Tasting · Travel

Getting drunk-ish with Bokisch

Upon a first visit to the area, I’m not surprised that Lodi’s land is as flat as my love life oft is, because, perhaps unfairly, I expected the mainstream homeland of Zinfandel to be just that. Zing.

For real, though: we arrive at Bokisch, which from what I remember at the time, had more slopes than I remember in all of Lodi – and then a big oak tree located in the middle of some vineyards that was so prominent that “giant oak” was literally listed in our prepared itinerary, under which we would have a lunch, themed northeastern Spain. Barcelona flashbacks. There may have been a flying wine camera drone but anything could’ve happened at this point.

Like our lunch, the wines of Bokisch focus on Spanish grape varieties – another spellbinding sector of Lodi’s experimental temperament, like the German grape varieties grown in Lodi that we had tried earlier.… read more

Life · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 16: Spain

Fun: wine fest, sort of.

Not fun: PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. I’m debating whether or not I should squeeze another post dedicated to the Wine Fest 2015 because that’s what I’ve done in the past, but I feel like I’m being a late bitch.

I mean, these posts should be good enough. Right? Meh. Fun:
Decades Apart
Shiraz: Aussie Superstar
All About Syrah
Mod Oz

Not fun: falling right back into wine class right after wine fest.

Fun: Spanish wine, and definitely ignoring half the lecture to write in my journal because I’m a bad student.

Not fun: Having an odd week-long and spirit-encompassing feeling of wanting to do nothing, including sleep or eat or work. Not sad or happy or tired or angry, just a state of existing.… read more

Life · Quaffing · Tasting · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 11: Central Italy

Sangio-crazy.

So on some last Tuesday of some sort, we were supposed to have practice (I love referring to practice blind tasting sessions as such because it sounds like I’m vaguely into sports) but it was cancelled because there’s a bit of a cold going around. The viruses have decided disregard me over the past few months so I’m lucky, and that’s saying something when you’re in retail because you’re basically touching everyone. I’ll get it at the worst time, I’m sure. That one birthday when I invited my friends over but was wrapped up in a blanket the whole time.

I hopped onto the 2015 Vancouver Wine Festival tickets slightly more ravenously than I did for Lady Gaga concert tickets last year, even though I’m not supremely stoked that Australia is the theme country.… read more

Quaffing

Monday afternoon in a bottle: 2012 Artero Macabeo Verdejo

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med- intensity, youthful, mineral, pear, citrus, hint orange, stone fruit, peach, white flowers, hint herbal
Mouth: dry, med body, med- acid, med alcohol, med flavour intensity, med length, mineral, pear, citrus, stone fruit, floral
All in all: Good quality: while the wine lacks in complexity and persistence, there is a balance and moderate intensity on the palate.

2012 Artero Macabeo VerdejoThis wine serves as a symbol of my half-assed sort of not really “New Year’s resolution” to try all the cheaper value wines in the store. It was also my house “emergency wine”, just in case I decided I wanted to drink today (which evidently I did), and it also served as my reward wine – so I had a goal of studying a certain amount of things (Which happened to be Champagne) before I was allowed to open the wine.… read more