Anyway, back to my confession. With that said, and still Mr. Sonoma County at heart, I agreed, at least in my mind, with all of the opponents of the Francis Ford Coppola acquisition of the old Chateau Souverain in Geyserville. It was said we don’t need big, brightly lit towers and the complete Disneyland effect that was in the making. Hell yes, why do we need all of the baloney just to sell wine? I confess I’ve since given in and gone there for both lunch and dinner—and I need to apologize to Mr. Coppola himself. They’ve done a fantastic job with the décor both inside and out. It’s so user-friendly (especially for families) that once there, you don’t want to leave. Isn’t wine supposed to be a “family af-fair” and part of everyday living?
Once inside, you immediately notice the warmth of the tasting bar and adjacent areas. Then there’s a real bar (spirits and such—ahh, my gin and tonic available—thank you) and then the restaurant itself. I realize we all have different tastes, but the menu seems to be made to please the 90 percent of reasonable people (not the high rollers who would only eat at Cyrus). I’m not a restaurant critic and admit to loving cheeseburgers, fries and other comfort foods, but I found everything on the menu sounding good, including pizzas and calzones, very appetizing. The six of us at dinner each had a different dish and all were great. Sooo! Add great food to a wonderful, warm, friendly atmosphere and you have the makings of what our industry should be. By the way, did I mention the prices are more than reasonable and better than anything in at least a 20-mile circle around its location? Now for the best part: Coppola wines are obviously on the wine list and sell for the tasting room retail price: $13 to $18 per bottle, as I recall. Other wines are available and at more reasonable prices than at other local establishments. The wine by the glass selection is also quite good. Can you tell I think I was wrong in my original opinion? He’s doing what I’ve been preaching! (Disclaimer: I’ve never met Mr. Coppola or anyone involved with the operation, just to let you know I wasn’t influenced by anyone but myself.)
OK, how about some more good news? I’m sure each and every one of you read the newspaper or websites for your daily dose of wisdom, so this might be a bit redundant, but I really don’t think so if you’re a working person and don’t digest every article in the paper each day. Are you ready for this? The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the 2010 dietary guidelines for Americans. Aren’t you glad Uncle Sam is concerned about what you eat? Well, with all the anti-alcohol groups on the sideline scratching their heads—the government (yes, ours) actually said this (I’ll quote from the guidelines for fear of being accused and influenced by common sense): “Alcohol consumption may have beneficial effects when consumed in moderation (up to two drinks per day). Strong evidence from observational studies has shown that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Moderate alcohol consumption also is associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older adults and may help to keep cognitive function intact with age.”
You can see why I wanted to quote from the guidelines, since you might have thought I was lying otherwise. It also points out that people who drink in moderation also do everything else in moderation—in other words, avoiding excess of anything helps in creating a longer life.
Well so much for the 2010 guidelines. Let’s see what pressures are applied by the various groups with different thoughts. Shall I stir the pot just a little? Is there a difference in the alcohol consumption of wine versus spirits versus beer? How about a $100 bottle of overpriced Cabernet versus a great $15 Zinfandel?
A final shot for this month. With the beginning of all of the local festivals designed to let people come see the wonders of Wine Country, will we also see the newest of clashes between old timers and the new generation? As I hear the complaints from both sides, I’ve come to the conclusion that we old timers don’t multitask very well. Hence, while we’re tasting wine and deciding what to spend our hard-earned cash on, we want quiet. Meanwhile the multitasking youngsters can talk, laugh, text message, talk on the cell phone and God only knows what else while they’re tasting wines. I’ve learned only one thing recently: with my hearing aids, I can turn off all of that background noise—including my wife and kids—a small benefit of getting old I guess.
I’ve discovered from my younger friends that there are several new applications available for high-end cell phones, from taking a picture of a label and finding out about that wine right then and there, including a score and/or review, where it’s available and at what cost. Will the next step be simply pouring the wine into the phone and see what happens? That way, you wouldn’t need a designated driver, just a bag for your phone after the 50th taste.
Well, I’m not sure where all this high-end tech is going, but I know I feel more and more left behind each day. At least my name hasn’t shown up in the obits yet and I still do the old-fashioned mixing of gin and tonics and enjoying Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Syrah and Zinfandel.
OK, homework time. I suggest a good Pinot Gris before dinner, Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon with dinner and do yourself a big favor and finish the evening with a good Australian Tawny Port or a California Port—tough to beat Ficklin.
Rich Thomas is professor emeritus, Director of Viticulture, at Santa Rosa Junior College. He is also a vineyard consultant in the North Coast. You can reach him at rthomas@northbaybiz.com.
