Wine Review and secret – 2007 Siduri Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

The secret's out: Eddie rocks with Siduri Pinot.

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam likes wine. Secret wine. In a recent interview in Rolling Stone magazine, Vedder was asked about the wine he drinks on stage. He only admitted it was red. But it has been discovered that it is actually Siduri Van der Kamp Pinot Noir. The wine is sent to Vedder without labels.

I am not sure which vintage or appellation that Eddie Vedder prefers since Siduri has many different areas where their grapes are grown. They only make pinot noirs and can have up to 15 different releases at one time all based on the region and appellation. So Eddie has a lot of choices.

I have only tasted one of their many choices, which was the 2007 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. This vintage was made from grapes grown in their Pisoni Vineyards and Gary’s Vineyards. It is 100% pinot grapes and was aged 10 months in French Oak barrels. In my mind, it encompasses all of the qualities I look for in a nice pinot. It is a nice ruby color in the glass and has aromas of smoky herbs and cherries. On the palate you will find ripe dark cherry and some hints of earthiness. It is pretty complex but very silky and smooth. Again, I am not sure if this is the bottle that Eddie Vedder is drinking on stage, but if it is, then he picked a good one. From what I understand, you can’t go wrong with any of the pinots from Siduri!

Cheers!

Sesame Street turns 40!

Sesame Street has been a constant during my lifetime. The educational kids show turned 40 this week and is showing no signs of slowing down. When I was young I loved the show and both of my sons have also grown up watching all of the old characters and the newer ones teach them things while not even knowing it!

Over the last 60 days, there was a poll run on Yahoo to select your favorite character and here are the results:
1. "Elmo"

2. "Cookie Monster"

3. "Big Bird"

4. "Bert and Ernie"

5. "Count Von Count"

6. "Oscar the Grouch"

7. "Snuffleupagus"

8. "Abby Cadabby"

9. "Zoe"

10. "Grover"

Elmo wasn’t around when I was watching the show, so my favorites growing up were Big Bird, Grover and of course, Oscar the Grouch. Now it is sort of weird to see some of the celebrities and bands make appearances on the show, but it is also a cool thing. Most of the celebrities and bands always say one of the coolest things they have done is appear on Sesame Street. Think about it, wouldn’t you like to go and visit the most famous street in the world?

Happy Birthday Sesame Street!

Talk about being under the influence of alcohol!

This guy gives a whole new meaning of being under the influence of alcohol! I am glad he is basically OK, but he should be fired for wasting so much booze!

Check out the announcers wording, I love the way she says “under the influence of drink”.

Monster Jellyfish!

I ran across this story in the Telegraph in the UK and just had to share it. It is fascinating and scary at the same time.

A 10-ton fishing boat has been sunk by gigantic jellyfish off eastern Japan.

The trawler, the Diasan Shinsho-maru, capsized off China’s coast, its three-man crew was trying to haul in a net containing dozens of huge Nomura's jellyfish. Each of the jellyfish can weigh up to 200 kg (440lbs) and waters around Japan have been inundated with the creatures this year. Experts believe weather and water conditions in the breeding grounds, off the coast of China, have been ideal for the jellyfish in recent months.

The crew of the fishing boat was thrown into the sea when the vessel capsized, but the three men were rescued by another trawler, according to the Mainichi newspaper. The local Coast Guard office reported that the weather was clear and the sea was calm at the time of the accident.

One of the largest jellyfish in the world, the species can grow up to 2 meters in diameter. The last time Japan was invaded on a similar scale, in the summer of 2005, the jellyfish damaged nets, rendered fish inedible with their toxic stings and even caused injuries to fishermen.

Experts believe that one contributing factor to the jellyfish becoming more frequent visitors to Japanese waters may be a decline in the number of predators, which include sea turtles and certain species of fish.

Freaky!

Black Helmets?

This weekend Georgia broke with tradition in order to change the recent outcome of their annual battle against the Florida Gators. They came out of the tunnel with black helmets and black pants. This is the first time in their storied history that black helmets were worn. The black pants have been done several times before, but not since Coach Richt has been in Athens. For me, I like the look of the helmet and I think they had to go with the black pants to balance the look. But I just don’t think the timing was right to bust this look out. I can understand the desire to mix things up and try to fire up the fans and the team and change the recent domination by the Gators. If ever there was a time to go back to traditional Georgia football, this was the weekend. We should have come out in our traditional red helmets, silver britches and run the ball right at them. To me, it seemed like a gimmick and that we are desperate. I feel that if we were having a great season and we went into this game undefeated or with only 1 loss to a non-SEC team, then maybe it might have worked. But this was definitely not the case and it didn’t change the results from the pervious year. Florida won the game 41-17.

Apparently, the players had no idea this fashion statement was going to be made until after pregame warm-ups. “No, we didn’t know,’’ quarterback Joe Cox said. “It provided a spark. Maybe every now and then you need some change to bring excitement and we needed excitement.’’ Unfortunately, the spark didn’t transfer to the play on the field. I am not blaming the loss on the helmets, the falls squarely on the guys wearing the helmets not being able to execute on the field and the coaches not haveing the team ready. Unless UGA plans on becoming the Oregon Ducks of the SEC, I don’t imagine we will see the black helmets again anytime soon!

Go Dawgs!

Georgia wines make wine lists for up and coming restaurants

Persimmon Creek located in Clayton Georgia has made the wine list at two up and coming restaurants in New York and Chicago. Persimmon Creek’s Cabernet Franc made the wine list at “The Apiary” in New York City. Esquire Magazine selected this restaurant as one of the “Top New Restaurants to Watch”. While in Chicago, the Persimmon Creek Icewine will be featured at a new restaurant owned by Food Network stars Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, also known as the “Hearty Boys”. The restaurant is named “Hearty”.

This just further proves my point that there as some good, quality wines coming out of North Georgia. Having had both of these Persimmon Creek wines, I see why they were selected. I just can’t figure out why the Seyval Blanc didn’t make either list? But don’t worry; their Seyval Blanc is on other prestigious wine lists throughout the country.

Nice job Sonny and Mary Ann!

Cheers!

The Worlds Largest Cocktail Party!

I know, I am not supposed to call it that anymore, but I am old school and it will always be the Worlds Largest Cocktail Party to me! While a good number of the Bulldog Nation is making their way down to Jacksonville for the bash on the St. John’s River, I have been thinking about the game. Yes, this season is not up to the standards that Dawgs fans have come to expect and no one in the country is picking the Dawgs to win. But that is usually what sets up a huge upset. We know the Dawgs have the ability to put some points on the board, just look at the Arkansas game, 52 points, the South Carolina game, 41 points and even the Vandy game, 34 points. Georgia has one of the best, if not the best, receiver in all of college football in A.J. Green, and a few good (not great but good) running backs that can tote the mail for positive yards. So if we can just protect the ball and not have any turnovers, we should be in the game. The defense has been under fire this year but you can’t blame it all on them. If the offense doesn’t turn over the ball on our side of the field so many times, maybe the defense makes a few stops. But forcing the defense to go out on a short field and expect them to keep a team out of the end zone is unreasonable. But if we punt the ball or kick off after a score, then the others teams have more than 30 yards to gain before scoring!

Granted, the Gators have an even more explosive offense and they also have the #1 ranked defense in the country. But have you seen the last couple games the Gators have played? They won, but not impressively and if not for a couple lucky calls, they might have at least one loss, maybe two! All I know is the Gators have not looked good and they could prime for an upset. The Dawgs have nothing to lose but a world to gain! They are not in the running for the SEC East or SEC title. They have already lost three games and aren’t ranked, but a signature win against the Gators on Saturday would be huge! It would help avenge last year’s whopping and get some revenge on Coach Urban Meyers he called two time outs in the last minute to prolong the agony for the Dawgs. Believe me, those time outs have stayed with the players and most everyone in the Dawg Nation!

On paper, the Gators should blow us out. But they play the game on the field and not on paper, so the Dawgs still have a chance. I am not naïve; I know the Dawgs are going to have to play an exceptional game in order to win. But a dawg becomes extremely scrappy when backed into a corner and right now I don’t see how we could be any deeper into a corner.

In case you were wondering, this will be the fourth time a Dawgs team has faced a #1 ranked Gator team. With one of the first three meetings resulting in a win, in 1985 the Dawgs upset the Gators 24-3! I was at that game and I am pretty sure no one was giving the dawgs a chance that year either. That is why it just might happen again!

Go Dawgs!

Kovy is out for weeks!

The Thrashers have come back to earth after a white-hot start to the season. They have lost their last three games and now are faced with playing at least the next 4 weeks without their captain and leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk was hit in the foot by a shot during the first period of the 4-3 loss to San Jose on Saturday night. The shot the took him out of the game happened early in the first period and once he left the game Thrashers first round pick Evander Kane was moved to the first line to replace Kovy. The entire Thrashers team will have to step up in Kovalchuk’s absence and one of the players that will be called upon is Rich Peverley. The forward has five goals and is tied with Kovalchuk for the team lead with 10 points this season. Also, Jason Krog was called up from Chicago to fill Kovy’s spot on the roster.

This is the first season where the Thrashers have some depth and I feel like they are going to be fine without Kovy. Don’t get me wrong, they might struggle scoring, but they have some guys that can pick up the scoring load and take on more of a leadership role on the ice. But as always, if we have good goaltending, we can win any game. The Thrashers take the ice for the first time without their captain on Thursday night against the Washington Capitals.

Go Thrashers!

Cancer Walks!

This weekend in Atlanta, there are two major cancer walks happening. Today is the first day of the Atlanta Breast Cancer 3-day and thousands of men and women will be walking the 60 plus miles this weekend. Also, tomorrow is the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk being held at Atlantic Station. I personally want to thank every person who is walking in, volunteering and donating to these great events. Unfortunately, we aren’t going to be able to make these events but we will be thinking of all of the walkers. If you can, please get out there and walk or support the walkers. These aren’t strolls in the park they are serious miles! Also, please make a donation to someone walking in either of these walks or to Susan G Komen for the Cure or American Cancer Society. Every little bit helps! We need to find a cure for this horrible desise and find it soon.

Going Canadian!

I will be going Canadian, well at least for one night! One of the biggest bands from Canada will be in town tonight, no not Rush or Celine Dion, but The Tragically Hip. They are playing tonight at The Variety Playhouse. Those who have been following this blog know that I was able to make a quick trip up to Buffalo in the summer to see the Hip play at the front leg of this tour. It was a great night right on the Niagara River and this was the first time I have seen them play two sets including a few songs acoustically. I expect to see a similar show tonight but not the exact show. They have really done a good job of mixing up their set lists on this tour and I expect to see some differences from the show I saw and the last few they have done on the tour.

If you are looking for a good, solid rock band to see tonight, come on down to see The Hip. You won’t be disappointed. I equate them to the Canadian version of REM, solid rock music, great lyrics, charismatic front man and rabid fan base. They are multiple Juno Award winners (those are the Canadian Grammys). They play huge stadiums and arenas up north, but play the smaller venues in much of the lower 48. That is a good thing for the fans in the south! Come on out and be Canadian for a night!



Here is a clip of one of their most popular songs, 100th Meridian. Notice the size of the crowd! It will be a small fraction of that at the Variety Playhouse tonight!

Rock and Roll!

Thrashers off to a fast start!

I know the NHL season just started and it is too early to make any predictions, but so far, I like what I see from the Ice Birds! The Thrashers are 4-1 in their first 5 games and are really playing well. With all of the acquisitions from last year, I was worried that it might take some time to get the team chemistry working, but so far so good! Captain Kovalchuk is off to a fast start as well! Kovalchuk has seven goals in the first five games and trails only Washington's Alexander Ovechkin for the NHL lead. Ovechkin has nine goals but has played in three more games.

A huge area of improvement thus far in the season has been the play of the defensmen and the penalty killers. The team is currently eighth in the NHL in penalty kills with an 85 percent success rate. It’s a far cry from last season when the Thrashers finished 29th out of 30 teams with a 76 percent rate. The Thashers end their 5 game road trip tonight when they face 2-5 Montreal.

While on this road trip, the Thrashers did something that I feel is very touching and classy. They went to the Dan Synder Memorial Arena in Elmira, Ontario and held an open practice and autograph session for the people of Dan Snyder’s hometown. In case you don’t remember, Snyder was tragically killed in a car wreck back in 2003. His death effected people here in Atlanta and all over the US and Canada. The Canadian band (and one of my favorite bands,) The Tragically Hip recorded a song called "Heaven Is a Better Place Today" in honor of Dan Snyder. I hope to hear that song on Wednesday night when the Hip is in town!

Here is a video of the Thrashers trip to Elmira.



Go Thrashers!

Drink Wine for a Cure!

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I would put together some of the wineries that are donating some of their proceeds to a search for a cure. Here is your chance to get some great wines and help out in the search for a cure:

Five Rivers Winery’s “Save a Goddess” Campaign encourages wine lovers to tell a story in 250 words or less about a woman who has survived or is battling breast, ovarian, cervical or ovarian cancer; or about a caregiver who has gone above and beyond in helping someone struggling with the disease. Bi-monthly winners will receive a $250 Spa Finders gift certificate, and their story may appear on the winery’s Web site. One Grand Prize winner will be featured on ABC’s “Pink With a Twist” special next year. View contest rules and submission form.

For the past seven years, Fat Bastard winery has sponsored a Breast Cancer Awareness program. For every bottle sold in September and October, the winery will donate 75 cents towards cancer research, education, screening and support, up to $75,000. Fat Bastard’s grapes are sourced from the value-ridden Languedoc region in Southern France, and the winery offers six varietal wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay. Not sure where to buy Fat Bastard wines in your area? Check their Web site for distributor information.

From September 1 through October 31 2009, Luna di Luna wines is purchasing a variety of "pink" items (qualification: a percentage of sales must go toward breast cancer research) and posting them on their site for the Luna Picks Pink Giveaway. Two winners will be selected each week and for every contestant who enters Luna will also donate $10 toward breast cancer research. In addition, the brand gives a portion of all sales of its Premium Pink Merlot, a rosé from Northeastern Italy available year-round, to Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

Cleavage Creek Cellars owner Budge Brown lost his wife of 48 years to breast cancer. This California winemaker turned his anger and grief towards action, creating a winery that celebrates survivors, and works to find a cure for breast cancer. On the bottles’ labels are pictures of breast cancer survivors, and 10% of sales go towards research to find a cure. View the Cleavage Creek Web site for information on where to purchase their wines. I have personally purchased several cases from this winery and all of their wines have been very nice.

Cheers!