Wineporn

Why Wineporn? Because using words and images to create a culinary sensation is analagous to showing videos of well-hung Russians and cockhungry cheerleaders to get you off. These are my naughty, sensual meanderings about the wine I love and the food that accompanies it.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Everything I Know about wine, I Learned in Kindergarten

Today’s lesson: the sun helps plants grow. A lot of sun helps plants grow a lot. Grapevines are plants.

This was the ‘duh’ moment I had on Saturday night that will change how I taste and search for many red wines.

I was waiting for a prescription to be filled, and wandered into a Castro street wine shop called Swirl, hoping that they carried the Silver Pinot Noir that I tried at Hotel Biron. They didn’t have it. They do have a charming little neighborhood wine bar staffed by bartender named Timmyloo. Timmyloo is a sturdy built lad with an apple pie face and a shock of brilliant red hair. He pours a generous flight and is eager to share his passion for wine without a hint of attitude. There were about eight folks sipping in the back corner bar, the compressed space facilitating easy cross talking between customers. I chatted with one woman about politics. I overheard Timmyloo talking to a woman about his drag punk rock band. At least I think that’s what he said… I didn’t concentrate too much because such conversations are fairly common in this city, and because I was distracted by the tempranillo I was tasting.

I haven’t tried a whole lot of Spanish wines, but I’ve found most of them to be too lean and subtle for me. But not this wine. I was tasting the Tempranillo Graciano Vicuana Bodegas Bilbainas from Rioja Spain 2003 (seriously, are all those names necessary?). This wine wasn’t lean or subtle at all! This wine had powerful fruit flavors with earth, coffee and spice. It was strong. It was gorgeous. It was both fascinating and powerful on the tongue. Timmyloo informed me that the crazy hot 2003 summer in Europe (remember those folks dying from the heat in France?) had the effect of quickly ripening the grape crop. Wines that are usually subtle took on much more intense flavors in the 2003 vintage. Timmyloo told me that he recommends 2003 wines as a great introduction to folks like me who are biased toward the meaty California wines.

While we were on the subject of heat, he informed me that Santa Barbara pinot noirs are often more intense because of the hotter weather. More heat makes grapes ripen more. This explained why I was so fond of the powerful Silver Pinot Noir I tasted at Hotel Biron. It had more kick because of the prolonged sun exposure.

Now I'm a little confused about this. Other experts say that Pinot Noir should be raised only in cool areas, as the flavor of the grape comes not from the sun, but from the time the grape stays on the vine. Too much sun means quick ripening and less vine time. I'll have to do more research on this both in reading and in tasting.

In any case, something is going on for me with these Santa Barbara pinot noirs. Timmyloo introduced me to the second Pinot Noir I have really liked, the Santa Barbara Brophy Pinot Noir (2004). I found it fruity and forceful (good forceful... like velvet bondage, hickeys or bite marks on the lower back). The prominent tastes were of cherry and earth. It was creamy on the tongue with a subtle but lingering finish. I would definitely buy this!

And I will definitely be visiting Timmyloo often.

2 Comments:

At 2:55 PM, Blogger ed said...

Post-tasting note: I have sassy-cute coworker-friend named Suzanne who also visited coincidently visited Swirl on Sat. night and sat with Timmyloo. She HATED the Tempranillo. She thought it was dull and flat. I don't talk to her anymore.

 
At 11:20 PM, Blogger laila said...

That Timmylou is the best

 

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