27 Jan Randall Grahm – Bonny Doon Vineyard
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Sips of the Week
Bonny Doon Vineyard‘s founder braved the snow uphill to join Laurie at the WBAL studios in
Baltimore for a lively interview and tasting (drinking) session. Randall began his winemaking journey in 1979 with much success. In 1989,Randall was inducted into the Who’s Who of Cooking in America by Cook’s Magazine, proclaimed Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 1994 and published his award-winning book Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology, in 2009.
Bonny Doon Querry Hard Cider, California/Oregon, $16
Winemaker’s Notes: Query: What might a blend of apple, pear, and quince taste like naturally fermented (with indigenous yeast)? Result (not surprisingly): The ethereal suggestion of pineapple quince; the pungent, heady, dusky perfume of pear; and the earthy succulence of apple. I never thought I’d see… a pome as lovely as Querry. Crisp in acidity and bone dry, Querry is the perfect accompaniment to, well, essentially everything. It is composed of virtually everything, but most significantly: 58% pear, 33% apple, and 9% quince. Excellent with charcuterie, Asian food, seafood, and poultry—fare as humble as meat pie or as elegant as lobster. Querry pears with everything. Open very carefully, as contents are under some pressure.
Bonny Doon Albarino, Central Coast, $20
Winemaker’s Notes: The resultant wine is crisp, enormously sleek, racy in texture and utterly varietally true. Dominant nose is citrus–Kaffir lime to be most specific, but there’s also a vague undertone of peach. On the palate, there is a concomitant brininess; one is reminded of ground-up oyster shells. You might well intuit that this wine just screams for a heaping portion of coquillage, a giant monstre seafood platter that one demolishes in a slightly depraved ravenous paroxysm: the sheer selfishness of shellfishness. This is definitely the wine you want with you if you are summoned to the Cabinet (or Kabinett) of Dr. Calamari. Some like it tart.
Bonny Doon A Proper Claret, California, $16
Winemaker’s Notes: The sentiment at Bonny Doon Vineyard is that if we ever were to drink a cabernet-based blend, this would be one that would serve quite well. It is lean, neither overly alcoholic (weighing in at 13%), nor overly extracted; it is precisely as one would imagine A Proper Claret to be. The wine contains a substantial dollop of petit verdot (22%), which adds a silky note of violets and textural elegance, in precision counterpoint to the lead-in-the-pencil firmness offered by the inclusion of the manly tannat (8%). There is a lovely suggestion of cedar and mint, in the nose. The wine has medium tannins, nice acidity, and finishes cleanly.
Upcoming Events January 23: for Laurie’s kickoff event for her Women’s Wine Club at The Oregon Grille in Hunt Valley, MD! February 7: Drink Your Glass Off Tour Stop in NYC – Wine & Comedy at the City Winery in New York City!
February 22-23: join Laurie at Turf Valley for the
2014 Savor Sip Style luxury home show. She’ll have 2 classes on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Hire Laurie for your next corporate, client or fundraising event! More info: www.TheWineCoachSpeaks.com Next Week We’ll be back next week to further explore the delicious life! A Special Thanks to Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis ,The Oregon Grille and Wine World.