[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

The Label
We met Spanish artist Sergio Albiac through a good friend and customer. Sergio works with computer codes and programming to create unique pieces of art. On his website he says: “I write computer programs that transform reality to express ideas about identity, beauty, chance and human emotions.” We admired Sergio’s work - it’s striking, modern and abstract - and we thought it would play well on a wine label.

We told Sergio about Realm and Moonracer and the name’s derivation from the Wappos. Sergio pointed out that Native Americans blended art, science and nature throughout their lives as a means of survival and pleasure. Winemakers, he said, do the same thing: there’s an artistic, scientific and natural component to what we do. Sergio wanted to develop a label that would incorporate these three components.

He developed an algorithm using data Benoit provided from weather stations on the Estate, including temperature, wind and solar radiation throughout the 2014 growing season (the first vintage of Moonracer). He inserted the data into the algorithm, and the computer was able to “read” the information and produce abstract images. What’s cool, though, is that there was enough data to create a unique label for each bottle of wine. So each label is different. All 4800 labels. It’s all the same code, so there’s a familial feel to them, but they’re different images. On the bottom, each label is stamped with the date and the data from which that label was created.

No one has ever done this before.

https://www.realmcellars.com/our-rea...onracer-estate

(Nice marketing)

That is really cool! Thank you!

[hubbahubba]

We tried The Bard tonight. Excellent, as recommended. Thanks RickFLM4 !

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by hubbahubba

We tried The Bard tonight. Excellent, as recommended. Thanks RickFLM4 !

I am pending 15 bottles from Realm to be delivered in November, 9 of which are The Bard. It really is a nice all around wine for home or corkage. Enjoy!

(Which vintage did you try there?)

[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

I am pending 15 bottles from Realm to be delivered in November, 9 of which are The Bard. It really is a nice all around wine for home or corkage. Enjoy!

(Which vintage did you try there?)

That sounds great! You mentioned before about the packaging being good, and I totally agree. They did a very nice job. Ours arrived cold.

Tonight we had a 2018. Let it breathe for about an hour. Mrs first impression was “wow, very smooth”.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by hubbahubba

That sounds great! You mentioned before about the packaging being good, and I totally agree. They did a very nice job. Ours arrived cold.

Tonight we had a 2018. Let it breathe for about an hour. Mrs first impression was “wow, very smooth”.

2018 is a great year, as is 2016 and, of course, 2013.

[sygazelle]

Do any of you dislike or even hate Rombauer wines? I know there is some talk about their Chardonnay being too oaky and too much alcohol content.

Why am I asking? I was at my wife's high school reunion last weekend. One of her classmates said he is a winemaker. He buys the grapes and makes 100-150 cases per year. He used to be a "wine educator" at one of the wineries in Temecula, CA....a real expert according to him.

When I mentioned that my wife and I are wine club members at Rombauer he literally flipped out. He got red in the face and his voice changed to this pretty scary tone and he started saying negative things about how Rombauer makes its wines. He called their Chardonnay "Cougar Juice". I've heard that before so it was not a surprise.

He was livid that Rombauer dare make wines differently. He explained himself but I don't know anything about wine making so his explanation was lost on me. He hates their zin for being too something or another (wine speak). I told him I loved their zin.

I was not about to ruin my time at the reunion by getting into a pissing contest with this wine snob, but I did have a closing point that I made and then I moved onto another conversation with an actual nice person. I said, "you make really great wine and sell 150 cases per year. Rombauer makes 350,000 cases per year of wine people like to drink and just sold themselves to Gallo for probably $1.5 billion dollars. They must be doing something right."

My question to you wine enthusiasts. Does Rombauer deserve all the hate for choosing to do things a bit differently than other wineries?

[hubbahubba]

I've never visited or tasted Rombauer, but will someday. In all the wineries that I have ever visited, (just like any retail business, I suppose), their way was always better than the other guy's. I always take it with a grain of salt and move on with conversation. I've tasted wine from some wineries that have a fabulous reputation, and absolutely hated it. I've also tasted from some real no-name small guys and loved it. Making wine is an art, and no artist paints the same way. How it tastes to YOU is the only thing that matters. Wine snobbery is real, whether the wine is good or bad.

[hubbahubba]

We picked this up last summer at the winery in Los Olivos. I was pretty disappointed when tasting it again today, until I found the pic of the tasting sheet and saw that the bottle was only $28. A solid $28 wine…

[Fugly M3]

Had a terrible week (first photo), so I decided to try and make it better over the weekend. One of my favorites (second photo).

[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by Fugly M3

Had a terrible week (first photo), so I decided to try and make it better over the weekend. One of my favorites (second photo).

Attachment 3289849

Attachment 3289848

The first pic hurts me!

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by hubbahubba

The first pic hurts me!

You have no idea. Coming out from the chiro/accu to this was the worst experience ever. Wish she were totaled to be honest.

[hubbahubba]

Dynamite. Gotta love the Rutherford dust.

[hubbahubba]

Did a wine dinner last night with Aia Vecchia. We were seated across the table from Elia Pelligrini, who is the owner. That was a cool experience. He comes to the states every year a week or 2 at a time, 8-10 times/ year. My experience with Italian wine is limited, but we really enjoyed these wines. We placed an order that should arrive within the next week from the local distributor. We have a liquor license, and got to know our new rep at the dinner as well. They are a small distributor, but carry some excellent wines. That is a win, for sure.

[hubbahubba]

Son of a bitch…

[hubbahubba]

Crisis averted

[kscarrol]

Phew, don’t usually see corks like that on four year old bottle.

[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Phew, don’t usually see corks like that on four year old bottle.

No doubt. I was using an electric cork remover. If it goes sideways even a bit, chaos. A little surgery with a wine key and all is well. Glad everything came out all right! Certainly didn't want to ruin a fine bottle like that!

[kscarrol]

I stick with the old fashion hand cork screw…

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by hubbahubba

No doubt. I was using an electric cork remover. If it goes sideways even a bit, chaos. A little surgery with a wine key and all is well. Glad everything came out all right! Certainly didn't want to ruin a fine bottle like that!

I use an electric cork remover as well. Mine is an Oster.

Looks like this (pic from the web).

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Esteban

I use an electric cork remover as well. Mine is an Oster.

Looks like this (pic from the web).

You’re back!

[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by Esteban

I use an electric cork remover as well. Mine is an Oster.

Looks like this (pic from the web).

Cuisinart here.

[hubbahubba]

Picked up our order this afternoon from the Aia Vecchia wine dinner that we attended the other night.