Stella!

Wow! The Rampant Oenophile missed an opportunity to visit Northstar Winery on a recent trip to the Left Coast. Had I enjoyed the 2004 Stella Maris Columbia Valley Red prior to the trip, I would not have stopped driving until I reached the tasting room.

The 2004 Stella Maris Red is unique. This blend of Merlot, Cabernet, and Petit Verdot offers flavors that I've never enjoyed before, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I've cellared this wine for several weeks since a dear friend gifted me the bottle. I've been waiting for a special occasion to share it with other red wine fans, as the wine has a great reputation.

Pour the Stella into a proper Merlot glass to maximize the nose. Its bouquet is wonderful and unique. The scent is not quite peppery, not quite spicy, but rather something in between. Absolutely note the leather tones, as they are unmistakable. I detected hints of herbs like Rosemary, but muted and subtle.

Swirl the wine to add air and build up the flavors. This Stella has great legs and a slow fade down the glass.

With the first sip, I noticed leather again, and a silky creamy texture. You'll notice nothing light about this wine. It's big and full and textured and earthy. Not fruit forward, but more smokey, nutty, with those leather tones. The finish lingers but doesn't overpower, and the second taste layers new tones. Enjoy a healthy pour and see how the flavors develop.

I consider the 2004 Stella Maris Red truly unique, not necessarily for everyone, and definitely among my new favorites. If you enjoy interesting flavor profiles, the Stella is for you.

Wine is to Poker as...

The Rampant Oenophile finally broke a losing streak at poker last night while enjoying a lively Zinfandel from Bogle.

Bogle wines, always touted as strong values in the traditional wine press, have been on my tasting list forever. I like their buttery Chardonnay and their smooth Merlot, but the real love for any rampant oenophile must be Bogle's prices.

The 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel, for less than $10 a bottle, exudes fruit without becoming sweet or syrupy. It's easy on the nose with berry overtones and a light hint of spice or pepper. There's a smooth touch and chocolatey aftertaste that lingers slightly. Overall, this Old Vine Zinfandel scores a solid B for flavor and an A for value.

The Left Coast: a brief tour of Oregon wines

I had to visit the Seattle and Portland areas on business this past week, which offered the Rampant Oenophile a wonderful chance to sample some good, bad, and great Oregon wines. There was a lesson learned, however, and it was modestly expensive...

The wine country was nice, but they charge for nearly all tastings, so we spend about $75 each just trying wines.

The Pinot Noirs are great, and we found some very good ones. I recommend Rex Hill, Argyle, and Erath. All of these wines are available at ABC and other good wine shops.

We each bought 6 bottles, then picked up one more for a baker’s dozen. It took three boxes with special inserts for protecting the wine, but we taped them all up and got the Fed Ex number to ship them. I drove out to FedEx this morning with two hours to make it to the airport.

FedEx doesn’t ship wine.

That’s right… I said that FedEx doesn’t ship wine.

Holy crap! I have three boxes of wine to send home, two hours to get to on the plane, and the FedEx people tell me, “sorry, but we can’t ship wine. Only registered brokers can ship wine to Florida or New Jersey.”

So, that’s not technically correct. Both NJ and FL have easier rules, now, and I JUST got a box from wine.com thanks to a very generous gift from Teresa, so I happen to know that FedEx can ship wine. But, contrary to my typical reaction, I remained totally calm.

I asked where the nearest UPS store was.

I drove to UPS, nearly got lost three times, and now I have only 90 minutes to get to the flight.

UPS doesn’t ship wine.

That’s right… I said UPS doesn’t ship wine.

Holy crap! I have three boxes of wine to send home, only 90 minutes now to get to my flight, and the UPS people are telling me the same stupid story that Fed Ex told me.

Now, anyone who knows me is probably thinking, “Mark is going to get arrested for yelling at a UPS person.”

I’m not typing from jail. I kept my cool, and got in the car to try to find my way to the airport.

So, I call Delta. Well, actually I called Delta’s Indian contact center, waited on hold for 13 minutes, only to be told that Delta doesn’t have a policy on their FAQ about wine.

That’s right… the Indian contact center agent’s CRM doesn’t have FAQ data about checking wine as a bag. (Note to self, make sure future editions of Sales Portal have helpful FAQ’s for our own contact center agents, or I’ll have to kill someone.)

So, anyone who knows me is probably thinking, “Mark created an international incident by yelling obscenities at the poor contact center agent and set back relations with India 40 years.”

Actually, our international relations are fine. I just hung up.

The vein in my forehead was throbbing, and I was nearly crushing the phone, but I kept my cool.

I found my way to the rental car drop off, rented a cart to help me with the three boxes of wine, and trudged to the Delta counter.

It turns out, Delta does let you check wine boxes as baggage.... for $80 per box.

That’s right, I said for $80 per box.

That’s nearly $14 extra per bottle of wine, and that third box had only one bottle, so I’m staring at the ticket agent thinking of how I can deduct $240 of wine transport on my taxes, when I tell myself, just drink the extra freakin bottle and save $80.

Now, anyone who knows me is probably thinking that the airport cops had to restrain Mark as he lunged across the counter at the ticket agent, then he was beaten in the holding cell while the airport cops enjoyed 13 bottles of fine Oregon wine.

Well, I’m not typing from the airport jail.

Just as my head was about to explode and 4 letter explicatives were about to erupt from my mouth ( I was really at my wits end), the Delta agent said, "but you can check three bags in first class."

That’s right, I said that 4 letter explicatives were ABOUT to erupt. I know it is hard to believe, but not one 4 letter word left my lips.

NewEdge Networks, in their infinite grace, upgraded me to first class, so I could check my bag and two of my wine boxes for free.

I had resigned myself to drinking a whole bottle in the security line when the Delta agent said, “I think we can tape two of them together to make one big box.”

So, all the wine is en route to Orlando, and we’ll try to enjoy it in Vero. But, the moral of the story is, do the tastings, find the ones you like, then buy them in freakin Vero. Don't try to ship wine from Oregon.

Postmodern wine racks

Ever on the lookout for a stylish tip, the Rampant Oenophile found a great new site thanks to his good friend, The Digital Advisor.

Westside Village Imports offers stylish wine displays in a very post modern flair. Don't hide your wine in a dingy cellar, display it on a wall as art. Take a peek at the Pinna E model, as it is fast becoming a favorite of mine.

The shelf top modular racks are a certain gift item for any wine lover. Cellarists with large collections might enjoy the high capacity models as well.

Reasonably priced for the artwork that they are, take a good look at Westside Village Imports for outstanding designer wine racks that supports the artists communities that produce them.

Wine.com is a real find!

Through the gracious generosity of a friend of the Rampant Oenophile, I've been introduced to Wine.com, a site I heartily recommend. You can search for and find special items, clearance wines, special deals, and all of your favorite appellations.

My favorite feature, being a rampant oenophile on a budget, is the opportunity to scan for 90+ point wines under $20. Though that list is rich in whites that aren't on my top pick list, there were 20+ reds, some very attractive, for outstanding prices.

Log on, buzz through some of the searches, and set up a wine wish list today on http://www.wine.com/

Finding wine at Costa D'este

Corporate dining can be an adventure or a drag. It usually depends more on the group than the food. The Rampant Oenophile enjoyed good food and better friends at a business event last night at Costa D'Este, the new Gloria Estefan hotel in Vero Beach, Florida.

We had a big group, so got the best seat in the house at Oriente, the hotel's premier restaurant. It's Cuban Fusion menu offers loads of fresh fish ceviches and entrees, as well as terrific meat dishes.

As we enjoyed drinks then dinner, everyone at our table agreed that the restaurant is finding its way with its food and drink. The bar offers all of the notable basics for good mixed drinks and premium spirits. What Oriente lacks at the moment is a good wine list. Both bottle services and wines by the glass are very limited, and the bartenders both offered White Zinfandel as a substitute for the telling absence of the Ravenswood, Oriente's only Zinfandel offer.

We first tried the 2003 Sterling Merlot, but the last glass of the bottle was marred by soot and debris. It shouldn't have needed decanting, so this Rampant Oenophile wonders if bottle storage was off, or we just happened on a bad bottle. Regardless, when brought to the staff's attention, we didn't get any credit or apologies. Disappointing, but not surprising with such a new facility.

The 2004 Wild Horse Pinot proved a treat. It was the only solid Pinot available by the bottle, and served slightly cooler than I expected, but again, the restaurant is still new. Everyone is still getting used to the stoves, chillers, and apparently the wine cellar.

The Wild Horse Pinot is a Central Coast wine, light and refreshing, with hints of cherry and berry. I didn't notice the vanilla promised on the bottle, but this wine makes up for it with no aftertaste, great legs, a full bouquet, and no tang. Overall, an exceedingly pleasing wine. With a local vendor price of about $22, it's not necessarily an everyday wine, but it's also something to be enjoyed more frequently than just special occasions. I'm adding it to my cellar this week.

Give Oriente about a month to find its way with its menu, and comment to the staff if the wine list isn't better developed. There's no excuse for such a beautiful site and an imaginative menu to be hobbled by a weak wine list.