Hallelujah, Hallelujah, God all mighty, Hallelujah. I’ve seen the light and held the hand of the Devil as I walked through the shadows. Free at last, I’m free at last. I have no idea what that means but…

If you like wine – like even this much l..l – the BLOOD INTO WINE trailer (view: bottom of article) alone should make you want more, more, more… if it doesn’t, take two aspirin and call me in the morning. I consider myself very fortunate to have received screening rights, as the chances of me being able to see BLOOD INTO WINE here in Munich are next to nil (unless of course I organise a public screening – hhhhmmmmmm, must analyse).

Flic screens:

[View with PicLens]

BLOOD INTO WINE in a nutshell:

1. Art Film
2. Documentary about winemakers in the Arizona desert
3. Tips on drinking and learning about wine
4. Anti wine snob
5. The wine world is a changin’! The way it’s presented too!
6. Starring: Maynard James Keenan and Eric Glomski
7. Directors: Ryan Page & Christopher Pomerenke
8. Director of Photography: Cary Truelick (TRUE!!!)
9. Editor: Rob Beadle (Mucho Grande!)
10. There’s more to American wine than just California.

The wine industry is going through quite a few changes (good thing), the way wine is being communicated and those doing the communicating have changed immensely (very good thing) and the timing of a documentary like Blood Into Wine definitely couldn’t be better (even better thing).

I’ll say it plain and simply, it’s my favourite wine documentary. Not just because:

1. it stars Maynard Keenan,
2. it’s fabulously shot and edited,
3. it’s funny,
4. the soundtrack is great,
5. it doesn’t take itself too seriously,
6. the characters are real and quite the characters to boot,
7. there’s no bullshit (OK, maybe just a bit – but those are the funny parts)
8. It’s Full-HD
9. Did I mention funny?
10. It explains wine in a easy to understand manner.

…but due to the fact that it’s watchable for 100 minutes.

Like many documentaries made in the past decade, it tackles the “big wine industry” and “wine critic” subject but they aren’t fighting it as some do – it’s accepted as a reality and co-existence is inevitable. In my opinion, this is due to the fact that Maynard has probably met his share of jackals in the music business and this is harmless compared to that.

In addition, the fact that this is a documentary about two people (Maynard Keenan and Eric Glomski) who’ve decided to set up shop in the Arizona Desert – of all places – is constantly present. Vines could have been planted in a number of “easier” places on the planet but these boys chose the desert.

Nothing comes easy! Not only does Maynard mention this towards the end of the film but you really do experience the fact that there’s immense passion involved… and it’s not like they’re trying to hide the fact that it’s a business either – figures are mentioned and it’s not Monopoly money!

Now some’ll probably say “Maynard’s wines sell because of Maynard and this film got made because of him too…” And I’d say you’re right to a certain point – he can get the word out there easier than most but in the end, the product has to speak for itself.

Note: I have yet to try Maynard’s and Eric’s wines, as they’re not available in Germany. Well, not that I know of.

What I think you will get out of this film:

1. Starting up a winery isn’t all romance (you’re probably too tired to screw at the end of the day anyway)
2. Treading a new path is anything but easy
3. Treading a new path is more satisfying
4. It’s possible to grow things in the desert – and make good things out of these things (such as wine)
5. You have to trust your own palate
6. Maynard rocks in more ways than one
7. Wine is for everyone
8. Wine has a way of getting into your veins and not letting go – I don’t mean alcoholism
9. There are options on the wine market, you just have to discover them (when you find them, never settle for second best – start demanding!! Change? Yes we can!)
10. Starting a winery and making it successful takes just as much cash as it does passion
11. Sustainability is the only true way

Who do I think will like this movie?

1. People just discovering wine (decent tips)
2. Tool, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle fans
3. Fans of art movies and well made documentaries
4. People who pride themselves on not settling for second best
5. People who DON’T like the stuffiness that often accompanies wine
6. Fans of the Bikini Bandits (www.bikinibandits.com)

Who do I think won’t like this movie?

1. People who DO like the stuffiness that often accompanies wine

And to those people I say… Fuck you G-MART!

Some of you may say – you’re only pushing BLOOD INTO WINE cuz you’re breakin’ with tradition by doin’ the wine & rock thing and you only wanna meet Maynard & Eric!

And to those people I say… YES! And of course… Fuck you G-MART!

Hallelujah – I’ve seen the light! www.bloodintowine.com

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I ordered a six pack of “COLD P….” because of the conotation alone… “Muschi” in German is, you guessed it… images do speak a thousand words. Would I have come up with the idea of mixing wine and cola… would I want to? Since you can make your own similar mix, I wanted to find out if Kalte Muschi was worth the purchase price.

There’s wine in a can, wine in a box, wine in plastic bottles and wine in just about any other container without a hole in it, so why not try this?

See the head-2-head tasting on Wine On The Rocks.

Kalte Muschi

Any piece of art, whether written, sung, played, sculpted or painted should, in my opinion, trigger a certain emotion or set of emotions if done properly, in short – with authenticity – BEEN DOON SO LONG does this.

With BEEN DOON SO LONG, Randall Grahm invites you for a ride in his vintage French car and if you choose to get in, will take you on a fantastic voyage down winding roads, painting pictures with words as you putter along and he points out the scenery in motion. Promise! I was rewarded with some of the most ON scenery I’ve scene in a long time. Truly inspiring. He doesn’t just revel in his successes over the years but is honest and introspective about his fiascos, or fiaschetti if you will, as well.

The description of label conception & design is so vivid. You – I did anyway – feel exactly what was behind it all; not just the idea, but the drive which led to the idea. The drive which makes you do the things in life worth doing, the minute attention to detail, the need to share a vision and see that vision grow, the need for truth – that’s what you get here. That certain je ne sais quoi – the IT! You feel IT! you see IT!

Another great thing is the fact that the book isn’t linear, you can browse left to right, right to left, stick to the middle and come back again – it accommodates any reading style. You will read it over and over again. It would be a pity if you didn’t. There are so many things to discover the second time around.

To make a long story short, the spirit of the book and the author reminded why it’s important to do what you feel rather than that which you should: keep it real, don’t give up, do the best you can, do good work and if you happen to leave the path, it’s OK as long as you get back on.

On top of that, I love the layout as well as the many keynote references which are a little book all on their own. Plain and simple – it conveys what the author intended and gives at the same time!

Biba la Rebolucion and may the underdog always come out on top.

Keep on keepin’ ON!

The HolyDaze are upon us which also means another year has come and gone… don’t ask me where 2009 went though. They say time flies “when you’re having fun” and “when you get older” – I think it’s a mix of both in my case. I’d like to take this time to thank everyone who took the time to visit my blog and Wine On The Rocks the past months: for your feedback, for your support and just for the plain fact that you’ve kept on keepin’ ON! Wishing you and yours a wonderful and safe holiday season!

Since I don’t see the need in sending out offline cards which only wind up being thrown away weeks after they arrived, I prefer the online version – which you can pick up here –>

As the year came and went, I did some tasting in between… and here’s my top 5 list of personal “full bodied red” favourites in 2009 (the keyword being PERSONAL):

1. Quinta Vale Dona Maria Tinto Douro DOC – 2004 (good international availability for this winery – but ’04 was sold out quite quickly)

Beautifully balanced, fruity, complex, length till Tuesday, the harmony is like a tight wire walk: it looks easy but needs years of experience to get to this level – everything you’d expect in an irresistible wine. Enjoying this wine for the first time with Cristiano Van Zeller leading the tasting, in Douro – wine always tastes better where it grows – made the experience that much more special. Needless to say, this is my 2009 Xmas wine! One more quick note: this wine is crushed barefoot – now how amazing is that. I chose this wine because it just gave me the biggest WOW factor and the fact that, even at EUR 28,00 per bottle, it’s still underpriced in my opinion.

2. Valentini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC – 2001 (good international availability for this winery – premium retail)

There are mythical producers and there are mythical producers – Edoardo Valentini (who passed away in 2006) was definitely one of them and his son, Francesco Paolo, is definitely on his way to following in his father’s footsteps. Not only has drinking a Valentini wine become like a Pagan ritual to me but the respect I have for the Myth and his anti-marketing ethic is almost scary. Valentini’s 2001 is still very young but tasting it now and knowing what’s to come in the following years is definitely something to look forward to. Extraction out the yin-yang; an incredible thing when you do it with extreme attention, the taste of the land, notes of cherry, tabacco and a medley of fine spices. The tannins are still ON but rounding up beautifully. Each one of Valentini’s wines are truly unique. Bad year? No wine. Plain and simple. They have their price but in my opinion, they’re more than worth it.

3. Baltieri Amarone della Valpolicella Sortilegio DOC – 2005 (limited international availability – contact winery: www.baltieri.it)

I truly love meeting producers of fine wine, especially when you feel the soul of their work in your glass and it expresses their personality. Andrea Baltieri was one of these people: he’s managed to bottle his understated and humble, yet elegant and complex manner. Once meeting him, you would honestly think that he picked every grape individually, put it on a silk cushion, carried it to the press and gave it a little pep talk before starting the crush – great people really do make great wine. Andrea’s Amarone is so so silky with the perfect amount of freshness. It screams elegance and complexity but isn’t in your face about it. When it comes to meditation wines – this example is surely worthy of the title. Baltieri’s Recioto della Valpolicella… don’t get me started – mmmmmmmm!

4. Querciabella Chianti Classico DOCG – 2006 (good international availability for this winery)

This winery has been making fine reds since the early 70′s and the C.C. 2006 is no exception. Biodynamically produced, fruity/spicy with just the right amount of funk, elegance, complexity, nicely rounded tannins and mucho bang for the buck make this wine a true hit in my books. I love wines which you can drink everyday (price wise) but can also serve on a special occasion without thinking “are my guests going to think I’m being a cheap prick”? Great allrounder. I’ve gone through 6-7 cases of this wine in 2009 as I often use it in my wine seminars – definitely a participant favourite!!

5. Chateu Cos d’Estournel – St. Estèphe – Deuxième Cru Classé 1997 (good international availability for this winery)

Becoming a sommelier, I’ve noticed over the years, has some disadvantages as well as advantages:

Disadvantage: people stop buying you wine because they think it’s never good enough!
Advantage: when someone does buy you a bottle of wine you can be sure it’s a pretty good one!

This example can definitely be logged in the ADVANTAGE file. I received this bottle from a good friend and after drinking it together, we became even better friends. I love left-bank Bordeaux and examples such as the 1997 Cos d’Estournel is exactly why. The wine, just shy of its teens, developed with such an elegance regardless of its heartiness – I can only imagine how “green” it was 10 years ago – and there is still good things to come. The bouquet was so attractive that I had trouble getting my schnozz out of the glass, some wines really are a pity to drink: it was like pixies dancing and leaving a fresh scent of wild berries and spices in their wake. The palate didn’t dissapoint one bit either – full bodied YYEESSSNEESSS – that’s all I could think when drinking it – YYYEEESSSS! C’est tout mes amis :-)

Wishing you all the best in 2010!! And of course, keep on keepin’ ON!