El Bloggo Torcido - Twisted Oak Winery

So. Cal Gal

Yes, from the North allll..... theee.... wayyyy.... to the South.
(Amazingly it only took 5 1/2 hours to reach Pasadena from Jamestown. Weird.)

Regaining focus and expanding the Twisted reach to cover the state, the globe and eventually the universe! Bwa ha ha!
Thanks to Pimp Daddy for setting up the L.A. area along with Maddalena Brands, an extension of San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles. It was my first trip to "La La Land" and it was an interesting one. Now let's get these wines MOVING!! I met some wonderful people that could possibly support the Twisted brand in the future and I'd like to mention them. Let's help them out by asking for Twisted Oak where ever you go!

*Firefly Bistro in Pasadena, where the Pimp Daddy did a true "Boy" style wine dinner there last year. He's crazy, but so am I! This dining room is so outdoorsy, I never wanted to leave.
*Mission Liquor & Wines of Pasadena, where the selection is amazing and the online store rocks!
*Gale's Restaurant of Pasadena, has delicious Italian fare. The iced Tea there will do funny things to you! ( funny story, I actually fell off the curb due to not paying attention when I walked out, 2 glasses of iced tea and I'm loopy!)

*Wine Styles in south Pasadena, comfortable and friendly environment! Well done ladies! Kathy was very welcoming. She has three varietals of the Twisted now ~ Viognier, Red Rhone Blend (*%#&@!) and the Verdelho. Go in and try a glass or bottle, her prices are awesome!

*Whole Foods Market in Pasadena is absolutely gorgeous. One of their newer locations. I was impressed throughly! James the on-site wine guy wasn't there but we do have the Red Rhone Blend already in their system. Go ahead, request some! You can find us in the other Whole Foods Market in the Pasadena/Monrovia area. Our goal is to grace the shelves of all 27 stores in that So Cal area.

*Ruth's Chris Steak House in Pasadena, met Janet the G.M and she was kind enough to give us a bit of her time before a Tuesday meeting. She enjoyed the Red Rhone Blend, Tempranillo & Syrah. If you are eating at Ruth's Chris and share the same liking of our juice, ask her to bring some in!

*Heritage Wine Company in Pasadena was another great stop. I found a piece of art at this great little wine bar and HAD to buy it for my mom. (Apparently they have an artist in house with art displayed all the time! Super cool.) They are in the midst of a remodel and the end result looks like it will be eye candy! Hope the Grenache and the White Rhone Blend end up here! (That's the wines they liked, smiley face)

*The Arroyo Chop House in Pasadena was a sheik little steak house with a lot of popularity! Didn't get a chance to meet Patrick, but one of these days..........I'll see you there!

*Madeleine's on Pasadena's Green Street has many things to offer. While the owner wasn't present, we opted to have a beautiful glass of wine there in one of the many dining rooms. Eddie Ramirez is the Pasadena area representative for Maddalena Brands who took me to this end of day magnificence.

*California Wine & Cheese in Monrovia is amazing! What a selection this guy has. He featured our California Tempranillo with the likes of imported Temps and it showed well. He saw the ad for his Temp tasting on our website and thought, lot of good that's gonna do. Low and behold, a couple showed up for the tasting and said they saw it on the web!! Way to go, El Jefe! Tom has a few Twisted wines so go out and support him. He also has tasting classes one day a week with Sommelier. FYI. :)

*Magnolia on lake in Pasadena was breath taking and sexy, PLEASE, go check it out for yourself. I suggest taking a date there! Viognier, we hope, will be there soon.

*Charcuterie in the village of Sierra Madre, had just that. Fine, Fine charcuterie. He shared some of this charcuterie with me. Scott, is his name. Twisted may be spotted in the future at this hot spot.

*Cafe Mundial in old town Monrovia feels and looks fresh! I had lunch there with Dennis Mitchell of Maddalena. Their wine list features some amazing wines, as well as 5 (that's FIVE) Twisted oak wines.~ Verdelho, Viognier, Tempranillo, Red & White Rhone Blends. Thanks Mundial!

*Pacific Wine Merchants is in the I.E.

I am new to the terminology down there, it means Inland Empire. I gotta say, it's pretty royal in that shop. An entire room connects to the wine retail shop and tasting room full of lovely and fragrant cigars.

*Liquorama, hence the name, has been around since the seventies. It is truly a lushes paradise. The selection is truly groovy baby! Thanks to Brendan for seeing me on a Thursday when he didn't have to. Thanks Brendan!

*Tony's Italian, I'll get a better description for you! All I know is the atmosphere was cool and the chef was HOT!!

*Elements Restaurant and Wine Bar located inside the Double Tree Monrovia was quite a new fresh restaurant with an impressive young Executive Chef named Micah Fields. I did a little research and here's what I found.  An article in the Arroyo Monthly about the Fire of Youth in this young ambitious chef. If I were to stay in the area longer I would have been all over that. The menu and the wine of course! Jeez, what were YOU thinking?

*City Sip LA is a brand new wine experience in Los Angeles that will be open very soon.These folks are our (Twisted) kind of people. Just check out the site!! We'll be in there faster than you can say ~ that-chef-at-elements-is-a-super-hottie ~ Cheers to you Nicole Daddio! We'll be in touch!

I leave you know with the longest post I've ever done in my entire life.

Harlot ~ OUT

 

Selling Wine in Las Vegas (Baby!)

That's Kirk of UVA Wine and Spirits, our distributor here. Good times!

Paging Gordon Ramsay!

Confession: I am actually a huge Gordon Ramsay fan. I am especially a fan of the Kitchen Nightmares show, where he goes in and attempts to turn around a failing restaurant in a week (though Hell's Kitchen has a certain appeal as well.)

But that's not the point of this post. The point is to complete a match made in, well, someplace.

If you have seen Mr. Ramsay's TV work, you are probably well aware of his favorite word. We at Twisted Oak Winery feel that if is his favorite word, couldn't also be his favorite wine?

So Mr. Ramsay, I'd love to send you a couple bottles of for you to try. I just need a shipping address. Email me!

Bits y Pieces - Travel Edition

A couple of great travel news hits today!

First, the Sacramento Bee today has a major travel section article all about Calaveras County. It's available online:

• Main article on Calaveras
• Feature on Murphys
• Feature on Angels Camp
• Feature on Copperopolis

Next, a really great blog post by Michelle on the "To Serve Mankind" blog (I think it is not a cook book) about a visit to several Calaveras wineries called "Why you need to check out Murphys, CA," with a nice mention of The Fricken (pictured, from last February.) Thanks Michelle!

My younger son told me yesterday he was climbing Half Dome in Yosemite last night. Yes, at night. I took a slight amount of comfort when I saw the route, which is called "Snake Dike." Hopefully he'll send me some pictures to share with you (hint hint!)

Not apropos travel, but if you are interested in the changes that have occurred in the direct shipping of wine, here's a comprehensive post on the subject over on the Tablas Creek blog.

By the way, if you just can't get enough El Jefe (and trust me, there's plenty for everyone - but I need to work on making a little less "plenty") you can "follow" me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eljefetwisted. And speaking of Twitter, I've got a few Twitter searches running, including a search on some of our favorite grapes - here's one that popped up:

H heeft heerlijk gekookt, we drinken de Tempranillo die ik van Justitie heb gekregen, terwijl Blof het huis vult met melancholieke klanken.

Which translates, according to BabelFish, thus:

H has deliciously cooked, we drink the Tempranillo which I have got of justice, whereas Blof fill the house with wistful consonances.

I know that when I drink Tempranillo, I too get full of wistful consonances.

Twisted Dinner of the Week (Month? Year?)

Once in a while we get a letter... Cathy from Michigan wrote in asking for serving and pairing suggestions for our 2006 Torcido. I thought what she was planning sounded pretty good and asked for a recipe and a couple pictures to share with you - and here's what she sent! Take it away Cathy:

Twisted Dinner featuring 2006 Torcido and 2006 %@#$! 7/11//2008

Menu:
Antipasti: Basil, Tomato, & fresh mozzarella (regular and smoked) with balsamic vinegar.

Entree: Grilled chorizo sausage sandwiches, with sauteed green peppers and onions and a side of Grilled garlic-crumb stuffed zucchini
Wine: 2006 Calaveras County Torcido

Dessert: Grilled Apricot & Plum pouches, prepared with a splash of the wine.
Wine: 2006 Sierra Foothills %@#$!

Impressions on the wines:

Torcido: Served at approx. 60 degrees.  Decanted for about half an hour, probably needed about 15 more minutes to fully open up.  Color: Garnet.  Cherry and spices on the nose, particularly after having a bite of the smoked mozzarella.  The cheese really caused the cherry scent to come through.  When sniffing after a bite of the chorizo, there was a smoky quality to the nose.  Across the palate, hints of cocoa, cherry, smoke, and spices.  Plain mozzarella enhanced the flavor of cocoa.  Tomato and zucchini brought out more fruit flavoring - berries of all the summery sorts.  Very light tannins, and just a touch of a bite of alcohol.  The finish gave a little burn, but more like the burn you get from a particularly tasty salsa.  Overall, fairly well-balanced, well structured wine.  89 points.

%@#$!: Served at approx. 55 degrees.  Color: golden straw. The nose was filled with summery fruits of apricots, peaches and berries.  Across the a hint of the peach lingered, along with some earthiness that was very refreshing.  There was a minerally quality to it that I found complimented the sweetness of the dessert quite well. Oak undertones rounded out the wine to give it a nice, surprising full body.  Not a wine to be taken lightly. Have it with some nice ripe fruit, and it will tickle your tastebuds.  The more I had, the more I liked it. It has a taste to it like there should be bubbles - it looks and feels like a nice, dry champagne, but without the sparkle.  89 points.

Recipes:

Antipasti
4 oz fresh, smoked mozzarella
4 oz fresh, plain mozzarella
2 medium red ripe tomatoes
8-10 basil leaves
6-8 medium lettuce leaves
2 Tbsp sweet balsamic vinegar

Slice the mozzarella and tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Arrange lettuce on a plate as a base, so that the plate is covered.  Arrange the mozzarella and tomato slices in an alternating pattern, then place basil leaves on top.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the whole plate. Serves 4-6

Chorizo Sausage Sandwiches
4 links chorizo
4 sausage rolls, freshly baked if possible
2 green peppers
1/2 red onion
2 Tbsp olive oil

Slice peppers and onion into thin strips.  Pour olive oil into skillet over medium-high heat and add the peppers and onions. Stir and cook until the onion becomes translucent.  Set aside, but keep warm.

Fire up your grill so that the internal temperature comes to about 400 degrees.  Grill chorizo until sausage begins to fatten and juices begin to escape.  During the last few minutes of cooking, split the rolls and place them on an upper rack in the grill to toast.

When cooked, remove from grill.  Place sausages in rolls, and top with pepper and onion mixture. Serves 4

Grilled Garlic-crumb Stuffed Zucchini
3 zucchini
2 yellow squash
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup panko
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
salt and pepper

Cut off the stems of the squash, set one aside.  Cut lengthwise about 1/3 of the way down on the squash to create a lid. Scoop out the flesh using a spoon.  Chop flesh and place in bowl.  Set aside.

Peel the remaining squash and finely dice the flesh.  Add to bowl.

Pour 2 Tbsp olive oil and garlic into a skillet over medium heat, and stir for about 30 seconds until the garlic becomes fragrant and slightly browns.  Add the squash flesh, and stir for about 3 minutes until the flesh becomes tender. Add panko and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.  Stir to combine. 

Brush remaining olive oil on squash, being sure to cover the cut flesh as well as the outer skin.  Spoon crumb mixture into the cavities of the squash, and place on grilling pan with the lids.  Place on grill at about 400 degrees and cook for 8-10 minutes until squash becomes tender. 

Serve with lids placed on squash at an angle. Serves 4

Grilled Apricot and Plum Pouches
8 graham crackers
5 plums, pitted and quartered
5 apricots, pitted and quartered
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 cup %@#$!, divided 4 ways

Cut four sheets of foil approx. 18 inches by 18 inches.

For each sheet, break apart 2 graham crackers into 8 pieces each, and arrange in the center of the sheet. Distribute fruit evenly across the sheets, placing fruit on top of graham crackers.  Pull the corners of each sheet up towards the center and crimp to make a pouch with a small opening on top.  Pour 1/4 cup of wine into each pouch.

Place pouches into 400 degree grill and allow to cook for 20 - 30 minutes.  Remove from grill and place on individual plates.  Open pouches to form a bowl, and top with 1/4 cup ice cream (about one scoop). Serves 4

Epilogue: I'm having more of the lovely %@#$! tonight from Twisted Oak, and I am getting just bombed with apple on it tonight (after 3 days in the fridge). A definitive flavor of both granny smith AND braeburn apples. There's a little bit of sour cherry, too. It is SUPER smooth tonight - absolutely no heat from the alcohol at all. The finish brings out cantaloupe, a little (tiny) bit of oak, and there's still a touch of a minerally quality to it. I get a little ZING to on the back of my tongue for a moment. Wow. There's just whole new depths to this tonight. Score: 90 pts for the added complexity to this.

(If you make a special meal with Twisted Oak wines, send us pictures! And recipes!)

547 Twisted Oak Domaines

If you missed the live broadcast of Wine Biz Radio yesterday, you can go back and listen to the MP3 podcast over on the Wine Biz Radio website. Below is a quick snapshot of Randy and Kaz taken during the broadcast. Suffice to say it was a LOT of fun to do (even if it was a bit retarded) and I'm already looking to the next time they want to put up with me!

Still on the road - when I get back there will be an announcement of a new way to Show Us Your Twisted - stay tuned!

Video Did NOT Kill The Radio Star

Just a quick note to mention that I will be the guest of Randy (pictured) and Kaz on Wine Biz Radio tomorrow, June 14th, from 1PM-2PM PDT!

Wine Biz Radio is broadcast on the real, 'lectric radio on KSVY-FM 91.3 in Sonoma, CA. If you aren't anywhere near Sonoma (and who is, really?) you can listen via the web using itunes. Note that you have to have itunes installed on your 'puter, and then visit the KSVY-FM 91.3 website and click on one of the streaming links in the upper right corner.

They will take calls for questions and general heckling during the show, either via the good ol' telephone at +1-707-933-9133, or via Twitter (you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eljefetwisted, just by the way!)

Wine Blogging Wednesday: "The Letter 'S'"

As it says over on the Grape Juice blog, today's Wine Blogging Wednesday is brought to you by The Letter "S" - meaning to pick a wine that has something to do with the letter "S": Syrah, Sangiovese, or Souzao would be obvious choices.

I had a long hot day today sssshlepping wine down to the Ahwahnee hotel (not complaining, they love our Viognier down there!) All I wanted to do was munch sssome take-out carnitassss, get sssome work done, and ssssip sssomething nice and cool. Ssso, I grabbed a bottle of our 2006 Verdelho. On a hot, ssspooky, and ssssmokey day, the Verdelho is perfect for sssating a parched throat. Aromasss of bananasss and other tropical fruitsss, with flavorsss of grapefruit and honeydew, make it a perfect quencher.

But, I thought, the Verdelho hasss nothing to do with the letter "S". Then I remembered! It comesss from SSSSILVASSSPOONSSS VINEYARDSSS!!! I'm sssaved!

Hope you enjoyed your WBW wine too!

APB

Since I do not have access to milk carton printing, and because any other beverages I could print something upon are not shipped for months**, I must resort to posting this bulletin on the blog...

Have you seen this sign? I realize it is hard to see the sign in the photo - what it says is:

Sign was absconded from the Twisted Oak Winery rear driveway sometime last week. We might consider a reward, if you can prove you are not the douchebag perpetrator.

**Yet another reason I should have gotten into catsup instead.

In Defense of Alcohol

One of our favorite retailers is Lush Wine and Spirits in Chicago, IL. And here is one of the best essays I have ever read in defense of alcohol, written by Lush staff member Jane. Enjoy!

(photo of folks enjoying wine and good times at Twisted Oak Winery by Lydia.)