle of XYZin – a rare feat indeed since TheWife typically allows her wine snob (err, wine lover) husband to select from the wine list.

XYZin makes vintage zinfandel marketed around the age of the vine – 10 year old vines ($16), 50 year old vines, and 100 year old vines. The 2007 XYZin 10 year old vines bottling is Contra Costa county, and it delivers a whallop of ruby-red cherry and strawberry flavor zinfandel. It is wonderful on the nose, both broad in its flavor range and round on the ends. I’ve enjoyed it with pasta (is there anything other than tomato-based pasta?), filet and seafood dishes. Neither overly tannic nor overly high in alcohol, it remains fresh, lively and balanced. This wine received five stars on the Drink Plonk Value Index from both Joe Plonk and TheWife.

Kudos to winemaker Ondine Chattan on this wonderful, fruit forward zinfandel. Now, I’m in search of the 50 year old vines (sold out) and their 100 year old vine bottlings. XYZin is a winner. You need go no further.

Best, Joe Plonk

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Harvest This!

The next step in my winemaking oddyssey at Vino Tabi Winery was the hard part (and I don't mean the check writing part) -- Harvest! My winemaking partner Frank and I arose early on a Saturday, and with gardening gloves and clippers in hand headed out into the field. Or, in this case, it was headed over to Zhang Vineyard in San Jose, California. This vineyard is located in the backyard of a silicon valley technology executive. The vineyard trellis climbs up a hill over a two acre backyard that provides a nice view of a pocket in Evergreen Valley. Instructions to us novice wine cuttings included (i) don't cut anything with mold, (ii) don't cut anything that has been nibbled by birds, and (iii) one person per side of the vine. Frank and I figured that we could chat as we worked side-by-side, instead of risking cutting off fingers as we both reached into the vines.

My personal takeaways include:

- Wear sunscreen and a hat;
- Wear appropriate work shoes (flip flops are not a good idea on a hillside vineyard -- see photo)
- Get a professional to help.

Our group included several first time pickers like Frank and me, and a few professionals. I did little more than get in the way, and carry the grapes they picked down to the truck. So, if you get one of the wines made by Joe Plonk, it will most likely include grapes picked by somebody else.

Best, Joe Plonk

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Nothing Petite About This!

I'm in a blissful purple place. My recent delivery from Heart's Fire (www.heartsfirewine.com) included the 2006 Petite Sirah, Rhodes Vineyard, Redwood Valley. Their Petite Sirah is always wonderful, and the shipment lasted all of about a week before I pulled the cork. I'd been acting like a well behaved Retriever with a dog biscuit on his nose -- but enough! Blueberry and cherry flavors storm out of the bottle, and delicately dance from glass to tongue to tumbly. The wine is lively, but also subtle with vanilla and oak tones. The only argument in my house tonight was how the wine disappeared so fast. You too had better hurry because I'll be buying them out shortly. Joe has been spending his time looking for a job, but he's back now! See you again soon.

Best, Joe Plonk

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