Dirty South Wine

A Year and 1 Day: Wine and Dreams

1 year and 1 day ago I was laid off from Kodak.  Something that was probably inevitable, but now seems more like fate.  The tense, division-wide conference call, the typical "we're going to get through this" (where "we" is the company, not the majority of people on the call), and then the call after the call-  "Your position has been eliminated."

Then the quiet relief of being totally screwed or completely free.  I chose being free, and decided to make 1/29/09 the best day of my life.

I never looked for a "real job" again.  Instead- wine, social media, and wild dreams of making a living doing exactly what I loved seemed more like options versus fantasies...  Options that didn't exist before.

Spring of 09 was tough, but amazing.  I had never spent that much time at home in ATL.  For 9yrs, my life had been a 100+ days a year of of flights, hotels, rental cars, and meetings-- When that stops, it is eerie, but a good eerie (if there can be such a thing).  What does a lazy morning feel like?  My dry cleaner thought I moved away.  My neighbors thought I was unemployed-- Truth is, I had never worked harder.

Fast forward-  Murphy-Goode announces "A Really Goode Job", I dedicate 3 months of my life to getting it, have an outpouring of support (that I am eternally grateful for) from a huge community of social media, wine, friends, family, ex-business partners, and Atlanta-  And then I'm here.  Six months in wine country... The best experience I've ever had.

Now, 1 year later, I'm looking once again at fantasies that have become options...

2010 will be the hardest working and best year of my life.

(much more to come)

Keep On Growing - Derek & The ...

Thank You For An Amazing 2009

To everyone who supported me this year-- Thank you for making 2009 the most amazing year of my life!  2010 will be even better.

To a New Year filled with joy, success, and chasing your dreams! 

"Cheers, Love, and that Dirty Funky Juice!"

Dixie's Luckiest Wine Blogger: "The Atlantan"

I'm thrilled to be featured in this month's "The Atlantan" Magazine. 

Fun stuff with a few wine pics as well.

You can read it online here

Huge thanks to Danny Bonnvisuto and Emily Polar for the interview and shots

Results! Popeyes Online Wine Pairing Challenge!

11/18/09 May go down as a national holiday-  The First Ever Popeyes Online Wine Pairing Challenge went out in a blaze of dirty birds. 

Five food and wine experts submitted their ultimate wine pairings, and people on both coasts got together to taste through the pairings-- live, online, and ultimately voting for the best pairings.

A sick panel of contestants entered- 

Besha Rodell:  Food Editor for Atlanta's Creative Loafing, and 2009 AFJ Winner

Lyle Fass:  Online Riesling Legend and NYC based Wine Consultant

Alan Kropf:  Editor in Chief of Mutineer Magazine and Sommelier

Jon Bonne:  Wine Editor from the SF Chronicle

Kevin Kelley:  Wine Maker extrodinaire!

Four parties launched simultaneously- 1 in Healdsburg, CA and 3 in Atlanta and tasting went off fast and furious.  Along the way, people tweeted up a storm using the hashtag #drtybrd (more than 350 tweets registered).  The Healdsburg party (chez moi) had approximately 45 attendees.

When it came down to eating, the wines were numbered, lined up, and snacking began.

Winner: (Popular Votes)

1. Francois Pinon Vouvray Brut Non-Dosé

(Congrats to Jon Bonné of SF Chronicle!!!)

2. Renardat-Fache Bugey du Cerdon and Willi Schaefer Estate QBA 2008 (TIE)

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Winner:  (Critics Pick)

1. Willi Schaefer Estate QBA 2008

2. Renardat-Fache Bugey du Cerdon

3. Francois Pinon Vouvray Brut Non-Dosé

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Beyond winners, losers, etc...  What was most amazing about this event, was that it brought people together with great wine, fun food, and encouraged people to get crunk with chicken.

Kevin Kelley and Salinia Wine made some great antagonistic videos 1, 2

20dollarwine went crazy and made 3 insane gelato flavors

Alan Kropf took us on his 1st tour of Popeyes

Bricks Of Wine took some amazing photos

Rachel Reenstra and Ziggy The Wine Gal wrote and performed a hysterical song.

For one night, this was the spirit of wine online.

Huge thanks to all of the participants, contestants, hosts for the remote parties, etc...

There will be a round II.

(video by Rowdy Food from the WineTonite.com party in ATL)

ALSO-  HUGE thanks to Popeyes in Rohnert Park, CA. for cooking up all our chicken!!!

Dirty Gets Funky For The Juice!

Huge thanks to the man- Rowdy Food for putting this video together

2 ATLANTA Wine Events: Murphy-Goode and St. Supery

In the next week, here are two ATL wine events worth checking out.

Friday 10/16--  Stop in at Sherlock's in Decatur from 5:30 - 8:00Pm to taste Murphy-Goode wines.  If you haven't tried Murphy-Goode, here is a perfect opportunity to taste where I now work.

On Tues 10/20-- The meetup with the tweetup.  My friend Rick Bakas from St. Supery is hosting an ATL tasting and tweetup at Murphy's.  If you are up North of town, you can join Ed Thralls aka WineTonite and the Atlanta Wine School through their satellite tasting.  It should be a fun event.

Details and RSVP for the Tasting at Murphy's

Details and RSVP for the Tasting at Atlanta Wine School

Bottles and Friends: A Couple From Cornerstone Cellars

A few months back (like 8+), I was sent two samples from Craig Camp at Cornerstone Cellars- The 2004 Howell Mountain Cabernet and the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet.  Those who know me well, know I don't drink a ton of Napa Cabs.  I usually don't eat the food required for them, and I find a ton just really overwhelmingly fruit-tastic.  From previous experience with these bottles (from someone else's stash during a Taste Live event), I knew that was not going to be the case (the mongo-fruit-tastic part).  I already dug 'em, and I wanted to wait until the right time to open mine up.

Days before my move out to Sonoma, my friends Joel and Elisabeth had their annual lamb-a-thon.  Tons of of grilled lamb and good friends.  I wanted to share these with friends and let them experience them without any prejudice.  No one knew the name, the pricing, etc...  Just that I asked them to try them with and without their food.

Without food, the 2005 Napa Valley was the clear winner for the group (I was the sole skipper sailing on the 2004).  People loved the presence, the power, and a few said there was a lot "more" to it.  2005 was a ginormous year for most producers, and though more restrained than most, the 2005 Cornerstone is still a big (but balanced) wine.  (Without food, the 2004 Howell Mountain was still enjoyed, but most people dug the "stuffing" in the 2005.)

Now with the food- The verdict was almost completely reversed-- The 2004 Howell Mountain was the favorite by about 70%.  Higher acidity, more minerality, some herbal notes, and a more delicate wine--  It didn't dominate the food, it worked with it--  For a few, it provided that mini-revelation that what you pick on its own, may not always be what you'd want at the table.

I enjoyed both wines, but I loved the 2004 Howell Mountain. 

It is wineries like Cornerstone Cellars and a handful of others that remind me that I can find something I really dig in Napa Cab.

Disclaimer:
**These wines were received as samples and Craig is a friend.  It has no bearing on whether I liked these wines. 

Gamble Family Part II (Finally) and an Amazing Dinner

Back in June, Tracy and I headed over to see our friends Tom Gamble and Elsbeth Sarao in Napa Valley.  Tom owns Gamble Family Vineyards, a relatively small producer of mostly Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet / Bordeaux varietals (with some old vine Syrah also produced). 

On our most recent visit to Gamble Family, we were invited to have dinner with some fellow Atlantans, Gina and Linton Hopkins- Wonderful people and an amazing restaurant team.  Not a fancy, multi-course feast, but a simple meal with a bunch of friends.  Perfect. Eggplant, stuffed dates, and some serious steaks, potatoes, and a tomato salad. CA Caviar on potato chips as an appetizer-- (DANG!)

For a quick recap: Gamble Family was a love at first sight with me.  At this year's HIGH Museum / Atlanta Wine Auction, my friend Bob grabbed me by the arm and took me to the Gamble Family to taste their Sauvignon Blanc...  It instantly became my favorite domestic Sauvignon Blanc-- Bright, pure, lean Savvy-B.  I'm not a frequent Cabernet drinker (Domestic or Non), and it wasn't until our trip back in June that I really hunkered down with Tom's reds--  Balanced with enough power to make you sit up and be alert, made with enough restraint that you feel you don't need to wear your pads on the sideline, and with enough flinty funk that you can taste that these wines came from a specific place.  They are my style.

(Click Here for a Gallery June's trip)

Wine Highlight from the recent visit:

2005 Gamble Family Vineyards "Family Home" Cabernet
Stoney! Rock! More than fruit and spice. I dig digging it.  This was singing to me with our meal.  Enough acidity, enough tannin, enough fruit-  Balanced, thoughtful juice, that alters my perception of "Napa Cab".

Bacon, Wine, and Sunshine: Heirloom BLT's in Yountville, CA

In 105F+ heat, Atlanta's Brady Lowe and Carolina Uribe's "Taste Network" brought bacon to the masses-  200lbs of it.  In celebration of the Summer staple-- the BLT, they created a one of a kind BLT experience-  6 Types of Bacon, 6 types of bread, 40 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, etc, etc... 

Put on in conjunction with Hill Family Estate Winery and the Bardessono Hotel, people roasted the day away with the swine divine and some ice cold sauvignon blanc.

Wine, Collards, and a Whole 'Lotta Hog: Vision Cellars = The Mothership!

(Sat afternoon just down the road at Copain Winery)

Huge apologies for the lack of updates.  As most know, I moved out to Healdsburg, CA last week to work for Murphy-Goode Winery.  Yes- Dirty South Wine will still remain up and running (and hopefully runnin' hard!).  I just needed a few days to settle and get the ball rolling.

As opposed to a week in review (which would be way tooooo long), I'll just say- It was AWESOME.  Put what ever hyphenated cuss words of your choice infront of "awesome" and that sums it up. (extra points if one of the words is pig or crab)

As part of the whirlwind of my week, I was picked as a judge for Vision Cellars annual collard greens cook off.  Yes,  a collard greens cook off in Sonoma County.  This is a small chef and wine driven event that pulls some local superstars out of the woodwork.  This year's professional category featured greens from Chef Josh Silvers of Syrah Bistro , Chef Harold Rogers of the Red Rose Cafe, Chef John Franchetti from Rosso Pizzeria (formerly of Tra Vigne), and Kendall-Jackson Executive Chef Justin Wangler.

All were freakishly good.  For a bunch of hippies on the West Coast, these guys did alright with greens!  In the end, Chef Wangler took 1st place and Best in Show, but I give enormous props to Chef Harold Rogers for doing one of the hardest things in the kitchen- nailing simple. 

In the crowd, I bumped into former South City Kitchen Chef Dean Dupuis.  Dean know rocks chicken and ribs in Oakland at Pican. 

Describing this event is tough...  Down home, no frills, no pretense, good wine, good food, amazing people, and what fully feels like a family reunion (where you love all your relatives).

Mac at Vision Cellars is larger than life.  The event is open to Vision Wine Club Members-- Though Mac's wines are great, It is worth joining the club to go to this...

Huge thanks to Jeff Mall at Zin restaurant for not only getting me a slot as a judge, but for delivering the tastiest brisket I've ever experienced.

Video of the event is coming, but in the meantime, here is a slide show from the event.