Mo's Wine & Spirits

As a proud and long-standing environmentalist, I have been thrilled to discover that many wineries are now going “green”. I do not think this is a fad as it can take years for a winery to become certified organic. We, at Mo’s Wine & Spirits in Fairfield, highlight our green selections and actively pursue these wines to add to our vast collection.

“Green” can be used to describe Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic farming, and they are all friendly to the environment:

Sustainable Growers still use very limited amounts of certain pesticides. When they cease using them, it still takes 7-10 years to meet all the criteria to become fully organic! It is a great start.

Organic Growers are usually working in conjunction with their home state to provide a better quality habitat for the wildlife that surrounds their land. No pesticides, herbicides or fungicides are allowed on or around the crops. Preservation of the earth is #1.

Biodynamic Growers use a holistic approach that requires a greater commitment than organic farming. Birds of prey, insects, herbs, minerals and lunar phases all play an integral role in biodynamic farming.

We offer the following green selections at Mo’s:
Fetzer, Phelps, Staglin, Parducci, Lolonis, True Earth, Cono Sur, Frey, Bonterra, Cartlidge & Brown (Sauvignon Blanc), Bonterra, Grgich Hills, Shafer.

Wherever you shop, ask about “Green” wines. Customer demand encourages wineries to switch to earth-friendly practices.

Drink “green” and enjoy!!

Mo of Mo’s Wine & Spirits

I decided to stick to my guns and write about a wine that the wine gurus didn’ t  like and I did. By now it’s no secret of my affinity for Washington state wines. I say it proudly, sometimes standing in a predominately Californian- based wine area of the store(our stock is mixed in). I believe, like many of you who already drink them, that Washington wines deliver more bang for the buck over our friend previously mentioned.

Gordon Brother Syrah 2003. The 02 and 05 vintages got spectacular reviews. I did not read any review on the 03 until after I drank the wine. I wanted to go, glass in hand, and see for myself what was what.

The Gordons know what to do with wine grapes. Located in the heart of Columbia Valley, the vineyard and surrounding orchards are farmed by sustainable, organic and biodynamic pratices.  Customers of Gordon grapes have included Woodward Canyon, Hogue and Leonetti Cellars.

Back to the Syrah. Tim Henley is the current winemaker. The 03 was ripe with blackberry and raspberry fruit with a bit of chocolate.  After it opened up, the peppery midpalate played nicely with his berry friends. The wine is great to drink solo, but I could see it at Easter dinner with roast lamb or even turkey.

Gordon Brothers also make a Sauvignon Blanc,Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot. All are estate grown meaning that no grapes are brought in from outside sources. Mo’s now carries many of the Gordon Brothers wines.

When I read the review of the 03 Syrah I was suprised. We agree to disagree on this one.  I still liked it ..bet the winemaker likes it..maybe you’ll like it too…que syrah…                 Cheers, Sharon

To hear Matthew Amster-Burton tell it, “Motley Crue is not a band known for its discriminating taste in alcohol,” but these days band frontman Vince Neil has changed his tune. “Neil has since released a Napa cabernet and a Sonoma chardonnay ($20 each) under the Vince Vineyards label.” In an article appearing in MSN Lifestyle’s The Wine Life, Amster Burton discusses this and other examples of the close relationship between celebrities and their wines.

Neil certainly isn’t the first star to make wine. Film director Francis Ford Coppola has been “taking the hands-on approach since 1975, when he founded the Niebaum-Coppola Estate winery in Napa.” Coppola’s first vintage came out in 1978 and he hasn’t stopped yet. Just last year he “introduced a sparkling chardonnay in single-serving cans ($5) named for fellow director – and daughter – Sofia Coppola,” Amster-Burton notes.

Then there are cases like those of Bob Dylan. While he’s not to be found on the back-end of wine production, his name is still beginning to appear on bottles. It’s the result of an Italian winery which made several tribute bottlings in honor of the singer/songwriter.

Learn how others of your favorite celebs have ties to wine, including racecar driver Mario Andretti, pro football player Joe Montana, and singer Olivia Newton-John with a peek at the full MSN Lifestyle article here.

You had what you thought was a great wine the other night at dinner.

So you go online to check it out, or you ask a “wine savvy friend about it.Or better yet, you go into your favorite haunt to pick up your sanity supplies and see if it is on the shelf.

It’s there all right,  your wine. It got  85points. 85 is considered drinkable but nothing notable or collectable. Whoopee!

By and large most people give the wine gurus way too much power for the world they live in. I myself have fallen prey to their evils myself on occasion. There is alot of OK and  REALLY great wine made for the  entire world. There are many  people who drink and collect wine.I guess it was only a matter of time before there was a guy in driver’s seat.  :) 

Not all of the wine gurus agree. That is the part which cracks me up. They argue among themselves about the rating system. Probably since one thought it up way before the others. I refer to him as the head guru. His name is Robert Parker. Hugh Johnson usually disagrees with Parker. Then you have the wine magazines.

Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine and Spirits, Decanteur and Burghound just to name a few. Remember the” take half of what you see and none of what you hear” or was the ante more than that? Try digesting all this and remembering first and foremost winemakers are usually really nice people. Their wine is an expression of Mother Nature’s bounty, or a work of  art perhaps, capturing the essence and beauty of their surroundings and the grape varital (s) they choose to work with.

I try to like what I want and collect what I like. Yet I sometimes get swept up in wanting to have the the wines that I can talk about and open up in the golden years. Yet how do we know for sure if the gurus know what the heck they are talking about? Maybe wine rating is a bunch of believing and then seeing if it is true. I would have liked to have been the guru to reform old 20 point system. The current wine rating system goes something like this, 50 points being the swill of the earth-100points being nirvana. Those in between will be rated accordingly. If I had made up the system I could believe all the way. Right now I’ll raise my glass and drink what I like with conviction-with a little help(now and then) from my wine guru friends…          Cheers, Sharon

Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, or KJ for short. Jess Jackson took one little California Chardonnay to New York one day, and the rest is history.

Well, not so fast. Jess Jackson was much more interested in the legal system than vineyards back in the day. This changed in 1974 when he bought  a property to grow some grapes to sell off to winemakers. Problem was, no one wanted to buy his grapes. He then decided to learn about winemaking from the ground up. How to build a winery, find a winemaker, soup to nuts. Jackson was a bank officer around this time and ended up becoming friends with Barney Fetzer of Fetzer Vineyards. They became friends outside of doing business with each other, trading real estate and winemaking tips.

A real estate tycoon, businessman and farmer, Jackson was on his way to the top of the vine and his family was behind him every step of the way.

Loyalty and family are what Jackson attributes to his success.  The company’s first employee was his daughter. He believes in buying the best equiptment and hiring the best winemakers for his vineyards. Jackson’s employees stay with him for extended periods of time. Give the consumers what they want at a reasonable price.

His Kendall Jackson Chardonnay was really named for his first wife Kendall. The year was 1982, and there was a glut of juice coming out of California. Jackson couldn’t sell or give the stuff away. He decided to blend a couple different lots together against the advice of his winemakers. Vintners Blend Chardonnay was born.(KJ of today) Jess headed out to the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, walked in,  and sold two cases. His first sale. Today over two million cases are sold each year! Even the wine gurus are giving Jess a break and giving his wine a decent rating.

Jackson continues to buy vineyards and develop his customer base with other varietals and varietal blends. Kendall Jackson Chardonnay still remains one of the most popular. Just look on any restaurant wine list , or look down the Chardonnay aisle of your favorite wine shop. Chances are, one way or another you will try one of Jess Jackson’s wines. He hasn’t bought all of California’s vineyards up yet, but he’s working on it.

                   Cheers, Sharon                  

A fruitless wine! Can you imagine it? According to a new article in Reuters, “An Ethiopian scientist is preparing to launch a new tipple for those looking for a twist on the usual glass of the grape – ‘wine’ made from khat.”

The beverage’s inventor, Eyasu Haile Selassie, says, “Khat wine is just as good as any wine produced from grapes and has been well-received by wine drinkers.” And, unlike the stimulating ‘buzz’ associated with chewing the khat leaf (enjoyed by populations in East Africa and the Middle East), khat wine has no narcotic properties. 

Still, khat wine is not yet available. Dr. Eyasu has registered the beverage with Ethiopia’s Quality and Standard Authority and plans to start commercial production as soon as possible.

I’ll admit it. I took a ninety minute drive to pick up some wine today. Not just any wine. Pinot Noir. I had to go see a guy about a couple of wines we don’t sell at Mo’s. Jeez. It was legit and all of that. Actually it IS all that.

I have a bad case of the of the Pinot Noirs. Oh, she is a pretty one, and I’m only talking domestic. The Queen of Wines, Ms Oregon and California.

She can be elegant and sophisticated, with grace and poise, if you allow her to age a bit. Yet, at the same time she can be strong, sleek, and streamlined like a triathlete on the second leg of the race.

Living in Connecticut has some wine disadvantages that are challenges of themselves. We can buy (drink ) what the state allows to be registered to be sold. Then the laws changed somewhat and you(the consumer ) could have more vineyards ship to you even if the retailer could not get the wine. Unfortunately that didn’t help fellow Pinot drinkers. Some production is so small that it stays in the Northwest and is available by mail-order only. The mail-order list are tighter than..oh well.My search continues.

I go to great lengths to possess, covet and finally drink my beloved Pinot Noir. Truth be told, most of the time I do not share my stash with another being other than my co-writer, my cat Squiddy, who gets to assess the label and maybe nose the glass.

I try to keep the ebb and flow of the Pinot juice at a constant flow. My demand is sometimes greater than the supply.( one must have the non-drinking stash)I subsidise my habit with fun little wines like Inca from Argentina, Cono Sur from Chile, or Lange, Cloudline, Foris,or Argyle from Oregon. Three Saints, La Crema or MacMurray will do from California. There are a few really good to great little Pinots out there to drink while the big girls are getting ready for the show!

Some wines for future drinking are, Hanzell, Arcadian, Drew, Cristom , Domain Drouhin, Bryce and Penner Ashe.

Those who share my sentiments know know all too well the regret of  that bottle you didn’t want to open quite yet. Weak moments lead to open bottles. Ah Yeah, Beautiful Girls!

                       Cheers, Sharon

“Wine drinkers, for the most part, like to learn about the wine they are sipping - we like to explore and discover new and interesting wines.” So says Janice Jones, the wine consultant who recently wrote on the topic for the Sierra Sun. With more wines to enjoy, Jones noted, keeping track of what you’ve tasted is important.

She’s right. I’m frustrated when I mistakenly make a repeat purchase of a wine that I didn’t savor the first time around. But with some 7,000 wines currently being marketed in the United States, keeping my favorites straight isn’t always easy. With Jones’ tips, however, I’ve hoping to change all that.

What you and I need - and Jones’ delivers - are suggestions for a convenient reference log or tasting journal. The journal can be a humble spiral notebook or one of the nicely bound journals available today. What’s important are the details. At each tasting, jot down “the winery’s name, the grape varietal [i.e., Chardonnay or Shiraz], the vintage, and the food that
accompanied the wine.” Next, record a description of the flavors and aromas that give the wine character. Is it dry and peppery? Or do you taste sweet apple flavors?

Aside from providing a record for future use, noting these subtle nuances can actually help you to fully appreciate each wine. And if you need more cues to trigger your memory, you can also “include the wine maker’s name, the people you enjoyed the wine with, the atmosphere, all factors that affect your impression of wine.”

One last tip: keep the journal handy. You’ll need it the next time you pop the cork on an untried wine!

Turn on the TV lately? Catching up on your computer? Between politics and “what not to eat next”, somethin’ gotta give.The medical field usually gives the thumbs down to alcohol in any shape or form. I tend to disagree,knowing that moderation is of the utmost importance. Besides, all evidence points to one main conclusion. Excessive alcohol intake will make you fat. Science has smiled down on my favorite grape, The Queen Herself, Miss Pinot Noir, or Madam Burgundy if you must! Red wine contains something called resveratrol. A polyphenol that is found in all parts of the grapevine, but most of all the skins. An amazing anti-oxidant, resveratrol is as strong as vitamin C. Research is being done with its effect as an anti clotting agent. Resveratrol is used to balance hormones in women, to help promote bone density and to fight off premature aging.

Resvertrol is part of a plant’s defense system. It helps protect the vines against fungus and rot.Pinot Noir vines are especially succeptable to both. Think Burgundy and Oregon weather. Vines that grow in warm ,sunny climate are tasty  but not as beneficial as those grown in cooler climates.

Researchers have been working on cell regeneration and cell survival with resveratrol having had excellent results.This is the best reason yet for having good stemware on hand for everyday usage.

Resveratrol is available in pill and capsule form for those who don’t want to join in the drinking of red wine. I take my supplements every day for health reasons. I drink for other reasons- I enjoy it-It’s my job -The scientist told me to?

                                 Cheers, Sharon

There are so many uncertainties in life. Take for instance relationships, careers, automobiles, health, the stock-market, and yes, even opening up a bottle of wine. I have come to count the latter as a sure thing(if you have more than one).

On any give  day I never know what type of wine I am in the mood to drink. Fact being that I have a plethora of wine surrounding me at all  times. 

 I tend to be somewhat fickle about my choices, one moment an elegant Bordeaux, the next a sassy Viognier. I have more wine fantasies than a critic in your favorite wine rag.

Wine has Never let me down.

(Neither has a bottle of good bourbon)

I can take the greatest achievement(or a Fall) and  share it with wine. Lo and Behold! Ta Da! or OH NO! &^%^&  YIKKES! . I have found what I seek! (sometimes I seek alot). Wine has NEVER let me down.

Upon first meeting I might be aggressive- wanting to rip its little closure right out of  the neck it sits on. I might shed a few tears- of joy , sadness or anger, depending on the situation, they’re all different- BUT the wine will be there for me.

The first  sip might be harsh and quick, my lips meeting liquid-forget about any nose, none. Haven’t  bothered to check.

OK. I got what I came for. Something I bought when Iwas in a better mood.  HINT..always shop for wine when you are in a good space. Good space=good wine!

My collection is not huge but it is SOLID. I am on the drink and add program. If I drink something, I add something I don’t drink now.Pretty easy. Maybe within that week. Keeps the inventory up to par, especially with all the snow shovelling. If you collect, try not to drink all the really good stuff at the same time. Stop by Mo’s and we’ll be  here for you to figure it all out.

                    Cheers, Sharon