Wine & cigars

My favorite wine of the moment is Two Hands Shiraz from Australia which I would like to smoke with a Padron Aniversario except that it is now illegal to smoke everywhere so I can't.

Comments

[Flickman Volpe]

I thought Bullit's fav wine was something that started with a Blue and ended with a Nun...

[Flickman Volpe]

Two Hands is excellent...and readily available now...which means lower prices. Also try some Torbreck from the land of OZ (Adelaide area)....you'll like it.

[Gerry]

Over the weekend I dusted off a couple of bottles of 1997 California wines... the Whitehall Lane Leonardi Vineyard (Rated 96) and the Merryvale Profile (Rated 97. It was the first time that I had the Leonardi Vineyard. Killer wines... these wines were still babies. Buy 97's.. they're going to last another 15-20 years. There is no other vintage of California remotely close.. not 1994 (Peaking now), 95 (Peaking now), 96 (Peaking now), or 99. Not even close to the 97's...

[jeffrey]

Girlfriend or wife? Only if married to a gorilla. Two hands wines are huge!

[Gerry Gluscic]

I purchased a box of the Two Hands as well. It was good for a box wine. The kinda wine your girlfriend or wife would like. However, if drinking shiraz, syrah, or CDP's I would prefer the 1996 E&E Black Pepper, the 1990 Jaboulet La Chapelle (100 points - Parker). Also worth noting is the 1989 Henri Bonneau Celestins (99 points Parker), or the 1990 Chat. De Marcoux (100 points - Parker). I have to say, that the 89 and 90 Rhones while rustic... certainly are undervalued compared to first growths of the same vintage in Bordeaux.

[David Bullitt]

Wine and Cigars? While I like both how can you enjoy both at the same time? Its like watching a Frenchman eat at a 3 star Michelin restaurant, order the Prix Fix and then smoke a cigarette between dishes….What the….?

As for me- the 1996 Ridge Monte Bella is drinking well right now
And AFTERWARDS a nice #2 and a glass of Porfidio is the way to go

[Yahoo]

Wine Country Residents Toast 'Sideways'
Monday February 28 9:01 AM ET

Photo Courtesy AP
More Photos

The biggest star at this Oscar party was the location. While Hollywood's A-list was celebrating the Academy Awards 150 miles to the south, residents of the Santa Ynez Valley took the party to the Hitching Post II restaurant, one of the key locations in "Sideways," which was nominated for five Academy Awards.

Tourists have been flocking to the area since the movie about two buddies on a wine-soaked road trip gained widespread critical acclaim and won a Golden Globe.

There was no red carpet on Sunday, but arriving guests walked down a long, white cloth stained with some of the restaurant's celebrated red wines. Guests posed for pictures in front of a backdrop portraying the area's rolling green hills with a Buellton sign superimposed to resemble the famous Hollywood sign.

Dozens of people paid $150 to dine on polenta, grilled salmon, smoked duck, New York steak and black forest cake. They also drank restaurant-produced wines such as the Highliner, a favorite of one of the movie's main characters, as well as those donated by other Santa Barbara County vintners.

It came as no surprise that merlot was absent from the menu.

The proceeds will be given to Direct Relief International, a Santa Barbara-based charity that provides medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to people in impoverished countries.

Many guests gathered around the restaurant's bar where the actors in the film saddle up. The night got off to a disappointing start as both Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen, nominated for best supporting actor and actress didn't win in their respective categories. But glasses clanked and cheers erupted when "Sideways" won for best adapted screenplay, its only win of the night.

Cathy Joseph, owner of Fiddlehead Cellars, which is featured in the movie, said the win was a victory for the cast and crew but also for Santa Barbara County vintners.

"It's a way to share wine with the whole world," she said.

Other guests marveled at how much attention the independent film has brought to the region. Michael O'Brien, a rancher, vintner and restaurant regular, admired director Alexander Payne's decision to not change most of the businesses' names in the film.

"It's kind of exciting to see a movie of your area where the names aren't changed," O'Brien, who watched the awards show at the restaurant's bar and called himself a "PSC," or pre-"Sideways" customer. "That's kind of special."

Buellton and the surrounding area have often been featured in films. Northern Santa Barbara County has a long history of ties to Hollywood. Many celebrities live in the region, which most recently has taken center stage for hosting the Michael Jackson child molestation trial.

The area was a common stopping point in the golden age of Hollywood for celebrities en route to the Hearst Castle, and its picturesque hills and highways make it a cinematographer's dream.

Hitching Post owner Frank Ostini has welcomed the publicity. He's been extremely busy the past few weeks, fielding dozens of media calls and getting ready for Sunday night's festivities. Wine sales have increased 100 percent since the film's release in October; Ostini allocated 80 bottles of the restaurant's Pinot Noir for the Oscar party.

Shortly before the best supporting actress award was announced, Ostini talked with Madsen, who thanked him for contributing to the film.

"I said, 'What are you talking about? You guys have done so much for us,"' said Ostini, who proudly showed off magnum bottles of wine featuring the movie's logo that were being auctioned off for charity. "We fell in love with them, and they fell in love with us."

[Joel Binn]

A great site for wine tasting events is http://www.localwineevents.com/

[Sev Keil]

Alternative cigar recommendation

Fuente Fuente OpusX Fuente Fuente

Country: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dom. Rep.
Score: 90
Source: Cigar Aficionado
Binder: Dom. Rep.
Wrapper: Dom. Rep.

Great color on this cigar, which has a wonderful draw. This full-bodied cigar is not for the faint of heart: it's spicy, with complex bitter chocolate flavors, earth and cedar.This is a full-bodied cigar that gets stronger with each puff, but retains balance.

Great smoke - 'en par' or better than the Padrons...