A Long Voyage – Photo Perspective of A Long Pour II
After all, it’s about the land, and the dogs… … Continue Reading
After all, it’s about the land, and the dogs… … Continue Reading
A year. What could I have done with a year? Five-hundred twenty-five-thousand six-hundred minuets. Here is not where I break into my rendition of Rent, but I could have if I had spent a year doing voice and dance lessons.
I could have trained to run a marathon. I could have gotten better at Chinese (I think I did get better though, 我 可以说很好).
So what’s in a year? At the start, it sounds like a prolonged period of time, and eternity when we are in expectation of it. But as I write, in the middle of week 51, there is the realization that a year is but a flash of time. So what did I do with a year?
In my “real” life I did many things, I got engaged for one. Most of what I did in my “real” life will stay there, in reality. So what did I do with A Long Pour. Well, I drove a lot… … Continue Reading
Over nearly twelve months, A Long Pour has taken me to many of the best wine regions in the New World. I have met a cast of characters both brilliant and inspiring, and sometimes a little crazy. The land itself has been a constant inspiration and one of the greatest experiences has been watching vineyards I frequent evolve over the 2010 vintage.
Just as the vines are bound by the seasons of change, so is A Long Pour. Having started in early Winter, January 1st to be precise, the vineyards I began to write about were in their dormancy. From the surface they appeared dead, lifeless twigs protruding from the abundant green of a late California winter like so many scarecrow soldiers. I started in the same way, a stick in the ground an idea that was waiting to take root. As A Long Pour moved forward, I slowly began to find a voice and a purpose in the project, the roots began to spread and there was some life there after all. As warmer weather came and the vines began their bud break, I began my own. … Continue Reading
The ship of our ambition fills its sails with the wind of human inspiration. Throughout man’s history, extraordinary accomplishment has been complimented by extraordinary inspiration. Every great athlete had his Mantle or Ali, every musician his Mozart or Fitzgerald. Without human inspiration, would anyone say, “why, I think I will scale Everest today, or break the home run record”? Behind every great endeavor there are human motivations. We draw from these motivations, from friends, from family, from pop heroes, and from the public at large. From these, our passions are shaped for better or worse.
I have many passions, noble and virtuous as well as frivolous and vain. In the big picture of my life, my interest in wine is of marginal value when compared to other personal devotions. But I like the juice. While I have purchased a bottle or two from many a grocery store, one shop has been the greatest recipient of my wine dollar. It is an establishment run by a bearded and charmingly witty man named Bob Wesley. … Continue Reading
Cabernet was a sickly child. Born to Jasper and Nadia Sauvignon in a slightly decrepit stone home on the outskirts of Bordeaux. The boy was ravaged by Phylloxera in his early years. He was an unpopular child, despised for his small weakly stature, sheepish avoidance of conflict, and the fact that he was smarter than the other children. He was, in fact, a genius.
Cabernet spent most of his time reading under an ancient oak tree in the corner of the play-yard or on the uneven front steps of his parent’s home. On occasion, he might be found riding bikes or playing marbles with his healthier and more physically-able cousin Cabernet Franc. Although the two shared a first name, a similar genetic makeup, and both had one brown and one blue eye, the boys, born two days apart in October, were vastly different in character and physical appearance. Cabernet Franc, who always insisted his last name be used when addressing him, was an unruly child, known for fist fights, mean spirited pranks, and the tendency to swear at unfortunate times. … Continue Reading
Like the now famous John Isner and Nicolas Mahut tennis match (11 hours 5 minuets), the debate over social media goes back and forth. On one court, the naysayers, who dismiss it as Charlatan propaganda and a glorious waste of time and money. On the other, the devotees, who in their black sweatpants and purple Nike High Dunks, await the coming of their national discovery and impending celebrity on the spaceship of Internet fame.
An article written by Steve Heimoff a few weeks ago on his blog addressed two of the topics often debated regarding social media:
So harvest is upon us and while I still have an abundance of interview crop to harvest, everyone is more than a little busy. There will be a few addition to A Long Pour, including a chance for you to win stuff soon. In an effort to give winemakers a bit of a break through harvest I will be doing a few less interviews. However, I want to keep providing content to keep you interested.
Over the past 9 months, I have amassed a huge gallery of photos from six or seven counties and some of the most beautiful vineyards in the Country. So from time to time I would like to share some of that work. Keep your eye out for some new features soon as well. … Continue Reading
Josh Wade writes drinknectar.com, based our of Spokane Washington. Josh was a finalist for Best New Wine Blog at this years 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference alongside yours truly. We both lost. But fear not, Josh, also like me, is a nice guy and has big plans for the future. So learn about some of them now.
How did you become interested in wine?
“Like most people, I grew up drinking first growth Bordeaux with dinner starting at the age of 6. This experience broadened to include regions of Burgundy and…NOT! My first real experience with wine was a 2001 California Meridian Merlot ($12). I was going over to a hot girl’s house for a dinner date (2005) and I knew she was really into wine. I stood in the grocery store aisle feeling overwhelmed at the selection. I knew enough to stay away from the jugs and boxes and I didn’t want to be too cheap. At $12, the Meridian label caught my attention and I had at least heard of Merlot. At the time the wine seemed pretty good and it must have worked because that girl agreed to be my third wife.” … Continue Reading
“It’s all crap you know, the things they say about me. It’s all crap.” Merlot took a long drag from his cigarette. A glass of half drunk scotch sat on the bar before him. It was his fourth.
“It’s bad enough that I had to grow up under the shadow of that pompous jerk Cabernet my whole life. I suffered a lot of abuse because of him. Then that movie came out.” The movie was of course Sideways, the cult classic starring Paul Giamatti. Paul’s character, Miles, at one point bluntly refuses to drink “any EXPLETIVE Merlot.” The film, which centered around two best friends’ misadventures in Santa Barbara wine country is said to have given a huge boost to Pinot Noir sales, a varietal Paul’s character was particularly fond of. The opposite was said to be the case for Merlot, with sales reportedly dipping after the damning statement. … Continue Reading
In our continued effort to support those who support wine, we arrive at Brian Wing. Brian writes Norcalwingman.com, where he pairs food with wine, predominately from his Sonoma backyard. One of the things that caught my attention was his generally pleasant demeanor. He is a nice guy and it is evident in his writing. He does not claim to be a master critic but takes his writing seriously.
But, one questions remains. Is he hecka, or hella bad? … Continue Reading
We have grown rather accustomed to long trips for short stays, so much so that a 500 mile weekend is not such a big deal anymore. There are a lot of events we are invited to and we can only attend a few of them. But when Randall Graham asks you to attend, you attend. […]
A few weeks ago I posted the “Secret Project” with some shots of a friend’s new winery taking shape. At the time, the space was still in a raw state, holes in the ground, bare walls, cut concrete. In terms of photographing a new winery, one might say there was not much to see, no […]