A Reception – Cafe Buenos Aires

In about three weeks, I embark on a new voyage. It isn’t into the wines of Oregon, or Spain, or even France (although I should do that). No, my voyage is a voyage of two, a husband and a wife.

It is a marvelous thing to marry a person you love, a person that makes you a better human being. It is also marvelously exciting, and terrifying, and stressful! But I am looking forward to my changed personal state, it will be a wonderful thing.

Without getting on a vanity box and going on and on about MY wedding, and MY plans, I do want to use ALP to provide exposure to a few people who are helping with this exciting event. Behind any good weeding is a long list of dedicated and talented people.

We start today with the food and wine, a great place to start. … Continue Reading

The Vintage – 2011 Vintage Report Week #3

Week #3  1/1/11 – 1/7/11

Santa Ynez

Summary: This week saw some cooler temperatures.

Rain Fall: 0.05″

Temperatures: Low for the week, 37 High for the week 64. Average Low: 41 Average High: 59

Week Look Ahead: Considerably cooler night time lows will develop over the weekend before stabilizing. … Continue Reading

The Best of 52 Weeks – And the Winners Are…

So as promised, the best of 52 Weeks with California wine. In most cases, it was hard to select winners. I had so many great experiences over the year that it was hard to say the what is listed below were the best. But you have to pick someone. And the winners are… … Continue Reading

A Long Voyage – Photo Perspective of A Long Pour II

After all, it’s about the land, and the dogs… … Continue Reading

The Best Of – A Look at 52 Weeks With California Wine

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

A Long Look Ahead – Rating California’s Wines

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 Winehound – What About Bob?

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

Black Sheep Finds – By the Will of the People

It is human nature to respect great efforts of time. Be it a work of art, the sculpted beauty of a National Park, or a long overdue title win, we value more so what takes longer to achieve. For those wine enthusiasts with a larger vocabulary than “mmm grapes!” we too value and esteem great efforts of time. We respect the Grand Cru vineyards, the storied Chateau, and even the great vintages. We do so because we respect the time they represent and the effort, determination, and foresight behind them.

This respect of time is evident when considering wine regions and the importance we place upon them. France is the undisputed King of wine and for many it will always be so. It is more difficult and subjective to crown a Queen, but for now, France still has a powerful monarch named Wine and his influence is strong and his dominion wide. … Continue Reading

Cabernet Sauvignon – The Boy Who Would Be King, Part I

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

Social Media – Get Your Club Shoes

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:

• Social media is not a quick fix or “magic bullet” to cure a struggling economy and weak sales.
• No one seems to know just how valuable social media is. … Continue Reading