Veteran

November 10, 2015 ~ tiffandsauce ~ Leave a comment

I always loved a good parade. It could be the smallest Hometown, USA version: with high school bands playing, the mayor riding in a convertible furnished by the local Ford dealership, and the town fire department proudly demonstrating the lights and sirens for kids lining the curbs of Main Street. Or even the big productions of the Rose Parade in Pasadena or Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York – they still capture my fancy and most likely always will. Parades are patriotism and Americana in top form.

Within this celebration of our towns and communities across the nation it is only appropriate that we take time to include a thanks to our Military Service, so we often see our Veterans honored on parade. I remember watching columns from the VFW march along in the annual Chief Joseph Days parade of my hometown and as I sat observing in the late July heat my child-minded concept of a Veteran was… all those “old guys” that were in a war a loooong time ago. In the beautifully ignorant bliss (call it innocence) of childhood, anything that happened before you were born is just not on your radar. My fourth grade class in elementary school would write letters to the soldiers in the far-off war that we saw glimpses of on the evening news. Desert Storm. The full concept of war was only beginning to occur to me and it remained a very distant and disconnected notion.

Considering this disconnect from the reality of world politics and the climate of conflict in the place and time of my in-so-far short lifespan, I can see how it came as a shock to me in my twenties that the Veterans of War were my peers. And my brothers.

I’m often at a loss for words so I write with a good old fashioned Roget’s Super Thesaurus on my desk (yes, I know there is an internet). If you have a copy (or the internet), take a moment to look up Veteran. Here you go – Veteran. Were you just transported back to my childhood mind – sitting curbside at a parade in the Late July heat? Now we’re both speechless.

I want to use this moment of speechlessness to quietly say something very loud. I owe a debt of Gratitude to the men and women of the United States Military Service – Young and Old. And may I constantly remind myself that these Veterans have made a great sacrifice in relinquishing the innocence of their youth – they are not just “old guys” from a long ago war. And in the case where they have reached an age of true wisdom and experience – they most likely gained their Veteran status many years prior as a young person in Military Service. Thank you for committing your youth, your strength, and your life to protecting the freedoms we enjoy in our country. May God Bless you and may our Nation show you the deep respect and honor you deserve.

Drink Me!

October 19, 2015October 19, 2015 ~ tiffandsauce ~ 2 Comments

So many wine knowledge seekers have come to me with their confessions of one wine sin or another – added ice cubes to their Merlot – created their own “blend” – had a sticky affair with a Beerenauslese after vowing to love honor and sip only complete dryness – made leftover dessert wine into a spritzer (ok, you caught me I actually did that) – But one admission that stands out is a crime of time. There are two sides to this no-no:

I drank it too early.

I waited too long.

All is forgiven. The truth is that I really think you can drink your wine whenever you want – I try consuming some on a daily basis actually.

But I’m feeling the sense of a lot of harrumphing coming my way so I will qualify this statement. The best time for a wine is anytime, as long as you know how you like it.

If you’re one of those S&M pain-for-pleasure punch me in the face with the tannins but caress my sore cheek with your soft fruit type of wine drinkers… then party with the Young Cabs! Pop open some freshly released Petite Sirah and have your way with it. Go Barrel Tasting for that matter. And if you wax poetic about every nuance of tertiary development that whispers in your nostril – oh the cheese rind, the horse dung, the damp fungal floor of the forest – then lay that bottle down and play some Debussy while you wait for the perfect moment to arrive.

Love, with very young people, is a heartless business. We drink at that age from thirst, or to get drunk; it is only later in life that we occupy ourselves with the individuality of our wine. -Isak Dinesen

And how do you know when the wine will be drinking just the way you like it? I knew there would be more harrumphing here… If you’re in the S&M camp your question is already answered – you’re probably drinking it right now while you read this. If you are typing in a search for Debussy on your tune-turner of choice then you might need to seek professional wine assistance or reference a vintage chart because really, we want you to start by knowing your wine collection in the first place. If you digitally organize with a wine cellar software such as eSommelier or WineBanq, advice on drinking windows might be an integrated feature for you.

If you are a hands on cellar tracker that likes to keep technology in the office but not necessarily in the cellar then it might help to employ a few simple organization techniques. Consider the following when taking stock in your wine collection:

drink now – drink soon – reassess in 2-5 years
just myself (and someone special) – friends & family – party time!
category: sparkling – whites – reds – sweets & fortified

With the Holiday season glistening in the near future, giving your cellar some attention now will pay yourself forward into the coming months. The time is right to decide what wines to offer while you’re entertaining and which ones will make nice fireside sippers. It’s also a good opportunity to plan ahead if there are areas of your cellar that are lacking and get stocked up. Don’t clear out all those cobwebs just yet – they add authenticity to your Halloween festivities – but DO get started on a Fall wine audit and pop a few corks from your “Drink Now” section while you’re at it.

More Tricks and Treats for your Fall Cellar Audit:

Five Signs You Should Invest in a Wine Management System – eSommelier

What form does your “cellar” take? -Join in on the Conversation at the CellarTracker Forum

Aging Wine Revisited – “Only about 1% of the world’s wines are meant to be aged…”and WHY would anyone ever keep over 2,500 bottle of wine in their cellar? -Wine For Normal People with Elizabeth Schneider, Certified Sommelier & Certified Specialist of Wine

Liv-ex – an answer to Elizabeth’s question about holding on to wine. Invest – Collect – Drink – All of the Above. You decide.

Wines to Stock Your Cellar – Visit The Gallery at Falling Bright

Cultivated: Growing Our Gratitude for the Farmer

Kalon at Laguna Beach on the evening of September 28, 2015 - Total Lunar Ecclipse Blood Moon

October 11, 2015October 18, 2015 ~ tiffandsauce ~ Leave a comment

The Blood Moon rose over Laguna Canyon as we wound our way back towards the city lights after a late September evening on the beach. It was nearly in total eclipse with a sliver of red peeking out. The universe gifts us with moments like these. We take notice and as the moment passes it may fade from the memory until the next time nature jostles our mind a bit.

To be closer to the Earth or closer to the glories of nature is an aspiration for many, myself included. But reality for most of us is that we dabble here and there in the natural world. We rake up the leaves. Refresh the tired herb garden. Cultivate a small patch of veggies in our backyard gardens. These small connections with the dirt serve to keep us grounded, both literally and figuratively speaking. It is my trials and errors at making a better connection with the earth that serve as natures little reminder to me that I should have a greater appreciation for those who achieve this connection on a grander scale – farmers.

It’s so gratifying that our four children really like being part of a family farming operation and are dedicated to seeing it continue for generations to come. I am so proud that our family works together in this agricultural business and plays together as a family. -Lee Martinelli Sr.

There is no better time to celebrate the life and work of those who cultivate the earth than at the close of Harvest. Most California vineyards are through the pick, Oregon finishing up as well. For winemakers the fun is well under way. For the growers, most express a sense of calm or feeling of relief that their fruit is in and the season is drawing to a close. The calm will be but a small pause before looking forward to the next task, the next chore, and natures constant string of small nudges to jostle the mind.

For those who make their life of the land – the farmers – these nudges are taken in such stride it’s almost as if nature was but a cadence keeping the time. They can show calm in the face of adversity. They find peace and tranquility when the task at hand is insurmountable. Their existence is at the mercy of nature – we all are but some of us refuse to live by that mercy – and they accept this arrangement with humility and grace.

I think what needs to be changed is the sustainability and farming practices have to be more widely accepted. Humans are not the only creatures on this planet you know, we have to share it. -Donnie Schatzberg

We’re not waiting until Thanksgiving to be Thankful. We’re thankful now for the people who still find value and purpose in cultivating the land and we’re Thankful to the God who has made it so. We will continue our trials and errors in our own gardens as well. Perhaps these small rituals really can be big victories for the soul if we capture them and transpose them onto other areas that might feel barren.

Closure: Let it Be

September 30, 2015September 30, 2015 ~ tiffandsauce ~ 1 Comment

Hundreds of thousands. No, millions and billions of words have come out of my mouth since the day I uttered my first (which was probably “No”, I will call my mom after I finish writing and find out). Millions and Billions of them I would take back if I could; and the other ten thousand or so I would leave out there for the universe full of humanity to receive in their ears. Does this small sentiment frame me as a person filled with regret? Not at all. In spite of words gone by, powerful though they may be, I am resolved to live for the value of the experience, the opportunities of the future, and the relevance of the present moment.

I’m not a big fan of screwcaps.

And I don’t fancy the Coravin.

There. The words are said and I don’t regret them and if I do regret them at some future time, I will admit to it and those dozen words above will just join the ocean filled with Millions and Billions of others. No big deal.

If the air is heavy now with notions of my pompous wine snooty attitude and my impossible-to-please nature, please allow me to freshen things up a bit. Snap..Crraaackle…plunk. There, twisting open a crisp, cold, dewy fresh bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc ought to do the trick. May we continue.

Let us preface the conversation to come by stating that there is no judgement involved here. These are opinions, each of us is entitled to our own, and the intent is to part as friends and reconvene at a later time as pleasant company would allow. Shall we begin?

My distaste for the Stelvin closure method on bottles of wine is not a complete rejection of it, but rather a conditional and reluctant acceptance. I am fully aware of the soul crushing disappointment associated with a “corky” TCA ruined wine. Allow me to present a few of the corked bottles I have wanted to shed a tear for: a 3 liter of 1997 Reichstrat von Buhl “Armand” Riesling Kabinett (first 3L was GORGEOUS, second was CORKED), a 2007 Marcassin Estate Pinot Noir…down the drain, the Orin Swift Mercury Head that we looked forward to for quite a few years…totally corked when we got around to opening it.

These memories are painful to say the least, but clearly I have illustrated that I understand the evils of TCA. Yet still I do not embrace the clean and sure convenience of the screwcap. Is it because I think the wine it holds in the bottle may be sub-par? Is it because it lacks romance (and I’m a real big fan of romance)? Could it be that that I have no good reason and I’m just fulfilling the prophecy of wine snobbery mentioned above? Yes, it could be any of these. But the two very simple and boring reasons I have for disliking the Stelvin are:

long term storage reliability
a lack of air transmission into aging wine

Both of these reasons are storage/cellaring related. As a wine ages, a natural cork allows a minute amount of oxygen (air) to contact the wine causing it to slowly oxidize over time. For some, oxidation is to be abhorred. For others, it’s just another layer of complexity to be appreciated in the oldie but goodies. Again, I emphasize that all judgement is being reserved for better, more heated debates at a later time. If you find yourself to be disgusted at the thought of oxidation or put off by the idea of consuming wine over ten years old then, let it be. Drink fresh; drink what you enjoy. Unscrew and Unwind.

The other situation that concerns me when it comes to the screwcap is the longevity of the closure. On more than one occasion I have had a screwcap spring a leak. Grasping a bottle by the neck to remove it from storage, I heard the snap. Upon inspection, indeed the seal had been compromised. Wine is open now, may as well drink up. Other times a cap has not been applied correctly and this leaves for leakage – possibly ruining more than just one bottle if you’re concerned with the labels of other bottles getting leaked on. Natural corks have seepage problems as well (especially as they age or if stored improperly) yet the remedy of re-corking your older bottles is available – some wine producers even offer it as a special perk; check in with Penfolds for all of you Grange collectors out there.

Having stated my defense for natural corks I move on to say once more, there is nothing wrong with Screwcap Wines. To qualify that statement, there is nothing wrong with screwcap wines from reputable producers making decent, fresh, ready to drink styles that you will consume within the first 2 to 5 years. So I urge you as wine consumers to read between the lines when purchasing these wines. Penner Ash Viognier at dinner with Barack Obama in the Whitehouse? Sure, why not. But I don’t want to see this producer drawing connections between their stunning Viognier that drinks well now but will age like a fine Condrieu. The fabled Pinots of Pyramid Valley Vineyards in New Zealand – I’m growing very close to the day I taste them, but I don’t want to hear about how elegant and expressive they are now and how they are going to age like an austere Burgundy under their screwcaps. Let’s not even start on the handful of German Rieslings setting themselves up to be consumed young.

There you have it. The air here feels fresh and fine now that I have closure on the issue of closures. And why don’t I fancy the fancy Coravin?

Let’s just say that to be stingy with wine would not be an authentic representation of my character. -tiffandsauce

Memory of Taste: exchanging a Kiddie Cone Moment for a lifetime of Sense(s)

September 21, 2015September 22, 2015 ~ tiffandsauce ~ 2 Comments

Taste Memory

There was (still is?) a little roadside hamburger stand in Wallowa, Oregon where my mother would stop in with a car full of us kids for a post-game treat on our way home from the softball field. As I begin the telling of this story, the voice of Sauce is in my ear reminding me, “You have told me this story a million times”. Perhaps I have. But I will tell it again.

As we age (like a fine wine of course), this repeated story telling in an almost ritualistic fashion assures us that we’ve still got that glimmer of memories past. That we came from somewhere. And that we’re possibly even going somewhere. We see children practice this ritual in a similar fashion. Our three-year-old son tells us over and over a recounting of his daily events – trivial, complex, pleasant, and disturbing – it is all captured in his mind’s eye. The most trivial usually being bathroom and bodily function related. A more complex story covering emotions, questions concerning the universe and it’s existence, and long scenarios beginning with “once upon a time”. He is comforted in his relationship to his narrative.

Going back to The Little Bear. There was a vanilla soft serve kiddie cone for dessert. Their signature touch was a red gummy cinnamon bear on the top. It looked so appealing in that red-on-white cherry on top of a sundae sort of way. But it tasted like – FIRE!

A few decades later, the fire has settled down into a warm bed of coals and I find a cinnamon gummy bear to be a sticky sweet nostalgic confection. So where does this road lead me in terms of my Memory of Taste? It is but a short side jaunt on the larger supersensory highway of a Lifetime Palate. Retelling The Little Bear story in my own mind, and out loud just to tickle the Sauce nerves, reminds me that my best and most highly sensitive reception of taste was when I was a little girl, a baby even. Where something could be so delicious – or so offensive – that it would stick.

So that’s it? We have lost the sharp sensory abilities of our youth? The best wine quaffing opportunities passed us by when we were but babes on the breast? Not entirely. While I have not gone deep enough into the depths of science, I have a lukewarm assumption that as we age our perception of aromas and flavors does dull. However, if we tune into the world around us, our bank of sensory memories continues to expand which in turn gives us a greater capacity for interpreting the sensory perceptions we receive. To keep a sharp palate, we exercise beyond the physiology of tasting and smelling to log in to a longer term memory bank what otherwise would be a very short term experience.

And the how…It’s all just a presence of mind.

There are no “5 Easy Ways” or “10 Simple Steps” coming up, but rather suggestions for how your everyday sensory experiences can be heightened just by being present in the moment. Take yourself on mental field trips. Go to extremes and then contrast them. Try a few versions of the following:

a hot & dry place and a cold & dry place (think desert vs. tundra)
a cool & damp place and a warm & damp place (think Redwood Forest vs. Tropical Rainforest)
a very empty space (think Vacant parking lot or warehouse or an open field)
a very crowded space (think New York subway/sidewalk, Disneyland at Fireworks, Costco on Saturday, the I-5 any second of any day)
a modern place (think Art Museum or Luxury Car Showroom)
a rustic place (think Horse Stable, Mountain Lodge, Roadside Hamburger Stand, Tombstone Arizona)

What did it smell like?

What was the intensity level of the aromas?

Now take those observations down in a mental note and return to them on your daily path. If you shop a farmer’s market tune into the smells of the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. When you step into a coffee shop for a quick chat over an espresso – stop and smell. When you go for a jog, a ride, a row, a walk with your dog, or whatever is your choice of winding down – breath in. Taking notice of the scents in your surroundings is building your memory bank for future reference.

Then go and uncork that bottle. Follow those truly simple “3 Easy Steps”:

swirl, sip, repeat

If the smells and tastes from your glass transport you into your Memory of Taste, then congratulations, you have arrived at your wine destination.

More Places, Smells, & Memories for your reading and viewing pleasure:

GQ’s Smelliest Cities on The Planet by Chandler Burr

Orange County Farmer’s Markets Listed by City

Why can smells unlock forgotten memories? -BBC w/ Tom Stafford

Wine For the Ages: Tasting in Emoji

September 15, 2015September 15, 2015 ~ tiffandsauce ~ Leave a comment

Are tasting notes simply a matter of taste?

It seems that the more I read and write tasting notes for wines the deeper I go into experiencing wine on another level. Captivating prose flows from the bottle to the lips to the page as I fall in love with every nuance of whatever happens to be in the glass. Of course I make every effort not to sound repetitive, not to be too technical, not to be over the top fantastic in describing fermented grape juice. After all, we are all short on time and very busy indeed. So much of our stimulus is visual, quick and simpler to process on the go. If we want to keep up in today’s market, we have to stay fresh and lively. So in an Ode to Jimmy Kimmel’s interpretation of current events through Emoji, I give you …

TASTING NOTES IN EMOJI

2012 Walter Hansel Chardonnay, Cahill Lane Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA

Antonio Galloni calls Walter Hansel “some of the most consumer friendly wines readers will come across ANYWHERE in California”, and we can’t agree more. When tasting this wine blind, I almost always place a higher value on it and then get a pleasant surprise at the true price. But numbers aside, the Cahill Lane shows all of the richness of Russian River Valley Chardonnay through a pure and simple use of the Wente Clone exclusively on this site. Brioche, buttered and topped with a dollop of apricot preserves, comes to mind. – Falling Bright notes

OR

Chardonnay, Simplified.

2011 Behrens Family Winery “Spare Me” Cabernet, Napa Valley CA

Succulent raspberry and black cherry give way to hints of tobacco, cedar, and violets. The beautiful perfume that Petite Verdot brings to the aromatics is not lost in the mix. -FallingBright Notes

OR

Cabernet but less Complicated

2012 Booker Sweet

Perfectly ripe tropics – pineapple, mango, passion fruit – an unctuous core finishing on a high note. There is no reason not to enjoy a sip of Sweet with a nibble of cheese – something semi-hard to hard like Pleasant Ridge Reserve or Vella Dry Jack. -Falling Bright Notes

OR

Just Desserts

2010 Sine Qua Non “That Type of Rosay”

Ridiculous strawberry, sage and underbrush. A full-bodied meaty expression of Grenache and Syrah with complexity, depth, and a crisp dry finish. -Falling Bright Notes

OR

Delicious in Tiny Pictures

Next time you feel like your tasting notes are getting over the top and under your skin, just check back in with us for the short notes on what we’ve been tasting. We will be sure and give you the small picture(s) so you can make wise use of your time to focus on the Big Picture.

Enjoy what’s in the glass and send us a note on what you’re tasting – Emoji Style of course!

Palate Talent

September 4, 2015September 14, 2015 ~ tiffandsauce ~ 1 Comment

Many times in our years as Somms on the restaurant floor we have been asked some version of the following question:

“Do you have a naturally great palate or did you have to learn to be a better taster?”

Well, yes and yes. But, in the interest of not sounding self-absorbed, we want to humbly explain that it’s a balanced combination of both and that YOU too can achieve that balance.

Start with knowing what you like or don’t like about the wines you’re drinking. Then take a leap of faith and do some blind tasting (even blind buying…providing the wines meet your pre-set price parameters). The purpose of these blinds is not to learn varietal identification and pass a test. The purpose is to taste wine without any preconceived notion or judgement of the wine based on varietal or region or producer. Just taste. Then like. Or dislike. You’ve discovered that you can rely on your own palate to choose wines that will be pleasant company.

The only way our palate talent stays relevant is if we can in some small way share it with you to improve your personal wine situation. Are you doubting your palate?

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Whole Hog: Now That’s a Lot of PORK! But It’s Only Half the Story…

August 28, 2015September 13, 2015 ~ tiffandsauce ~ 1 Comment

I’m Tiff. He’s Sauce. Together we’re like smoke on a pork rib; one just shouldn’t be without the other – oh, and one is dry and bitter while the other is quite sweet.

Our paths intersected in 2005, then converged into one in 2007. We have always enjoyed each others’ company and have passed many hours by eating good food, drinking good wine, and telling great stories.

This page is where those stories will be shared. We would be obliged if you stopped by every once in a while just to catch up. If you like to become a regular, please make yourself at home, we’d like that too. Pleased to make your acquaintance.

	Lost: My Wine Specta… on Only the Stones
	At Bucher Vineyards… on Guest Post: Hannah Bucher
	Resolved \| tiffandsa… on Drink Me!
	Resolved \| tiffandsa… on Whole Hog: Now That’s a…
	What the Teeter-Tott… on Palate Talent

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