Insiders Wine Blog

GustavoThrace.com

2011-09-20T09:04:00.001-07:00

Visit this website to find out more about this fabulous winery: GUSTAVOTHRACE.COM

Bottle Shock Smash Hit Sound Track

2008-08-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

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.

Bottle Shock - The Movie

2008-05-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

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 at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117969693.html

Hot Air Balloon Season

2008-05-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Just when I was getting a good grip on double latte, I looked outside and saw that the hot air balloons are flying again. Silent bubbles of hot air floating across the blue blue sky. I'm not sure what hot air balloons have to do with wine, but they both seem to flourish in Napa Valley.

Comment on my Wine Blog

2008-04-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

"Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =)." - IceLCD

Thank you for your support! I'm thinking this blog will age well, like a fine wine.

Way Inside Napa Valley Wine

2008-04-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Last night we tried a 2005 Perata Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon "Frank's" version. It was what good wine is all about, smooth red velvet, proper tanins and Rutheford dusty/oaky aftertaste. Perata Vineyards is in Yountville near Ghost Block Vineyard and right next to Beringer-Gamble Vineyard. This is a single-source wine made by Gary Galleron. Read more about this Napa Valley winemaker here: ABOUT GARY

Napa Valley wine can be so different from vineyard to vineyard with microclimates as small as a few acres. At Perata vineyard, you can tell that they love their vines. They are meticuliously taken care of, it's a beautiful thing to see. This time of year, the little baby buds are breaking out of the vines for Spring.

SHOTGUN! Shoot It For Me Right Now

2008-04-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

"Since last fall, more than 50 cases of Gauge Wines have been sold by JV
Beverage Warehouse in Napa, where it’s regarded as one of the fastest-moving
wines in stock. The camouflage-patterned boxes have attracted attention, as a
few patrons have taken the boxes even though they did not purchase all the wine
inside, leaving a few bottles behind on the floor. Gauge retails for $11.99 a
bottle. Locally, diners can find Gauge Wines on lists at Cindy Pawlcyn’s two
restaurants, Mustards Grill and Go Fish." - From the Register

"I'll take one of each." - From Sandra Lee

Targeting the huntsman demographic is a new wine brand “created by two hunters (John Putnam, left, and Bjorn Larson, right) and a salesman (Trent Moffett).” The current 1,500 case production is being sold in test markets in California, Texas, Louisiana and South Carolina. Lianne Milton/Register

I've met Bjorn and I think he is one of the most wonderful human beings in the whole world. Behind that macho manly exterior there is a true heart of gold. For more information, visit their website: Gauge Wines

Everyday Sippers?

2008-03-23T13:04:00.001-07:00

I found a delicious North Coast California Red Wine, for a remarkably low price.
From the Winemaker ~ "The Broken Road" is a blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Malbec and Carignane. Dark purple hues with brooding aromas of pepper and black raspberry tea dominate the nose. Deep black fruits are well displayed on the palate in a medium bodied, supple style while the nicely structured acidity ensures a multitude of dimension you don't often find in wines of this price. $10.79!

Ten Mile 2005 Broken Road Red

Hou About Some Spanish Grenache?

2008-03-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

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

2002 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2008-03-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

"Classic Napa mountain Cab, intensely concentrated in fruit, richly
tannic, and dry, and of course, such a wine needs and deserves the new
oak they lavished on it. Flavors and structure perfectly balance, with
massive cherry pie, cassis and mocha flavors meshing with sweetly ripe
tannins and rich barrel notes of vanilla and char. This is a dramatic,
complex young Cab that will hold for six years."
94ptsWE

"A contrast of plump, succulent fruit and hard, stony tannin, this
gives a clear taste of Howell Mountain intensity while remaining
floral and fine. The violet scents and the dark earthiness should grow
into deeper complexity as it ages. Cellar through 2012 or '14."
92ptsW&S

Appellation: Napa Valley Howell Mountain
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc
winemaker: Kimberlee Nicholls (Markham Vineyards)

$50.00 (winery)
$44.95 (calwine)

Brand New Year! and a Whole New Attitude

2008-01-15T09:46:00.001-08:00

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