speedoo wrote:Hey Laura, when you talk about aging this wine for ten years, am I correct in assuming you are talking about ten years from the vintage, which would say drink this by 2014?

Yes, 10 years from the vintage date.

polarbear22 wrote:If you get a chance, check out my favorite OR Pinot Noir from the Willamette, winery called Monk's Gate. Husband and wife farming operation, though wife has a non-wine full-time job.

That's how you make in the wine industry - keep your day job! Thanks for the referral ot Monk's Gate - I'll keep my eyes open for it.

ladyofwine wrote:Well, that is a good question. Since I only make Chard, Zin and Cab, I'd likely be looking at another varietal. Pinot Noir has always held a fascination for me, I've tried as many domestic ones as I can get my hands on and have gravitated toward Bouchaine. There's a small brand in Willamette Valley called Pfeiffer - very yummy. I'm also a fan of the bubbles. Mumm DVX and just about anything Schramsberg makes are favorites. J has also crossed my lips a few times to happy days. I definitely subscribe to the adage: So much wine, so few hours in the day!

In the absence of our esteemed Loweeel, I shall ask the obligatory question: Have you ever considered doing anything with Petite Sirah?

ladyofwine wrote:Yes, 10 years from the vintage date.

Thanks, Laura. I updated Cellartracker accordingly.

Still holding out for a 'variety pack' wine.woot with some combination of off the beaten path varietals and/or blends. Eventually I'll come to the conclusion that a Napa Cab tops even the most interesting of blends you'd never find in 'nature', but for now I'm all about trying random varietals and blends. Except for Cab Franc, Carmenere or (Argentinian) Malbec--I'll buy those on sight in volume.

cheron98 wrote:In the absence of our esteemed Loweeel, I shall ask the obligatory question: Have you ever considered doing anything with Petite Sirah?

I have and do! Check out my Laura's Theme - "port style" wine. The 2004 vintage is a blend of PS and Estate Zin, the 2005 vintage is 100% PS. I sourced this fruit from the same grower that sold me the Dry Creek Zinfandel. These vintages are my 2nd and 3rd, with the 2006 and 2007 both blends like the 2004. The grower only had 80 plants and helped himself to 1/2 a row before I picked so we got what we got....

ladyofwine wrote:I have and do! Check out my Laura's Theme - "port style" wine. The 2004 vintage is a blend of PS and Estate Zin, the 2005 vintage is 100% PS. I sourced this fruit from the same grower that sold me the Dry Creek Zinfandel. These vintages are my 2nd and 3rd, with the 2006 and 2007 both blends like the 2004. The grower only had 80 plants and helped himself to 1/2 a row before I picked so we got what we got....

Hey, L! You need to add a stop on the vacation trail...

ladyofwine wrote:I have and do! Check out my Laura's Theme - "port style" wine. The 2004 vintage is a blend of PS and Estate Zin, the 2005 vintage is 100% PS. I sourced this fruit from the same grower that sold me the Dry Creek Zinfandel. These vintages are my 2nd and 3rd, with the 2006 and 2007 both blends like the 2004. The grower only had 80 plants and helped himself to 1/2 a row before I picked so we got what we got....

Any plans for a non-port style?

brockb wrote:My wife and I had the 01 Corison this Saturday for our anniversary (took the bottle with us to The Melting Pot). I have to admit... while the '01 was good... it paled extremely in comparison to the '02 which we took to The Melting Pot in Feb for Valentine's Day! I'd stock up on the '02s if I could find 'em... but I could really take or leave the '01s.

Damn, you really like the The Melting Pot, huh?

(I agree, the Corisons are delicious.)
(When's my wootiversary?)

ladyofwine wrote:Happy to...I came looking for real estate in 1998 having fallen in love with Napa Valley. I've been a wino for a while and it seemed like the right time to expend some stock options. We (ex-husband and I) stumbled across this small winery and decided to change our lives. He left his day job to run the winery and I stayed at Cisco Systems to try to make the ends meet. After our third harvest (2001) he left. I got the dog, the winery and all the debt!!! Just before harvest 2002 I left Cisco to run things myself and have been doing so ever since! My total case production runs between 3000-4000 cases. 17 years in high tech definitely helps me run things, there's no just-in-time inventory system here, but everything else tracks the way most businesses do. You just have to have an endless supply of cash to keep it all going...sometimes my supply isn't endless, but that's my world!

IMO, getting the dog was a great deal!!! Your story put me over the edge. I think it's great that you gave up your high tech job to do what you enjoy (said with intense envy).

P.S. to the rest of you out there... i'm a lurker, too. I read most of the posts but very seldom post.

cheron98 wrote:Any plans for a non-port style?

Not right now. I have a neighbor that specializes in PS and I don't want to compete on that level. We are discussing a blend and I have a higher end cab coming out in a couple of years. I really want to stay under 4000 cases so adding anything means less is made of the foundation wines.

ladyofwine wrote:I have and do! Check out my Laura's Theme - "port style" wine. The 2004 vintage is a blend of PS and Estate Zin, the 2005 vintage is 100% PS. I sourced this fruit from the same grower that sold me the Dry Creek Zinfandel. These vintages are my 2nd and 3rd, with the 2006 and 2007 both blends like the 2004. The grower only had 80 plants and helped himself to 1/2 a row before I picked so we got what we got....

The lady and I love port, we got a Rombauer Zin Port when we were there a couple months ago, amazing stuff

We also love J Winery Pinot, the best $20 spent at costco

ladyofwine wrote:I have and do! Check out my Laura's Theme - "port style" wine. The 2004 vintage is a blend of PS and Estate Zin, the 2005 vintage is 100% PS. I sourced this fruit from the same grower that sold me the Dry Creek Zinfandel. These vintages are my 2nd and 3rd, with the 2006 and 2007 both blends like the 2004. The grower only had 80 plants and helped himself to 1/2 a row before I picked so we got what we got....

I checked on your website, and I have to ask: is the Pier Oddone from whom you sourced the 2005 Laura's Theme the same Pier Oddone who runs the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago?

ladyofwine wrote: I'm also a fan of the bubbles. Mumm DVX and just about anything Schramsberg makes are favorites. J has also crossed my lips a few times to happy days. I definitely subscribe to the adage: So much wine, so few hours in the day!

We had the DVX at Mumm on the wine.woot tour and also agree that it stood up with the Schramsbergs. Hard to beat your Calistoga neighbors for bubbly.

I've just read up on my Hugh Johnson 2008 for this winery.

Zahtila Vineyards (***three stars which means well known, highly reputed)
"Newcomer in north Napa specializes in elegant and inviting Cab Sauv and intense Zin (one from estate vineyard near Calistoga). Also makes Dry Creek and Russian River Zins from Sonoma County. To watch".

If I wasn't traveling during the delivery window for this I'd be in for 2.
Can deliveries be delayed? Pretty please?

ladyofwine wrote:There's enough oak on the wine to help it age and the natural tannin shows through as well, but it's not like drinking a toothpick.

My Lady...ofWine.... You cracked me up..."drinking like a toothpick"!!! I've had some wines that tasted like that, but could never come up with the right description. That hits the nail on the head. Guess I have to quit chewin' toothpicks. Question: What does 90 degree shipping heat do to wines? To keep everyone focused on your wine, I will not mention the sources. The wine is supposedly shipped from the west coast in temp controlled trucks to NY. From there distributed to east coast areas including Great Lakes via UPS. Got a shipment early summer and it was nasty. Got a shipment today, an 80 F day and the bottle temps upon taking out of the box were 90 F after being in AC for two hours. Thanks UPS. I've got four more shipments coming including yours. I'm getting worried and will contact Woot. For all those that look at numbers, understand your concern, but like others, I'm an observer and don't make 50 posts a day just to chatter. I just like good wine! If this wine is better than the great Corison, then we have two outstanding women in CA kickin' butt.

Be careful LadyofWine, once some of these woot junkies find out there was an ex, they'll be like buzzards on road kill. And I'm sure you already know they're all broke because they are always wooting or talking about wooting!!! Welcome to WOOT and keep the product coming.

brockb wrote:My wife and I had the 01 Corison this Saturday for our anniversary (took the bottle with us to The Melting Pot). I have to admit... while the '01 was good... it paled extremely in comparison to the '02 which we took to The Melting Pot in Feb for Valentine's Day! I'd stock up on the '02s if I could find 'em... but I could really take or leave the '01s.

Sorry to hijack, but... how would you compare either to the '00? Isn't that what we got here?

eric9tx wrote:Sorry to hijack, but... how would you compare either to the '00? Isn't that what we got here?

Depends on which Corison you got. The woot-off was '00. The earlier regular wine.woot was one ''00 and one '01.

Wahhh. I am moving soon and I can't afford a 3-pack of MORE Cab.

But I'll buy a bottle off a NYC person! If you want to sell me one, let me know. And since my PMs never seem to work (grrr): paleskinnednymph AT yahoo DOT com

TIA

gcdyersb wrote:Still holding out for a 'variety pack' wine.woot with some combination of off the beaten path varietals and/or blends. Eventually I'll come to the conclusion that a Napa Cab tops even the most interesting of blends you'd never find in 'nature', but for now I'm all about trying random varietals and blends. Except for Cab Franc, Carmenere or (Argentinian) Malbec--I'll buy those on sight in volume.

No doubt, Napa cab will take over the world..
but at the prices it sells for, I think you're better off on the path you've chosen. Go for it! Don't let woot dictate your purchasing, just buy new stuff. It makes wine fun.

DonaldWilliams wrote:Depends on which Corison you got. The woot-off was '00. The earlier regular wine.woot was one ''00 and one '01.

Woot-off '00. Feel free to answer in the pub.

Sounds tastey. This one will be hard to resist.

Hard to resist, since it sounds interesting. I have too many bottles though and a three pack of the same thing doesn't help. Anyone in the bay area want to split??

ltraffis wrote:My Lady...ofWine.... You cracked me up..."drinking like a toothpick"!!! I've had some wines that tasted like that, but could never come up with the right description. That hits the nail on the head. Guess I have to quit chewin' toothpicks. Question: What does 90 degree shipping heat do to wines? To keep everyone focused on your wine, I will not mention the sources. The wine is supposedly shipped from the west coast in temp controlled trucks to NY. From there distributed to east coast areas including Great Lakes via UPS. Got a shipment early summer and it was nasty. Got a shipment today, an 80 F day and the bottle temps upon taking out of the box were 90 F after being in AC for two hours. Thanks UPS. I've got four more shipments coming including yours. I'm getting worried and will contact Woot. For all those that look at numbers, understand your concern, but like others, I'm an observer and don't make 50 posts a day just to chatter. I just like good wine! If this wine is better than the great Corison, then we have two outstanding women in CA kickin' butt.

Be careful LadyofWine, once some of these woot junkies find out there was an ex, they'll be like buzzards on road kill. And I'm sure you already know they're all broke because they are always wooting or talking about wooting!!! Welcome to WOOT and keep the product coming.

feel free to borrow my name anytime you are feeling so (self) righteous again! yours truly, a certified w.w chatter master.

NOTE: btw, feel free to come & play in the forums as well: we do actually talk quite a bit about wine - proper tasting technique, developing your palate, aerating & decanting, pairing with food, to name just a few themes.

Wore. Me. Down.

Current numbers (updated each minute):

First sucker: mill
Speed to first woot: 0m 10.077s

Last wooter to woot: TrevynPaige

ladyofwine wrote:I'm part of a bartering service called BizXChange, I traded wine for windows in the winery house - such a deal!

Laura,

This sounds like a very interesting system!

Out of curiosity (and tell me to bug off if this is too much info), do you use retail rates for the BizXChange value of your product (and, by extension, something like the windows)? Or is there some other method for establishing the value of your excahnge?

Is your exchange directly with the party from whom you are getting service, or are you trading into a "bank" of sorts, so that someone else may actually get your wine for something otherwise unrelated to the windows you received?

tlonsammie wrote:IMO, getting the dog was a great deal!!! Your story put me over the edge. I think it's great that you gave up your high tech job to do what you enjoy (said with intense envy).

P.S. to the rest of you out there... i'm a lurker, too. I read most of the posts but very seldom post.

True lurkers are now getting wary, and calling themselves out before they get branded a shill! A few rotten apples ... and now everything looks like fools gold.

(hmmm ... that made more sense when I first thought it)

jwhite6114 wrote:True lurkers are now getting wary, and calling themselves out before they get branded a shill! A few rotten apples ... and now everything looks like fools gold.

(hmmm ... that made more sense when I first thought it)

It's early yet, we'll let you slide. This time

gcdyersb wrote:Still holding out for a 'variety pack' wine.woot with some combination of off the beaten path varietals and/or blends. Eventually I'll come to the conclusion that a Napa Cab tops even the most interesting of blends you'd never find in 'nature', but for now I'm all about trying random varietals and blends. Except for Cab Franc, Carmenere or (Argentinian) Malbec--I'll buy those on sight in volume.

Were you around for the Iron Horse Cab Franc? If not weep tears of bitter sadness.

***** We interrupt this thread to bring you a Special Service Announcement *****

ATTENTION: Detroit Area Wine Wooters!

Ever wonder what your fellow Detroit Area Wine Wooters look like? Ever think it might be fun to hang out with them one afternoon for some lovely wine and food, and good company? Well, wonder no more!

Join us for the 2nd (3rd?) Detroit Wine Woot Tasting! Coming up on Saturday August 16th, 2008 (time TBD), join us for a Varietal Battle. Need details? No problem! Visit the thread for full information, or send me a PM for address and directions.

We look forward to seeing you there!

***** We now return you to your regularly scheduled wine.woot offering. *****

ltraffis wrote:If this wine is better than the great Corison, then we have two outstanding women in CA kickin' butt.

Be careful LadyofWine, once some of these woot junkies find out there was an ex, they'll be like buzzards on road kill. And I'm sure you already know they're all broke because they are always wooting or talking about wooting!!! Welcome to WOOT and keep the product coming.

Don't forget Jean at Sadler-Wells. There's at least 3 women in CA kickin' butt and probably many more.

When did the shipping change back to $7?

bhodilee wrote:Don't forget Jean at Sadler-Wells. There's at least 3 women in CA kickin' butt and probably many more.

Sadler-Wells has two women (including Jean)!!! And don't forget the winemaker at Armida (the one driving the forklift!!)

afranke wrote:I checked on your website, and I have to ask: is the Pier Oddone from whom you sourced the 2005 Laura's Theme the same Pier Oddone who runs the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago?

In deed. The one and only. Do you know him? If you are in Chicago - please give him my best!

sjmmartin wrote:When did the shipping change back to $7?

When they caught it. They posted on either the first or second pages about the correction.


Edit: Here towards the bottom of page two.

jwhite6114 wrote:Laura,

This sounds like a very interesting system!

Out of curiosity (and tell me to bug off if this is too much info), do you use retail rates for the BizXChange value of your product (and, by extension, something like the windows)? Or is there some other method for establishing the value of your excahnge?

Is your exchange directly with the party from whom you are getting service, or are you trading into a "bank" of sorts, so that someone else may actually get your wine for something otherwise unrelated to the windows you received?

I do use retail rates for the value of my product. BizX does have a number of restaurants as members so when they buy, they get the wholesale rate. There is a clearinghouse as well. So if the window installers don't want wine, they can use the "funds" I deposited in their account to barter for other stuff.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Sadler-Wells has two women (including Jean)!!! And don't forget the winemaker at Armida (the one driving the forklift!!)

Forklift driving, a very commendable job. During my first harvest without family (2002) I managed to knock a forklift over - banged it up pretty good. Learned two very important words that harvest....parking brake.

ladyofwine wrote:In deed. The one and only. Do you know him? If you are in Chicago - please give him my best!

Only by name and face. I work in the physics biz, and two of the experiments I work on are located at FNAL. Being only a grad student, so there are many layers of hierarchy between us, but if I ever meet him I'll now know what to chit-chat about!

ltraffis wrote:My Lady...ofWine.... You cracked me up..."drinking like a toothpick"!!! I've had some wines that tasted like that, but could never come up with the right description. That hits the nail on the head. Guess I have to quit chewin' toothpicks. Question: What does 90 degree shipping heat do to wines? To keep everyone focused on your wine, I will not mention the sources. The wine is supposedly shipped from the west coast in temp controlled trucks to NY. From there distributed to east coast areas including Great Lakes via UPS. Got a shipment early summer and it was nasty. Got a shipment today, an 80 F day and the bottle temps upon taking out of the box were 90 F after being in AC for two hours. Thanks UPS. I've got four more shipments coming including yours. I'm getting worried and will contact Woot. For all those that look at numbers, understand your concern, but like others, I'm an observer and don't make 50 posts a day just to chatter. I just like good wine! If this wine is better than the great Corison, then we have two outstanding women in CA kickin' butt.

Be careful LadyofWine, once some of these woot junkies find out there was an ex, they'll be like buzzards on road kill. And I'm sure you already know they're all broke because they are always wooting or talking about wooting!!! Welcome to WOOT and keep the product coming.

90 degree heat is only good on grapes in August and kids at the pool. Wine in transit should be very carefully protected as should all wine. No direct sunlight and as little temperature swing as possible.

Hmm, I'm not sure the analogy about road kill makes me smile, unless he's the road kill.

******* Yet Another Public Service Announcement *********

Will you be in Southern California on August 15th? (or August 9th?). Want to join in on the debauchery .... err, wine tasting?

Greet PSith Master Loweeel on his triumphant tour of California Wine Country. See the infamous .... err, beautiful Nallie and MadWine in person. Gaze in horror at Igor ... err, me. Laugh in sheer delight at JavaDrinker in a lampshade (lampshade engagements permitting). Cover your ears at the glass-breaking noises that lucidgrrl screeches (lampshade engagements permitting). Even join us at the beach to laugh at MadWine trying to surf ... err, gaze in wonder at her grace and style while surfing.

SoCal Wine Woot #3: The PSith Master Arrives! on August 15th at 7 pm!


Also Join TimByrd for his birthday celebration (he bought 4 cases on the way back from RPM Tour!!) on August 9th. Check the thread for details.

End