Wine Pour Geek

In an effort to stave off financial ruin (yeah, right) I have taken a part time job at Cata Vinos wine shop here in Tucson. My primary role is to host wine tastings at private parties, although occasionally I'll be in the shop helping Yvonne with public tastings. The best part, besides doing something really fun for money, is that I'll get to try tons of great wine for free.

I am now officially a wine pour geek.

Spiritual Realism

I’ve been working toward something in my paintings, something powerful. Until now I’ve dabbled using a variety of approaches, some more successful than others. Overall the paintings I like best have made use of realistic colors and simplified, realistic formal elements. This isn’t about reproducing a perfected scene from nature. This is about taking only those elements that are essential and reproducing them with full attention and power. The colors must be realistic. The formal aspects must be rendered with integrity. But the arrangements and geometries are intentionally simplified, reducing the image to its essence. Extraneous distractions are removed or pushed into mystery. The full range of light and shadow is employed, also in the service of essential truth and mystery. I call this approach “Spiritual Realism” and I believe it sums up my intentions toward painting, writing, and life in general.

I am a Spiritual Realist painter and writer (and for that matter, a cook). That is what I am here to do.

Whether this will matter to anyone is open to debate. Looking around me, I see a world largely rudderless and bereft of spiritual depth. I see people flailing, trying to fill themselves up. Can a simple artist point the way? Does anyone even care? Are we satisfied with our consumerism, our retreat into banality?

Or are we hungry?

I am reminded of Jackson Browne's amazing song "Looking East" and his very succinct way of describing our shared plight:

Looking East

Standing in the ocean with the sun burning low in the west
Like a fire in the cavernous darkness at the heart of the beast
With my beliefs and possessions, stopped at the frontier in my chest
At the edge of my country, my back to the sea, looking east

Where the search for the truth is conducted with a wink and a nod
And where power and position are equated with the grace of God
These times are famine for the soul while for the senses it's a feast
From the edge of my country, as far as you see, looking east

Hunger in the midnight, hunger at the stroke of noon
Hunger in the mansion, hunger in the rented room
Hunger on the TV, hunger on the printed page
And there's a God-sized hunger underneath the laughing and the rage
In the absence of light
And the deepening night
Where I wait for the sun
Looking east

How long have I left my mind to the powers that be?
How long will it take to find the higher power moving in me?

Power in the insect
Power in the sea
Power in the snow falling silently
Power in the blossom
Power in the stone
Power in the song being sung alone
Power in the wheat field
Power in the rain
Power in the sunlight and the hurricane
Power in the silence
Power in the flame
Power in the sound of the lover's name
The power of the sunrise and the power of a prayer released
On the edge of my country, I pray for the ones with the least

Hunger in the midnight, hunger at the stroke of noon
Hunger in the banquet, hunger in the bride and groom
Hunger on the TV, hunger on the printed page
And there's a God-sized hunger underneath the questions of the age
And an absence of light
In the deepening night
Where I wait for the sun
Looking east

-----

I couldn't put it any better. Thanks again, Jackson, for summing it up.

70,000 words

I'm 1,500 words into my novel. Only about 68,500 words to go. Should take about a year, if I'm lucky.

McManis Family Vineyards Favorite Reds Taste-off 2006

Ever since the stunning McManis Petite Sirah 2004, I’ve come to look forward to the next vintage of red wines by this modest California winery. So, when they announced their 2006 vintage, including a brand new award-winning Pinot Noir, I became excited about the possibility of another great vintage. The 2005 vintage was all-around decent, though not as great as the previous one (with the possible exception of the 2005 Syrah). For this review I’ll give my impressions of the 2006 Cabernet, the 2006 Petite Sirah, and the new 2006 Pinot Noir (the 2006 Syrah will have to wait).

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon by McManis Family Vineyards is bright ruby red in the glass with fairly modest extraction for this varietal. The nose is expressive with red currants and floral notes accompanied by cedar and asphalt. In the mouth the wine is sappy and slightly watery with good acidity and a slightly fake fruity quality. Berries and red currants predominate, with a hind of tangerine and light vanilla. Very modest tannin and alcohol. A simple, flavorful wine, but not nearly as good as the prior two vintages. I’ve come to expect more from McManis and I’m unimpressed with this wine, although it is still quite enjoyable, and still better than f*cking Yellowtail. I won't buy it again.

My score: 82

The 2006 Pinot Noir (!) by McManis Family Vineyards is medium garnet in the glass with fairly decent extraction. The nose is very expressive, almost explosive, with penetrating blueberry and spicey black cherry notes. In the mouth the wine is very fruity and sappy, bordering on overdone, with hints of cherry cola, black cherries and cranberry-orange marmalade. Tannin is non-existent and the finish, while short, is wrapped around a core of creamy, oaky vanilla. Low alcohol and decent acidity save this wine from its fruity-ass self. A simple, flavorful wine that flirts with becoming a gagger. I think they can do better, but this one ain’t bad, if you like koolaid. I won't buy it again.

My score: 83

The 2006 Petite Sirah by McManis Family Vineyards is dark purple in the glass with good extraction. The nose is fairly closed at this point, revealing dark berry fruit and some floral notes, along with just a hint of bacon. In the mouth the wine is modestly tannic with a lovely loamy-blueberry aspect on the midpalate. Very nice, medium-bodied fruit, not overdone, with light vanilla on the finish. Better than the 2005, but not quite like the 2004. Perhaps this one will evolve, and if it does I expect it to be quite wonderful, maybe in about six months.

My score: 85

Overall I’d say that the 2006 vintage must have been a hot one. They probably over-watered their vines in order to deal with the heat, resulting in sweet, generic-tasting fruit with little structure or concentration. The only good thing is that sometimes (as in the case of the Pinot) you get wonderful, hedonistic flavors like cherry cola or citrus mixed in with the usual berry notes. The downside is that you also get a lot of fake-tasting, sappy qualities and a certain hollow aspect to the midpalate. An earlier harvest might have prevented some of this, but McManis isn’t in the business of restraining their wines, and this time they got themselves into trouble.

The Petite Sirah is a bit of a mystery. I can only assume that it is still a little closed. It also seems to be the best of the three, perhaps due to harvesting variations or the peculiarities of the varietal. I will buy more of this in a few months to see where it is going. I expect good things once it opens up and settles in.

Better luck next year, McManis.

An Inspired Life

It is easy, when faced with the perverse challenges of raising children with no money and few prospects, to begin to doubt everything that I am doing. Maybe if I hadn't done this or that thing, of maybe if we lived in another town, or maybe if I hadn't married you, or maybe if we only had one child, or maybe if...

This fear is bottomless, unending, and undeniable. It pervades every aspect of our lives. It paints itself with dollar signs. It smells of dental work and prepackaged food. It gathers dust in the corner, then spills over onto the floor, where we trip over it, cursing.

An inspired life is one that draws its strength from Spirit. In-Spiration. But so often we question a meaning greater than ourselves. So often we think that, if only we could just rework the numbers, maybe we'd get ahead.

But ahead of what? Our consumption patterns? Our debts? What are we trying to get ahead of? Each other? Our own physical destruction?

No. Enough of this getting ahead. Therein lies true madness. Therein lies the death that calls itself a life and raises two dead children, beholden to the tax collector and to the rapacious monstrosity that is this cancer-culture, this self-devouring miasm of greed and unsustainability, soul-less, without Spirit.

If we lose the Spirit, we're already dead, and the Spirit, however we may define it, is not a function of our rational, egoic mind.

That is why I paint. That is why I write. I do these things because they sustain my Spirit. I do these things in the hope that others might likewise be inspired. Hey, if Tyler can do it, then maybe I can, too. Maybe I can stop fearing. Maybe I can learn to breathe again.

I have felt the consequences of fear-based decisions. I will make choices based on courage, not fear. I will seek the inspiration in all that I do. I will not give in to the soul-less world. I will accept what comes, knowing that, in the end, I lived deep down in my soul, in my heart, in these fragile, breakable bones.

And I will teach my children to do the same.

Wild Sunset

My newest painting, now at Mo's.

Cata Vinos Article in the Arizona Daily Star

Way to go, Yvonne!

Here's the article, with a little help from Tim, Patty, and yours truly:

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/biz-topheadlines/207374

Orin Swift "The Prisoner" Zinfandel Blend 2005

As a general rule, I do not usually go for Zinfandel. I find it to be mostly sweet and cloying with not much complexity. However, occasionally I'll find a bottle that is really great, and "The Prisoner" by Orin Swift Winery is as good an example as any.

In the glass the wine is medium dark ruby with modest extraction. The nose is opulent with a variety of floral and jammy berry notes, as well as a little spice. In the mouth the wine is very smooth with fine tannins and imperceptable alcohol. The classic sweet Zin flavors are there, but are balanced by other flavors picked up from the five (!) other grape varietals blended to make this wine. The finish is reasonably long and very lovely. Overall I'd say this is an excellent and very smooth Zinfandel blend that would appeal to just about anyone. It scored well with the critics and I can see why. A very noble and appealing effort by a young winemaker who clearly knows where he is going. I expect future vintages to be even better.

Cheers!

The Climb and the Fall of America

One of the toughest things is to realize that we aren't young any more, and that our bodies are beginning to break down. For some of us this realization comes early, perhaps due to some illness or brush with death in our youth. For most of us the breakdown of our physical body begins in our thirties and progresses until our inevitable demise, hopefully later than sooner. Each of us must face death in our own way. Perhaps we become more conscious, and choose the path of prevention, or maybe we choose to accelerate our death, perhaps through poor diet, alcohol, drugs, eating too much or not enough, or engaging in dangerous activities. Much of this kind of activity is unconscious, and has been well-documented. In the end, we cannot prevent our disintegration, no matter how careful we are.

Throughout my life I have struggled with the paradox of life and death. I have been a careful person, so careful that I can engage in enormously dangerous sports (rock climbing) where the line between life and death is incredibly small and hangs on the slightest mistake. I have come close to losing my life on a number of occasions, up there on the rocks, and it was only extreme care and attention that made the difference. Paradoxically, I am also a person who feels a desire to let go, to allow myself to fall off the edge, to drink, to smoke, to do whatever it takes to obliterate myself. Both the desire to hold on tight and to let go are attempts to flirt with the edges of my limited, egoic reality. They are part of a death dance that I have engaged in all of my adult life, if not before.

But things are changing, as they must, sooner or later. Having children, and wanting to watch them grow, has begun to erode my death instinct. I have become more aware of my mortality. Recent health problems--symptoms of middle age--are beginning to bring me closer to the edge than ever before. I don't need to climb a cliff to feel the edge of life. The edge is with me all the time. I can actually feel my body slipping, slowly, day by day.

I'm feeling closer to death, and wanting life more than ever before. My patience for wasted time is gone. I have no room for insanity, unconsciousness, or bullshit. I consistently seek the quality moment. I am intolerant of people who seem more interested in personal drama than genuine connection. I would rather sing or dance or eat good food than watch television or read the paper.

Now all of this could turn around. I might begin to heal myself and become fully re-invested in the American McConomy. I might lose sight of mortality, and once again feel invincible, isolationist, and free to disconnect myself from the heart of life. I might get control of this f*cking thing! I will get control! I will! I will stop the terrorists!

But I doubt it.

I want this loss of control to happen. I am tired of trying to fix things. I am tired of being careful. Denial of the breakdown does not stop the breakdown from happening.

I am tired of trying to save the American Dream.

Charles Shaw Sauvignon Blanc 2005

Sitting beneath the feather tree, sipping white wine, 3pm, only a few mosquitos, and no interruptions...

Charles Shaw Sauvignon Blanc 2005 is a pale straw color in the glass with minimal evidence of extraction. The nose is open, smelling of citrus and melon. In the mouth the wine is simple and short, and fairly pure, with flavors of honeydew, sweet grapefruit, a flutter of toast, and some nice minerality. A refreshing, innocuous wine without any noticeable flaws, and certainly worth three dollars in Arizona.

By the way, the Sauvignon Blanc is consistently the only wine by Charles Shaw worth buying, in my honest opinion. The Shiraz is occasionally *okay* and the Cabernet can either be very bad or just reasonable. The Merlot and the Beaujolais are, in my opinion, consistently fake-tasting. The Chardonnay ain't bad, but the Sauvignon Blanc is the best of the bunch.

My two cents on Two Buck Chuck.

Cata Vinos

You do not deserve Cata Vinos, yet there it is, on the southwest corner of Alvernon and Presidio (just south of Fort Lowell). What is Cata Vinos? Well, as far as I can tell it's the only wine shop anywhere devoted to good wines under $15. That's right. You will never have to pay more than $15 for a great bottle of wine again (or so they say). Based on my initial survey I can tell you that they do carry several wines I've fallen in love with for their quality and low price point, including wines by McManis, Castle Rock and Cycles Gladiator (Hahn). They also carry a variety of cheeses and crackers, although I didn't have time to investigate. Overall, the place is decidedly Tucson, with a "good enough" vibe that carries right over to their website. The owner, Yvonne, reminds me of one of the Schrag sisters, one of those edgy, smart, almost-sixty hippie women capable of riding a mechanical bull while tossing a mean chef salad. The wine buyer (I wouldn't dare call him a sommelier) reminded me of one of my drumming buddies, complete with greying ponytail and wandering eyeball. I'm sure he knows what he's doing. How could he not? As of this writing, Cata Vinos is only about a week old and there's still plenty of room for more bottles. Tastings are held weekly, with the usual varietal and regional emphasis. Please, please, please support these guys. They've got a great concept and wonderful attitude. You won't be disappointed!

-T

Rustic Roasted Red Sauce with Pancetta and Fresh Basil

Wow! This is really f*cking good!

(serves four)

~8 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped into chunks
4 cloves garlic, whole
2t garlic pepper or equivalent mix of pepper, garlic powder and salt
~1c olive oil
1/2c raw pancetta, minced
1 medium onion, any variety, minced
1c fresh basil, minced
salt and pepper to taste
mesquite chips for smoker

I love roasted tomatoes. They are mellower than sundried tomatoes and much more versatile. In a 9x12 baking pan (pyrex or non-coated metal) toss chopped tomatoes with 1/2 cup olive oil and garlic pepper. Throw whole garlic cloves on top. Set the pan directly on your grill. Set your smoker box nearby and place moist mesquite chips accordingly. Close grill. Heat to very hot (approximately 450 F). Maintain this temperature for about an hour, checking occasionally. You want to roast your pan of tomatoes until the edges blacken and 2/3 of the juice is cooked off. Smoke ‘em good! When satisfied, remove from grill and scrape into a ceramic bowl or glass measuring cup. Using a hand mixer (or food processor) beat the sh*t out of the toms and garlic until you have a nice paste. Set it aside. In a medium saucepan or skillet, cook onion and pancetta in a little oil until done. Add tomato paste and cook a little more. Add a little extra olive oil to avoid sticking. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Prepare noodles for four people in salted water. Drain and rinse finished noodles. Pile noodles on plates, add sauce, then add fresh basil liberally. An alternative would be to mix everything together and serve family style. Serve this dish with a good, acidic red wine like Luna Sangiovese or McManis Petite Sirah.

Wow! Awesome!

P.S. You don't have to smoke the toms, but the mesquite smoke adds something magical to an already great dish.

Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast 2005

I recently acquired several half bottles of this amazing wine. I am not going to share any of them with you, dear reader, unless you can prove that you care enough about good Pinot to really enjoy them. This is not some snobbish rebuke. You have to really give a sh*t to understand and appreciate a wine like this one. And it is not even their top flight offering.

Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast 2005 is a lovely, pure, medium-ruby-cola color. The wine is quite viscous, with profound glycerine that puddles and pools all over the sides of the glass. This viscosity translates into a profoundly smooth mouthfeel with subtle, integrated tannins that carry the substantial fruit flavonals and bright, volatile acids. Classic Pinot notes of cherry, Coca-Cola and warm spices are evident. The finish is long and complex, with flavors evolving toward more of a cassis profile with vanilla and moderate oak in perfect balance. The alcohol, while substantial at 15%, is kept in check by the profound extraction and stunning fruit. The nose is lustrous and beautiful, filled with cherry, strawberry, vanilla, cinnamon, and so forth. These guys really know how to make Pinot. They are one of the best producers in Sonoma County, if not the world, and their wines sell out very quickly. I have never seen their wines for sale anywhere, so when I saw these half bottles I decided to grab a few.

This is the best, biggest Pinot I’ve had the privilege to try. It certainly ranks alongside Seasmoke Southing or any great, powerful new world Pinot Noir. It is the sort of wine that makes a person pause for a moment to reflect on his or her mortality, life choices, and reasons for being alive, and for that it is worth every penny.

Heck, it costs about as much as therapy, but works better.

Cheers!

The PRE-MONSOONAL

We just hosted our annual PRE-MONSOONAL party, and based on the turnout I’d say it was a success. This is the second time we’ve done this. The first time was in response, more or less, to losing my job at the gallery, and while things are fine for us this year, we know many other people in crisis. Divorces, drug relapses, and hospitalizations seem to surround us on all sides, and we are reminded of the fragility of life and the temporary nature of our closest relationships.

The PRE-MONSOONAL has come to represent a feeling, one of tension and release, much like the atmospheric tension that precedes a monsoon storm. It’s the kind of feeling where you just can’t take any more and you're ready to scream. It’s where you can’t give any more of yourself, even if you wanted to. It’s the moment of truth where all deception fails, where the lies we tell ourselves no longer work, and we’re confronted with naked reality.

Then the sky opens up, and water drowns the land.

The cicadas are buzzing in the trees, and someone saw a paloverde beetle. Deep within the ground, insects and animals are beginning to stir, anticipating the rainy season. This is my favorite time of year. It is a time of absolution. Soon there will be rain. Soon we will find relief from the hundred-degree heat.

Soon life will begin anew.

Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir 2005

After trying several Pinot Noirs under $15 I was beginning to become frustrated. Most of them were either overdone or lacking in some critical area. Then I stumbled upon this modestly priced bottle and was immediately satisfied. The 2005 Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir (Hahn Estates Winery, Soledad, CA) is an excellent example of classic California Pinot. The nose is a lovely mix of cherry cola and spices, so classic that I'd call it indicative of the region. In the mouth the wine is very smooth with cola, cherry, cranberry and vanilla notes and minimal oak on the medium-length finish. I believe it would pair well with most foods, with the possible exception of highly acidic foods or very sweet and spicy foods.

Again, this is an ultra-classic Pinot from the upper Santa Maria Bench area of California. It tastes almost exactly like wines from Foxen and Cambria, but at half the price (and half the enjoyment). A lovely, casual Pinot for everyday use or the occasional party.

And at $11, you simply can't do any better.

Sometimes Forever

Sometimes I get so tired of managing other people's mental space that I just want to get in my truck and leave forever. Not that I ever will, because I'm one of the so-called good guys. But it's important to remind myself that I really could leave, if I needed to.

I really could.

And no one would ever find me.

Ever.

More Artworks Photos

Tom

Marco

Joe

Bonnie

Barefoot Merlot

Last night I tried a bottle of Merlot by Barefoot Cellars. It was a gift from a friend who came over the other night for dinner. This review in no way reflects on the quality of the friendship, only on the quality of the wine.

Barefoot Merlot (unspecified vintage--scary) is a medium transparent ruby-purple in the glass with modest glycerine and no sign of aging. On the nose the wine smells strongly of black currents and hand soap with just a touch of asphalt. In the mouth the wine was fairly tannic with modest alcohol and a reasonable balance of acids and sugars. It tasted of black fruit, leather, spice and perhaps a hint of cold mix asphalt. The finish was uneventful and of medium length, ending with an aftertaste of sun-bleached wood. Overall, I found this wine to be undrinkable. It would probably go fine with a Carl's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger and Curly Fries.

How it won a gold medal is beyond me. All the other wines in its class must be terrible.

And the winner is...

Apparently I am the non-student winner of the Harmony Contest for my short story The Sound of Wolves Might be Dogs Barking. I haven't been notified by anyone. The prize money is supposed to be $500, and my story will be published in their journal. I'm now officially a published author. Cool!

Thanks to all of you who helped me with this story. If anyone would like to read the finished story, let me know and I'll send you a copy.

Cambria Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard 2005

I'm happy to say that the 2005 vintage of this excellent wine is just that--excellent. Wonderful dusty cherries and clove on the nose give way to sour cherry, oak, vanilla and warm spices with very little tannin and delicious acidity. Not overdone, medium body with modest alcohol.

The winemaker is a woman, and she clearly knows how to make a wine that would go well with just about any type of food. The 2004 was great and this one might be better. You can find this wine for around $19 a bottle retail, and while most wines in this price range are not worth the money, this one is. An elegant, well-made and very versatile Pinot. I'd buy a case if I had $230 to spare.

Cheers!