An inferno in the darkness

thor iverson January 25, 2012
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Concurrence and dissent. Identification and iconoclasm. On the one hand, but then again on the other. Is it true that, as Jeremy Parzen suggests, that “the English-language dialectic on Natural wine is misguided”? No. And yes. The natural wine conversation …

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Are we not men? We are Beckmen!

thor iverson January 18, 2012
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Beckmen – It’s November 17th, and newly-harvested grapes are awaiting their crush. November 17th. Pushing blackened opinions about Californians and “ripeness” aside – and Beckmen is hardly considered a prime offender in this regard – I proceed to the last …

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Highs & lows

thor iverson January 17, 2012
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Alta Maria – A pure drop-in, at a winery (it might be slightly more correct to call this a project) of which I’ve never heard after the beyond-enthusiastic recommendation of the behind-the-counter guy at Qupé. Unfortunately, his description does not …

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Do not go gentle into that good Nacido

thor iverson January 16, 2012
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Qupé/Verdad/Ethan – Old reliable and the interlopers. No, not really. But as venerable as the Qupé name is, ’round these parts, the two relatives – for that’s what the other wineries are: labels belonging to scions and shoots of Qupé’s …

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Petered out

thor iverson January 15, 2012
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Petros – Silence. Dark, anything-but-decrepit silence. Such a change from the Lazy Ox… I’d assumed that lunch in the midst of heavy-duty wine tasting would be some sort of California cuisine accompanied by a glass or two of local wine. …

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Livin’ on Blues power

thor iverson January 14, 2012
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Longoria – Many years ago, Rick Longoria brought a few of his wines to a tasting in Boston. I remember being extremely impressed, across the board. The Blues Cuvée label I remember well was for the 2000 vintage, so I’d …

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In the Ghetto

thor iverson January 13, 2012
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Palmina – I’ve watched what this winery has done over the years with a certain interest, because a bottle here and there has been worth the attention (rarely the same one, year to year), but also with a certain hesitance …

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Counting sleep

thor iverson January 12, 2012
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Ballard Inn – Wine countries (by which I don’t mean countries that make wine) have their centers of gravity. Ideally more than one. And so it is that anyone visiting the scattered clusters of vineyards more or less near Santa …

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Butcher, writer, winemaker

thor iverson January 4, 2012
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Never watch sausage being made. That few want to know what goes into sausage is, I suppose, taken for granted by those who don’t. But most food-enthusiasts absolutely do want to know…not just what’s in the sausage, but how it’s …

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Ox, gored

thor iverson December 20, 2011
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Lazy Ox Canteen – This is one of the loudest concerts I’ve ever been to. The food? Small plates, like everywhere else, and really quite good; at a table full of choices running the gamut from vegan to organ, it’s …

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