Trying too Hard to Stay Cool

Remember when we bemused the heat index in Eau Claire last summer? 
"Local temperature for Eau Claire, Wisconsin: 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Local heat index: 105."


We're rethinking our complaints. 


After a staggering 109 degree reading on Nick's Sentra, a few couples' spats about our air conditioning, and a desperate trip to Maggie's parents' pool in search of relief, we've decided to accept the heat's intensity and adjust our lives accordingly. For two winos without a wine cellar or refrigerator, a heat wave like this summer's can be kind of a bummer. Due to Maggie's (un)employment status, we've tried to live without air conditioning for as long as is humanly possible. About three days ago, we finally succumbed to the heat and cranked up our tiny air conditioning unit. But it might not have been soon enough . . . 




We were, as any self-respecting wine lovers would be, worried about the well-being of our vino.  Wine can cook if left in hot temps (for example, in your car in the summer).  Not to mention, red wine should be served at room temperature: but keep in mind, this adage was established before the creation of central heating and air, when typical room temperature was between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Tonight, we opened our 2008 Turley Hayne Vineyard Petite Syrah with trepidation. Would the heat have affected our beloved grape juice in a negative way? Would all be lost? And, further down the line, would our 2008 Napa Angel, which we recieved as a wedding gift, be ruined because of our stinginess during this heat wave?

Our entertainment tonight came from Japandroid's album "Celebration Rock." Despite the vague title, we were intrigued by the band's fun namesake and animosity.

After letting our wine decant for about half an hour, we plunged into our tasting. We have to admit that we've really missed our AudioVino nights. Our crazy schedules and new environment have kept our tastings at bay, but we're excited to get back into the swing of things.

At first, our Turley was extremely hot on the nose. So hot, in fact, that Nick had a hard time detecting any scents or intricacies of the vino. Our first sniffs revealed a ton of heat (this wine rocks steady at 15.4%), some charred, meaty flavors and a hint of dark fruit. The heat was so overbearing that we decided to put our wine into the fridge for a few minutes. Yes, you read that correctly - in essence, we chilled our red wine. But in a mostly un-air conditioned apartment, we were hardly "chilling" our wine. We were bringing it back to it's natural room temperature. After about two minutes in the fridge, this vino was much easier to handle. It's scent of light honey gram and raspberries become much easier to grasp.



As we sipped, we tasted a delicious, well-balanced, and incredibly elegant virtuoso of a wine. For the high amounts of alcohol and flavor, this Turley impressed us with it's velvety tony and easy-to-drink nature.

As for our audio, we weren't blown away by the Japandroids (despite their incredibly awesome name). The group tried a little too hard to be cool with their nods to early 2000's pop-punk bands and Owl City-like lyrics.

Nick's Review

Audio

Japandroids (no, this is not a the bad guys from Power Rangers) is a mash potato of early punk pop with a peppering of old school garage punk that has been dowsed in a gravy of feedback.

The album starts out with the sound of fireworks (fitting for the Fourth of July) and some cool vocal harmonies.  I immediately was reminded that I need to call and reminisce with some of my old high school friends.  Some of you may be reminded of watching American Pie late one night in college on TBS while trying to avoid the dreaded spins associated with light night drinking!

The album continues with more of the same with a few mix ins of garage punk slash country rock influenced tracks like "For the Love of Ivy".  The only track that stood out for me was the final one, "Continuous Thunder," with its enveloping sound and driving anthem.

This isn't a bad album by any means.  I feel this is a band meant to be seen live, I need to be up and moving while listening to this.  It would put me into the mood for moshing, if I were a slightly larger man and not afraid of physical contact.

7/10

Vino

Turley!  Who hasn't heard the name?  A famous zinfandel and petite syrah producer from California.  Turley zinfandel is an American classic and, just like Japandroid's opening fireworks, Turley embodies a sense of Americana.

Turley's zinfandel wines, made by the famous Helen Turley, are definitely their most popular varietals.  I highly recommend the brand (if you can find any) for someone looking for great wines and approachable price points.

This petite syrah wouldn't have been my first choice on this 105 degree day, weighing in at 15.4% alcohol. I was a bit intimidated before even taking my first sip.

As previously mentioned, our wine has attained some heat from this treacherous summer scorcher, but we placed the bottle in the fridge for a few minutes to make it more manageable.  Despite this attempt at taming the beast that is California petite syrah, we still had a bit of heat on the nose.  At first it was too much for me, but upon allowing the wine to breathe I welcomed the hints of raspberry, pork belly, smoke and graham cracker.

Wine of the caliber of Turley has a tendency to be high alcohol and big on style, yet balanced and restrained.  This wine was no exception. Although it is 15.4%, it never burned or turned me away.  Elegant in its own right, the wine displayed flavors of  pork belly/bacon fat, blackberry and tea.  The mouth feel was medium to full-bodied and the finish was delicate with a touch of alcohol.

I would definitely consume this wine with food in the future and am excited to try it again (a friend of mine has a 2005 vintage of the same wine and I'm hoping I can sit in on it!).

91 pts





Maggie's Review


Audio

Japandriod's music shows variety without ever transcending genre. While I'm usually a fan of genre transcendence, I give these guys credit for their creativity and virtuosity within their specific sound.

In tunes like 'Night of Wine and Roses' and 'Adrenaline Nightshift,' the group showcases their ability to build on already-established pop-punk features. Their Owl City-esque lyric themes can be a bit much, and they  seem to cater to the tweens of yesteryear. Nick and my peers will find similarities to Weezer, while today's tweens will relate to songs like "Continuous Thunder." All in all, this group tries to match up to nostalgic favorites from the early 2000's (think Sum 41) while adding 'deeper' elements of more classic punk and country-rock. They don't really succeed.

I will admit that in a mosh pit, I might be more apt to give them a second listen. This is not sitting-down music, and it would be much better appreciated in a concert setting among 1,000 16-year-olds.

6/10


Vino

Despite my love of wine and my knack for writing astoundingly amazing AudioVino blog posts, I don't know as much as Nick does about the intricacies of wine. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to detect any difference in our vino after it had been sitting in less-than-ideal temperatures for three weeks. I'm still not sure I'd be able to detect a marked difference, but after sampling this petite syrah from Turley, I think I have a better grasp on how temperature can effect wine.

This wine was quite fragrant, balanced, and pleasant. It smelled of honey graham, rich raspberry, and dark chocolate, but its flavors were slightly muted by its alcohol content and strong potency. I think our lack of temperature control affected our tasting experience, but its important to note that not only does the temperature of the wine itself affect a tasting, the temperature of the room affects the tasting as well. In other words, Nick and I would probably have been more apt to fall in love with this wine if we were seated in a room that was 78 degrees and conducive to wine tasting. The wine pulled its weight and managed to impress  us despite the less-than-comfortable conditions, leaving me to believe that it'd be a crowd-pleaser in most social settings and a pleasant wine for a cool autumn evening.

92 pts.

Comfort Zones be Damned

Life has a way of throwing curve balls.  Either you can step up to bat and swing your heart out, or you can jump back from the plate.

Nick recently accepted a position at Binny's Beverage in the Loop of Chicago, Ill.  Nick will be working as a wine consultant in a much bigger city, and will be able to work with so many new types of wine (and people!)  Moving to Chicago is going to be a big change for us two little Wisconsin kids.  Before we leave Eau Claire, we wanted to be sure to do a guest tasting with our two friends, Joel and Steph Peterson.  Joel works in the beverage industry with Nick (you'll find the two of them at Famous Dave's happy hour every Monday) and while Joel and Steph love wine, they are new to some of the terminology and tasting practices.

Joel and Steph weren't the only ones stepping out of their comfort zones tonight.  With the (persistant) recommendation of Maggie's coworker Cameron Lien, we decided to review hard-rock band Trivium's album "In Waves."  Any heavy-metal recommendation from an inked-up Buckle employee should be taken with a grain of salt (or so we predicted), but true to our promise to give every recommendation a fair chance, we decided to take on the heavy-metal challenge.  This is where Joel and Steph came in ... as longtime rock fans, they were much more in their musical element than we were.

On our first sniff, Steph and Joel (as well as we) noted that our 2007 Cab from Hess's Allomi Vinyard was quite hot.  As we allowed the vino to breathe a little, the Petersons' descriptions of "rubbing alcohol" started to give way into some very jammy and sweet smells.  As Nick so eloquently put it, the vino smelled "like the little Smuckers containers you get at a restaurant."  As Joel and Steph began to catch on to our sniffing notes, we moved on to give the Cab a taste.

Steph immediately picked up on notes of clove, while we noted the decent acidic balance.  Florals, clove, and honey made the wine beautiful to taste, and we all took a second to relax.  We were sure that our peace was about to be disrupted by some crazy, satanic, screamo-style tool music.  Nevertheless, we turned up the volume and cranked the tunage.

The album began with "Capsizing the Sea," and intro track of dissonant rock reminiscent of early Nine Inch Nails, consisting of layered guitar themes.  "In Waves," the album's title track, began with percussive guitar (though it got a little "Through the Fire and Flames" at some points), but was altogether more melodic than expected.  With no shortage of cheesy hard-rock songs (with equally cheesy titles like 'A Skyline's Severance' and 'Leave this World Behind'), there were also a lot of basic melodic elements that were built upon to create a surprisingly listenable album.  However, the album showcased little true complexity, with basic rhythmic guitar, stagnant chords, and predictable builds on subdivided melodies.  "In Waves" was nothing to write home about, but certainly wasn't the satanical, crazy-loud screamo album we had been fearing.

As for the wine, we were disappointed to find that some of those beautiful fruits and herbs had melted into a syrupy, jammy concoction of drinkable but saturatedly-sweet wine.  The amount of acidity just didn't hold its weight, and the wine turned into a melting pot of fruit and jam.  We all had our own opinions on the wine, but it didn't follow through on its promise from the first taste.

All in all, Joel and Steph learned a lot about critiquing wine, and we learned a lot about metal-namely, that you can't judge a book (or album) by its cover.

Nick's Review


Audio 


I have a pretty diverse taste in music and can usually find something I like in any album ... even heavier stuff.  I'm a fan of bands like "Dream Theater" and "Underoath," but only in spurts and I usually gravitate towards their more melodic songs.

I have a good friend who loves heavy metal and screamo.  To my friend it is a way to release frustration and clear his head.  For me, I like to listen to music to relax and feel enlightened.  "In Waves" had moments of melody that broke up the heavier stuff and was much appreciated.  One thing I look for in bands that utilize "screaming" (sorry if that isn't the technical term) is their ability to switch from screaming to singing.  I think Trivium was successful at this and I would be interested to listen to some of their other offerings to see if this resonates more.

I probably won't listen to this album again, but I would check out some more Trivium given the chance and probably wouldn't mind seeing them live if they were on a billing at a rock festival.

6/10


Vino


When I first go into wine I drank a lot of Cabernet.  It seemed to be the most popular varietal and it was definitely the varietal I sold the most of.  However, I began to get bogged down by the big fruit, high alcohol content and excess oak of a lot of the California Cabs (admittedly inexpensive) that I was drinking.  So I switched to other varietals and only drank Cabernet when offered.

Suddenly, with the purchase of a bottle of Mouton Cadet, I discovered old world style cabs.  This wine was more elegant and structured, often lower in alcohol and not overpowered with oak.  These new style of wines I was trying were balanced and I was able to drink more than one glass.  Time and time again I would get a craving for a big extracted Cabernet.  The kind that reminds one of eating fruit roll-ups on the swings during recess!

Hess Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon is a nice marriage of both new world and old world cabernet.  While the wine is big and fruity, the body is light and mouth-watering.  While there is some alcohol on the nose the wine doesn't come packaged with it's own two-by-four of oak.  It's like taking a child to the playground. You're too grown up to go on the swings ... but you're not too adult to steal a bite of their fruit roll-up!

The wine has an interesting nose of black currant and clove, not much on the front end and finishes fruity with a bit of tea on the back of the pallet.

88 pts


Maggie's Reviews


Audio


At certain points in this album (such as the foreign-inspired "Ensnare the Sun") I was pleasantly surprised with the group's ability to branch out into other musical ideas - that is, until I realized that although the group imitated different musical styles, they didn't create any musical style of their own.

The band built on very basic chords and rhythms, although the guitar was actually pretty impressive.  While the band seemed to have a lot of technical talent, they also didn't seem to create anything particularly new and interesting.

While I am certainly glad I gave this album a try, I highly doubt I would listen to it again (mainly because so many songs seem to run on and on without any real variety).  I give Trivium props for playing with melodies, but they need to work a little harder on expanding their musicality in order to make anything truly remarkable.

5/10

Vino


This wine had so much promise on the nose - the idea of clove, honey, florals, and berries married together was a perfect recipe for loveliness and appeal.

I usually love wines that evolve, but this wine evolved too much, too quickly.  It was hot immediately on pouring, but then it opened up to showcase the beautiful tastes and textures that characterize a good Cab.  However, by the end of the bottle (which didn't take long with four glasses to fill!) the wine had turned flabby without being oaky.  It wasn't that is was heavy, so much as it became syrupy-sweet, undefined, loose, and jammy.  The heaviness of the fruit became unbalanced, and made the wine uninspiring and thick to drink.

86 pts.

As Primitive as Disco

All of you Hungarian vino history experts can tune out the next couple of sentences. 

Everyone else, raise your hand if you drink zinfandel.  Do you ever ask yourself where this delicious, jammy concoction comes from?  Like most of the grapes that get turned into wine, zinfandel has siblings, more commonly known as clones.  One clone of zinfandel is primitivo.  Primitivo is similar to zinfandel and is popular in the Puglia region of Italy (the "heel of the boot," if you were wondering).  It is thought to have originated in Hungary and than made it's way to Italy.

Now that you're all a little smarter, lets move on to this week's wine, which was a 2008 Primitivo by Feudi di San Marzano.  This is their ICG label that goes under the SUD moniker.  With enough fruit to keep all you zinheads out there happy, it was a fun little wine with a nice price tag at about $10.00 a bottle.

The wine seemed to pair well with our music.  What kind of music did we spin this week?  Get ready for a surprise.  Disco.  Nu-disco, to be artistically correct.  Now, don't think disco duck or falsetto-filled anthems like those of The Bee Gees.  This was a tasteful CD by the nu-disco band Fitz and the Tantrums, entitled "Pickin' Up The Pieces."  It really showcased more of a classic sound similar to Gloria Gaynor or The Jackson Five.  We hope this music can pick up some more air time as it is a fresh sound that leaves you feeling nostalgic and audibly satisfied.

Nick's Review

Audio -

Everyone, think about your favorite playlist.  I bet it was a "feel-good" mix, most likely created to make you feel better as the end of summer was rolling in, or for a long car trip you took when you were twenty-one.  Maybe it was the soundtrack for your drinking games in college.  I'm willing to bet most of our readers listen to a diversified list of music, and I would bet that at least one track was performed by James Brown, Sister Sledge, Gloria Gaynor, or The Jackson Five.  Fitz and the Tantrums may just be a band to add to some of these lists.

With catchy songs like MoneyGrabber (yes, one word), L.O.V. and Rich Girls you'll want to give this album a couple spins.  Before you get turned off and possibly even throw up in your mouth at the thought of goldfish shoes, bell bottoms, disco balls and a 20-something John Travolta, be sure to give this album a fair chance.

The flashy disco nuances are quite subtle, and the hot organ, 6/8 time signatures and fun duets were really pleasant to listen to. 

I have a feeling you will be hearing Fitz and the Tantrums on the radio whether or not you're ready for a little 70's revival.

9/10

Vino - 

What's not to like about zin?  Maybe it can get really jammy, sometimes.  Maybe it can get so jammy it's like the syrupy goop left at the bottom of a smuckers jar.  Well, not to fear.  This isn't zin it's Primitivo.  Don't let me fool you, I love zin (as you could guess if you look at my favorite wines list and see that Haraszthy zin is near the top).  However, I also like subtle wines with good balance that start off as one thing and open up over time in my glass.

Feudi di San Marzano Primitivo may be more popular in it's DOC classification, but I was definitely impressed with the ICGs bang for your buck factor.  Initially I could smell violet (or some sort of flower that seemed purple in my minds' eye), a bit of tobacco and bacon fat and a touch of green.

The wine was clean and full on the pallet and eventually opened up with a bit more fruit.  After letting it sit the most pronounced tasting note was the skin of blueberries.  Not the meaty fruit inside the berry so much as the dark almost tannic flavor of the skins.

Fun wine, and I'm sure the higher classifications under this line would bring even more complexity which always brings along more intrigue.

87 pts.

Maggie's Reviews

Audio -

I'm a sucker for anything retro.  I know that retro's relatively "in" at the moment, but I'm no fair-weather retro fan.  From dragging my 17-year old-sister to antique stores, to going through an unfortunate straight-bangs phase last year, to making my husband listen to Melanie, I certainly think I was born in the wrong decade.  Seriously . . . my Netflix suggestions are Dick van Dyke and Andy Griffith.

There is, however, one decade of recent American history that turns me off.  I can appreciate the semi-gaudy cat-eye glasses and floral wallpaper of the 60's.  Big hair and leg warmers from the 80's are positively awesome.  The 70's, on the other hand, hold almost no appeal to me.  I tend to believe that the marijuana smokers and political activists of the 1960's, while enviable, created an impossible standard for the kids of the '70s.  The 70's kids got left with the more dangerous drugs, the second-rate music, and the bad pants.

Needless to say, when I embarrass myself by cranking up the retro-tunage in my car, it is never disco.  I have to disagree with my husband - I have never included James Brown, Sister Sledge, Gloria Gaynor, or The Jackson Five on any playlists.

Fitz and the Tantrums, while not my style, was a great record.  The music is creative, feel-good, and very respectably authentic.  MoneyGrabber is my personal favorite track, although the chords sound slightly ripped-off from Cyndi Lauper.  The beats and bass are catchy, and I love how the stylistic aspects (vocals, rhythms, instrumentation, and chords) were nearly identical to those of the disco period.  Even the tone quality sounded somewhat old.  It felt like we'd came home and dropped a needle to vinyl.

8.5/10

Vino -

When Nick compares this primitivo to zin, I can definitely see where he's coming from.  As I first sniffed this wine, I got a great sense of downplayed exoticism.  Greens, coffee, and sultry florals made me want to taste, and I had a feeling that this wine would be evolutionary.  For those that know my wine preferences, I get extremely bored when my wine tastes the same throughout the entire bottle.  I have been quoted as saying "a wine's quality can be determined by the conversation it inspires."  I was ready to talk a lot about this wine.

As I sipped, I noticed the tannic quality of the wine, and was happy that the green smell was carried from the nose to the tongue (right on the back of the palate.)  And that was all.

After a few tracks, I characteristically sipped again.  I was right: the primitivo had evolved, and was now more jammy and fruit-forward, though not at all overpowering or flowery.  The tannins were still present, giving the wine a nice, well-rounded palate.  It didn't evolve any further throughout the tasting, but it was certainly pleasant to drink.

I noticed that this wine would be great for food pairings, mainly because of the more savory notes.  I would love to try this wine again with dinner.

How did the vino pair with the audio?  Ehh . . . but both were enjoyable in their own right.  Separately.

89 pts.

How One Yearns for the Toll of the Mission Bells . . .

As we sit down to write our reviews tonight, we find ourselves stuck in melancholy mentalities.  This could be a result of one of two things: either we're sympathizing with the plaintive, spiritual Amos Lee album, "Mission Bell," or we're deeply disappointed in our 2007 Cab from Sterling Vinyards.

As we first sniffed and tasted our Cab, we clung to the hope that it was just taking its time opening up. We got a dramatic amount of heat on the nose (at 14.6, the alcohol should be strong, but not overwhelming) but couldn't pick out much else. Nick got a bit of sweet corn, Maggie some blueberries and bacon . . . but neither interpretation was strong enough to convince both of us.  As we tasted the wine, the story was the same: we could literally feel the alcohol trickling down the back of our throats, overwhelming any beautiful fruits or sensual textures we might've encountered.  We've had a few rocky beginnings in our days, and we decided to give the vino a few minutes to mature, and move onto the music in the meantime.

Amos Lee . . . well, we're kind of lost for words on this one.  We apologize for the lack of our usual wit and characteristic banter, but Lee has us feeling spiritual.  With a bluesy voice and gorgeous harmonies, Lee gave us some southern spiritual, layered it with soft rock, and topped it off with some country.  The first track, "El Camino", captured our interest from the start with seriously beautiful piano/trumpet harmonies and relaxed vocals.  Then, "Windows Are Rolled Down" took us by surprise, showcasing that solemn inner happiness while going for a thoughtful drive on a summer day.  Just when the album would get a little melancholic, a song with a funky southwestern beat like "Hello Again," or a spiritual uplifter like "Cup of Sorrow" would bring us back to Lee's philosophic, solemn plane.

After being so impressed with our Audio we thought we'd revisit our Vino, hoping for some emerged flavors or matured personality. We were grossly disappointed.

For its price point, the 2007 Cab was really a sad product.  Overwhelmed by heat and without any real backbone, the wine seemed to be all for show.  We thought back to a previous AudioVino, when we had compared wine to different types of women.  Nick told Maggie she would be a complex, old-world French wine.  This Cab personified a brunette with blonde highlights, lots of makeup, and a Hooters t-shirt, and a fake tan.

Nick's Review







Audio
Amos Lee's album Mission Bell is fun, spiritual, relaxing and ever reverent.  His gospel-like vocals flow with super ease and he sings with what sounds like little effort, yet he is able to produce a fine and ever evolving sound.  He'll make you think of Willy Nelson (coincidentally, on the album) or Roger Miller (this blogger's favorite singer!).

There are multiple instances when you feel like Amos Lee should reach this ultimate falsetto note and you can almost feel the note before he gets there . .  but he won't get there - yet.  He'll drag it out and keep you wishing, until finally he hits that note satisfying something deep inside you that makes his music seem so fulfilling and worth a second spin.

The 90's had the alternative rock and the 00's had indie rock.  Now is the time for the new wave sound of the 10's and that is a retro vibe that can make you feel like your hanging out with a college-age version of your parents or even your grandparents.  For the nostalgic persona in all of us, be sure to listen to Mission Bell, just don't do it while drinking Sterling Vineyard's 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.


8/10

Vino

"I think I met one of those 'California Gurlz' from that Katy Perry song - only I saw her without her makeup and made a beeline for the hills of Napa."  That being said, this wine is probably touted as a decent buy according to many a wine sales rep.

My pallet has six zones, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6, with 1 and 2 being the front, 3 and 4 being the middle, and 5 and 6 being the finish . . . this wine scores a 1.88 on my pallet.

What a sour representation of it's vintage!  2007 is supposed to be the creme de la creme of the decade.  It's the vintage that anyone in their mid twenties should be able to look back on and say "Man, this is the vintage that turned me into a wine lover for life!"  Unfortunately this wine was neither a big over the top Cali-Cab or the complex Bordeaux style sipper that I was hoping for.

I did gather one interesting note from this wine though:  there is enormous complexity you can get in the nose of a wine when smelling it through the concentrated opening of a decanter!  The wine in my glass smelled thin and hot, but out of my decanter it reeked of corn husk!  I could even picture myself at my Grandparents shucking corn that was about to be dropped into a boiling pot and served up fresh with butter and salt and pepper.

Don't waste your money on this 2007 Napa Valley - there are hundereds of other Napa Cabs from this vintage that will blow you away!

80 pts.



Maggie's Review 

Audio

Amos Lee pulled off a great album. I'd heard a song or two on my Jack Johnson Pandora station, but none of those tracks prepared me for this album.  Lee sounds more like a male version of Macy Gray singing church songs than a seaside guitar player.

I really loved the first track, "El Camino," and I loved it's reprise (feat. Willie Nelson) even more.  My favorite song on the album might have been "Jesus," which turned out to be the only truly uptempo tune.  That said, the album didn't get repetitive.  Instrumentals and interesting harmonies kept every song sounding new, fresh, and philosophical.

Lee's voice frustrated me on just a few notes - mainly because, having minored in Voice, I am kind of picky. His range is great, but there are a few places where he pushes just a little too hard.  Of course, that's neither here nor there to the average listener.  He did a fabulous job with a spiritual album.

9/10


Vino

I am disappointed, I really am.  While Nick prefers more complex, finer wines to big California Cabs, I am a Cali girl all the way.  I generally love the bold, fruity flavors that California has to offer.  I'm a sucker for the sucker-punch, a slave for the fruity . . . but this had none of that going for it.  In a wine predominated by alcohol content, the balance becomes so tilted towards the sharp heat that it masks itself as acidity and shockingly strong tanin.  The negative attributes of wine become funneled into one overpowering, concentrated taste that is too hard to get past, especially for a novice like me.

I got the hint that under better conditions, this wine would've been decent.  I got a lovely blueberry taste paired with a savory bacon scent, which would've been a delicious breakfast in a wine glass under different circumstances.  Unfortunately, the balance was so off that none of that could shine through.

I have to judge this wine even more harshly because of its price point.

78 pts.

A Mouse in a Graham Cracker House

"Every once in a while, you have a wine that makes you say, 'Thank God all wine doesn't taste the same.' This was one of those wines."

---

That is a direct quote from our lovely winestress this evening.  Please prepare yourselves, AudioVinoids.  We are about to take you on a journey to a world of great wine, extra terrestrial beats, and skyscrapers made of graham crackers and honey.

To put it in a nutshell, this music made us feel drunk before the wine even kicked in.  The wine's 15.6% concentration only aided the music in our gradual dysfunctionality.

Let's start at the beginning.  Our Vino for tonight was Solus Sto 2007 Zin from Haraszthy.  Our Audio entertainment was provided by deadmau5's album "4x4=12."  Sounds kind of weird, right?

As we took a few sniffs of the vino, we had some conflicting ideas: Maggie smelled a bit of bitter (in a good way, of course) coffee and tea, with maybe a bit of chocolate or dark fruit.  Nick picked up on some soy sauce, and maybe a bit of honey or graham.  By the second pour, our snouts exploded in a world of teddy grahams and savory meats.  It sounds like a weird combination, but the interesting olfactory notes translated into a fantastic tasting.  To the tounge the wine was sensual and unique with that same stingy, edgy, off-beat character that made it all the more sexy.  We got a relatively dry, fantastically balanced wine in the end - and the results were off the charts.

As for our Audio, we pulled a complete 180 (no, that's not some funky dance move, even though that would be totally appropriate for this album.)  We started off with the mentality that, as our good friends know, we aren't club kids!  Trippy techno and rave music is usually better left for kids much more hip that Nick and Maggie Klug.  However, as we heard the crazy syncopation, layered rhythms, and ridiculously effervescent treble paired with epic bass, we changed our minds.  The first track, "Some Chords" ended with a stunning multi-leveled syncopation of seemingly unrelated rhythms, layered to make your heart freak.  "Sofi Needs a Ladder" threw in some cool female vocals, and "Animal Rights" left us desiring our own animal rights.  "Raise Your Weapon" cooly deviated from the album's norm, giving a nice, rounded feel to the album as a whole.  Read on to see how we interpreted these extraterrestrial happenings  . . .

Nick's Review:

Audio -
We picked this CD from BestBuy at 6:58 tonight, (please keep in mind they close at 7:00).  The cover is what grabbed my attention.  Imagine Mickey Mouse was injected with glow-stick juice, and than his face got smashed with a disco globe.  Don't fear - Mickey survives and manages to create some stellar beats!

The album is your stereotypical techno-style beat mix, and is more like one giant track than 11 different tracks.  Deadmau5 uses lots of chromatic integration and almost every track seems to feature this chromatic run, resulting in a seamless transition to the next track.

This album is a 3D audio experience that is spectral and profoundly integrating at the leves of both sound and body.  You feel the beat and submit to it.  Needless to say, this is dance music - most likely found at a club somewhere.

Luckily there are some more complex tracks, like number five "Animal Rights" and number seven "Cthulhu Sleeps" to keep your interest and to create a level of replay-ability not seen in many similar techno/dance albums.

It's always great to grab a new type of music for AudioVino, and I think this was a great choice even if made in haste.

8/10

Vino -
Where do I Begin with Haraszthy's Solu Sto 2007 Amador County Zinfandel?  This wine has been released in two states so far, California and Wisconsin.  Why Wisconsin, you ask?  Because that was the state in which the original Count Haraszthy created his first "New World" vineyard, now affectionately known as Wollersheim.

That's right, you Wisco fans - Prarie de Sacs one and only Wollersheim.  You see, after founding Wollersheim Haraszthy decided to settle in California.  Long story short, his great grandson (or maybe great-great grandson) now makes wine for Fred Franzia in California.  Three of this patriarch's Grandson's original Wisconsin wines are an Amador, Sonoma, and Napa Zinfandel, my favorite being the Amador.

This delicious wine comes packed in a bottle featuring a beautiful sketch of a ferocious yet gentle bear holding a grape between the claws of it's forefinger and thumb. The nose is like tucking your nose in a box of honey grahams.  Think of the graham cracker dust that shoots up into your nose with flavors of graham and deliciously smooth honey!  The nose finishes with a savage smell of raw meats that are savory and fresh.

The initial sip hits the front of your pallet like a laser.  It's sharp yet elegant, full yet light.  The mid-pallet evolves into liquid pink starbursts (yes the candy).  Even still the flavor is not extracted and overly fruity.  The profile is simple yet complex with no oak to cover up the true essence of the grape.  2007 was an awesome vintage and this was an awesome wine.

The finish is long and grips the tounge and teeth.  It leaves you with that nice, tannic, bitter sensation that one might notice when eating raw green beans or snow peas.

I don't know if you can find this wine . . . as a matter of fact, I don't even know if I'll ever be able to find this wine.  But look for a 2007 Amador County Zinfandel and I'd be willing to bet you are in for a treat!

91 pts (Probably the second best Zinfandel I've ever had!)

Maggies Review:

Audio - 

As I write my review for AudioVino entry tonight, I am still intoxicated by deadmau5's beats.  Literally, this album was on a whole new level.  I'm not exactly a club music aficionado, but I'd be willing to bet that this is one of the best dance albums out there.

I loved the album from the first track, "Some Chords." The layered, seemingly irrelevant beats at the end of the track flowed effortlessly into one another, resulting in a layered effect that couldn't have been more right-on.  "Sofi Needs A Ladder" was exactly what Kesha would sound like - if she was a bit more creative. "Animal Rights" was the highlight in terms of originality. Really, there were a couple of tracks that sounded like run-of-the-mill club beats, but the intensity and creativity of the album overshadowed the misses. For a random album picked up at Best Buy, I'd say it was a great choice (and even made me want to go clubbing!)

8.9/10

Vino -

Hell.  Yes.  This wine was fabulous.  This wine defied expectation, in a number of ways.

1. As I walked by the decanter, while cleaning up dishes and wiping down counters, I took a sniff, as I usually do.  I smelled jammy, lovely, zin-tastic scents, and was excited to start AudioVino.

WRONG!

The fruity, jammy, gorgeous scents and tastes that I have come to expect from Zin's were twisted in a way that was unorthodox and genius.  The few fruity notes I picked up on simply served to balance the tannins, heat, and beautiful savory texture of the wine.

2. As I took the first sip, I appreciated the wine but read it as a fairly tannic, quite bitter, and a generally "old-world" tasting wine.

WRONG!

Not only did the wine evolve by the second pour, it rounded out in a way few wines even dream of.  The beautiful edginess of the tannin and savoriness on the tongue were balanced by the subtle fruits, very slight chocolate and coffee, and wonderful texture.  Without any oak, this wine managed to be remarkably smooth.

All in all, this was a great combination.  Sensual, unexpected, and ridiculously edgy, deadmau5 and Haraszthy was a combination that made us feel like we were two other people.  For a night, we got to be that unpredictable, fabulously tenacious couple that drinks $30 bottles of wine with dinner every night, and goes dancing at the clubs until dawn.

92 pts.

French Kicks with a West Coast Kiss

Ever seen an owl smoking a cigarette?  We hadn't either . . . until we bought the album "One Time Bells" by French Kicks, which featured cover art of an owl doing exactly that .  Ever heard straight eighth notes played with only down strums on an oddly synthesized guiter?  Yeah we have too . . . lots of times.  Luckily, that was only the first track which was rightfully called "Wrong Side".  The music quickly gained some clout with syncopated rhythms with a west coast jazz feel.

It's hard to see the owl - but you get the picture!

Ever had a California style Cabernet Sauvignon with dark fruits and a bit of oak?  We have too . . . lots of times.  Luckily, like the music, this vino had something more to prove.

The wine we drank this week was a 2006 Hilltop Vineyard Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon by J. Lohr.  So what else did we see?  Or taste?  Or hear?

As it turned out, neither our album nor our vino was as stereotypical as we first imagined. As we sipped our cab, it evolved from a confusing configuration of fruit and maple syrup to a fully-understood palate of dark fruits and light French oak.

The music was a little less typical--French Kick must be a local NYC band, because we have most certainly never heard of them (if you have, let us know your thoughts!)  Their first song, "Wrong Side," started the album out safely, with an edgy rock riff, some dissonance, and Jett-like vocals.  However, the group took some changes on tracks like "Down Now," which build upon jazzy rhythms and simplistic piano melodies in a way that was super-futuristic and interesting in the percussion, and "Close To Modern," which featured a fresh falsetto vocal quality and total disco fever.

Gotta love Nick dancing disco!

Nick's Review

Audio 

"One Time Bells" definitely started off a bit stagnant with a simple down strum guitar pattern, showing hints of dissonance and a pretty boring vocal that didn't blend in well with the rest of the music.  However the second track "When You Heard You" sucked me back into the listening mood.  It showed hints of cool jazz style rhythms with heavy influence of French impressionistic dissonance--the kind of music you only come to appreciate with multiple spins.

My favorite song was track 5, "Close to Modern." It featured a falsetto vocal that reminded me of The Darkness, which is a band I really enjoy.  The best part of the falsetto was that it was a different vocal type than the rest of the album (whose vocals were pretty Ho-Hum at best).

The instrumentals in this band were very intriguing.  They were dissonant and simple, yet gritty and peppery.  The vocals just didn't blend in correctly and left me straining to hear much of the time.  In all honesty I really couldn't tell what the lyrics where in any of the songs.

Reminds me of a rookie album by some of my favorite bands, think Incubus.

7/10

Vino 

Ask my wife what term I use after drinking a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and she'll probably say that I say "I'm feeling cabbed out".  You know that heavy feeling you get when you drink a cab with too much oak and it starts to bog you down?

J. Lohr's Hilltop Vineyard Cabernet didn't have this overly burdened effect on me but it was close.  The nose was nice with hints of blueberry, jalapeno pepper, and a finish of maple (like a pancake that has let the syrup soak in).  The maple syrup characteristic was very intriguing and definitely peaked my interest in the wine.

The wine itself was very palatable not too cumbersome and typical to it's varietal.  Medium bodied and with a nice balance of alcohol even at 14.9%.

As this 2006 Paso Robles Cab opened up it released it's berry potential.  For those of you thinking fruit bomb think fruit bullet, with just a bit of oak that melded in nicely with the fruit.

Dark and slightly chewy this is probably a wine for new world cab drinkers, but I think a fan of Bordeaux could appreciate this wine.  I would definitely try this wine again and I'm sure it would be a definite crowd pleaser if it were poured at a wine event.

88 pts.

Maggie's Review

Audio

I think I liked this album a lot more than Nick did.  When writing my reviews, I usually throw in a lot of band names to compare the music to, so that our readers have a good scope for reviewing the tracks.  This time, no groups come to mind.  To me, that constitutes an original musical creation.

I didn't think that the opening track was boring at all--in fact, it was a great track for the group to lead with.  "Wrong Side" is probably the most uptempo, adrenaline-pumping track on the album .  .  . even if it is a bit contrived.  It does show some of the interesting instrumentation that the group uses throughout the album, however.

That instrumentation is developed in later tracks, which combine a tribal-sounding percussive aura with futuristic synthesizers and piano.  Not one of the tracks could be heard on your simple-pop rock station . . . that is, with the exception of the vocals.

Vocally, not much is going on.  Think All-American Rejects or Jett.  It's not bad, but it's not good.  Overall, I really enjoyed their creativity, but felt that the album lacked a purely melodic, simple, beautiful track.

8.5/10

Vino

Now, when Nick mentions his usual line during a cab tasting, it is "I'm feeling cabbed out."  My personal line is "Man, this is pretty good."  I won't lie-I love California cabs.  You can call it simple, fruit-driven, or uninteresting if you'd like--but I appreciate flavor that makes me say "wow."  Simply put, J. Lohr wasn't the best Cab I've ever tried, but it wasn't bad.

I loved the strong, syrup-y flavors of this wine (showed up only by the smell--WOW).  It was like standing in the meeting place of a vineyard, an orchard, and an ocean, taking in the smells, and getting intoxicated by the beauty.  The nose was definitely better than the actual taste, however, which was great, fruity, and bombastic, but left me desiring more creativity.  It had those great blueberries, strawberry jam, fruit syrup-y flavors . . . but it didn't evolve into much.  Great party wine for a group that enjoys wines, but not much of a conversation starter.

90 pts.

A Bottle Full of Violets, A Speaker Full of Eyedeas

A Bottle Full of Violets, a Speaker full of Eyedeas


  

     Long time no blog...we know, we know.  A combination of working retail and a couple of head colds has prevented us from having days off together, which in turn prevented us from writing AudioVino.  If you have any complaints, we strongly urge you to take them up with our superiors at work!  Luckily, the holiday season is now over, and we are starting 2011 off with a bang.  We wrote up an entry for Foxen Pinot Noir, but sadly lost it . . .  so we are going to start 2011 with a bottle of Cline Ancient Vine Mouvedre and the punk rock/rap album "By The Throat" by Eyedeas and Abilities.
     We decided to choose some music from the rap/R&B section for this week's AudioVino, and we may have chosen the album based on the cover art . . . but it may have been the misspelling of "ideas" that did it.  It took Nick a few minutes to interpret the name of the band, but we won't hold that against him (he went to public college).
     As we started our tasting tonight, it was difficult for us to name exactly what we were tasting, smelling, and hearing.  In a lot of ways, "By The Throat" and Cline Mouvedre were a perfect match--because they were ridiculously difficult to label.  As we sniffed the vino, it was surprisingly hard for us to figure out exactly what we were smelling.  About halfway through the tasting, we started to wrap our minds around it--while there was a strong nod to violet and various florals on the nose, there was also a deep undertone of sweet, vanilla-y,  almond-esque biscotti flavor.  This turned out to be pretty consistent with the sip, which brought forth flavors of creme brulee, almond biscotti, and, surprisingly, black licorice on the finish.
     As for the album, it was difficult to simply label Eyedeas and Abilities as rap.  The album's title track, "Hay Fever" made this apparent from the start.  With a guitar riff that wouldn't be out of place on a Papa Roach album and vocals that could be mistaken for Pharrell, the first song really threw us for a loop.  However, we soon caught on--Eyedeas and Abilities was obviously going for a rap-that-defies-genre feel, with rock-driven solos, varied vocal qualities, and Eminem-esque rap.  What was the verdict?  Read on to find out!

Nick's Review


Audio
     I liked this album, that is all!  Just kidding . . . but really it was a nice change.  Fans of Atmosphere, Nirvana, and most underground punk groups will enjoy this album.  Traditionally I am not a huge fan of the real artsy and poetic style of rap but Eyedeas and Abilities changed my mind.  The album was like a simplified version of Gym Class Heroes with heavily gained simple guitar and straightforward rhythms.
     The neatest thing about the album was it's ability to evolve.  In past AudioVino entries, we have given high scores to albums that had an ability to make each song sound unique, "By The Throat" makes each song sound different while retaining the feel of the album.  What I mean is the instrumentation and effects remain consistent but their uses very.
     For example, the album starts with "Hay Fever," which begins with a heavily gained rock riff that is very simple and sounds like a mediocre garage band.  However, this simplicity and edginess compliments well with the vocalist.
     The rapping by  Michael Larsen is very edgy and the vocals are very out of tune.  This has a neat effect of putting the listener on edge.  You almost feel like you can't stay grounded while listening.  The vocals lift you up in an uneven fashion, only to leave you dangling and then confused by why they didn't go where they had previously promised.
     At times the instrumentals could be quite beautiful, in a simplistic way and I was looking forward to more out of them, which I unfortunately never seemed to find.
     My favorite track was Smile, because of its catchy if not sad chorus.
     I liked this album, I will probably listen to it again.  Mainly what I got out of it though was a hope that they can do something else that I like more.   I think this is a band to keep your eyes or perhaps your ears on, to see what else they can do.

7/10


Vino


     Fun wine we drank tonight.  Mouvedre is a grape commonly used in the southern Rhone and is commonly mixed with Grenache and Syrah, think GSM blends.  It is dark in color but light in affection.  This wine didn't disappoint.  Cline carries some of the few remaining ancient Mouvedre vines of California and they make a gem for around $13.00.
     The nose starts off with hints of sweet almond, violet and fennel.  The violet will remind you of when you'd go shopping with your Grandma and she would take you to those craft stores, you remember like Hobby Lobby.  It also reminded me of the "Lush" natural cosmetic stores, only much more subtle.  Someone looking to experience a new pallet flavor of violet would appreciate Cline's Mouvedre.
     The flavor is very articulate and attacks the pallet very straightforward.  Even though it is labeled at 15%, most of the heat is found on the nose and not in the pallet, thankfully.  Initially I picked up a hint of creme brulee.  Like creme brulee done very lightly and not too burned.  As we let the wine breath the light fruit that there was to begin with mellowed and the creme brulee became more pronounced, most likely do to the vanilla flavors from the oak.
     The wine finished with a heavy dose of black licorice.  This lingering finish was nice and chewy and had a nice fennel flavor, not that explosion of anise that can be too much....errr....yeah.
     Definitely give this wine a try with some nice dinner fresh off the grill.

89 pts. (Again I need a broader base of Mouvedre to judge this wine better!)


Maggies Review


Audio 

     Hmm . . . wasn't so sure about this one.  True, it wasn't unoriginal.  As a matter of fact, it was the exact opposite--this group was definitely going for the "defying genre" idea.  Rap vocals with a bit of falsetto gave a nod to Pharrell, while the rock background made me think of certain TI or Eminem tunes.  I didn't mind the idea they were going for--at least it wasn't another super-bleeding-heart indie album without any creative content.  I would be interested to see how these guys grow as artists, but they have a long way to go!
     As an example of their rap-can't-be-defined-as-a-genre mentality, their second track "Spin Cycle" actually sounded a lot like 90's rock.  The album was chalk full of semi-deep, Kanye-esque lyrics, and songs like "Hayfever" and "Time Flies When You Have A Gun" were perfect examples of their style.  The album had a few standout tracks, like "Smile," which boasts much better vocals than the rest of the album, and "Burn Fetish," which showcases a very fresh-sounding beat and vibe.  Altogether--liked it, didn't love it, would listen to this group down the road to see how far they've come.

7/10

Vino

     Great wine tonight, and not just because it smelled like Lush products!  Seriously though, this wine was a very different experience for me.  In my experience with wine, I have noted some herbal scents and textures and have picked out some fennel and coco, but until now I have not had any real experience with florals.  The violets on the nose were so pleasant to me, and really complimented the dessert-like palate.
     The palate was just like Nick said--a soft, lovely bite of creme brulee on the tip of the tongue, followed by some punch-packing black licorice and almonds at the back, all wound together with the aura of violets created by the scent of the wine.  The marriage of these three flavors was delightful, and made for a great drinking experience.  What ultimately came to mind?  Sitting in the garden in the morning savoring an almond biscotti!

90 pts

Holiday Entertainment Do's and Dont's

Holiday Entertainment Do's and Dont's

With the holidays quickly approaching, wine shops and liquor stores are abuzz with housewives and party-throwers searching for the perfect wine to serve at their holiday cocktail parties and Thanksgiving dinners.  The 2007 Cabernet Franc by M. Cosentino may or may not be a terrific holiday wine for your get-together, as we learned during this week's tasting.  We know one thing for certain, though - do not choose The Blue Dogs for your background music.





This was our first straight Cabernet Franc, so we weren't sure what to expect as we poured our glasses.  The nose immediately screamed "sweet bread," so don't sniff this wine if you are watching your carbs.  Aside from the bread, the nose had hits of berries, chocolate, and hazelnut coffee, giving the wine a warm and pleasant aura.

As for the music, Maggie chose this album from the Jazz section at Deaf Ear Records, hoping for something a little different than run-of-the-mill indie rock.  Now that we've heard this record, we believe someone dropped "Halos and Good Buys" into the Jazz section on their way out, because this was certainly not jazz.  This was straight-up, full-fledged, pop-driven country music.  From the first track, "What's Wrong with Love Songs," we felt like we were listening to the Zac Brown Band's cheesiest song on repeat.

Blue Dogs "Halos and Good Buys" was a major disappointment

Sipping the wine (and trying to tune out the music),  we realized that we were getting very different textures out of the wine.  Nick got a warm barbeque taste, with a bit of celery and veggies . . . basically, a dinner at Famous Dave's.  Maggie's take on the wine was totally different--although the "warmth" of the wine was easy to agree with, she tasted vanilla, nuts, and bright berries--a completely different flavor color than Nick's interpretation.

The second pour helped us to reconcile our opinions.  The taste of almond bark and white chocolate became more apparent as the wine opened up, and we both began to get plum on the nose of the wine.  We figured the "barbeque" that Nick tasted was the same flavor that Maggie read as "berries," and the white chocolate and nutty tastes were both consistent with both of our palates.

Nick's Review

Audio 

Not what I was expecting when Maggie told me she pulled this out of the Jazz section.  Even the cover looked kind of jazz-like.  After starting the music I even opened up the CD tray just to make sure we didn't get the wrong CD put into the case, but to my surprise it had the same title as the cover.
Again, all of these songs sounded the same.  Some people may enjoy this album, if you like country music and want something in the background while you are doing other things that will keep your mind occupied this could be an okay album.

The album sleeve had a bunch of information on the guitars and amps that the band was using and you can tell the musicians are into their craft.  This was evident in a few of the songs that had a bit more of a virtuosic spin, such as the beginning of track number 3 "Mr. Rain".

I will be honest and tell you I couldn't even finish this album.

2/10

Vino 

Not a bad wine and definitely one that can be labeled as a crowd pleaser.  Overly ripe for a Cab Franc which is typically a more delicate red wine that is light red and has some fruit with hints of greens. This wine was obviously blended, evident by it's dark color and very fruit-forward flavor profile.  Maggie eluted earlier to the fact that it reminded me of Famous Dave's.  It actually reminded me of this: Going to Famous Dave's for lunch and being very hungry, than you order a beer, this makes you even more hungry, than you eat you pork sandwich and every last crumb of your fries, than you eat a couple of pickles because you're still hungry.  After all this you have had a few pleasant tastes on your pallet but you are still craving more and are forced to spend a few extra bucks on desert in order to satisfy your craving.

In a nutshell it was fun, but lacked complexity and left me wanting more.  I definitely want to try another Cabernet Franc, but I will look for something a little less ripe for my next try.  I am a big fan of M. Cosentino wines and I would highly recommend them as a pick that is a bit under the radar and also makes you feel like your not drinking the same old pour you had last weekend.

80 pts (decent gift wine/party wine)

Maggie's Review

Audio

There is very little I can say about this album, because I literally stopped paying attention after the first two tracks.  The only track that held a little bit of hope for me was "Mr. Rain," only because it sounded more like modern rock at the beginning.  Don't get me wrong--I can enjoy some good country music as much as any other girl, but this was terrible.  It was obvious in every single song that this group was trying to make an album of hits.  Every song sounded like it could have been released as a single: upbeat, mass-appeal, moderate tempo, and stale lyrics.  Each song was formulaic, and they followed the exact same formula with every single song.

4/10

Vino

I think I was slightly more impressed with this wine than Nick was, mainly because I do think it had a distinct personality and was a great holiday wine.  I can appreciate the cozy aspect of this wine, which contained hints of white chocolate, hazelnut, and sparse berries.  In addition to the holiday-esque flavors, it also had some light celery and veggie flavors.  However, I agree with Nick that it wasn't a very complex wine, and after some of the wines we've tried, I was definitely left wanting more of a challenge.  Great party wine, quite appealing, and it all came at a decent price.  These would make great stocking-stuffers for your favorite party-throwers!

84 pts.

Weakerthan Da Vinci Eating DiGiorno?

Weakerthan Da Vinci Eating DiGiorno?

Don't let the title of this blog fool you.  This was an awesome pairing.  Fans of the Smashing Pumpkins and bold Italian wines will want to go right out and buy this combo.  We ventured to the punk section and chose the CD "Left and Leaving" by The Weakerthans.  The music was about as punk as the band Yellowcard, but the change in music style was almost as refreshing as the vino.  We paired the music with a bottle of 2003 Il Ducale Toscana.  We had both recently watched "The Godfather" and were craving a little Sangiovese.  The vino was interesting and was a great learning experience for both of us.  It had some interesting flavors that we didn't really know how to unwrap previously, and was a great wine for helping to learn how to discern Sangiovese from other wines.




After decanting, pouring, and pressing 'play', we mentally prepared ourselves for what we thought would be a loud, hardcore, and unfamiliar listening experience.  However, when we ventured into the "punk" section at Deaf Ear, we hadn't realized we had really ventured into the "punk 2002" section.  The first track of the album, "Everything Must Go!" was quite mellow, and the combination of mellow instrumentals and timid vocals gave us a musical picture of Neil Young singing along to Buckcherry's "I'm Sorry."  After that, however, the album was mostly upbeat light-rock punk music, similar to Yellowcard or any other "punk" band from 2002-2005.

As for the wine, it definitely took us a little longer than usual to jump to any conclusions.  The nose was salty-semisweet, like figs and nuts.  (Ladies--ever tried Bath and Body Works "Brown Sugar and Fig? This was that lotion in a wine bottle!)  As we sipped, the wine continued the notion of salty-semisweet, and we tasted some mellow-dark fruits, like gentle dried berries and figs.  Then, we unlocked a great new flavor for our palates: olives!  The semisweet and salty taste was wonderfully characterized by olives, and we were so pleased with ourselves for putting our fingers on this that we had to put a frozen pizza in the oven! (AUTHORS' EDIT: By the way, the pizza . . . best, decision, ever.)



Nick's Review:

Audio 

 The vocals were one of the most interesting points of this band.  Similar to Neil Young with that shaky uncertain voice that was even a bit flat at times.  I got into this album early--I could relate to track 2 "Aside" which had that pop-punk style that reminded me of the early 2000s (Junior High for me!).
The vocalist also reminded me of Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, especially in track 4, "Pamphleteer".

This album was ever evolving and had a nice mix of driving songs with a few slow songs (good chance to enjoy the vino).  Track 6 "Without Mythologies" made me think that I should have brought a Greek wine to this AudioVino.  This track was simple with tribal style rhythms and was definitely written so that the lyrics could be pondered over.  Nice album, I will keep my eyes open for more music by The Weakerthans.

8/10

Vino

This was a fun wine for me for a couple of reasons.  Most of all was that I had a chance to unlock some flavors that I had been struggling to put my finger on, and that I was able to discover these with Maggie!  The nose had hints of fig and raisin.  There were other fruits that I could bore you with, but it was really the fig that stood out--I mean we are talking fig newtons here (which I usually hate, but are fun in a wine!) 

The front of the pallet had dark fruits that transformed into sweet vanilla and cigar box . . . or for you more distinguished gentleman, think Miami Suites Irish Cream Cigarrellos.

Nick went as a liquor salesman for Halloween - or was he just getting ready for work?

The most interesting part of the wine was the finish.  The finish was...OLIVES.  At first, we were drinking this wine and couldn't quite grasp what it was.  It was salty and rubbery and reminded me of something I dislike.  I personally hate olives, but not as much as fig newtons, and was geeking out when I realized that the mystery Italian flavor that I could never pinpoint was olives! I will say this though, the flavor is the part of olives that I actually like.  You know, the nice beginning taste before olive-y aftertaste!  I am very excited to have found this flavor and even more excited that Maggie picked it out as well.

The age on this wine deffinately helped as well.  We chose the 2003 over a bottle of 2006 that was right behind it and it was a good choice, the tannins were smooth with nice mellow fruits.  Great pizza wine.  This wine should almost never be consumed with out a little slice of pizza to compliment it.

91 pts. (Look for this vintage, Brunello vintage, not that that means anything)


Maggie's Reviews


Audio 

Nick pretty much hit the nail on the head when he said "junior high."  Maybe it's just me, but I haven't been musically satisfied with the past few albums.  This one began on a high note (no pun intended) because the timid, shaky vocal tone was quite pleasant and unique in a mellow song.  However, inject that exact same vocal into teenage lyrics and lay it smoothly over an easy guitar riff, and all you have is Simple Plan.

Okay, I take it back.  It wasn't as bad as Simple Plan.  The song "Without Mythologies" was pretty cool, mainly because the percussion sounded exactly like the background music in Goron City (I'll have to check the credits to see if Link wrote this tune.)  In all seriousness, though, the band had some creative edge, but they took their creativity and laid it under a safety net.

7.5/10


Vino

Nick and I joked that this wine was "my essence," because fig is my absolute favorite scent in all my perfumes and lotions.  The wine itself was relatively smooth and quite Mediterranean, but what made our experience so delightful was how much we learned from this wine.  This wine divulged a very classic palate into our repertoire: the olive-y, figgy, sweet-but-salty taste of great Italian wine. 

Tasting the berries, the figs, and the sweet, olive-y goodness, I felt like I could have been sitting on a beach in Sicily eating a Neapolitan pizza.  Instead, of course, I was sitting on a too-small couch in a drafty apartment in Wisconsin eating frozen DiGiorno.  But really, what is wine for, if not to transport us to a different place and time?  This wine did just that.  While I wouldn't call it the most impressive wine I've ever had, and while I wasn't blown away by any particular flavor or smell, this wine was tasty, grounded, and classic, and through its Mediterranean flavors and distinguishable olive and fig scents, it taught us about the irresistible combination of Italian wine and pizza.

89 pts.

Yes, Everything in La Cocina Sink

Yes, Everything in La Cocina Sink

Happy Halloween everyone-from Nick, Maggie, and Amber!

We would first like to extend our thanks to the amazing Tricia Courtney for donating this week's wine and music (through a gracious new apartment gift!).  We would also like to extend an invite to anyone who would like to suggest an audio or a vino for us, leave a comment, or, if they're feeling really bold, accompany us as a guest on AudioVino.

This week we drank a "kitchen blend" of Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah from an Argentinian winemaker known as La Posta.  The wine is called "La Cocina," and it definitely had all the flavors one would expect to find in the kitchen!



As we opened up the wine and poured it into the decanter, we found a nose of definitive greens, such as edamame or celery.  This wine was very herbaceous, but also left us with hints of sea salt and cocoa.  The first sips showed our palates some great flavors, very similar to the nose yet very distinct for each of us (to be discussed in further detail).  This wine comes from South America, geographically known for it's "new world" style of winemaking, which can be synonymous with bold, fruit-forward wines.  However, La Cocina has great old world complexity and definitely leaves you wondering what type of land such a wine came from.  It really grasps a particular terroir and is a very intriguing sip.

The music this week was Dear in the Headlights' "Drunk Like Bible Times".  If you have a predisposition to sacrilege, sorry--this CD wasn't anything like that.  We chose an indie rock band again--luckily, this time we chose one with varied musical styles, from typical guitar to a diverse organ.

Nick's Review
Audio:
Cool album, especially upon a second spin.  Anyone into indie bands would like this especially if you like earlier stuff from Sterophonics.

The first track "I'm Not Crying, You're Not Crying Are You?" starts with a whirly guitar part that is punctuated with a clean guitar riff.  It emerges into energy driven vocals similar to The Killers.  Sidebar: If you notice the theme of my hearing The Killers in every album we review, you understand why I'm sick of picking the same style of Indie music.

The second track "Bad News" was full of tempo changes and had effects you might find in a car commercial.  Than again most indie music makes me think of the iPod commercials.

My favorite track was the third track "Carl Solomon Blues"--listeners may think of Violent Femmes with a Western kick.  The song is driven and has great use of compiled rythm between instrumentalists, percussionist and vocalist.  The best part is the next song mellows out and leaves you feeling satisfied if you listen to them back to back.

I would definitely recommend this group and will be adding this song to my everyday listening, however I hope next week we don't pick another indie rock style album.

8/10

Vino:
Awesome vino.  This has everything you could want--well, unless your looking for a big fruit bomb.  Herbaceous was the best descriptor I could come up with for the nose.  When I first started drinking this wine I couldn't quite put my finger on what was going on.  I kept thinking of some sort of raw vegetable right out of the ground like a potato or an.....onion!  It was an onion.  Think somewhere between french onion soup and cool ranch dorritos!  This wine also had some great minerality and sea salt.  It will bring you on a trip to Argentina and get you right into the nitty gritty of the terroir.  Please try this wine tonight.

91 pts

Maggie's Review

Audio

I know Nick appreciated this CD, and I can appreciate it's listenability.  However, if you're looking for an interesting album that will sweep you into its melody and trap you under its chords . . . this album will be a disappointment.  If you're looking for an album that will bring you straight to your feet and render you unable of sitting still . . . well, this album will disappoint you too.  This album was like a fusion of the been-there-done-that Indie vibe of Franz Ferdinand and the whiney-pop vocals and dance rock of the All American Rejects.


I will say that I liked the first song, "I'm Not Crying . . ." a lot.  It has a catchy beat and will stay stuck in your head for days.  My favorite track was the last song, "I Know."  It was one of the more creative tracks because of the use of drum sticks, the all-around interesting percussive beats, and the dark instrumentaion.  If this guy's voice wasn't so annoying, I'd recommend it to friends who like most modern Indie music.  I probably liked it because it sounds so much like Franz Ferdinand.


8.3/10


Vino

Gonna have to agree with Nick--the wine stole the trophy from the music tonight.  This wine was such a foodie wine--not that you need food to make it great.  The name "Cocina Blend" works so well because this would be the perfect wine to sip as you are preparing dinner in a cozy kitchen.  I loved the smells of kale and leafy herbs and the semisweet tastes of onions and scallions.  I was hardcore craving some stuffed mushrooms to go with this wine.

This wine was not only fabulous, it was interesting.  We couldn't stop revisiting the nose, the palate, and the personality of this wine.  I'd say that a great wine can be marked by how much it inspires conversation--this one kept us conversing for hours.

91 pts.