Milwaukee Wine Festival

The winebrats were all together for the art museum’s annual wine festival on the lakefront under hot, sunny, blue skies. The first taste of the day was Domaine Wachau Gruner Veltliner, light and crisp, it was the perfect cooler. That was by far my favorite white wine, closely followed by Redwood Creek 2007 Chardonnay, also light and refreshing, with some appliness.

Despite the searing heat, I forced myself on to the reds, and it was well worth it. I got to know some new labels for a number of old favorites. My friends and I were charmed by two PKNT Carmeneres from Chile, one of them a Reserve. Both were delicious with good solid structure, fruit, and a hint of red pepper. The other Carmenere was Casa Silva Reserve, a little drier than the PKNT and offering more spice. There were also three wonderful Malbecs, Jean Bousquet, Alamos, and Catena.

By late afternoon as the sun began to sink toward the horizon, we were surrounded by a swarm of low flying dragon flies. I haven’t seen these wonderful creatures in such great numbers in decades. I was wondering if we just happened be along their migration route, or were they attracted by the wine aromas wafting through the air? I won’t have time to research this, so please post a comment if you know the answer.

Of the major labels offering consistently good wine year after year, Michael David Winery really stands out. They poured six wines and all were excellent. In addition to the usual suspects, they poured one that was new to me called Petite Petit, a blend of Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot. This was highly concentrated black fruit and spice with lots of structure. Other notables included Mondavi’s Solaire Cabernet and Private Selection Pinot Noir. A number of us also enjoyed the Penfold’s Bin 128 Kalimna Shiraz—no surprises from this Australian mainstay.

I was only able to taste a small fraction of the over 200 wines that were offered, but managed to find a number of really good values of those I did have a chance to try. Most of these wines were priced at a discount from $5 - $22. Even though the prices are low, the quality is not. I tried many others that were good or so-so, but these are the wines I’d buy repeatedly to enjoy myself and to share with friends. For more information about the festival, visit http://www.milwaukeewinefestival.com/.

Cheers!

German Wine Tasting

I never thought I'd enjoy a Riesling tasting as much as I did this weekend. The weather was perfect for Riesling - a hot summer day. The distributor, Toni of Purple Feet was mah-vuh-lus, and I was very lucky to be the only one in the room and had her all to myself for the better part of an hour. She shared a numbe of German terms that will really help me better understand wine labels from now on. Here's what she was pouring (in order of preference on a scale of 1-4, the latter being the best):

1. Peters Willinger Klosterberg Riesling Qba Trocken - Rating = 3.5; This Mosel wine was very refreshing with floral notes in the nose and on the palette; $18

2. Weller Lehnert Piesporter Treppthen Riesling Qba - 3.0; This is a more traditional style with some residual sugar (the Peters was dry), but still very clean and refreshing; a great value at $14

3. Geschwister Schuch Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Kabinett QmP - 3.0; A sweeter wine with a little more body, but still has just enough acidity to create a perfectly balanced wine. This wine is from the Rheinhessen region; $18

4. Unckrich Kallstadter Saumager Riesling Spatlese QmP - 2.5; Of course, as a late harvest wine, this was the sweetest of the six. It's from the Pfelz region; a very good value at $13

5. Johann Peter Mertes Kanzemer Sonnenberg Riesling Spatlese Halbtrocken QmP - 2.0; Another Mosel wine, this off-dry Spatlese (interesting in and of itself) actually presented the aroma of hops, a familiar experience to the olfactory for this Brewtown girl. After I mentioned this, Toni tried it and totally agreed with me on the hops. This wine was interesting, but not enough for me to want to pay $15

6. Hirt Gebhardt Martinshaler Wildsau Riesling Trocken Qba - 1.5; This Rheingau region wine reminded me a lot of Sauvignon Blanc, but not as good--it was a bit on the sour side; $11

That was my first German wine tasting and hopefully will be the first of many more to come. I learned that there are many delicious Rieslings out there at great prices. When I buy whites, I habitually reach for Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or any of the Rhone whites--now I will think seriously about going for a Riesling instead. I made a good start yestserday with a mixed half case of the first three wines on the list above, and I'm looking forward to sharing them this summer with visitors and friends, including my new friend Toni.

Cheers!!

Firefly Symphony

Sunday night found me on the front porch enjoying my glider, a light dinner and a glass of Shiraz from South Africa (not to be purchased again). The day has been sweltering with heat and high humidity, but the good thing about that is it brings out the fireflies in swarms, and man is it cool to be a spectator of this showy love fest as the flies flirtatiously flash each other in the dark. I grew up with fireflies around and really missed them for the twenty years I was living in the NW. I've enjoyed seeing a few here and there throughout the summer, but I've never quite seen this many at once. It was visually symphonic to see the flashes happen somewhat rhythmically as a bunch near each other would all light up simultaneously, and then across the street a straight row of flies would flash sequentially in order, and then back to the more random series of flashes all throughout my view of the immediate neighborhood. Occasionally, one hovering very nearby would flash and startle me, since you can't see them well until they light up. It's nice to see them close up and be thoroughly wowed by these marvelous little creatures. The closest we humans come to this phenomenon is by flashing our most dazzling smile along with an irresistible twinkling of the eyes--this happens most readily when we are hopelessly smitten ;)
Cheers

Storming the Bastille...

…in downtown Milwaukee as a few thousand other people and I kick-off the 4 day festival with a 5K run through three adjoining neighborhoods near the city's beautiful lake front. It’s historically a night-time run, beginning at 9:00 p.m. In previous years, it didn’t begin until midnight. The earlier start time has yielded much greater participation (that is, more people are still sober at 9). After a few thunderstorms blew through between 7 and 8 o’clock, the weather cooled and cleared up nicely just in time for runners to mingle prior to start time, and for me to meet my co-workers Tressa, Jason, and Robert, who agreed to join me on the run.

For all of us, this was our first 5K group run. We were all a little anxious, mainly due to the unknowns associated with never having done such a thing. We knew we’d be starting together, but had no certainty as to how far apart we’d stray throughout the run. I wasn’t even certain I’d be able to finish. As it turned out, we clocked within 8 minutes of each other. Robert finished first, completing in about 27 minutes (he didn’t track his time). Tressa and Jason kept pace with each other and finished together in just under 30 minutes. I came in last, completing in just over 36 minutes (I do have a few years on them). Nevertheless, we were all extremely exhilarated at the finish line and felt a strong sense of accomplishment and pride. My goal for next year is to run an average of 10 minutes per mile instead of 12.

A little more background on the festival, Bastille Days has been celebrated here with this charming festival for 33 years and is known for its impromptu street performers, roaming minstrels, a variety of musical entertainment, fabulous French-influenced food and wine, and the signature 43-foot Eiffel Tower replica. It draws a wonderfully diverse crowd of all ages and is my favorite of over 30 festivals that take place each summer in Milwaukee. We had beautiful, sunny, warm weather again this year, so I spent most of my waking hours on the festival grounds for the 2nd year in a row. If you think you might be able to visit me next summer, I recommend the second week in July for a grand old time.

Posting from Disneyland

Well, I never thought I'd say it, but Disneyland is a magical place... for even I, a Disney scrooge, reluctantly left the park smiling broadly. I'd spent the first two days of my conference (American Library Association) begrudging that Anaheim was selected as the location. I bought a ticket for an event not realizing that I was actually buying a voucher to be exchanged for a ticket to the Disneyland theme park. I tried to get my money back and they refused, so I decided not to waste the dough and just go... I wandered around the park for three hours marveling at all the amazing attractions, light shows, landscaping, architecture, sensurround sound, and the thousands of people (and no drunks). I was all by myself having a blast and an unforgettable evening. I really liked the park, but all the commercialism surrounding it is pretty annoying--my hotel is right in the resort and it's difficult to escape. Also, it took a couple days of getting used to seeing "Micky everywhere." If not his entire image, the "three adjoining circles" appear in the most unlikely places such as on the top of lamp posts and metal stanchions, in the wallpaper (photo above), carpet patterns, topiary (although my photo shows Donald), and even his gloved hand graces the decor--they are holding the sconces to the wall in our bathroom. I have to admit though, I prefer the Disney architecture to the barren landscape of this desert that is So Cal. I'm looking forward to returning to the lush land of the Middle Coast!

In the meantime, I was extremely happy to find a very nice wine bar a few paces away from my temporary resident, the Dreams Tower. The hotel campus has a ships and pirates theme, and the wine cellar is below a little place they call Hooks Point next to the Neverland Pool. I was able to fully enjoy a Pinot Noir wine flight consisting of Acacia, Edna Valley, and another not so memorable. The Edna was my favorite, with a nice blend of fruit and earth, with a touch of vanilla. The Acacia was by far the earthiest, but also good. I was able to work in one memorable dining experience at a high end restaurant called the Napa Rose inside the Grand California Hotel (uber lodge extraordinaire--larger than life). The restaurant, thankfully, was more tastefully designed and sized at a more human scale. The food was awesome--had a wonderful grilled salmon with a medly of wild mushrooms in foam, which I successfully paired with a delicious Jade Mountain Mouvedre.

Prior to this trip, I had the pleasure of attending a wine tasting at a great little wine bar in my neighborhood called Perpendicular. The distributor was showing a collection of wines by Brassfield Estates from Lake County, CA and a new appellation called High Valley. The whites were 2006 and included Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Riesling, and Serenity, the latter an unusual blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 28% Pinot Grigio, 6% Gewurztraminer, 3% Semillon. It was my favorite of the whites, with a complex, fruity structure, medium bodied, and nicely balanced with just enough acidity. The reds were 2004 and included Merlot and Zinfandel. The merlot was the best, which was extremely smooth and rich. I agree with their notes which use descriptives like black cherry, cocoa and cinnamon. I don't usually like Merlot, so this was a pleasant surprise. More information about these wines is available at http://www.brassfieldestate.com/wines/.
I found them to be good value wines with prices ranging from $13 - $17.

Time to don my library cap again and get ready for the Newbery-Caldecott Awards Banquet.
Cheers!

Patio Wine Tasting

Patio Wine Tasting
June 7, 2008

The challenge from our hosts was to “Beat the Palmelo.” Wines are listed in order from most to least favorite. Bold indicates a characteristic was mentioned three or more times. Except for the last one on the list, I'd buy any of these wines again.

Wine: [2006??] Palmelo (Sauvignon Blanc)
Region: California
Bouquet/Palette&Body: fresh, flint, clean, grapefruit, lemon, lemon rind, citrus, slight spice like white pepper, acidic, light, crisp

Wine: 2006 Memsie (Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Rousanne, Chardonnay)
Region: Australia
Bouquet/Palette: aromatic, sweet, cream, slight mineral, floral, pear, stone fruit, honey, slight vanilla, butter, citrus, buttered toast, melon, crisp, tart, silky, crisp

Wine: 2006 Mason (Sauvignon Blanc)
Region: California
Bouquet/Palette: grapefruit, white pepper, grapefruit, silky, rich

Wine: Greg Norman Chardonnay
Region: ??
Bouquet/Palette: banana, butter, cream, nutmeg, ginger, slight oak, vanilla, nutty, spice, banana, apricot, clove, spice, nutmeg, butter

Wine: 2004 Conundrum
Region: California
Bouquet/Palette: hot, very aromatic, floral, a little sweeter than previous vintages, tropical, a little spice

Wine: 2005 Schlossaarstien (Riesling-Cabinet)
Region: Germany
Bouquet/Palette: green apple, pineapple, mango, pear, peach, mango, apple, green apple, citrus, green, mild citrus, grapefruit, pineapple, tropical, sweet, crisp

Wine: 2006 Allison by Stelzner Family Vineyard (Rose)
Region: California
Bouquet/Palette: strawberry, apple, raspberry, vanilla, rhubarb, cranberry, peppery, cinnamon, citrus, steely, tart

Wine: 2006 Fetzer Gewurztraminer
Region: California?
Bouquet/Palette: toasty, spice, citrus, sweet, too sweet, very sweet, hint of mint or eucalyptus, vanilla, honey, buttery, melon

There were actually several more wines to taste but we stopped taking notes when a severe thunderstorm forced us into the basement I mentioned in the previous post. If you're interested, check this post and comments in the near future for possible additions and more details on price, region and maker. Cheers, JJ

Out of Touch

It's been a while since I've been able to blow some time in front of my computer. I've been super busy with trying to get my Mom completely untethered from her house of 40 years. She's 74 and is now living in an assisted living facility--very nice complex and close to my house. We moved her out in December and it's taken until now, plus quite a bit of cold, hard cash, to get her house (the place where I grew up) cleared out and cleaned up--phew!! Finally, we are at the point of having real estate agents looking at it to determine a fair listing price. We hope to have it listed by the end of next week. We've also been showing it to potential buyers who got wind of it going on the market before the listing--all of this has been extremely time-consuming.

Meanwhile, I've been training for a 5K coming up in July. My elliptical has served me well in that capacity over the winter. I finally took to the streets this past Saturday on a hot and stuffy morning. I managed to run about an 11-minute mile, my usual time, so I was happy with that--but I spent the rest of the day icing my knees to keep them from swelling--worked pretty well. This is also helping with the blood pressure which is mostly back to normal, I'm happy to report.

A recent, really cool development is that I managed to rescue a very limited number of special items from my Mom's house (the last three truck loads went directly to landfill, sadly, thanks to 1-800-GOT-JUNK). One of those treasures was a swinging porch bench which DG and I put together one Saturday afternoon. Ever since then, my neighbors and I have been spending Sunday evenings out there sipping wine and chatting. We've drawn passers-by to the porch to join us and it's been a total "community-building" phenomenon. I've always avoided hanging out on the front porch due to prior bad connotations, but I'm slowly being converted by my neighbors who say that front porch frequenting is good for the neighborhood on a number of fronts--even from a security standpoint.

My lifestyle here is so different from the one I left in Seattle and let me tell you, I was fighting hard to avoid sinking into the "white picket fence" mindset, but now that I live in a house on a street full of other houses instead of a downtown highrise, or mid-sized condo, it's hard not to get caught up in it. I tried hard to buy a condo, but I couldn't bring myself to spend the money in what I thought was/is an over-valued market. But I'm adjusting...now, I spend a lot of time bird-watching from my own front and back yards. We have a nice variety of resident birds including cardinals, finches, hawks, woodpeckers, and geese, along with the ever-present sparrows and robins. Closer to the water there are quite a few gulls. We also have our resident bunnies (quite a few) and squirrels. The biggest difference in lifestyle is having my immediate family so close at hand and allowing them to take up so much of my time--it's all for the good right now though.

Some things are similar. Like Seattle, a number of my favorite hangouts are in my neighborhood, rather than downtown. I have my choice of restaurants and coffeeshops, as well as a local theater, art gallery, huge park, and wine shop, all within easy walking distance. A slightly longer walk encompasses everything else to which I need regular access (though I usually drive). Downtown is farther away than what I enjoyed in Seattle, so I *always* drive to that area of town. I drive a lot more in general, but my neighborhood is great for walking and biking, so I do this when I can.

Well, I think I'll try to load in a few pictures too: Mom at the grocery store (she can't walk unassisted); a scene from the RiverWalk (DG and I spent a perfect Sunday afternoon along this groovy part of downtown); my front porch on a night other than Sunday.

Next posting will include notes from a patio wine tasting at a friend's last week before howling winds, torrential rains, and thunderstorms sent us packing into the basement (not a bad place to be stuck since he has a beautiful new bar, complete with booth seating). Check back in a week or so...

Cheers