Wine Central

Monsoon Come

2010-11-02T09:39:00.001-07:00

Urban Blight ~ Depression 2010

2009-11-29T08:15:00.001-08:00

I'll let the photos speak for themselves:

Second Look at Jerome

2009-08-22T14:36:00.001-07:00

Classic Jerome Arizona

2009-07-05T10:27:00.001-07:00

A series of nine photos I picked out of many I took on our field trip to Jerome. I have more of the women I went with, but I'd have to ask all their permissions before I post those....

Get 10% OFF the Cabernet you wanted anyway...

2009-03-05T16:48:00.001-08:00

2005 GustavoThrace Cabernet Sauvignon

A Napa Valley Wine ~ $70.

From the Winemaker:
"This is the first time that we have sourced Cabernet from the Atlas Peak area of Napa. This vineyard is at the base of Atlas Peak. We brought in 4 tons of fruit, producing just 240 cases. The harvest was interrupted by the rain that year so we harvested on two different days and then blended the finished wines together when they were both through fermentation. It was aged in new French oak barrels for 30 months. It is a big, fruit-forward wine. The lush nose opens up with aromas of cherry-cola, dark chocolate and licorice. There is a full mouth that finishes with just the right tannin management to leave your mouth dry but full of flavor, ready for the next taste. This wine will continue to improve in the bottle for the next 10 years."

This wine is very limited, however, for a short time only, you can get 10% OFF the retail price by using this link to email the winemaker - GustavoThrace

Pahrump in the Winter of 2009

2009-02-24T08:07:00.001-08:00

Here we are in Pahrump, at the Seven Palms RV Park and Campground. Last night I came to realize the severity of the chemtrails that are being put into our skies. I watched an educational video on the subject after watching them criss cross the sky with their poisons. They explained the science of clouds and air, or what used to be our air. They also had analysis of the STUFF that was in those trails, ew, yukky, pew. Anyone with even the slightest curiosity, please watch this video:

Detail of Dewdrops on a Mushroom

2009-02-16T10:21:00.001-08:00

Do you believe it? Perfectly aligned dewdrops... like they were placed there. Colored, no PhotoShop filters were used in this photo. Nature made this pattern. Something about mushrooms intrigue me. The zoom out:

Camp Pussy

2009-02-01T12:07:00.001-08:00

So, who was that, got up at 4:30am and started their car at the campground? Camp Pussy did, you d'camp pussy? When your bones are so cold that you can't even sit still and you can't build a fire in the dark, you go warm up the car... Start d'car! Warm that sucker up and you can finally thaw out and relax, dang, frozen fucking fog? I be d'camp pussy, in d'car. When the leaves crunch when you walk on them and your tears of laughter are making ice cubes on your eyelashes, you'd be d'camp pussy too. Burn some petrol and warm up or else you be d'ignorant camp pussy and I'd much rather be a warm pussy than clenched up frozen pussy. The sun is coming up and warming everything on this magnificent day, but not soon enough for my pussy dog and me. We're somewhere near the Merced River with all the ducks and geese. Not many campers out this weekend, pussies.

Camping photos.

Champagnes Anyone?

2008-12-26T16:48:00.001-08:00

So, if you're going online to get your champagnes for the new year, you might as well get them at personalized wines. This place will customize your wine with labels that say anything you want them to. You can even customize your own personal label with graphics. They ship to most wine destinations, and their website is very comprehensive. The good life at a great price, what could be better?

Art Gallery Review

2008-12-24T06:10:00.001-08:00

This is the kind of thing that is hard to take one photo of because this sculpture is a holographic 3D animated fractal fucking THING that is huge and ever changing. I find myself gazing at it for unknown minutes, and I've never seen it the same, so if it's looping, it's a REALLY BIG loop. So I shot five:

The artist is Gleman Jun and his Gallery in Second Life is in a place called Hazel. I've spoken with him, a very nice young Italian man. I'm hoping to ask him more questions about his art the next time I see him.

That's me posing in my new dress, the first one I've made. I bought a dress kit and apply my paintings to the fabric and I'm experimenting with scripted clothing. I know, I must have better things to do, right? This is MY spare time and believe me, inspiration in any form is welcome.

What are fractals? What is fractal art? (by Second Life artist: Spiral Silverstar)

Simply put, fractals are shapes which show similar features at different sizes. Much as a very close inspection of a rock can show similar features to an aerial view of a mountain, fractal shapes are characterized by this property of self-similarity.

Much of what goes into fractals is based on mathematics. Sometimes the math is complicated; sometimes it isn't. But you do not need to know or understand the mathematics behind the art to appreciate it. The basic images are created using fractal generating software.

There are some who will feel that if this is all just based on mathematics, that it cannot be art. Fractal art does not pop out of nowhere, mathematics notwithstanding. To produce an aesthetically pleasing fractal image requires enormous input on the part of the artist. It also requires patience, and an eye for form and color—skills that are required for virtually any artistic discipline. (Damien Jones)

Can't Anyone produce fractal art? The simple answer is Yes. However, Anyone can buy a camera and take snapshots, but very few can produce photographs that can be appreciated as art.

The images created in this gallery were made using the Ultra Fractal and Fractal Explorer software programs, with post-processing work done in Photoshop.

I hope you enjoy my work and realize that the finished products here are not simply the result of clicking a few random buttons. Thanks for taking an interest in my art, my passion.

Artist's Statement

2008-12-17T07:22:00.001-08:00

My art is an interpretation of something that flows through me, so the art neither begins nor does it end with me. The viewer might say something about it to someone else or use it to illustrate a love letter, etc. It is my belief that the art itself - has a life of its' own and just uses me like the epicurean whore that I am as it flows in from the top of my head, down through my arm, into my fingers and out through the brush.

Painting Art Outside in the Garden

2008-09-20T06:08:00.001-07:00

I've painted a series of color images that stand outside the front of my house, I wanted to do something BIG ever since we did the 140X140 street painting at Copia in Napa so I started painting the big boards in my backyard.

This is the first one. I liked it, so I moved on:

This one is upside down, I'm not sure why I do that, but I do it all the time to look at them differently.

This one may not be finished yet. I think I'd like a circular light shape behind the plant, in front of the background, transparent. And then I painted this:

I call it "Blue Turmoil" I have a fifth board to paint and will post it here. Thank you for looking!

Barrel 27 Winery

2008-08-27T14:09:00.001-07:00

2006 Barrel 27 Grenache Central Coast "Rock and a Hard Place"

Inaugural release: This wine is a stunningly beautiful, with a medium ruby-black color and a captivating nose of sweet raspberry milk chocolate, hibiscus, logan berry, cranberry and caramelized sugar beet. On the palate, the wine shows the same pure red fruit characters filled out with notes of black tea and orange rind with a hint of vanilla. Soft and rich, with beautiful, broad mid palate, the wine's fruit and spice notes continue to build through the long, long finish. Less than 200 cases made. $19.95/btl

2006 Barrel 27 Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Zotovich Family Vineyard

Barrel 27's second Pinot Noir release showcases Santa Rita Hills' excellent Zotovich Family Vineyard, which formed the core of the 2005 Central Coast Pinot. A dense dark red color is followed by a captivating nose of sweet red and black cherry, rose petal, dried strawberry and kirsch, with notes of cinnamon, red plum and cocoa adding layer after layer of complexity. Broad and filling on the palate, the intense red fruit characteristics are elevated by the wine's superb acidity and fine, integrated tannins, all of which lead to a long, pure finish. More classically styled than Barrel's first Pinot Noir release, this is a finesse driven Pinot of remarkable elegance and complexity. Only 300 cases produced. $31.95/btl

2007 Barrel 27 White Wine Central Coast French Camp Vineyard, Paso Robles "High on the Hog"

2nd vintage of this awesome Rhone-style white blend - 42% Viognier, 34% Roussanne, 24% Marsanne. A straw gold/brass in color, with an intense, sumptuous nose of honeycomb, Meyer lemon zest, marzipan, lemongrass and wet slate, with secondary notes of jasmine, Kaffir lime, petrol, paraffin, and bacon fat. On the palate, the wine is lush and weighty, dominated by flavors of lemon drops, slate, petrol and honey, followed with hints of lavender, cured ham and mint all of which intermingle and integrate through the long, uplifted finish. Almost baby-oil like amounts of glycerin capture the masses of fruit and exotic aroma and flavor components, while the wines excellent acidity keeps the whole package lively and fresh and lifts the wine through the long, focused finish. $13.95/btl -
BUY THEM HERE

On Blogging

2008-08-25T18:08:00.001-07:00

Have you read a good blog post recently? Why not help another blogger out with traffic by giving a review and a link to their post? This will gain you good karma in the blogging world, and let readers know that you want to provide them with the best content, regardless of whether you were the one to produce it.

OK - This thought was courtesy of http://kikolani.com Thanks for sharing

Bottle Shock Smash Hit Sound Track

2008-08-20T22:44:00.001-07:00

No, they didn't come out with a sound track CD from the movie Bottle Shock, but if they had, the line up would have gone a little something like this:

Un Bel di Verdremo - Maria Callas and The Philharmonia Orchestra
Toulouse Street - Patrick Simmons
Toulouse Street - Doobie Brothers
Stand Back - Allman Brothers Band
Spirit - Doobie Brothers
Rock Steady - Bad Company
Listen to the Music - Doobie Brothers
Le Temps Des Cerises - Scottie Haskell
Jump into the Fire - Harry Nilsson
I Need You - America
Drivin' Wheel - Foghat
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-Dee - Stick McGhee
China Grove - Doobie Brothers

Nice mix for that drive up valley. I don't know why more people aren't talking about the sound track, some original. I really enjoyed everything about this movie which came to the downtown Napa theatre last Friday. I laughed out loud (the samurai sword scene) and cried (the scene where the winery owner found all his wine BROWN) and would highly recommend going to see it while it's here.

Blogging the Train

2008-08-19T09:05:00.001-07:00

Yes, we were thinking of taking a train across the USA and blogging it on the way, kinda like a Travel Channel for the Internet - YouTube style videos, GPS, etc. I'm on the test run, going from Napa Wine Train Station to the Hanford/Lemoore Station on the San Joaquin Valley Train. It's nice! I have a great bus driver that doesn't mind talking to me all the way down to Martinez.

Really helpful people and especially patient with old ladies like me. Now arriving in Antioch. Nice day, by the water. We have that bay breeze thing happening. I might have to move cars, there's an overwhelming smell of cheap men's cologne. Guys, when you ride public transportation with other people, PLEASE lighten up on the scents.

Orchards, grapevines, a lot of agriculture in this valley. This time of year, the corn is REALLY big, up past the windows in some places. Real estate by the tracks isn't always attractive. Only certain kinds of people can live by railroad tracks. That's why it makes sense to have agriculture by all that noise, but as you get closer to city centers, you look into where backyards go to die.

So I call this guy in Chicago, at the Amtrak media relations department and I asked permission to blog the train. He was so nice to me, even giving me his number and telling me to call if I need anything, sent me a letter of introduction in case anyone asked for it while I was underway and live blogging. Yep, we'll be blogging our way across the USA! I want to have maps, with pins online. What a way to go.

Fresno Station, WOW! I didn't realize how hot it was out here until I got off the train for a smoke. The train is cool, air conditioned, so menopausal old ladies can ride in comfort, gazing out on the hot fields. And before you know it, it's time to disembark. My trip just flew by. I have never encountered an unfriendly Amtrak employee, they're all just so nice that it must be a requirement. Even the passengers seem nicer than the general public, babies and children really love to ride the train.

And! For your viewing pleasure, we're going to have a train video on YouTube with footage from trip. Stay tuned, I'm also going to post more on the return trip. This is just a practice post for when we're REALLY bloggin the train.

I must mention the snack car lady, she's a very nice lady that smiled easily and is more than willing to provide you with anything that she can.

2003 Boodeaux Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-06-02T11:13:00.001-07:00

Hosier Daddy Cabernet ~ BOODEAUX vineyards has twenty seven hundered vines and averages two and one half tons per acre. The quality of this Napa Valley hand-made wine speaks for itself. If you love cabernet, you should try some BOODEAUX! Scott Becker is one of those winemakers that doesn't produce very much wine and the wine he does produce doesn't last very long. Seeing the wine industry in the Napa Valley transform poor farmers into gentlemen farmers, in 1997 he purchased 20 acres Capel Valley (just over the hill from Lake Hennessey) in which 3.5 planted to Cabernet and half an acre planted to Primitivo. With his trusty companion, Boodeaux (Rhodesian ridgeback) and the sage advice of Jeff Smith of Dusinberre Cellars & Bob Milat of Milat Vineyards, he has released his first wines. There are only about 50 cases of 2003 Boodeaux Cabernet left. $38. per bottle, but call Scott and ask him about a case discount.

Focus on Summer Wine & Bottle Shock Gossip

2008-05-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

Why don't we just all get along and watch BOTH movies and then pass judgement? As far as Bottle Shock - The Movie goes, I think it's a wonderful story and most interesting to most of us here in Napa Valley.
We especially love Freddy Rodriquez' character, Gustavo Brambila because we drink his wine. My favorite? The wildly fragrant and crispy green 2006 Sauvignon Blanc [just released]. Maybe because it's hard-core summertime now here in the Valley, this wine was most appealling with our seafood bar-b-que [BBQ!].

"Once again, this wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel to retain the crisp, clean tastes in the wine. The nose is wildly fragrant with aromas of fresh straw, kiwis and a hint of the tropics. It has an amazingly round mouthfeel for having been aged in stainless, a nod to Gustavo’s expertise in the cellar. There is a pronounced mineral/steel character to the finish on the wine."

Here's the article from Variety - Wine films pouring it on
'Shock' 'Paris' both tell same winetasting tale
By LEO BARRACLOUGH
It's one of the most famous moments in wine history, but with dueling pics in the works the venom already has been uncorked.
"Judgment of Paris," and "Bottle Shock" both center on the 1976 blind tasting at which French experts chose wines from the Napa Valley over those from France.
But Steven Spurrier, the wine expert behind the tasting who optioned his life rights to the producers of "Judgment of Paris," doesn't like the taste of "Bottle Shock."
Spurrier told Decanter magazine, where he's a consulting editor, "There is hardly a word that is true in the script and many, many pure inventions as far as I am concerned."
He also says the script depicts him as "an impossibly effete snob."
Of course, his reaction may also be soured by the fact that "Bottle Shock," in which he is played by Alan Rickman, has gotten the jump on "Judgment."
"Bottle" started shooting Aug. 1 in the Napa and Sonoma valleys under helmer Randall Miller, while the script for "Judgment," based on the tome by George M. Taber, is still being written by scribe and Sonoma vineyard owner Robert Mark Kamen.
Another bone of contention: The two pics deviate in how they portray Mike Grgich, a former winemaker at Chateau Montelena, and winery owner Jim Barrett. Both have claimed credit for the success of Montelena, with Grgich now running his own winery.
In "Bottle Shock" Grgich makes a fleeting appearance, whereas in Kamen's version, he is expected to play a more central role. In "Bottle Shock," it's Barrett, played by Bill Pullman who gets the spotlight.
Read the full article HERE

It's Hot Air Balloon Season!

2008-05-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Facinating... as they float across the sky silently first thing in the morning. Ha! and me running out on my double latte in my pajamas to take pictures!

I don't know what hot air balloons have to do with wine, but they both seem to flourish in Napa Valley. There is the champagne brunch before the flight. Woosh

End of March in Napa Valley

2008-03-31T05:44:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to the low hum of the fans in the vineyards. It must have gotten a bit chilly last night to have to turn those on. They sound like airplanes, several of them waiting on the tarmak. They look rather like airplane propellers standing alone amongst the vines. Yes, thirty degrees this morning the news says. The big fans blow the cold air off of the precious little baby buds. It's a bit strange, only because we don't have an airport anywhere near here, to wake up to the unfamiliar droning of an entire valley.

Cigar & Wine Tasting

2008-03-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

I know about as much about cigars as I do about wine. [tobacco & grapes] I love the smell and taste of a robust cigar when I am sipping wine. A plan for the perfect evening often involves cigars & port on the patio after dinner. I was just thinking, what do men think of women who smoke cigars? My favorite cigar shop has two catagories for men, not a one for women but that doesn't surprise me, it's primarily a man's sport and usually men over forty. I did my shopping, I don't want to spend a lot of money, I just want to try something different, perhaps an assortment so I can do a sort of "cigar tasting" to see what I like. Problem solved:
Cuban Crafters Cigars ~ This amazing value includes 12 gourmet cigars in a box with the cutter!A $68.00 retail for $20! I don't know how long that will last.

I'll be posting my "cigar tasting notes" sometime after I get MY package. If you're a man over 40, tell me honestly what comes to mind when you see a woman smoke a fat cuban.

Las Rocas Explosion

2008-03-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! The only thing more surprising than the quality of this red wine is the merciful price: You can get a bottle of each for about $25. Twenty-Five Bucks! Wine shoppers will want to know about this:

Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2005 Garnacha - Grenache Red Wine

Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2005 Garnacha Vinas Viejas - Grenache Red Wine

Buying Wine Online

2008-03-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular online wine shops is:
wine.com

When you buy wine online, or anything for that matter, I recommend setting up a seperate account online for that purpose. You can set up an online account easily at http://ingdirect.com/
Just make a deposit from your real bank account. This way, if anything BAD happens, it won't devistate your life.

Happy New Year Everyone!

2008-01-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

This is the new stuff:
2006 Lazy Creek Anderson Valley Reisling $23.95
2006 Lazy Creek Estate Gewurztraminer $23.95
2006 Schild Estate Shiraz Barossa $24.95
2006 Beringer Chardonnay Private Reserve $27.95
2006 Frank Family Chardonnay Napa Valley $29.95
2005 Michael Austin Bad Habit Red $34.95
2005 Walter Hansel Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce $34.95
2003 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $36.95
2005 Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon "The Ranch" $37.95
2005 Walter Hansel Pinot Noir The South Slope $37.95
2004 Frank Family Napa Cabernet Sauvignon $39.95
2005 Walter Hansel Pinot Noir Cuvee Alyce $44.95
2005 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon $49.95
2004 Stag's Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa $59.95
2005 Snowden Cabernet Savignon Reserve Napa $59.95
2004 Lancaster Estate Red Table $64.95
2005 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay Sonoma Coast $69.95
2005 Viader Proprietary Cabernet Blend $79.95
2004 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon $84.95
2005 David Arthur Cabernet Sauvingon $89.95
2003 Silver Oak Cabernet Napa Valley $89.95
2004 Viader V Proprietary Cabernet Blend $99.95
2004 Cain Five Red Blend Napa Valley $112.95
Valentine Wine Picnic Pack $129.95
2005 David Arthur Elevation 1147 Cabernet Sauvingon $149.95

This is what you want, the good stuff right?

2007-12-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

These are the most recently added wines to the collection. Too late for Christmas but there is always a reason to celebrate so I put the champagnes there below this list. With names like Silver Oak and Cakebread Cellars, you really can't go wrong. Cheers!

1996 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 6 Litre 92 RP $849.00

1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, French Champagne $124.95

2004 Husic Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Dos Palmas $109.95

2004 Schramsberg Blanc De Blanc $29.95

2004 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate Napa Valley $59.95

2004 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Magnum Napa Valley $159.95

2004 Twomey Cellars Merlot $59.95

2005 Alcina Pinot Noir Ramondo Vyd Sonoma Coast 91 pts (WS) $44.95

2005 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $68.95

2005 Caldwell Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley 92-94 pts (WS) BT $99.95

2005 Hanzell Chardonnay Sonoma Valley $62.95

2005 Martinelli Chardonnay Martinelli Rd Russian River 93 pts (RP) $49.95

2005 Melka CJ Cabernet Sauvignon $49.95

2005 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon 95pts(WC) $45.00

2006 Rudd Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley $29.95

2006 Marshall Family Pinot Noir Barry's Blend $19.95

2006 Robert Mondavi Moscato D'oro 375ml Half Btl $20.00

1995 Henriot Cuvee des Enchanteleurs French Champagne $129.95

1996 Veuve Clicquot Pucci Caprice $199.95

1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, French Champagne $124.95

1999 Dom Perignon Champagne French Champagne $159.95

1999 Dom Perignon Champagne French Magnum $349.95

1999 Perrier Jouet Le Fleur Brut Champagne 90 pts (ST) $108.95

2000 Mumm DVX Napa Valley Sparkling Wine 91 pts (WS) $49.95

2004 Schramsberg Blanc De Blanc $29.95

Bollinger Special Cuvee Non Vintage 93 pts (WS) $39.95

Champagne Krug Grande Cuvee 93 pts (RP) $149.95

Charles Ellner Brut Rose $69.95

Henriot Brut Souverain Non Vintage $39.95

J Cuvee 20 Brut NV Russian River Valley $25.95

Mumm BLanc De Noir Napa Valley Sparkling Wine 90 pts (WS) $16.95

Mumm Brut Prestige Napa Valley Sparkling Wine 90 pts (WS) $13.95

Perrier Jouet Grand Brut Cuvee Champagne 91 pts (WS) $29.95

Rene Geoffroy Nv Cuvee Selectionnee Brut Champagne $49.95

Roederer Estate Brut $19.95

Veuve Clicquot Yellow City Traveler $59.95

Veuve Clicquot Yellow City Traveler & Glasses $84.95

Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne $42.95

Veuve Clicquot Yellow MAGNUM with Ice Jacket $117.95