Our buds Alex and Justin did a profile of us on www.discoverwinecountry.tv.  The soundtrack will be coming out soon.

Taking a walk around the garden today, I got the feeling that life is about to get really interesting here at the home ranch. We’ve got a total of 7 raised beds ranging in size from 48 feet square to 96 feet square and there is plenty of gardening to do. With twelve or so fruit trees pushing apples, plums, peaches, there’s going to be a lot of action on the canning/preserving/pickling front. The massive amount of fruit, vegetables, and assorted goodies we’ll make from them does not bode well for the equally massive amount of work we’ve got going on in the vineyard or at Verge Wine HQ.

Mid July is prime season for grape growing. Mike is starting to see veraison in some of the earlier ripening varietals like Pinot Noir. That means Syrah is coming up soon and with heat waves (and fires) always in the cards, you never know when you’ll have to make adjustments. That’s part of what good farming is about. Making adjustments because of and dealing with the unknown. Especially when you’re farming on lands that are less predictable than the home garden, these minute tweaks are the real art of viticulture.

We’ve got some events coming up in the next few weeks too that we’ll be writing more about but here’s a sneak peak- We’re going to be pouring at Perbacco in San Francisco for Meatpaper and Gastronomica on July 20th and then we’re off to do a little underground shindig for our man Dan Lucia on the 21st. Then off to Sacramento for a private party. Oh yes, we’re down for a little privacy. Thanks to Kimberly for your tasting last week!

Verge WC also had a nice write up by Jeff Lefevere over at Good Grape.com. He was kind enough to do a 20 questions type interview with me. Check it out here. 20 Questions with Jay.

The austere Gravenstein Apple even looks antique. It demands respect. Slow Food USA deems this heirloom fruit one of the first of its applekind in North America, dating back to 1811 in Sonoma County. Do we love Sonoma County? Yes, we do. Sebastopol is the Gravenstein’s motherland, where I first fell in love with these juicy sweet-tart beautes. Even more intriguing is its resurrection. See, it was (and still is) in danger of becoming extinct due to other hardy, commercial-friendly apples (Red Delicious for instance) that can be harvested quickly and shipped long distances. Thanks to local food fanatics and tenacious organizations like Slow Food, the Gravenstein is experiencing a healthy local renaissance…grassroots like it should be.There just happens to be a Gravenstein tree hiding on the backside of our property, and we definitely have to duke it out with the local insect and bird brigades for rights to this luscious fruit. Yesterday, I picked the first bundle, half-blinded by the hot evening sun. And harvest begins! I have to admit, I break out into a cold sweat just thinkin about it in June…nervous about the thousand-and-a-half ways that we’ll need to use the fruit. Time for the grand list - canning supplies, baking tins, contact local chefs to see who needs what-when, bust out the juicer, yada-yada. I’m tired just thinking about it…but, grinnin from ear-to-ear.

For all you locals, go straight to the heart of the action at this year’s Gravenstein Apple Fair in Sebastopol, August 9th and 10th. See ya there!

About a year ago we put up a clothes line for drying our recently cleaned clothes.  We used it here and there…it was nice.  Recently the dryer stopped working  as if to say” hang your clothes you idiot, it’s 90 degrees outside and the wind is blowing over 10 mph!”  So for about two weeks we have been using the line for all of our laundry.  It’s beautiful.  The towels and sheets are crispy and have a very fresh smell (if you like smoke).  Mowgli loves the shade it provides and our kids are humiliated by the idea that somebody might see their underwear.  Which in turn  speeds up the process as they hurry to make sure none of their clothes are hanging when their friends come to visit. Excellent.  The bottom line is that conservation is one of the coolest things any of us can do.  Whether it’s for a lighter footprint, getting back to basics or just because you like your sheets to smell like your surroundings, it all makes you feel good about your efforts.  Plus it impresses any person over 70 years old!

I’ve lived in this beautiful county for most of my life and sometimes it’s shocking how perfect this place can be. From farm fresh produce to great restaurants to nice people to unbelievably perfect weather (highs in the high 70s to low 80s…lows in the high 40s to mid 50s…yeah, just perfect for sleeping). It feels good here in early summer. The trees have grown so quickly that you can recognize their new growth by the difference in green compared to the rest of the tree. The hills have turned gold with the native grasses having already dried out due to no late season rains. Gardens have taken hold and are already producing radishes, various greens, beans, etc. Sun makes people happy. So far we had it almost every day since spring. Grapevines are doing well with plenty of growth and bloom finished in most varieties (most notably Syrah). Now it’s up to us to make sure that we take care of all the cultural activities that grow great winegrapes.

While Arkansas is not necessarily known for being a haven of Bar-B-Que, I’ve had my fair share of brilliant Q from the Natural State. From McClards in Hot Springs to turkey legs at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in West Helana to roadside stands off of I-40, Arkansas has instilled in me a great love of all things smoked and slow cooked. I miss it plainly out here in Healdsburg. There are some rib shacks in Northern California but only a few take me to the BBQ Gods I’ve worshipped in the South. And even then, I still feel a bit underwhelmed. Arkansas BBQ is different. We’re not bound by the traditions of Kansas City or the beef of Texas of the vinegar and mustard based sauces of South Carolina. We’re free to experiment, free to try new things. When I’ve got the hankering for the real deal, what’s a man to do but wheel out the Weber and set things right. This is where I start.

Like all great sauces, this one is just a base on which to build. I add to it and change it every time I make it. It has no set recipe other than the start. I like to add a bit of mustard, maybe a little red wine vinegar, a little cumin, a little dash of this, a little dash of that. Stick your finger in it and taste as you go along.

My great-grandfather on my mother’s side was a reserved man and took pride in everything he did. This is his recipe. I never met him but I can picture him aside the stovetop (martini in hand I bet) whipping this up with ribs just about to come off the smoker.

Bar-B-Que Sauce-The Base

Stick of butter
Half of Lemon
2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup of Ketchup
Salt /pepper to taste

Slowly bring it to a boil.

A couple of months ago, I got a mysterious call from man calling himself Agent Red. He’d seen our wine written up in the San Francisco Chronicle and was curious what a Syrah from the western edge of Dry Creek Valley tasted like. Most of the time, whenever we’ve gotten requests for samples, we’ve declined for two reasons. One, we only made a couple hundred cases and two, we knew that what we didn’t sell we’d drink ourselves. It’s amazing how quick a case will go when you have three blowout BBQ’s planned for the summer. The Season is officially upon us. Pork Chops, Ribs, Butts. . . oh my.

But I was intrigued. It all sounded so clandestine. I checked a few of my industry sources and lo and behold, this guy was right up our alley. Dedicated to small-scale, handcrafted wines with stories and passion. So I sent him a few bottles but like all of these things, you just never know. Sending samples is sometimes like sending your wine into the void. So I was thrilled when he called, again mysteriously, and offered to feature the 2006 Syrah on his site. Wow! So check it out. He’s only got a few cases so get it while you can. Thanks Red, whoever you really are!

www. thewinespies.com

This past Friday night, I had the opportunity to play music with Jay and Emily in front of about 50 people. Mostly friends, I was still nervous as I’m nothing more than a campfire guitarist.  It was the most fun I’ve had in years.  I only accompanied Jay on about 40% of the songs as some were just to good for me to hack them up into my simple style (especially the songs where Emily was singing harmony…too beautiful I must say).  Despite my nerves, I was very comfortable playing and it got me to thinking about the benefits of music not only as a form of communication, but as means of challenging yourself to do something that might be uncomfortable.  At the end of the evening it was clearly obvious that everyone had enjoyed their evening because of the music and the surrounding company.  It brought together a whole bunch of our friends that may have not been together otherwise and it showed me that stepping up to the plate and swinging the bat (challenging yourself) is the only way you’re going get better at anything in life.  

Welcome to the inaugural post in a series Mike and I believe strongly in. For us, this blog is about connecting you to the Verge Life, part of which is introducing you to these fine folks doing cool things. Our premier profile is of one Ms. Courtney Cochran, maven of San Francisco’s Wine Party Scene. Mike and I first met Courtney at one of her rocking Hip Tastes events in San Francisco and have been hooked ever since. Courtney’s events are always a blast, taking the typical lamo tasting and turning it into a fun (and dare we say educational) time. She’s no slouch on the street creds too: MS certifications, MBA, she writes books-Hip Tastes-, and is always down to push the wine envelope. So tell us Courtney:

How do you get folks so excited about and intrigued by wine?
You know, it probably sounds a lot tougher than it actually is, because I’ve found that people really want to be turned on to awesome new wines, and they also love meeting new people! These two drivers are the foundation of HIP TASTES Events (hiptastes.com), the brand behind the popular wine parties I host in San Francisco nightclubs and bars. Especially among twenty- and thirty-somethings – the fastest growing but largely underserved segment of the wine market - there is a ton of interest in tasting events that take wine out of the realm of the stuffy, intimidating and uptight and put it into familiar, fun contexts. This is why I host my events on Friday nights in venues where this crowd goes out anyway (I know from my B-school days that changing behavior is one of the toughest things to get consumers to do; so I thought, “why not take the wine party to them?!”) and play terrific music. I love to push the envelope with my themes – I’ve done everything from Old School (wine with tater tots & mac ‘n cheese, anyone?) to Salty & Sweet (wines paired with newly hot salty & sweet treats) to South X Southeast (wine with southeast Asian fare). My next event will be the most irreverent and unexpected yet – The Rock & Roll Tasting. Details coming soon on the web site!

How would you describe the San Francisco wine scene today?
Incredibly, almost absurdly vibrant. This is a town with seemingly endless enthusiasm for wine events, bars & festivals and a population with the disposable income to keep all of it wonderfully well supported. And I am incredibly thankful for the fabulous support I’ve received here not only as a wine personality but also as an entrepreneur; it seems like every week I meet new people around town who find out what I do (with Hip Tastes or my wine consulting/corporate events business, Your Personal Sommelier) and get to work finding a way to support me either by attending my events or hiring me to host a corporate tasting at work. It’s amazing! On the whole, I think so long as you’re innovative, hard working and truly passionate about your particular niche of the San Fran wine scene, you can succeed here.

Who out there inspires you?
Kermit Lynch – the celebrated Berkeley wine merchant, importer and author – was and still is an incredible trailblazer in the Bay Area wine scene. He went to France with, like, no money back in the 60s and traveled around seeking out characterful, terroir-driven wines from parts of the country that were not necessarily stylish by American standards. He brought them back and hand sold them at his Berkeley shop to wine “geeks” who were interested not only in the wines themselves but also in the stories behind each producer and vintage. He captures many of these stories in his wonderful book, Adventures on the Wine Route, and we can also thank him for introducing countless Americans to place-driven wines that are fabulous with food and offer up a whole new palette of aromas, flavors and sensations each time a cork is pulled. He was true to his vision, wasn’t in it for the money, and has done a wonderful job sharing his experiences and the intoxicatingly fascinating lore of French wine (which will always be my favorite) with the folks back home.

And most importantly, what album that shaped you as a human being?
Easy: Van Morrison’s The Best of Van Morrison. I listened to it over and over again when I was living in Paris when I was 20, and it was the soundtrack playing during my first forays into France’s storied wine regions. I think your appreciation of music – like wine – is heavily influenced by context, and I was falling in love not only with France but also with life and wine during that time. I cued up “Bright Side of the Road” as my train pulled into Epernay on my first visit to Champagne, rocked out to “Gloria” while cutting orientation classes in the south to crew on a racing yacht in the Bay of Cannes (no wine, but what a ride!!), and got fired up for a visit with the Leflaive family in Burgundy (friends of a friend) along to “Domino.” Whenever I hear that album, I’m 20 and back in France. Wine transports us in a similar way to wonderful places and memories, and this is without a doubt the reason it’s stolen my heart.

LINKS:
hiptastes.com
hiptastesblog.com
hiptastesbook.com
courtneycochran.com

This is the time of the year that you can actually watch grape vines grow.  I went out first thing on Friday morning and checked out some vines and marked their progress.  I came back at the end of the day to that same vine and I’m pretty sure (it was not very scientific) it actually grew about 2.5″  The tips had progressed towards their never ending goal of touching the sun (or at least trying to do so) and a few other shoots had done their best at getting “caught-up” with the neighboring vines.  This growth (as well as being totally impressive) is critical towards the vines ultimate goal of ripening a seed.  The vine needs enough leaf surface area to effectively and efficiently participate in photosynthesis.  Without this grand period of growth, the vine may be short leafed, which is the equivalent of eating a bunch of crap before a big race.  I must say (please say in the voice of Ed Grimmley) this season looks really nice despite all the challenges that we’ve already faced this season.  The vines are growing well, the animals and insects seem to be content and summer is on its way.  Speaking of growth, Happy Birthday T-bird!