So the wife and I decide to hit up the theater for a date night this past weekend, and much to my suprise, she agrees to see Law Abiding Citizen (usually she pulls for chick flicks and horror/thrillers). My excitement was sadly brief.
Now I am the first to admit I enjoy a low/weak plot action flick now and then, but this was something different altogether. They get the plot set up and ready right away, and without giving the movie away quickly proceed to the advertised revenge. Unfortunately, neither actor delivers. Foxx appeared bored and was able to pass that emotion on to me, as I got sleepy about half way through and I was suprised to see that I have already grown tired of the machismo driven Butler so quickly. It seemed as though it was supposed to be a more masculine take on the Clarice and Lecter interactions of Silence, but to me it seemed more like Travolta and Slater in Broken Arrow (a better movie by the way..........and a guilty pleasure of mine).
I like the idea of the movie (albeit far fetched), but the acting bored me. In the end, it was an okay movie, but when an action/revenge flick makes you sleepy, it probably wasn't very good.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
homage to the horror flick
in homage of halloween, i dedicate this to my favorite horror movies. i guarantee that i will watch at least half of these movies from now until oct 31st.
#10. friday the 13th (parts 1-6, not to exceed 7)
my personal favorite ft13 are parts 3, 4, and 5... i think. sure, they've collected some cheese since being made way back in the 80's, but come on, it's jason voorhees. we can't let halloween come and go without watching jason slice, dice, snap, crack, and bludgeon countless hapless, oversexed teenagers; and laugh in the process. just don't go beyond ft13 number 7; if you think 1-6 are ridiculous, wait til you see jason in outer space...
#9. alien
another oldie-but-goodie. unlike #10, this movie hasn't collected much cheese, making the fear factor much higher. the lack of music makes this movie more tense. and who can forget the infamous scene in which the alien hatchling breaks free from Kane's chest at the dinner table? priceless.
#8. from dusk til dawn
this is one of the simplest vampire films ever made; as far as the bloodsuckers go, they appear halfway through the film and our heroes must individually slay each one before meeting their own demise. but the lack of vampire plot works so well. it's almost as if the vampire story is a sub-plot to tarantino's and clooney's outlaw kidnapping, but becomes the main focus through willy-nilly weapon-throwing. the humor is dark here, and no matter how many times i watch this film, i stay entertained throughout.
#7. the hills have eyes (2006, remake)
i have yet to meet another chick out there who enjoys this movie as much as i do. or even enjoys this movie at all. hills takes a lot of risks with its gore, and borders on unacceptable. but that's the beauty of this movie; it doesn't pull any punches. the bad guys are really, really bad.
#6. feast
what a surprise with this bloody little sleeper. the only 2 reasons i rented this movie were because 1) it was a horror flick, and 2) balthazar getty was on the cast list. i had no expectations of this movie being good. fortunately for low expectations, feast has become one of my favorite horror movies of all time. it is incredibly bloody, comedic when it needs to be, ingenious, and raunchy in small but extreme doses. i say rent it asap.
#5. dead birds
a ghost story of a different nature, dead birds is definitely one to be watched late at night, with the lights out (preferably in a room where you have a mattress on the floor with nothing in between it and the floor).
#4. seven
tense, psychological, inventive, well-written. any movie that invents new ways to kill people and doesn't do it in a way that you can tell that the death is fake is o.k. by me.
#3. the ring
i would consider myself a pretty solid horror-movie connoisseur, but... the first time i watched this movie, it was late at night. i had all the lights off. i almost made it through the movie, but within the last ten minutes, had to turn the lights back on.
#2. the thing (john carpenter, 1982)
this has to be the only movie that still has the power to scare me almost as much as it did when i watched it when i was little. the music alone is enough to make me turn on the lights while the sun is up. even the creature effects, for 1984, still hold their own against the CGI of today (although some of today's generation might disagree). the movie even has intelligence, like the scientific testing they do on each other to determine who's afflicted or not. and there's something sinister about being far from society in icy tundra, pursued by alien life forms, without help or escape nearby.
#1. the texas chainsaw massacre (2003, remake)
this is the best remake out there right now. it's tense, it's gory, it's downright scary as shit. leatherface looks great (in a bad way); the house becomes one of the creepiest characters in the movie; and, if nothing else, jessica biehl and eric balfour are sexy-ass motherfuckers. and, i love a horror movie that attempts to throw in some syripy, emotional bullshit that makes you feel more connected to the characters- and succeeds.
#10. friday the 13th (parts 1-6, not to exceed 7)
my personal favorite ft13 are parts 3, 4, and 5... i think. sure, they've collected some cheese since being made way back in the 80's, but come on, it's jason voorhees. we can't let halloween come and go without watching jason slice, dice, snap, crack, and bludgeon countless hapless, oversexed teenagers; and laugh in the process. just don't go beyond ft13 number 7; if you think 1-6 are ridiculous, wait til you see jason in outer space...
#9. alien
another oldie-but-goodie. unlike #10, this movie hasn't collected much cheese, making the fear factor much higher. the lack of music makes this movie more tense. and who can forget the infamous scene in which the alien hatchling breaks free from Kane's chest at the dinner table? priceless.
#8. from dusk til dawn
this is one of the simplest vampire films ever made; as far as the bloodsuckers go, they appear halfway through the film and our heroes must individually slay each one before meeting their own demise. but the lack of vampire plot works so well. it's almost as if the vampire story is a sub-plot to tarantino's and clooney's outlaw kidnapping, but becomes the main focus through willy-nilly weapon-throwing. the humor is dark here, and no matter how many times i watch this film, i stay entertained throughout.
#7. the hills have eyes (2006, remake)
i have yet to meet another chick out there who enjoys this movie as much as i do. or even enjoys this movie at all. hills takes a lot of risks with its gore, and borders on unacceptable. but that's the beauty of this movie; it doesn't pull any punches. the bad guys are really, really bad.
#6. feast
what a surprise with this bloody little sleeper. the only 2 reasons i rented this movie were because 1) it was a horror flick, and 2) balthazar getty was on the cast list. i had no expectations of this movie being good. fortunately for low expectations, feast has become one of my favorite horror movies of all time. it is incredibly bloody, comedic when it needs to be, ingenious, and raunchy in small but extreme doses. i say rent it asap.
#5. dead birds
a ghost story of a different nature, dead birds is definitely one to be watched late at night, with the lights out (preferably in a room where you have a mattress on the floor with nothing in between it and the floor).
#4. seven
tense, psychological, inventive, well-written. any movie that invents new ways to kill people and doesn't do it in a way that you can tell that the death is fake is o.k. by me.
#3. the ring
i would consider myself a pretty solid horror-movie connoisseur, but... the first time i watched this movie, it was late at night. i had all the lights off. i almost made it through the movie, but within the last ten minutes, had to turn the lights back on.
#2. the thing (john carpenter, 1982)
this has to be the only movie that still has the power to scare me almost as much as it did when i watched it when i was little. the music alone is enough to make me turn on the lights while the sun is up. even the creature effects, for 1984, still hold their own against the CGI of today (although some of today's generation might disagree). the movie even has intelligence, like the scientific testing they do on each other to determine who's afflicted or not. and there's something sinister about being far from society in icy tundra, pursued by alien life forms, without help or escape nearby.
#1. the texas chainsaw massacre (2003, remake)
this is the best remake out there right now. it's tense, it's gory, it's downright scary as shit. leatherface looks great (in a bad way); the house becomes one of the creepiest characters in the movie; and, if nothing else, jessica biehl and eric balfour are sexy-ass motherfuckers. and, i love a horror movie that attempts to throw in some syripy, emotional bullshit that makes you feel more connected to the characters- and succeeds.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Chili's: still a bad choice for food
i am not a fan of chain restaurants. let's face it: the food is not fresh. it has to be shipped in from far away lands, from far away times, and kept frozen for who-knows-how-long. then, it is thawed-to-order and dressed up as "adequate edible," either with heavy sauces or salty breading and fried (which is better than the former, i must admit).
so imagine my dismay when an old high school friend suggested we meet up at the local Chili's for drinks and a bite. i agreed, sure i would find something on the menu to choke down. the atmosphere isn't terrible, but if you blindfolded me and dropped me in a Chili's, it would probably take me a good bit of an hour to figure out it wasn't a Ruby Tuesday's, or TGIFriday's, or some other gimmicky upscale-ish cookie-cutter town watering hole. the bottom line is: who fucking cares about the atmosphere of a Chili's? no one. nothing sets it apart from the rest of the chains.
onto the meal. they have these new chicken crispers, with like four different flavor variations on the breaded/fried chicken deal. i went with the honey-chipotle crispers, thinking to myself, "the chicken is fried. at least it will be cooked. the breading will add some crunchy texture. then the honey-chipotle glaze should give an okay flavor." i was have always been a fan of chicken fingers, they're kinda a ne'er-go-wrong in restaurants; who can fuck up a chicken finger if it's cooked properly?
i have the answer to that question: Chili's can. as i sunk my fork into the first crisper, i found that the breading was not crisp at all. this began distracting me from my dinner date, as i continued to assess the form of the chicken: was it pink? was it warm? was it chicken? deeming it semi-worthy of my boisterous stomach, i began eating. the actual chicken meat itself was ok. the breading and H/C sauce, however (which there was a bigger ratio of than chicken), was under par, at best. in my mouth, i could better tell the texture and why my fork had told me the breading didn't seem crisp; i got the impression that the kitchen staff poured the H/C sauce onto my chicken and let them sit for about 20 minutes under heat lamps before bringing them to me. soggy breading: heinous. the best part of the chicken was the overcooked ends, where i got a false sense of crisp. after the disappointment, i nibbled on the salty fries. then i scraped the corn-on-the-cobb OFF the cobb, and ate that, in hopes of chasing away all the bad from the 5 bites of chicken "crispers" i took.
like i mentioned, this bad meal really distracted me from my dinner partner. i was not a happy camper. i usually do not hesitate in sending back bad meals, but my etiquette sense kept me from doing so, since i had not seen this person i was dining with in 15 years. next time i am forced to eat at Chili's, i vow to get a milkshake and dinner rolls.
so imagine my dismay when an old high school friend suggested we meet up at the local Chili's for drinks and a bite. i agreed, sure i would find something on the menu to choke down. the atmosphere isn't terrible, but if you blindfolded me and dropped me in a Chili's, it would probably take me a good bit of an hour to figure out it wasn't a Ruby Tuesday's, or TGIFriday's, or some other gimmicky upscale-ish cookie-cutter town watering hole. the bottom line is: who fucking cares about the atmosphere of a Chili's? no one. nothing sets it apart from the rest of the chains.
onto the meal. they have these new chicken crispers, with like four different flavor variations on the breaded/fried chicken deal. i went with the honey-chipotle crispers, thinking to myself, "the chicken is fried. at least it will be cooked. the breading will add some crunchy texture. then the honey-chipotle glaze should give an okay flavor." i was have always been a fan of chicken fingers, they're kinda a ne'er-go-wrong in restaurants; who can fuck up a chicken finger if it's cooked properly?
i have the answer to that question: Chili's can. as i sunk my fork into the first crisper, i found that the breading was not crisp at all. this began distracting me from my dinner date, as i continued to assess the form of the chicken: was it pink? was it warm? was it chicken? deeming it semi-worthy of my boisterous stomach, i began eating. the actual chicken meat itself was ok. the breading and H/C sauce, however (which there was a bigger ratio of than chicken), was under par, at best. in my mouth, i could better tell the texture and why my fork had told me the breading didn't seem crisp; i got the impression that the kitchen staff poured the H/C sauce onto my chicken and let them sit for about 20 minutes under heat lamps before bringing them to me. soggy breading: heinous. the best part of the chicken was the overcooked ends, where i got a false sense of crisp. after the disappointment, i nibbled on the salty fries. then i scraped the corn-on-the-cobb OFF the cobb, and ate that, in hopes of chasing away all the bad from the 5 bites of chicken "crispers" i took.
like i mentioned, this bad meal really distracted me from my dinner partner. i was not a happy camper. i usually do not hesitate in sending back bad meals, but my etiquette sense kept me from doing so, since i had not seen this person i was dining with in 15 years. next time i am forced to eat at Chili's, i vow to get a milkshake and dinner rolls.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The "Wheels" are coming off of the Foo Fighters Greatest Hits
This just in the Foo Fighters are putting the worst song they ever recorded on their new greatest hits album. I saw the track list and it's pretty solid except for the song Wheels.
I will keep this brief. I am not a music expert, nor am I a die hard Foo Fighters fan but I always enjoy the songs they releases as singles. Here's a little know fact: when Kurt Cobain died ending Nirvana Tommy Petty invited Dave Grohl to join the Heart Breakers. He didn't, yet he still managed to write a song that sounds like bad 70's rock.
This song is horrible. It's adult contemporary horrible. It's strong enough for a man but made for a woman. It's bad Tom Petty served up on alternative radio to unsuspecting teenagers that don't know any better. Boo Dave Grohl for shame that song is a second rate b-side at best.
I will keep this brief. I am not a music expert, nor am I a die hard Foo Fighters fan but I always enjoy the songs they releases as singles. Here's a little know fact: when Kurt Cobain died ending Nirvana Tommy Petty invited Dave Grohl to join the Heart Breakers. He didn't, yet he still managed to write a song that sounds like bad 70's rock.
This song is horrible. It's adult contemporary horrible. It's strong enough for a man but made for a woman. It's bad Tom Petty served up on alternative radio to unsuspecting teenagers that don't know any better. Boo Dave Grohl for shame that song is a second rate b-side at best.
Friday, October 2, 2009
It Wasn't That Sunny in Phili This Week
If you don't watch Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia you should. It could be the funniest most under rated show on TV. Here are the basics, five of the most selfish and ignorant people I have ever seen work at what could be the worst bar in Philadelphia. They are friends and family members all looking out for number one. What makes the show great is the interaction between the "Gang" and the secondary characters that they try to take advantage of. And they always fail.
I admit it, I'm not the sharpest guy. And sometimes satire goes over my head because I take what I see at face value. I am also hypersensitive to product placement due to my career in the Wine/Beer world. That is why this weeks episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia "The Great Recession" was so ridiculous.
I pose the question, did the gang really need to sell out with product placements or was this the usual tongue in cheek writing we are used to and took the whoring to a new level for sheer shock value? The important thing a lot of other reviewers are missing is that they still followed the formula for a great "Sunny" episode. Three story arcs happening at once that shine a light on something that is fucked up in our world all culminating in Sweet Dee being alienated by the Boys.
Lets dissect this a little. To use TV terms we will call them the A,B and C story arcs.
A-Frank, Sweet Dee and Charlie are out on their own trying to get back on there feet after Mac and Dennis "fire" them.
B-Mac and Dennis try and stimulate the bars economy using the same tried and true methods as the good ol' US of A. Making money, bonuses and perks.
C-And this is where it gets kind of fuzzy, it could be alternative comedy that is so subtle that it just passes right over a lot of people heads but I believe that the C arc is the whoring for Coors and Dave and Busters.
Am I right? Is it satire or did the Great Recession make the gang suckle at the teet of commerce? I really want to believe that they just took advantage of Coors and D & B's like the rest of the rotating cast of secondary characters. I won't cheapen this review by posting spoilers and going into the particulars of the Episode, I will just rate it a 7 out of 10. I command you to watch this show 10pm Thursdays on FX.
McWilcox
I admit it, I'm not the sharpest guy. And sometimes satire goes over my head because I take what I see at face value. I am also hypersensitive to product placement due to my career in the Wine/Beer world. That is why this weeks episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia "The Great Recession" was so ridiculous.
I pose the question, did the gang really need to sell out with product placements or was this the usual tongue in cheek writing we are used to and took the whoring to a new level for sheer shock value? The important thing a lot of other reviewers are missing is that they still followed the formula for a great "Sunny" episode. Three story arcs happening at once that shine a light on something that is fucked up in our world all culminating in Sweet Dee being alienated by the Boys.
Lets dissect this a little. To use TV terms we will call them the A,B and C story arcs.
A-Frank, Sweet Dee and Charlie are out on their own trying to get back on there feet after Mac and Dennis "fire" them.
B-Mac and Dennis try and stimulate the bars economy using the same tried and true methods as the good ol' US of A. Making money, bonuses and perks.
C-And this is where it gets kind of fuzzy, it could be alternative comedy that is so subtle that it just passes right over a lot of people heads but I believe that the C arc is the whoring for Coors and Dave and Busters.
Am I right? Is it satire or did the Great Recession make the gang suckle at the teet of commerce? I really want to believe that they just took advantage of Coors and D & B's like the rest of the rotating cast of secondary characters. I won't cheapen this review by posting spoilers and going into the particulars of the Episode, I will just rate it a 7 out of 10. I command you to watch this show 10pm Thursdays on FX.
McWilcox
Friday, September 25, 2009
Pumpkin: The Great, The Okay, and The Bad
Tis the season for a plentiful supply of fall seasonals to be hitting the shelf. Here are my suggestions on which pumpkin brews to try and which to skip. I will score the beers on a 1 to 10 scale with a 10 being near perfection in a bottle, a 1 being a horrible atrocity, and a 5 being average for the style.
The Bruery Autumn Maple
Score - 9.0
I bet everyone else wishes they would have thought of yams as an alternative to pumpkins! This beer is a little on the sweet side, and definitely packs a punch at 10%.
Tasting notes:
Aroma of candied yams, a hint of cloves, vanilla and just a touch of some earthy nuttiness. Taste is medium bodied with flavors of sweet potatoes, pumpkin-y earthiness, some roasted nuts, brown sugar and vanilla. Finish is semi-sweet with a sweet potato, nutmeg, carmelized marshmallow and clove aftertaste. Not much maple syrup in the flavor but definitely in the aroma.
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
Score - 8.5
A classically delicious pumpkin beer from a phenomenal local brewery.
Tasting notes:
Very true to veggie nose with a good dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and an almost vegetal pumpkin hint. The palate is not nearly as sweet as the nose suggests, with a nice dose of hoppy spice to dry out the nutmeg, carmelized malt, ginger and pumpkin. All in all, I wanted a touch more malt in the body, but, in general, a very well done beer.
Dogfishhead Punkin Ale
Score - 6.5
Tasting notes:
This beer really let me down this year. There is a hint of allspice and nutmeg that persists throughout smelling and tasting, but the palate is nothing more than an overly spiced version of their Indian Brown.
Anheuser-Busch Jacks Pumpkin Spice
Score - 5.5
Tasting notes: This was actually better than I remember it being. That said, it is nothing spectacular, just thin and slightly sweet. It is a pretty unassuming beer, that you could certainly drink more than one of...........if you wanted to.
Coors Brewing Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale
Score - 3.5
Tasting notes: I can't believe they call this a pumpkin beer! There is barely enough nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar character to carry the nose, much less the palate. In all, it isn't a terrible beer, but the pumpkin aspect is nearly non-existant.
The Bruery Autumn Maple
Score - 9.0
I bet everyone else wishes they would have thought of yams as an alternative to pumpkins! This beer is a little on the sweet side, and definitely packs a punch at 10%.
Tasting notes:
Aroma of candied yams, a hint of cloves, vanilla and just a touch of some earthy nuttiness. Taste is medium bodied with flavors of sweet potatoes, pumpkin-y earthiness, some roasted nuts, brown sugar and vanilla. Finish is semi-sweet with a sweet potato, nutmeg, carmelized marshmallow and clove aftertaste. Not much maple syrup in the flavor but definitely in the aroma.
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
Score - 8.5
A classically delicious pumpkin beer from a phenomenal local brewery.
Tasting notes:
Very true to veggie nose with a good dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and an almost vegetal pumpkin hint. The palate is not nearly as sweet as the nose suggests, with a nice dose of hoppy spice to dry out the nutmeg, carmelized malt, ginger and pumpkin. All in all, I wanted a touch more malt in the body, but, in general, a very well done beer.
Dogfishhead Punkin Ale
Score - 6.5
Tasting notes:
This beer really let me down this year. There is a hint of allspice and nutmeg that persists throughout smelling and tasting, but the palate is nothing more than an overly spiced version of their Indian Brown.
Anheuser-Busch Jacks Pumpkin Spice
Score - 5.5
Tasting notes: This was actually better than I remember it being. That said, it is nothing spectacular, just thin and slightly sweet. It is a pretty unassuming beer, that you could certainly drink more than one of...........if you wanted to.
Coors Brewing Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale
Score - 3.5
Tasting notes: I can't believe they call this a pumpkin beer! There is barely enough nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar character to carry the nose, much less the palate. In all, it isn't a terrible beer, but the pumpkin aspect is nearly non-existant.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
in the wooden arms of patrick
so i'm sitting here listening to the long-awaited sophmore album wooden arms by Patrick Watson. i have been a Watson fan since my first listen of closer to paradise a few years ago, and i have been waiting for another effort from him every day since.
arms' first song, "fireweed," grabbed me and tore my insides out. as i listened, it stuffed them back in and continued to toil around in there, with Watson's innocent yet ominous whispers. i had completely melted onto my living room carpet by the second time Watson sings the line, "where the fireweeds grow."
the second song, "tracey's waters," is not as equally gutting, but soulful to say the least. as i moved on to "beijing," i began to realize Watson was experimenting with some new sounds on this album. there was a lot of metal-banging. had he spent some time in the orient? africa? the streets of new jersey? either way, it didn't matter too much. he made it sound great.
onto the album's title track. now this is what i was used to hearing from Watson. sad, ghostly, haunting ballads that made me feel his despair in sleeping with someone whom he knows has no love for him. the piano makes me want to kill myself. Jeff Buckley is speaking from the grave in this song.
"traveling salesman" is one of those songs you may listen to 50 times before it hits you across the back of the head with its brilliance. strange harmonies, a shuffling gait, it hearkens back to "weight of the world" from paradise.
"big bird in a small cage" still hasn't really hit me. but then again, Patrick Watson is like pizza. you know how that goes.
"man like you" shows off Watson's countertenor, and is simple and haunting. "where the wild things are" builds like a crescendo and throws in all of the instruments he's learned to play since the last album; this song actually reminds me of an orchestra. what's brilliant about it is that it's all under Watson's composition.
the bonus track "hearts in the park" is a campy number that i imagine Watson wrote while smoking weed around a campfire after watching westerns and noirs all day. bonus tracks... now that we have itunes, they aren't really bonus anymore, are they?
The Other Whites of Italy Part One
All too often when we think of Italian wine the first ones that come to mind are the elegant and structured Sangioveses of Tuscany, the crisp and delicate Pinot Grigios of the north, or the bold and powerful Piedmontese reds from Barolo and Barbaresco. The sweet whites of Asti and the Prosecco's of the Tre Venezie seem to steal the remainder of attention to Italian whites. The Italians may be partly to blame, as they have a glut of grape varietals no one outside of Italy grows (damn them for being different!), and the label can often be confusing. Here are a few great Italian whites with some suggestions for each. As always you can find all of these wines at the Tacoma Boys in Puyallup.
Whites of the Piedmont
There are two significant whites from the Piedmont, if you exclude the wines from Asti [Moscato d' Asti and Asti (formerly called Asti Spumante)].
Arneis - Piedmontese for "little rascal", this grape lives up to its name as a notoriously difficult grape to grow. Virtually extinct as recent as the 70's (only two growers making a commercial wine from the grape), this grape has rebounded well. It is grown in two DOC areas in the Piedmont, Langhe and Roero. Arneis' tend to be very full bodied and carry a nice stone fruit and green apple as well as very bright acidity when done well. Look for:
Tre Donne Roero Arneis
Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis
Cortese - You will rarely see this grape named on the wines for which it produces. Instead you will most often see them labeled Gavi, after the town from which nearly all of them are produced. Gavi's are one of my favorite food wines, as they are immensly versatile. They carry a steely dry and clean character while playing that line between a honeyed sweetness with fresh apricot and melon and amazing acidity. When well done, Gavi can be as remarkable a wine you encounter. Look for:
Tre Donne Donna Bianca Gavi
Pio Cesare Gavi
More to come in the next post including:
Campania, Tre Venezie whites not called Pinot Grigio, Umbria, and some others.
Whites of the Piedmont
There are two significant whites from the Piedmont, if you exclude the wines from Asti [Moscato d' Asti and Asti (formerly called Asti Spumante)].
Arneis - Piedmontese for "little rascal", this grape lives up to its name as a notoriously difficult grape to grow. Virtually extinct as recent as the 70's (only two growers making a commercial wine from the grape), this grape has rebounded well. It is grown in two DOC areas in the Piedmont, Langhe and Roero. Arneis' tend to be very full bodied and carry a nice stone fruit and green apple as well as very bright acidity when done well. Look for:
Tre Donne Roero Arneis
Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis
Cortese - You will rarely see this grape named on the wines for which it produces. Instead you will most often see them labeled Gavi, after the town from which nearly all of them are produced. Gavi's are one of my favorite food wines, as they are immensly versatile. They carry a steely dry and clean character while playing that line between a honeyed sweetness with fresh apricot and melon and amazing acidity. When well done, Gavi can be as remarkable a wine you encounter. Look for:
Tre Donne Donna Bianca Gavi
Pio Cesare Gavi
More to come in the next post including:
Campania, Tre Venezie whites not called Pinot Grigio, Umbria, and some others.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Three nice Red (wine) blends
Have always liked Townsend T3 but it's a bit hard to find since it's only sold to restaurants and caterers now. A great local place that has it on the shelf for $17 a bottle is the Rosewood Cafe near Proctor in Tacoma. An alternative (and more available) option from Townsend is Vortex Red.
Another reasonably priced red blend a buddy turned me on to is g3 by Goose Ridge Vineyards.
My most recent find is "the ghost of 413" from the Giant Wine Company. Pete's Wine Shop in Bellevue has it for about 13 bucks a bottle.
All of these taste like much bigger--and more expensive--reds.
Enjoy!
Another reasonably priced red blend a buddy turned me on to is g3 by Goose Ridge Vineyards.
My most recent find is "the ghost of 413" from the Giant Wine Company. Pete's Wine Shop in Bellevue has it for about 13 bucks a bottle.
All of these taste like much bigger--and more expensive--reds.
Enjoy!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Movie Geeks, Beer Geeks, Music Snobs,Cork Dorks and Couch Potatos.
This is my daily review of what is going on in the world of the highly opinionated, very discerning, and just generally miserable people who can only be described as "geeks".
You know that your a geek if you are never happy about your favorite things just generally less disappointed on a day to day basis. Thats me, I travel in the world of the teachers but not doers, drinkers but not brewers, not film makers just viewers.
So heres what we're gonna do. Drink, watch movies, read books, listen to music and let you know what I think. Periodically this will be a journal of what I see in my day to day life on the road as a sales person. And it is an open forum for ou the readers to submitt your opinions, and reviews of what you see and do.
I need an expert in music, movies, beer, wine, books, restauraunts to honestly say what sucks and what doesn't suck so much so I can post what is not a waste of our collective time.
Thanks
Mick Wilcox
Get Your Geek On....
You know that your a geek if you are never happy about your favorite things just generally less disappointed on a day to day basis. Thats me, I travel in the world of the teachers but not doers, drinkers but not brewers, not film makers just viewers.
So heres what we're gonna do. Drink, watch movies, read books, listen to music and let you know what I think. Periodically this will be a journal of what I see in my day to day life on the road as a sales person. And it is an open forum for ou the readers to submitt your opinions, and reviews of what you see and do.
I need an expert in music, movies, beer, wine, books, restauraunts to honestly say what sucks and what doesn't suck so much so I can post what is not a waste of our collective time.
Thanks
Mick Wilcox
Get Your Geek On....
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