Melville Winery 2002 Syrah (Review)

Sometimes I should just stay away from the Wine Cabinet and stick with beer. 

Tonight I was in a red wine mood.  It had NOTHING to do with the meal we were having (Lemon Pepper Chicken with a pasta salad), it was just one of those things.

So, without thinking, I just grab a bottle out of the cabinet, check that it is a red and uncork.

Little did I realize it was one of the Charity Night Wines, and probably the nicest bottle out of the set.  Oh well….it better be good

Melville Winery- 2002 Estate Syrah – Santa Rita Hills

 

Release Date 03.26.04

2,484 cases produced, $20/bottle (currently $35-$45 a bottle)

• Color-Dark Inky Purple, honestly the words that came to my mind when I poured this were “Liquid Midnight”
• Nose- Pepper & Earthy with hints of leather and smoke (but not peat)
• Taste- Really liked the acidity.  Not very sweet, yet had a full “grapeyness” with underlying tones of blackberries.
• Feel- Again, the heavy acidity and dryness (tannins) lead to a prolonged finish at the back of the palette.

Overall, I really liked this wine and will now have to find some online to replace it.  I could see it pairing very nicely to a nice filet and some bacon wrapped asparagus.  Definitely a “Food Wine”, it still held it’s own as a “sit down drinker”.  If I were stocking a new cabinet, and had access to it, this would be a good base wine to put back.  4 out of 5 Stars for me.  I really should learn to look at the labels before I uncork….but hey, it was good to drink while watching the Irish beat DePaul.

Worlds Oldest Winepress

At 6,000 years old, wine press is oldest yet found

Archeologists have unearthed the oldest wine-making facility ever found, using biochemical techniques to identify a dry red vintage made about 6,000 years ago in what is now southern Armenia.

The excavation paints a picture of a complex society where mourners tasted a special vintage made at a caveside cemetery, the researchers reported on Tuesday in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

"This is the world's oldest known installation to make wine," Gregory Areshian of the University of California Los Angeles, who helped lead the study, said in a telephone interview.

Carbon dating showed a desiccated grape vine found near a wine press was grown around 4000 BC, his team reported.

This makes it 1,000 years older than any other wine-making facility discovered, the team from Armenia, the United States and Ireland reported.

The team found the world's oldest leather shoe, about 5,500 years old, at the same cave complex last year.

The wine press would have held a few gallons of juice and crushed grapes, likely working with the time-honored technique of barefoot stomping, Areshian said.

"This was a relatively small installation related to the ritual inside the cave. For daily consumption they would have had much larger wine presses in the regular settlement," said Areshian, who was deputy prime minister in the first government of the independent Republic of Armenia in 1991.

Chemical traces point to grape juice and, given the lack of refrigeration, the juice would certainly have been fermented into wine, Areshian said.

"We also know that still, in the villages in the vicinity, the culture of wine is very old and traditional," he said.

The rich red wines produced there are merlots and cabernet sauvignons, he said.

The expedition, paid for in part by the National Geographic Society, also uncovered copper processing equipment. Areshian said the team would detail those findings later.

The cave complex, known as Areni-1, is in the Little Caucasus Mountains near Armenia's southern border with Iran.

The press itself is a shallow clay basin about three feet (one meter) in diameter, surrounded by grape seeds and dried-out grape vines.

The team found grave mounds nearby and obsidian tools -- indicating some complicated trade was going on. The closest source of obsidian, a black glassy mineral, is 35 to 45 miles away, a three-day walk, Areshian said.

"We can say that this was a quite complex society formed by multiple communities," he said.

A few gift ideas from Smokes and Booze

Here at Smokes and Booze we try to be a public service vs a public nuisance (emphasis on the word TRY).  So, here are a few things I saw on the net that you might still be able to get for under the tree this year.  I get NO kickbacks from any of these, so feel free to ridicule them as much as you want.

Cheers-

 

First we have the Christmas Drinking gloves.  I’m not overly fond of the fingerless look…but they are festive.

At $5.99 each, not a BAD stocking stuffer…but you could get mini-bottles and enjoy it more

 

 

Next on our Christmas S&B List this year, we have the Book Flask.  While cumbersome and not very tote friendly, they definitely make up for it by having the inscription of “Cogito Sumere Potum Alterum” (Latin for “I think I’ll have another drink”) on the spine.  $19.95 seems a little steep (especially since there is no booze included), so I think there are better products on the market.

I personally prefer the hidden bottle of Pyrat Rum in the book promo that was done a few years ago.  We got one and I still laugh at the look….it actually has the “Feel” of a book and would probably fool 25% of views as opposed to the 2% on the Book Flask.

Now I really like this one, not because it has a great name (The WineRack ) or involves boobs (Who Like Boobies?  Charlie Waffles) …but it really is ingenious.  Capable of holding a bottle of wine or a 5th of liquor, not only can you smuggle in booze….but you can have a fuller figure.  Win Win.  Although a little pricey at $29.95 (and currently out of stock), I still think this is a great idea….unless you are trying to get through TSA, who’s gonna pat you there when going through Security?

Honestly though…if you are looking for that something special for the boozer in your life, you can’t go wrong with anything from the Guinness Store.  I’ve bought from them in the past (Including during mine and Debi’s first Christmas) and customer service was excellent.

Wine- Tastes Great and Less Filling (Plus good for you and your pocketbook)

 

Two interesting articles lately have outline how wine not only tastes great, but is good for you and an awesome investment.

In the first article we learn resveratrol can potentially build brain resistance to ischemic stroke.  Resveratrol is found in the skins and seeds of red grapes and can be translated over to Red Wine.

The second article describes how  top-quality wine has outperformed one benchmark U.S. stock index for 13 years and withstood two recessions.

Overall, this is a win/win in my book, and as far as I am concerned….Jesus got this one right.

Waiter…..can I have a bottle of your best red please?

Stonemason Wine…..not just for Lodge

 

Not to long ago, Debi picked me up a few bottles of Stonemason Shiraz 2004 from Ballast Stone Wineries in Australia.

While not much of a wine fan (I’ll drink it, but seldom go out of my way for it), this is one of the few wines that I have gone looking for and restocked up on…although to be fair, there is some  nostalgia with the Plumb -line on the bottle and the name Stonemason. 

The wine itself is fairly dry with great acidics that would pair well with Red Meats and pastas (with red sauces). 

Color – Very Nice medium and deep purple.

Nose – Fruity (with hints of Plum) with a slight flower undertones.

Taste – Bold, with a combination of red fruit, berry and plumb. 

Finish – Dry, slight acids and vanilla with an excellent aftertaste on palette.

As a relatively cheap wines (approx $15), the Stonemason range (not just the Shiraz) would make a great additions to your cellar, especially when you have those special Masonic Dinners. 

I would give it 3.5 Stars out of 5.

Stonemason Shiraz is currently available locally at Tinderbox Vino100 in Columbia MO and through various online outlets.

The Damage

One Six Pack HeBrew Messiah Bold
One Six Pack HeBrew Genisis Ale
One Case PBR (It seemed like a good idea at the time)
Two Bottles of Red Wine (Bitch was one of them)
3/4 Bottle of Wild Turkey
1 Bottle of Wild Turkey American Honey Liquor
Some Jim Beam
A Case of Sam Adams Seasonals
1/2 Bottle of Sailor Jerry's Rum
One Bourbon Smoked Turkey (AWSOME)
1/2 Debi's Turkey
Kendra's Deviled Eggs
Assorted Pies (to many to count)
....and a ton of other stuff.

I love Thanksgiving and I'm glad it was just Glenn and Kendra that came over ;)

Tiger Wine?

University of Missouri's viticulture institute creates experimental winery

By Associated Press

4:01 AM CST, November 13, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A University of Missouri research center that studies grape growth is creating an experimental winery.

The school's Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology (ee-NAHL'-uh-jee) provides research support to the state's 92 commercial wineries.

By setting up a winery, the institute can apply those experiments to the entire winemaking process.

The wine will be commercially available with a label that reflects its university affiliation.

Viticulture is the science of growing grapes. Enology is the science and study of wines and winemaking.

Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture & Enology