I have to comment on this very wacky French label.  For me it conjurs up images of a wacky French pantomime on the streets of Paris.  Then I have to wonder why the cross-eyes and what’s up with the silhouette of the Mickey Mouse?  I guess it did it’s job and got my attention.

I certainly did not buy it for the label.  Rather what’s inside.

First, off it’s Demeter Certified.  Meaning the grapes are grown biodynamically, hyper-organically, spiritually even.   The soil is alive with organisms that help grape vines stay healthy naturally (without fertilizers) and give a taste of the specific “terroir” or sense of place to the wine.  For more information on a very fascinating method of grape growing, log onto http://demeter-usa.org.

Second, this wine is from Gaillac.  Where?  To be more specific, Gaillac is in Southwest France.  It’s wine-growing history dates back to Roman times.

As for the exact grape varieties, they weren’t listed.  But I can report that the most common grape varieties in Gaillac are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Fer, and Duras.  Fer is fairly obscure and described by Master Of Wine Jancis Robinson as being “interesting perfumed” with “rhubarb” aromas.  Whereas Duras is a robust red with peppery notes.  I would imagine this Causse Maines is a blend of some of these.

I loved this wine for it’s dusty plum, tart berry, liquorice and earthy flavors along with its long finish and well-integrated medium amounts of alcohol.

I found it at Gowanus Wine Merchants (a new, carefully curated store in the exploding new ‘hood in Brooklyn), 493 Thirst Avenue (at 11th Street).  Or www.gowanuswines.com.

My husband bought this 40 year-old wine and gave it to me for my big 40 birthday!  I was blown away when he gave it to me!  The type-A wine-o in me wondered where it was from and how it had been stored?  I was relieved to hear that he got it from Chelsea Wine Vault, www.chelseawinevault.com, who bought it at an auction.

We decided that we wanted to drink it at a restaurant, Frank, (www.frankrestaurant.com) in NYC’s East Village that we have had many great meals at over the years.  The pastas are homemade, meats so tender they fall apart when a fork touches them, and the world’s best shaved fennel salad.  Frank does allow people to bring in bottles of their own for a $20 corking fee.  The bigger logistic was that this 1971 Barolo needed to be decanted for about 4-5 hours to bring out its best and then transported to the restaurant.  And, I don’t see many folks carrying decanters through NYC.

To say I was nervous when I stuck the cork screw into the cork was an understatement.  It went it fine but when I pulled the cork out it crumbled but was damp (a good sign the wine hadn’t oxidized).  After using a butter knife to fish the crumbled cork out of the neck, I strained the wine through a funnel I hadn’t touched since Thanksgiving of 2004 (my first/last time to host).  I took a small sample sip and was relieved.  It tasted mature, interesting, and delicious!  I poured it into a decanter.

Metrocard in hand, I literally put Saran wrap around the top of the craft and headed to the F train.  While I was walking on the street with my 1971 Barolo sloshing in the decanter, I wondered why I hadn’t called a car service?  At that point, it was too late, me and my wine descended into the subway.   A first for me and something only a wine geek would do!

We arrived safely!  The wine was outstanding.  Nice acid, medium plus tannins, strawberry (still lots of fruit!), tar, spice, liquorice, leather, and some undertones of sweaty horse (strange, yes! but okay).  The wine was delicious!  Just goes to show, 40 years and counting can be great!  Cheers!

The answer is  two are alike and one is very different.

Syrah is considered one of France’s “noble” varieties because of its ability to produce serious red wines capable of aging for decades.   France’s best Syrahs come from the steep slopes in eastern France’s Northern Rhone.   California has some great ones out of Sonoma, Napa and the warmer parts of the Central Coast.

Shiraz is an identical variety to France’s Syrah.  The Aussie’s simply renamed it and laid claim to it!

Syrah/Shiraz is noted by dark fruitiness such as blackberries or plums and a peppery quality.  As with all wine, styles vary on producer, place and climate.  If in doubt, pick one from a warmer climate since Syrah needs warmth to fully ripen.

Petite Sirah is actually a variety called Durif.  It’s a blender (not great on it’s own).  It has deep-color, nice tannins, gives ‘backbone’ (heft) to a blend, but is not very flavorful.  It’s a particularly good blending partner for Zinfandel which is what we’ve done for our 2013 Stark Wild release.  We also threw in some Grenache for good measure!

In the cold winter months, I’m especially in need of comfort wine and food.  Carbs, meat and red wine!  I only eat beef a handful of times a year but when I do, I love a good, organic braised beef pasta sauce on a heap of pasta.

I can’t think of any wine that I’d like better with this meal than this 1998 Bovio Vigna Gattera, La Morra, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy.  I purchased this one at Acker Merrall & Condit (http://home.ackerstore.com) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side which just happens to be America’s oldest wine store founded in 1820.

Barolo is the most powerful and dramatic expression of the Nebbiolo grape.  Often called the ‘king of wines.  wine of kings’.  Barolos share some common traits: complex and aromatic with with aromas of plums, roses, tar, liquorice and white truffles.  While these aromas may sound a bit unusual, trust that it will blow your braised beef away (in a good way)!

Decanting this wine 3-5 hours prior to consuming it will make the flavors even better!

A few weeks ago, I poured Stark Wine at the Rhone Rangers (not to be confused with the Lone Ranger) first ever New York City event at City Winery.  Even though it was during the freak blizzard on November 7, I was thrilled to see so many New Yorkers turn out to taste 155 different Rhone Rangers wines.

So who are these masked winemakers?

The Rhone Rangers are a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone varietal wines.  The Rhone Valley is located in Eastern France and permits the growth and winemaking of 22 grape varieties.  12 of these grapes are planted in the United States – including most popular Syrah and Voignier.  Others that most wine lovers have heard of are: Mourvedre, Grenache, Roussanne and Marsanne.  More obscure but delicious are Counoise, Cinsaut, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul.

Stark Wine qualifies as a member with wines made of Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, and Grenache Blanc.  This harvest, Stark Wine also got it’s hands on some Counoise.

Check out http://www.rhonerangers.org.

This wine has flavors of tart strawberries and raspberries with some earthiness.  The acid and bubbles do something playful on the tongue.  And, the alcohol by volume is only 10.5% – so you and a friend can polish off this bottle and still feel good in the morning.  The twine around the neck is a nice visual complement to the cork which is not covered by foil.  

He also calls me a “mad woman” who spent the majority of her career on Madison Avenue.  I reflected that my madness continues as I enter a wine world I know very little about from a business perspective!  But I do enjoy figuring things out along the way and strongly believe in this concept of ‘charitable’ drinking of good wine

To quote Blake Mycoskie of TOMS shoes quoting Ghandi, “Be The Change You Want To See In The World.”

http://healdsburg.patch.com/articles/stark-thirst-quenches-and-saves#photo-10538866

David Bolling of Sonoma Magazine wrote an article on porch wines.  His criteria for a porch wine is that it’s 1) white 2) inexpensive 3) not an alcohol monster.  He writes primarily about Switzerland’s proprietary grape called, Chasselas, produced in Sonoma by Berthoud.  He also features Stark Thirst as a ‘top three’ favorite.

Check out the article and others on Sonoma in s: http://www.sonomanews.com/Sonoma-Magazine/Summer-2012/Porch-Wines/.

Mom wine news!  Get your summer spritzer on!  We wanted to share a great Stark Thirst hit on must-get mom site: www.coolmompicks.com.

Cool Mom Picks is best at promoting all things for cool moms (of which I try to be).  Rated by Real Simple as ‘one of the best 3 blogs for parents’ and Martha Stewart said, “the best in gifts, gear and everything new and cool for moms”.

Check out the article:

http://www.coolmompicks.com/2012/05/5_great_white_wine_cocktail_recipes.php