Alors, I’m making my staff here at the Whip In upgrade their knowledgability on wine by reading Karen MacNeil’s “The Wine Bible”, which has provided a tremendous font of information para mi RE the grape and whatnot. My own street training of the grapes, stemming from a 6 month stint as an accounting jockey for Kermit Lynch (THE most prominent wine importer in the San Francisco Bay Area) where I got to try loads of his wines as they came into port, and then expanding out with my own proclivities for the fruit of the, vine have served me really well, however, I must say that the stuff within that binding my MacNeil really and truly have provided an expansion of comprehension.

To start, I didn’t know that Syrah and Shiraz was genetically the same thing! Wonderful for me, cuz I’m all over the southern French stuff, which is syrah based, and then the Aussies have demonstrated that Shiraz is a powerful force for the quaff, and I’m always good on enjoying something like that. This is just a small example of the breadth of insight, I could go on. I’m hoping by assigning my staff with weekly indexual lessons (I’ve made them scour the book for all info on Zinfandel, my favorite grape) that I’ll be able to provide more than just tasties when my reps pour down, but also hard data that helps them appreciate and consequently convey what is on the shelf and more.

So,  I also came across a cool little tidbit in MacNeil’s musings that offers me some verification: her assessment of a good wine shop stems from not only a decent availability of decent stuff, but also a knowledgeable staff. First off, a shop with more than 700 wines is considered medium size. The Whip In currently has 550plus, and I have the capacity to expand to 700 easily which is my goal for the end of the summer. With the amount of tastings and notes as well as data available for me and my staff, we are well on our way to becoming a damn good source of the fruit of the grape. This has given me pause to reflect from where the Whip In has come.

I worked my high school summer daze with my pop from 1987-1991, doing all the stocking and lifting while he manned the register and directed customer traffic. Working for no pay with pops meant we didn’t have to pay anyone to work for a few months and the family could have food on the dinner table (damn the ‘80s sucked!). So,  I (not so fondly) remember stocking all of the jug Gallo in proper order in the last aisle next to the ALL THE BEER (which is really and truly our blood).  The wine I recall from back then was pure plonk, the  “lets get drunk on Boone Farms and have some nugey baby” stuff. The Gallo itself that I was stocking was bottled in inordinately large jugs of rose...er...’xcuse me, white zinfandel....i don’t think they even make that size of bottle anymore. Anyway, the Whip In has come ALONG way, and the offerings these daze (there is a very satisfying offering of Kermit Lynchs’ wines as well) are way more pleasing then even I could’ve dreamed of when I was in the SF bay area wasting my twenties with music-less occupations.

Case in point, I am currently enjoying a syrah from Chile by Matetic Vineyards called Equilibirum. it has a wonderful smokey nose and an incredibly dense palate of fruit, the cherries and spices dance richly well together and demonstrate that the maker was going for a spice burst within the fruits. the finish is awesome as well, structured with tannins and tobacco and earthiness that is signature with a well made syrah. the 14.3% residuals help it quaff as well. I got only three bottles left on the shelf at $19.99 which seems  like a steal with all the heft and flavor involved. I might discount it if it remains for awhile, but I hope someone can enjoy it as much as I have after I shelf talk it with my tags.

Oh yeah, I’ve had an awesome tasting of Bonny Doon stuff, provided by the ever eloquent Jacques with samplesations of the new Big House Pink and the Cardinal Zin to some wonderful and strange stickies.:


Big House Pink 2004: a floral nose of tropical fruits like papaya and mango with a contrasting yet easy palate of strawberries and an awesome dry finish. Opens up the taste buds for more.


Cardinal Zin 2003: an excellent jam of cherries with a full mouth feel and tinge of licorice in the viscous and tannic finish. This is awesome stuff, with a certain something to knock your sox off.


Stickies:


Viognier Doux (Paso Robles 2002): an incredible nose of raisins and flower essence leads to a very svelte and buttery palate, delicate throughout and finishes surprisingly dry.


Muscat Vin de Glacier 2003: a vibrant spicy nose with a certain candy palate of lemons and chewy feel. Coats the entire mouth.


Framboise: this is great sweet and spicy stuff, with an awesome tannic finish.


Boutielle Call: porty and inky and big with a strange sweet and dry and smoky palate and assertive finish


I had the opportunity to be ridiculously effusive and shit-eating happy in the presence of Randall Graham, the winemaker iconoclast at Bonny Doon, and I’m always thrilled to offer his stuff in my shop. So much so that you can find the Big House line soon on the shelf for an unheard of $7.99 per bottle. The Red is always stellar, and the White will amaze you; the Pink has that something-something that (again) the French call “j’nai sais qua”(merci, Professor Martin!)
 


I just had a tasting some great wines from Patagonia as well! Thats right, you heard it, all the way from down there. The vineyard indicates its locale fittingly in nomenclature: Postales del Fin del Mundi.  The winemaker Julio said the grapes they use are severely controlled and managed since planting in 1999. I was honestly stunned with the breadth of complexity in each of the items detailed below, and the cooler part stems from the table wine rates for each selection:


Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2004:  65%/35%: floral nose and a fresh pear on palate with lemons and a bright dry finish


Cabernet Malbec 2003: 60%/40%: wonderful fruity nose that jumps out at you with an excellent creamy palate of cherries and inky texture, the finish lingers with a sveltiness that signature malbec; very yummy.


Pinot Noir 2003:  smokey nose leads to a dense ripe palate of cherries mixing with chocolate surprises; an excellent big tannic finish unlike most pinot noir gives the quaff a dimensionality to write home about. Super good and will be an amazing deal when its on the shelf.


Malbec 2003: awesome dark fruit nose with an inky palate texture that hints with cocoa and mint, the assertive tannic finish closes it well, balancing out the frontal attack.


I also got to enjoy the Augustiner-Brau Munchen, a wonderful beer from Germany thats hailed as the most un-gringo-fied export. It had an awesome hoppy floral accent to its medium bodied heft with caramel tinges and finished with a bitter that opened up the palate for more. Easily one of the finest beers I've ever had.


i gotta go now, we're cleaning the floors today at the Whip In, which means EVERYTHING has to be moved. Oye.


more sooner than later ,


~dipak