A Mystery Wine Tool

I recently received a gift that came in at small flat box. Knowing that good things come in small packages, I lifted the box only to find it to be very heavy.  Odd.  But, what was even more odd was once I opened the box and removed its contents, I still didn’t know what it was.

Being a bit perplexed, I asked "What is it?" It looked a bit like a tool that would be used to crack walnuts. But, no, it was not a nut cracker. I was told that is a wine tool. Really?

I finally had to ask “Tell me what it is!” and was told it is a Champagne cork opener!  I’d never seen such a tool and was fascinated. It’s designed to grab the cork (or plastic stopper) in a bottle of sparkling wine.  Once you’ve got a good grip on it, you simply twist and pull and out comes the cork. Without injuring yourself or damaging something in the room.

Now, it may not be as showy or fun as sabering the bottle open (if you’re not familiar with that I’ll cover it in a future blog) but it is quite efficient.  So, if you one who drinks a bit of the bubbly or you know someone who does, this makes a great gift. And, a great conversation piece. Cheers!

The Ah So Corkscrew Can Be Your Friend

There are a bunch of corkscrews available to purchase and they all do the same thing. Mostly.

The task of every corkscrew is to remove a cork from a bottle of wine. But not all corks are equal. And, when it comes to older corks, they can be a bit fragile. If you've ever pulled out a prized older bottle of wine but had the cork break apart while trying to extract it, the Ah So corkscrew can be your friend.

The Ah So excels at removing fragile or brittle older corks that tend to fall apart when using a traditional corkscrew. It works by inserting the prongs between the cork and the inside of the bottle's neck. Once inserted, it pinches down on the sides of the cork. Then, by pulling up and twisting, the cork can be extracted.

Because the Ah So does not pierce the cork, it also has been called the "Butler's Friend." As the story goes, a dishonest butler could remove the cork of a bottle of wine, pour himself a bit and replace the cork without his boss knowing otherwise.

Having an Ah So on hand is not a requirement for most wine drinkers, but it can be very useful, with practice, for extracting a fragile or half-broken cork.  Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Cline Family Cellars Lodi Zinfandel ($6)

Excellent Zinfandels come from Lodi. And, at $6 for this one is a steal. Along with being a great value, this Cline Zinfandel has real nice spice and pepper notes with nice fruit that isn't jammy.

Wines at this price point can sometimes by iffy, but don't skip this one because of the low price. Pick it because it's a Zinfandel from Lodi.

Getting to Know a Wine Thief

If you've never had the opportunity to taste wine directly from a barrel, you are probably not familiar with a wine thief. No, it's not someone out to steal wine. But it is a device that could be used for such a purpose.

A wine thief is typically a glass or plastic tool used by wine makers to remove a small amount of wine from a barrel for testing or tasting. 

It works by simply dipping the device into the wine and then holding a finger or thumb over the opening at the top to trap some of the wine in the tube.  The technical term is pipetting. But it works by creating a partial vacuum above the wine-holding chamber to allow the wine to be drawn out.  When you remove your finger, and hence the vacuum, it releases the wine either into a glass or testing vessel.

A quite simple device that makes drawing wine out of wine barrel extremely easy.

So, next time you are visiting a winery and get a chance to get into the barrel room, ask to see a wine thief. Or, better yet, ask to see it demonstrated.  You just might get a taste of wine directly from the barrel which can be quite a treat.

Cheers!

Paso Roble Wineries - So Much More

With more than 300 wineries in Paso Robles it's hard to highlight just a few.  In recent posts, we've taken a look at the east and west sides of Highway 101 along Highway 46. And, we've explored some of the wineries on the west side along Vineyard Drove and Adelaida Road. But there's so much more!

In addition to the wineries highlighted in the links above, here are some other favorites:

• Écluse - Owner & winemaker Steve Lock will pour wines for you in this small but excellent winery just on the west side of downtown

• Vines on the Marycrest - True "Mom & Pop" winery with Victor doing all the winemaking and his wife, Jenny, running the business side and pouring in the tasting room.

• Chronic - Very hip and edgy. Brothers from Peachy Canyon started this one with a fun tasting room, cool wine labels and a bunch of really good wines

• Red Soles - The wine-growing and wine-making duo, Randy and Cheryl Phillips, do the farming and happily run the tasting room themselves at this great little spot

• Cypher - Winemaker Christian Tiekje started Four Vines, sold it off and started Cypher. A funky and fun winery with a bunch of good wines

• Zin Alley - One of the Paso originals, owner Frank Nerelli does it all from growing the grapes to pouring this wines in the tasting room.

• Wild Horse - Known for flagship wines you can find in your local market, Wild Horse is so much more. You'll be pleasantly surprised by this small farmhouse tasting room set out in the vineyards serving excellent wines

Well, you may think of Paso Robles as just a small dusty town along California's Highway 101, but it has become an excellent wine region in California. And, as a matter of fact, this little wine making region was actually split up into 11 separate AVAs a couple of years ago.  A testament of the variety of wines being produced in the region.  Be sure to give it a try!