Wendy, Elisabeth of currentVintage & Alison enjoying Laurnet-Perrier rosé champagne at The Pearl 10th Anniversary Party, 12/06/09. photo Gene Mahon

To Every wine I’ve loved before…

I remember that 1990 Nuits St George at Jean George so long ago.  And there was the Corton Charlemagne in the 18^th century caves of Latour. Aged and amber white burgundies at Jadot.  A thimbleful of 1964 Lafite-Rothschild (it was a half bottle shared among 8).

While these were great vintages, it’s the circumstance I remember so vividly, because what makes a wine truly memorable is usually the setting in which it’s enjoyed…the pleasure of the table.  While I’m a little spoiled in the fine wine department, it doesn’t have to be all pomp–a backyard BBQ makes me so happy in summer.  Friends and food—they can make a good wine unforgettable.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt when the wines are from Burgundy, but the point is that wines do not always need a white tablecloth to shine.

On a wine trip last year, I had an impromptu 2004 Dierberg chardonnay with Jim Dierberg in his majestic home in Happy Canyon, outside Santa Barbara.  We thought that we would be guided around the spectacular Neverland-scale property by a winery rep, but Jim showed up, himself, and after a tour over hill and dale in his Range Rover, he invited us in to share a glass–such an unexpected treat!  We learned so much about the man, the wine, the land;  a brief, but lovely visit and memory.

Wine and food.  The exponential pleasure derived from the combo still leaves me giddy.  Just last spring, a bottle of the unusual, distinctive (and inexpensive) 07 Conti di Buscareto Lacrima di Morro d’Alba at the Little Owl in the West Village made a phenomenal meal even more so.  I bought it for the store and when I opened a bottle, it was so…different.  The wine had been but one part of the perfect tsunami that was a super-memorable evening.  It’s still interesting and intriguing, but at the Little Owl, it was sublime.  A 2003 Sea Smoke “Southing” had the same effect at Blackeyed Susan’s:  good food became outrageously so.  I’m still dreaming of the Guy Charlemagne cuvee our hosts popped for us just last month in Ireland–a perfectly lavish wine that reflected the warmth and generosity of our friends.

A 1969 Remoriquet, a Kistler chardonnay, some Puligny-Montrachet…the wines of 2009 could be the start of a great musical, or at least a nice haiku.

Top 5 Wines I’d like to find under the tree:

07 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, $60 (sale $48 at currentVintage)

Lush, round and mouthfilling decadence.  They sell this by the ($24) glass at the Waverly Inn in NYC, a restaurant known for it’s extravagances, ie $55 truffle mac-n-cheese, no telephone reservations, larger-than-life clientele, that mural of who’s whos…The food is good, but not great, and the attitude borders on Theatre of the Absurd, but somehow the experience always exceeds the sum of its parts–and a glass of this wine plays a big part!

07 Radio-Coteau “Savoy” Chardonnay, $56 (sale $45)

This wine stood out in a line-up of standouts at my birthday dinner.   Even after magnums of Pax rosé and Bouchard Batard-Montrachet and others were served, this elegant Sonoma Coast chardonnay, with hint of pear and lots of finesse, provoked head-turning, label studying reactions from most.  This also reminds me of the Radio-Coteau “Las Colinas” syrah we had at American Seasons, which reminds me of another night at AS with a Loring pinot noir…

02 Bouchard Pere et Fils “Clos St Marc”, Nuits St Georges, $90 (sale $72)

What we love about Burgundy—nuance.  Lip-smacking, yet layered with a long and lovely finish. A  savory and sophisticated pinot that is ready to drink.  A favorite of my Mark—we savored it with burgers on a warm summer night.

05 Larkin Cabernet Franc, $72 (sale $58)

Sexy & voluptuous.  It was love at first sip with this one.  Reminds me of the old Secret commercial:  Strong enough for a man, yet made for a woman!  I don’t know if this is intentional, but I can just imagine charismatic Sean Larkin crafting wines with women in mind.  A Nantucket Wine Festival favorite, check out the cute photo of Sean in our previous post on him in the May 2009 archive (above right).

98 Billecart Salmon “Cuvee Elisabeth”, $175 (sale $140)

Another birthday treat, this champagne is pure beauty:  Stunning bottle, gorgeous pink-amber color, lovely to savor.

While most NV champagnes are carefully calibrated to maintain a consistent “House style”, a vintage champagne offers a snapshot of a particular vineyard in a spectacular year.  The house of Billecart-Salmon, established in 1818, is known for their rosés, with the “Cuveé Elisabeth” being the pinnacle.  This sophisticated, velvety and complex champagne fascinates.  I am thrilled that a champagne of this beauty and style has my name on it:  Elisabeth!

All I want for Christmas is…any of these wines that remind me of some really wonderful times in 2009.

currentVintage Holiday Style

High praise–so lovely to receive!

As one who recently gushed over a number of boutiques and restaurants throughout  Ireland, it was fun to be on the receiving end recently when currentVintage was mentioned in several other web blogs.  It’s certainly grand to get national press, ahem, ( Lucky, Food & Wine) and recognition on high volume websites (Concierge, Indagare, Frommer’s, Self), but it’s particularly gratifying when freelance writers or individuals just like what you do and shout it to the world.  It’s also fine if they just mention you in passing—they were here and they took note.
Anyway, we just got the nicest write up on a very cool blog called “Corks + Caftans”.  The blog is written by a couple, Rob & Carey, and captioned “He loves wine; she loves fashion.”  They each post fun and interesting pieces, a lifestyle mix of useful wine & travel notes, fashion references and intimate anecdotes.  I have been reading their blog off and on for sometime and concluded that I would definitely like to hang out with them.  Thus,  I was especially delighted for Carey to write a little piece on currentVintage.

“If Corks + Caftans were an actual store, I think it’d be reminiscent of this lovely shop tucked away on a cobblestone street near the harbor at 4 Easy Street. The vintage selection is so insane… I almost bought a baby blue sequined tunic with a scalloped hem and am still kicking myself for this lapse in judgment. Walk among carefully selected accessories, dresses, racks of wine, fur-collared coats… it’s like being at Willy frackin’ Wonka’s.”

Corks + Caftans blog

Back in the summer, we were featured in the Food & Wine magazine blog by editor Jen Murphy.  She asked me to come up with some wine and summer fashion pairings and opened her post with this:

“It takes talent to match just the right wine with a dish. Some would also argue that it takes talent to match the perfect handbag or heels with a dress. That makes Elisabeth English, the owner of Nantucket’s Current Vintage, super-talented.”—Jen Murphy

Elisabeth English on Food & Wine

Girls playing dress up at currentVintage

Another fun 2009 post featuring currentVintage was this one from The Fashion Examiner Blog Spot.  I was amused by their take on cV and the profile provided…

THE VIBE: Part Palm Beach vintage with some luxe items thrown in partnered with some select wine offering such as Sofia Coppola’s wine spritzers.

HIGHLIGHTS: the vintage Lilly Pulitzer cocktail and patio
dresses and the pink bug eyed sunglasses.

ON SALE: An adorable sail/architectural print sheath dress for under $100

WE BOUGHT: a cute brown pull on skirt with an embroidered mushroom cap for $35. The owner joked, “You just bought the cheapest thing on the Island”.

BROWNIE POINTS: The relaxed vibe and friendly owner who let us linger for close to an hour trying dresses on.

I also got a huge kick out of the title of this blog post from travel writer, Cathy Che, entitled “Preppy Nantucket: Alienated by Lilly Pulitzer without Irony”.  Che appreciated the natural beauty of Nantucket, but lamented the lack of originality in style and diversity on island. As I much as I revere the real Lilly Pulitzer, we could hardly be called preppy here at currentVintage, and fortunately, Che seemed to get our brand of cool:

“There are a few edgy shops like Current Vintage (refurbished Lilly Pulitzer and other chic vintage dresses plus fine wines) and Posh (fine handcrafted jewelry)”

“Preppy Nantucket: Alienated by Lilly Pulitzer without Irony”

The last blog post I’ll mention had particular significance for me, because it turned out I knew the author, although she did not know that she was writing about me!  Rebecca Chapa, an accomplished sommelier and wine educator, has a wine consulting company called “Tannin Management…Taking the Bitterness Out of Wine”.  She has an extensive restaurant wine background, working at Montrachet, Nobu and Tribeca Grill in New York, and as the first sommelier at Jardiniere in San Francisco, earning a “Best of Award of Excellence” from the Wine Spectator for their list.

Although a wine professional, Rebecca understands that wine can be enjoyed without fanfare.  Her blog, www.rebeccachapa.com, explores wine, spirits, travel and culture.  It was through the blog on “Nantucket: Off-Season” that I found her post mentioning currentVintage and realized that we used to work together at the Brotherhood in the early 90s!

“They have an amazing selection of lesser known cult wines including Scholium Project!  Pretty cool to see that someone here
knows what they’re doing.”—Rebecca Chapa on currentVintage

As one who loves to champion the elements of the currentVintage lifestyle, from winemakers to designers to destinations to bloggers, it’s nice to give and to receive.

Mahogany Duck, Gourmet January 1991

Many in the food and wine world are mourning the closing of  Gourmet magazine after more nearly 70 years of publication.  What does that mean for the cerebral epicurean?  How does that reflect on the populist palate?  What does it bode for the future of print media?  How could they do that to Ruth Reichl?!  For me, it is more sentimental…

By chance, Gourmet magazine changed my life.

I found my reluctant self in Clemson, SC in January1989.  I had taken a couple of years off from school while playing around in Nantucket, and now it was time to return, finish courses and graduate.

I was in a somewhat ideal living situation.  The apartment at 8 Lakewood Terrace was nothing to brag about, but the location was great and I shared the space with two absentee roommates.  The $88 each/month was such that my girlfriends didn’t mind paying just to have a place for the two weekends a year their parents came to visit.   So there I was, alone in my capacious cinder block 3 bedroom apartment, wondering how I was going to abide a year in this small college town.

My friends and I were a few years older than the average student and having ‘been there, done that’ with the party scene, we were searching for entrée into a new social context.  We liked to go to restaurants but, other than Los Hermanos (the local favorite Mexican place where I worked in a peach tiered ruffle Mexican dress), there were few options beyond boiled peanuts and beer.  An invitation came to me in the form of a subscription renewal card to Gourmet, intended for the previous tenants.  I had never heard of Gourmet magazine, but as the proud owner of the Silver Palate cookbooks and having dined at 21 Federal, et al on Nantucket, I was certain that the “Magazine of Good Living” was for me, ie, I had a lot to learn.

Without hesitation, I checked the box, wrote my check for $10 and mailed it in.  In retrospect, I’m surprised I did not overnight it, so electrified as I was at the thought of possibilities the magazine would bring…(probably because there was no overnight delivery back then.  Think about it—in 1989 there were no cell phones, pc’s–or even affordable cashmere sweaters.)

Gourmet, July 1991

I cannot remember the first issue exactly, but I know I read it cover to cover.  The Paris Journal, The London Journal. Salzburg, Bangkok, Sydney and Maui.  Guides to all of these places I had not yet been. I struggled through Gerald Asher’s Wine Journal and memorized reviews of Gotham Bar & Grill. This was not always enjoyable, given my lack of worldly experience with fine wine and New York dining, but I must have had a sense of foreshadowing, given what a big part both play in my life today!

“Gastronomie sans Argent”—that was more my style—and I always looked for the little clock symbol, indicating a quick preparation, since the reality was that even those recipes would take me hours to complete.  From fondue parties to New Years Eve feasts, Gourmet represented the lifestyle I wanted to lead.

50th Anniversary Issue, January 1991

Although I had no knife skills—or even knives–I had a party to test my kitchen prowess, and my new friends loved it.  We made it a regular event;  I spent all of my tips on cooking ingredients and my guests brought bottles of Taylor and, if they were feeling spendy, Gundlach Bundschu, to drink.

I subscribed to Gourmet all through the 90s and continued my self-taught education as a home cook.  Thus, it is not surprising that Gourmet recipes were a big part of  my portfolio when I was hired to open a ‘gourmet’ sandwich & coffee shop on Nantucket in 1994.  I continued to mine the Gourmet files when I joined another restaurant, Provisions, and, less than a decade after the first subscription, began my Provisions Catering business.

From the beautiful photography to the exotic destinations to the lofty musings to the black & white restaurant ads for La Cote Basque and Le Perigord in the back, I relished it all.  Eventually, I got to many of the restaurants and destinations that Gourmet had first introduced me to, but more importantly, I came to understand the essential Gourmet message:  the appreciation of ‘good living” as a way of life.  At Provisions, good living included our homemade cookies, soups and fresh bread, as well as the most esoteric hors d’oeuvre I could dream up.  It includes organic produce, fresh sushi and abstaining from jug wine.  It has resulted in a greater appreciation for Bartlett corn, South Carolina peaches and Juice Bar ice cream.  It has led to pleasures of the table I may have never known.

These days, I own currentVintage,  a wine & vintage boutique, and spend several months a year traveling to interesting destinations all over the US and beyond, particularly New York.

Yes, Gourmet magazine changed my life.

Well-tested recipe for Mushroom Croustades, Gourmet 1990

Alex and Elyse…sounds like a famous couple, like Jack & Diane or Peaches & Herb. They are famous, but alas, they are not a couple, although for this story I am trying to make them one…because I love them both.

Alex Gambal

Alex Gambal and his then wife moved with their kids to France in 1993.  They were looking for an experience abroad and a serendipitous meeting with famed wine importer Becky Wasserman led to that experience and then some.  What began as a stage, resulted in his enrollement in viticulture school, and voila, in 1997, Maison Alex Gambal was born.

Ray Coursen of Elyse

Ten years earlier, Ray Coursen and his wife were working on Cape Cod.  One day, Ray offhandedly asked Nancy when she’d be ready to move to California to start making wine. “Tomorrow,” she said, and off to the wild west, they went.  Ray worked his way from the tasting room to the cellar, becoming winemaker in a matter of  a few years.  In 1987, the Coursens founded Elyse, producing 286 cases of Morisoli Vineyard Zin, still one of their preferred fruit sources today.

Ray is known for Zinfandel and Rhone varietals.  His wines are extracted, rich and voluptuous.  Alex deals exclusively with chardonnay and pinot noir, and his style is typically more elegant and restrained.

Alex makes about 5000 cases of wines/year; Elyse makes nearly double.  Alex makes 18 wines, 60% white and 40% red.  Of Ray’s 20 or so bottlings, of whites there are only two.

Stylistically, the wines of Alex Gambal and Elyse don’t have so much in common, yet on many other levels they do.  Both Alex and Ray are negociants with both eyes on the vineyard.  They each hold long-term contracts with trusted growers to ensure the quality of the fruit.  They each own a few of their own vineyards.  Ray went to school to study agriculture.  Alex tends his own garden.  They are both artists, farmers and scientists, as that is what is required to own a winery and produce consistently good wine.  Elyse wines are on all the great lists in Napa.  Alex’s are on some of the best lists in Beaune.

They are both good friends to the Nantucket Wine Festival and they share a passion for wine, food and life.

These days, countless points and accolades later, Alex and Elyse continue to produce amazing wines:  Food friendly, fruit-centric, hand-crafted wines from their respective corners of the world.  They are truly living the dream.

What a nice couple!

“I came in frankly not knowing the first thing about Burgundy or how to make wine, but to have an experience with my family, trying to enrich our lives. If things turned out well, that would be great. But if it didn’t we’d go home to our former life.”—Alex Gambal

“When I first saw how small Burgundy is and how diverse it is I realized that it would take me a lifetime to begin to understand it. That’s what I love about Burgundy, because I continue to learn something new about it every day. That’s what makes it so wonderful, and also so maddening. Here we have two principal grape types and how can it be so different from one little place to the next. Burgundy isn’t a spectator sport, it’s a contact sport. You really have to be willing to get in and get your hands dirty. Otherwise, forget about it.”—Alex Gambal

“In our winemaking we let nature express each vintage uniquely, by using indigenous yeasts which are naturally on the grapes. We make our wines following Burgundian tradition : our whites are barrel fermented and both red and white wines are matured on their lies with just one racking prior to bottling.”–Alex Gambal

Re. the 2009 harvest:

“When one controls all from A-Z, and mother nature provides 6 months of glorious weather, the results are easy to see and taste.” Alex Gambal,  September 2009

“I also recommend Alex Gambal’s 2007 Bourgogne Blanc.  It’s another wine that delivers more than its appellation suggests, I suspect because it comes entirely from Cote d’Or Chardonnay (the law allows Bourgogne Blanc to be made from grapes grown throughout Burgundy, including the Côte Chalonnaise and Côte Mâconnaise).  Gambal waited to harvest the Chardonnay in 2007– and it paid off.  I guess it’s in his nature to gamble.”—Michael Apstein, www.winereviewonline.com, July 2009

“A meal without wine is eating; a meal with wine is dining – it’s a conversation, an event. It’s what wine is about.”—Ray Coursen

“Winemaking is cooking without a flame. Great chefs search for the best ingredients and then carefully prepare them so the layers of flavors in the food all reach the table. They’re constantly searching for wonderful fruit to work with. Besides the vineyard at the winery, we’ve been fortunate to find amazing fruit from vineyards stretching from Carneros to Howell Mountain. As a fellow winemaker once said, “The best wines come from the vineyards with the most footprints in them.” –Ray Coursen (s2wines.com)

Re. C’est Si Bon:

“This was the favorite wine that we would all take a little pull from in the wine room.”—Ray Coursen

Re. winemaking:

“I like a little oak, but I don’t want it to be overpowering – I want to taste the fruit. I love wines that pair well with food…When I make a wine, my tastes and techniques will influence the process, but what’s most important is the fruit. The fruit dictates what the wine will be. We’re fortunate to work with an amazing group of growers and vineyards, whose fruit keeps taking us to wonderful places.”—Ray Coursen

Re. visiting Elyse:

“This is a MUST  for all serious wine drinkers.   It does not have a fancy tasting room, no gross monuments to oneself here, no long driveways with valet parking,  no cheese-and-figs,  no members-only library, no bubble room,  no car collection,  no tram, no tractor ride, no cablecar,  no castle, no outdoor sculpture garden,  no ponds,  not even pistachios…if you know what I mean.
This is Napa the original way.   A small tasting room  with giant, delicious wines that do all the promoting themselves.   This is THE BEST OF NAPA. “—Brenda S., NY, NY, March 2008 (www.yelp.com)

Re. Elyse Wines:

“This excellent winery continues to turn out a bevy of intriguing wines, including both Zinfandels and Rhone Ranger offerings.” -Robert Parker (June 2008)

Balloon over Napa seen from Elyse Winery

Alex Gambal Blog:

http://www.alexgambal.com/blog/

Ray Coursen video:

http://www.winetastetv.com/video/tastings/grenache/2315/article%3C!—raycoursenelysewinery—%3E

I first met Ray Coursen in Yountville in 2003 and have been fortunate to dine and lodge with him several times since.  Most day’s you can find him lunching at Redd with fellow winemakers such as John Arns and Jim Barbour.  Alex’s wines I discovered years ago at the Nantucket Wine Festival and I have also enjoyed clinking glasses with him in Beaune.  His cuvée is in an historical courtyard just inside the town wall of Beaune.  I look forward to seeing them both this winter and again at the Nantucket Wine Festival in May.  Elyse and Maison Alex Gambal wines are available at currentVintage.

Tasting of Alex & Elyse Wines

4-7, Wednesday, September 30, 2009

currentVintage, 4 Easy St, Nantucket.

Maison Alex Gambal window in Beaune

Jorge Ordonez with Ateca "Atteca" Garnacha

Pioneer. Visionary. Legend.  These words are so overused (often by me)…so what do you call someone who really is a PVL?  In this case, I’ll call him a rock star, because just as a rock star is more than a musician and the president is more than a politician, Jorge Ordonez is more than a wine importer.  He is a rock star of the wine industry, and we’re not simply talking limestone and schist.

Three words are consistently associated with Jorge:

Quality.  Influence.  Charisma.

Before Jumilla was a household word, there was Jorge Ordonez, ambassador of the Spanish wine world.  In the 1980s, Jorge recognized that the Spanish wine trade needed an intervention.  The vines were there, the wines were there, but that wasn’t what was making it into the households of the American consumer.  The good wines were often not so, by the time they were shipped across the Atlantic in un-refrigerated conditions.  Grapes from the oldest vines in the world were being lumped in with new stock, resulting in mass-production plonk.  For the winemakers who were making great wines already, Jorge organized controlled shipping and distribution so that what went into the bottle in Spain was what arrived on our shores.  Recognizing the value in Spain’s pre-phylloxera vine heritage, Jorge championed the potential for low-yield, highly concentrated wines and guided these wines into bottle and ultimately, the international marketplace.

His quality standards from the vine to the restaurant are such that he has raised the level of the entire Spanish wine industry, as others must now compete on the field he has groomed.

Mark Donato & Jorge Ordonez at Cinco restaurant, Nantucket

Jorge’s aggressive management style has influenced every aspect of Spanish wine production from the vineyard to the bottle label.  Some bemoan the modernization of old world wines, but Jorge maintains that he is merely an adviser and only intervenes when asked or needed.  Nevertheless, modern technology has come to Spanish regions that were mere backwaters 20 years ago and dozens of indigenous varietals have reached a wider audience, while outside varietals, eg chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon have been introduced.

Jorge has developed some interesting and influential projects in the last decade.  In addition to importing and consulting, he is now highly regarded producer and his collaborations as well as his own projects have proved extraordinarily successful, in case you haven’t heard…El Nido,  a joint venture with Australian wizards Chris Ringland and Dan Phillips has been called the greatest wine ever to come out of Jumilla.  The “El Nido” is generally 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell and has received 93-99 points from Robert Parker every year of it’s brief existence since 2002, with it’s cousin Clio not far behind.  That is impressive even to those who pretend they don’t care about points.  These are modern wines:  big, extracted, fruit-forward mouthfuls of wine showing their Australian influence and appealing to an American palate.

Jorge has also endeavored to celebrate the Moscatel of his native Malaga through Jorge Ordonez & Co. a joint venture winery with the late Austrian, Alois Kracher, and his son, Gerhard.  Their original and aromatic Botani Moscatel Seco (high elevation, hand-harvested, air dried) is a revelation in dry Moscatel and the sweet moscatels are superior as well.

Lastly, this leaves charisma.  Just because you can sing doesn’t mean you’re the next Madonna.  You can be the most knowledgeable wino on the planet or represent the best wine in the world, but words will fall on deaf ears without personality and passion behind them.  Jorge’s demanding and dynamic style combined with unflagging determination have brought Spain much recognition and prosperity in just twenty years.  He represents nearly 50 Spanish wineries (which could easily be doubled), holding them each to his exacting standards, regardless of price, and he continues to bring his own innovative and quality wines to the market.  Considered the Martha Stewart or Oprah of the Spanish wine world, vineyards that are not meticulous don’t make the cut and there is a long line of wineries waiting to take their place.

In a nutshell,  since 1987, Jorge Ordonez has saved the Spain’s old vines from the tractor, brought them to their true potential, and then educated the world of their value.  It is exciting to think what the next twenty may bring…!

Jorge Ordonez wine tasting at currentVintage:

5-7 Monday, September 21, 2009

508.228.5073

Nantucket Food Pantry dinner at Cinco

Featuring Jorge Ordonez and wines of Fine Estates from Spain

6:00 Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Watch Jorge Ordonez interview on The Wine Library

Bottom two photos Courtesy of Gene Mahon, www.mahonabouttown.com

top photo courtesy of www.elephantjournal.com

Elisabeth hanging at Mar a Lago

As a year-round resident of Nantucket and shopkeeper in this island resort community, there are two recurring questions/comments that one must perennially endure:

What do you DO in the winter?

It MUST be nice having the winter off (sniff, sniff)…

The first assumes there is nothing to do in Nantucket. Although there is some truth to that, particularly in March, we generally spend the winter working, renting movies, dining with friends, renting movies…Just like the rest of the Northeast, as well as much of country.

Regarding the second comment, the concept of “having the winter off” is a bit of an oxymoron to a small business owner.  My “seasonal” business is open generally seven days a week April-December and weekends in the dead of winter.  We close a couple of days a week in November, but that hardly makes up for the 9am-11pm schedule of July & August!  In the off-season, I travel incessantly to source our vintage inventory for the upcoming season.  It is a choice and the lifestyle I have chosen, but it is not quite exactly having the winter “off”, as in poolside in St Barths or three months in Aspen.  That said, I do spend a lot of time “sourcing” in some very un-wintery places…Mar a Lago, anyone?  But after traveling like mad all winter, and working like crazy all spring and summer, I am fantasizing about downtime.

This being the week after Labor Day, currentVintage now closes at 8:00 during the week–how great it will be to have some nights at home surfing the computer, organizing my shoes, applying a face masque—and of course, watching movies.

In that spirit, I thought I’d share some funny You Tube videos.  I am not up on You Tube like I am on wine and fashion;  these are not the latest releases.  These are NOT “cult’ following insider selections that are known only to me and my friends.  These are not particularly provocative or necessarily major artistic works of art.  They are mainstream, been-around-the-forwarded-emails-block, seen by thousands if not millions.

Perhaps it is culturally significant that everyone from a Burger King worker in East LA to 20-somethings in St Paul to the citizens of Antwerp to a 3-yr old in New York City all have the exact same dance moves, but that is not the point.  Bottom line is they crack me up, and if you are as tired and weary as I am after this marathon of a summer, the guilty pleasure of hanging out and laughing hard probably sounds really good.

My top 5 favorite make-me-smile You Tube videos*.

*Note the Broadway influence–it was all I could do to resist including Susan Boyle.

HAIR:  A 3-yr old Member of the Tribe!

Hang in for the first 40 seconds and you will realize you’re witnessing the next Gavin Creel–A three-year old member of the tribe!

“Do Re Mi”

A spectacular, seemingly spontaneous Sound of Music routine involving 200? dancers in an Antwerp train station –This will be the happiest 4 minutes of your day!

“Les Misbarack”

A year old now, this video brings back all of the energy and enthusiasm of the campaign trail a year ago.  The music is as exhilarating in this video as it is on a Broadway stage.

Bon Qui Qui at King Burger

Anjelah Johnson of MAD tv is brilliant.  Not that I would have known that if my savvy 9, 11 and 13-yr old nieces hadn’t set me straight last Christmas.  I loved her from “Don’t get crazy”.

“Forever” Wedding Dance

The popularity of this summer video has outlived some marriages…Given that their wedding song is by Chris Brown, Jill and Kevin of St Paul are using the popularity of their You Tube video and Today show to raise awareness of and funds for domestic violence

As I wrote about Talitha Getty in the currentVintage newsletter this week, it was apparent that given the era and her brief life, she was spared the kind of ridicule that today’s iconic fashionistas have experienced.  Why, exactly, was she so admired?  What, exactly, has she contributed to the human race besides her beauty and wealth?  The answer may be very little, but so what?  I’m not saying that teachers, nurses and Greenpeace workers don’t deserve praise, fame and fortune; only that the stylish are interesting to me and I have no issue when they are celebrated and adored for making the world a more visually interesting place.  But Talitha died young and thus permanently beautiful, albeit in a very ugly and unglamorous (heroin overdose) way.  How cliché, yet still lovely that the legacy of a single photograph continues to inspire today.

Rachel Zoe, Boho-Glamour Icon

If Talitha is the poster girl for 1960s Boho-chic, Rachel Zoe is the modern one.  I loved Rachel Zoe before she was popular.  She was on my radar for awhile and then, in 2006?, there was an article on RZ in Vogue or somewhere that featured photos of Rachel in various Halston Grecian column dresses lounging poolside in platforms and dwarfed in her awe-inspiring closet.  Her Boho-chic meets Studio 54 Glamour aesthetic was/is precisely my idea of cool and I have watched in awe as she has so successfully branded the look and made it practically Stepford in Hollywood.

Rachel Zoe in the closet dreams are made of...

Some say her style is irrelevant now—and some have been saying that for years.  But, guess what, it’s not.  I love it when the public refuses to roll over on a style they like (Carrie Bradshaw, anyone?).  Usually by the time a trend has hit mainstream America, fashion has long moved on, but sometimes, it just keeps coming back because people like it and designers have no choice.  I skipped the Sex and the City phase alltogether, but as long as young girls are still buying crinolines, I am happy to sell them.

Where Talitha had the benefit of being a beautiful & rich heroin addict pre-internet, Rachel has laser-sharp scrutiny 24/7.  Rachel’s suntan & cigarettes look is frighteningly unhealthy, yet perversely attractive.  I met her at a party of Sienna Miller’s a couple of years ago.  It was the Twenty-Eight-Twelve Launch Party on the roof top of the Gramercy Park Hotel, and there was RZ in a terrific little leopard vintage number.  I complimented her dress, she praised my palazzo jumpsuit.  I said I owned a vintage clothing store in Nantucket, she said that she wore only vintage.  At that point, when I should have had the sense to hand her a business card, etc, I proceeded to talk about anything and everything else, then eventually mosey on, having just met the most influential stylist on the planet and being too obtuse to make something of it…

Elisabeth in RZ-worthy vintage in Gramercy Park

That’s another reason I admire Rachel.  It is great to have great style, but style plus savvy is what really counts.  I don’t really care for the idea of the made-in-elsewhere line of “affordable” looks she has developed for QVC and I have yet to see her reality show, (although I would probably love it if I watched much tv), but I don’t blame RZ for trying to milk every dime of her celebrity ride.  She’s the first to admit she’s not saving lives, just being style guru to the red carpet and now, the masses.  Even if she is effectively over tomorrow, she’s more than made her fashion mark.  Personally, as a stylish-but-sans-savvy business woman, I think that is very cool.

Rachel Zoe in Boho Maxi

Giuseppe Zanotti Boho Biker boot from The Zoe Report

RZ & disciple, Kate Hudson

Rachel in Vintage? Suede Coat w/ Mongolian Lamb cuffs

Tom Binns modern pearl necklace from The Zoe Report

We have been using the term “cult wine” a lot lately at currentVintage. That is risky business, because at any given moment, we might be asked to define “cult wine”, which is somewhat abstract–and more than a little bit controversial. Allocated. Highly-rated. WAITING LIST. These are terms often associated with cult-status wines. To some, that makes them more appealing. To others, a complete buzz-kill.

In this blog last week, I paid tribute to “The Two Garys” and, in doing so, referred to them as cult winemakers. I don’t think there is much to dispute there. Whether or not you like cult wines or buy them or think that they should or should not exist, the fact remains, that, some wines have a cult-like following, usually because of what’s in the bottle. Pisoni and ROAR are definitely in that club.
However, for the purposes of our store and this blog, we should be clear that some wines are considered cult wines because the world says they are and some wines are cult wines because I say they are.
In my world, cult-worthy includes Betts & Scholl.

Richard Betts is a Master Sommelier and the architect of the Wine Spectator Grand Award-status wine list at the Little Nell in Aspen, CO. I have been a fan of his for a long time, having seen and read glimpses of him over the last 10 years. He is not just knowledgeable and talented, but he has the natural charm and charisma that make him a great TV personality and of course, now easy to idolize as a winemaker.

In 2001, Richard partnered with Dennis Scholl, a Miami-based art collector, real estate mogul & card shark, and the two decided to make wine—in Australia. They started with Grenache and Riesling, and after much critical acclaim, moved on to Hermitage!

Everything about these guys is cool. Richard Betts is definitely a rock star of wine, but how about Dennis Scholl? There is something really endearing about a card counting math geek-cum-real estate tycoon who loves art? He is so passionate about modern art that he has commissioned seven different established and emerging artists to create the labels for the Betts & Scholl wines.  As he says, a wine label is like a record cover—you want it to stand out.  And they do—these labels are captivating and interesting, much like their contents. The Riesling is fruity and Vibrant with a capital V.  The O.G. Grenache, I truly loved; velvety & luxe. Full, yet elegant. Rich fruit, totally sexy.

Fun. Interesting. Different. Creative. Adventurous. Sexy.
Small-production. High & Lo. Rock Star & Geek.
Do you see why Betts & Scholl figures in my world of cult-worthy wines?

And currentVintage has them exclusively on Nantucket….

Richard Betts on PlumTV

Betts & Scholl Launch Party on PlumTV

Richard Betts on winetastetv.com

Betts & Scholl Riesling label from a still from Isaac Julien's film True North

Riesling Eden Valley 2008
Light, crisp and beautifully focused, with cantaloupe, papaya and lime flavors that bounce easily across the palate and into the long, fragrant finish. Subtle and absolutely enticing. Drink now through 2016. 250 cases imported. 92pts–HS (WS)

Betts & Scholl OG label by Anna Gaskell

Grenache Barossa Valley “The O.G.” 2006
Velvety, round and remarkably transparent, with raspberry, cherry and dusky spice flavors competing for attention as the flavors sail through the long finish, framed with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2013. 900 cases made. 90pts–HS (WS)

Betts & Scholl Hermitage Blanc label by Mark Grotjahn

2005 Hermitage Blanc

Ripe and showy, but with good underlying grip to the dried papaya, creamed peach, fig, yellow apple and brioche notes. The long, juicy finish has a nice gilding of toast. Drink now through 2013. 400 cases made. 93pts –JM (WS)

Betts & Scholl Hermitage Label

2005 Hermitage Rouge

Very juicy, with lots of fig, currant paste and crushed plum fruit flavors that race ahead of dark tar, licorice and bittersweet cocoa notes. The long, toasty finish has plenty of grip. Best from 2010 through 2017. 425 cases made. 92 pts –JM (WS)

2 Garys

Two Garys, One Garys’ Vineyard

In short, Gary and Gary are childhood friends.  Together, they manage Garys’ Vineyard.  Gary F. is married to Rosella and they own Rosella’s Vineyard  and makes ROAR wines.  Gary P. owns Pisoni Vineyards and makes Pisoni Estate Wines.  The fine-print to follow explains how they got into farming the unfriendly terrain of the Santa Lucia Highlands (before it was popular) and the incredible success they have enjoyed from their skill and perseverance. They make cult wines.

2 Garys Flow Chart

What makes a wine a “cult” wine?  Before all the mailing lists and allocations and press come into play, there have to be great grapes and then really good wine.  The two Garys, Gary Franscioni and Gary Pisoni, understand these fundamentals, and that has propelled them to “Cult Status” in the world of pinot noir.

Both have families that have been in the Santa Lucia Highlands farming business for generations.  Each eventually turned his focus to viticulture;  Pisoni Vineyard was planted in 1982(!),  Rosells’a in 1996, and Garys’ in 1997.   All are among the most celebrated and coveted in California.

2006 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands

Only 687 cases made.

Have you ever been to a $250 lettuce tasting?
Winegrower Gary Pisoni comes from generations of farmers who tended row crops long before he was born. Pisoni had enjoyed drinking and collecting French wines while in college and was eager to find a way into the wine business. When he told his father he wanted to plant grapevines on the family cattle ranch in the Santa Lucia Highlands, he was met with several objections, not the least of which was the cost. Gary countered to his father, “Have you ever been to a $250 lettuce tasting?” His father relented and a legendary vineyard was born in 1982. Gary’s positive energy has made him a household name among Pinot circles.

Gary planted his own-rooted vines in virgin soil. It took ten years  and six tries of witchers and well drillers to tap into a water source and make Gary’s dream come true. The original vines are rumored to be from suitcase cuttings from a famous domaine in Vosne-Romanee, hence called the Pisoni clone.

Pisoni fruit is highly highly prized in California. Designated as one of the world’s top 10 vineyards and one of America’s 5 Grand Crus, Pisoni Vineyard put Santa Lucia Highlands on the map. Following the traditional Burgundian model, three generations of the Pisoni family grow premium grapes, selling to top artisan producers of vineyard-designated wines—Arcadian, Capiaux, Morgan, Patz & Hall, Peter Michael, Siduri, Tantara, and Testarossa among them—and retaining a small percentage to produce one single Pisoni Estate wine, which saw its first vintage in 1998.
Gary Pisoni and his family have never wavered in their belief that Pinot Noir is the greatest red varietal on the planet and that the slopes of the Santa Lucia Highlands in the cool northern climes of California’s Monterey County are the best place to grow Pinot Noir. His family’s intense obsession with growing the world’s best Pinot Noir shows in every bottle from their unique vineyard.

“A fabulous effort from the irrepressible Gary Pisoni, this deep ruby/purple-hued 2006 exhibits a sensational perfume of spring flowers, forest floor, black raspberries, even blacker berries, and hints of smoke as well as earth. A sensational texture, full-bodied mouthfeel, and no sense of heaviness suggest this well-structured, moderately tannic wine will last for at least a decade.” Robert Parker 95+.  $100 bt at currentVintage.

2007 ROAR SLH

Only 818 cs made.

In part because so many fine and dedicated producers use the grapes from Rosella’s Vineyard and in part because those grapes are especially tasty, this property owned by Gary and Rosella Franscioni has produced more great bottlings of Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot noir in the past few years than any other location in California! Roar is the Franscioni’s own label and their roots in the Santa Lucia Highlands are quite deep. The Franscionis both grew up in California’s agricultural heartland; Gary and his family before him have farmed their vineyard property for over 100 years. Gary took over the running of the 200 acre family farm business and recognized the region’s potential for premium wine grapes, planting the Rosella’s Vineyard in 1996. In 2001, the Franscionis partnered with good friends (and longtime customers) Adam & Dianna Lee of Siduri Wines agreed to collaborate on the making of ROAR WINES. Their collective goal is to make small lots of wine that are a pure reflection of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The name ROAR comes from the sound of the coastal winds that define the region and the roar of the mountain creeks that bisect the rocky, well-drained soils of our vineyards. $65 at currentVintage.

2007 Siduri Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir

Only 730 cases made.

The 2007 Siduri Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir ended up being a blend of 40% Clone 777, 20% Pisoni Selection, 20% Pommard, and 20% 828 Clone. Whole clusters on both the Pisoni Selection and the Pommard are used and fermented with primarily indigenous yeasts. They bled off approximately 10% of the juice from each of the fermentors in hopes of concentrating the must.  The Lees believe this is their best “Rosella’s” pinot noir to date.

“Supple and engaging, with ripe, generous plum, black cherry, mineral, spice and subtle cedary oak nuances. This full-bodied Pinot possesses depth, concentration and complexity, with excellent balance and length. Drink now through 2015.” WS 93.  $52 at currentVintage.

2005 Loring Wine Company “Rosella’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir

Only 825 cases made.

Brian Loring is obsessed with Pinot Noir.   After years of loving Burgundies, he discovered Calera (and Williams Selyem, et al) and fell in love with California pinot noir.  He then met Norm Beko from Cottonwood Canyon at an Orange County Wine Society tasting, participated in his first wine crush, and ended up making two barrels of Pinot Noir from which he started the Loring Wine Company. What had been a dream for 15 years was now a reality: he was a winemaker–and he has been a highly acclaimed one since the start!

This medium-bodied Pinot made by Loring Wine Co shows plenty of sweet and sour cherry, strawberry, plum, earth, and herb characteristics. For the Santa Lucia highlands, the 2005 vintage was one of the coolest in the past decade. Yields turned out larger than expected as the clusters kept putting on weight even late into the season – which is very unusual. These two factors combined to create a vintage of lighter style, more elegant, lower alcohol wines. Because of their higher tannins and acid content, these wines will probably be some of the longest-lived wines Loring has ever made: they may hold up for 6-7 years..

“Bright, full red. Complex nose melds raspberry, smoke, earth, cocoa powder and spices.Rich, broad and suave, with lovely brightness to its tangy raspberry and spice flavors.Here, too, one gets a sense of Burgundian spice and lift. Finishes with lovely persistence and energy. This would be a good answer to those who don’t believe that pinot noir in this area can be sufficiently ripe below 14% alcohol.” ST 91 points

“An elegant style, showing a measure of restraint and subtlety, with vivid black cherry, nutmeg and a hint of boysenberry fruit emerging on the finish. Drink now through 2010.” WS 90. $75 at currentVintage.

August began on Sunday, the 2nd at the Triple Eight “White Party” at the Summer House Pool. Cocktails, lawn chairs and beautiful people in all white completed the ultimate setting. That might have been enough for the perfect August Sunday afternoon, but we threw in a fashion show on the lawn by currentVintage and Cheryl Fudge and it became stellar.

Beautiful People

The White Party

molly & deb 888 White Party

Cheryl Fudge & co at 888 White Party

Elisabeth of currentVintage at Triple Eight White Party

O'Neill at the White Party

The Triple Eight White Party

Chad Pierre