tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post1560403960698325841..comments2024-02-25T02:50:53.858-08:00Comments on HoseMaster of Wine™: Rocca in My HeadRon Washam, HMWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-89189248810938661182013-10-18T18:07:30.239-07:002013-10-18T18:07:30.239-07:00Hi Mary!
Thanks for gracing my humble little blog ...Hi Mary!<br />Thanks for gracing my humble little blog with your presence, and for the additional background notes. Not to mention the samples you sent, which I clearly enjoyed. I hope that I did them justice, especially considering I don't attach numbers or stars or smiley faces to them. I just prattle on endlessly.<br /><br />Marcia Love,<br />Satire is easier for me. Wine, I find, is very challenging to write about. You can slap together some adjectives, assign a number, and let it go at that, but that is utterly worthless. I enjoy the conversation around good wine, the stories, not the stories of the winery marketing departments (which I studiously avoid), but the stories the wine brings to mind as I enjoy it. That's the feeling I try to capture, and, too often, that's beyond my scope as a writer.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-76069242290853160452013-10-18T13:53:36.730-07:002013-10-18T13:53:36.730-07:00Still love the essays because the winery and the w...Still love the essays because the winery and the wines really stick in my memory, and I'm far more inclined to give them a shot having a good sense of what they'll taste like from your descriptions and stories. <br /><br />I have long seen Rocca around but not known anything about them. Your story provides the impetus to buy them.<br /><br />Funny that the satire comes so much easier to you, as I cannot imagine EVER coming up with 1/100th of the funny stuff on my own. Happily, I get to read yours instead!Marcia Macomberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07237764449953259939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-75006044386118654412013-10-18T10:02:13.922-07:002013-10-18T10:02:13.922-07:00Ron,
Wow- thanks for your nice comments, and for...Ron, <br /><br />Wow- thanks for your nice comments, and for such a great read! I'm not as witty as you, so I'll just make a few comments and float off on Cloud 9... <br /><br />You mentioned that the Grigsby Cab fits the profile of a Stags Leap District Cab. Good call... we are officially in the Yountville Appellation, but we are bordered on two sides of our vineyard by the Stags Leap District. You know our valley, don't you? <br /><br />Re: our winemaker Paul Colantuoni. Paul took over from Celia Welch in 2008. So the 2009 was only his second vintage with us. He is indeed a fantastic winemaker... an unknown gem, and also a hell of a nice guy. <br /><br />I also have to mention our Vineyard Manager, Sergio Melgoza, who handles our farming for us. He lives at our Collinetta Vineyard, and takes great care of our vineyards- we couldn't do it without him... <br /><br />Thanks again to you and everyone else for the nice comments. Our tasting room is almost ready- so come see us soon! (but call first)<br /><br />Mary Rocca Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01048896051401305775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-55928743125425798922013-10-18T08:18:30.877-07:002013-10-18T08:18:30.877-07:001WineDoody,
Paul's been there quite a while, a...1WineDoody,<br />Paul's been there quite a while, and, yup, he's doing great things. I think Rocca is a sadly overlooked producer of Napa Cabernet. I've heard the '10's are equally good, but I've yet to try any.<br /><br />I need a new title for the series. "Wine Essays" sucks, sounds like part of the exam for a MS. Thanks for hating them and making me look good.<br /><br />Kyle,<br />Yup. Thanks for the catch. I'll correct it. Ah, but every great beauty has its flaw.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-25752032616393716382013-10-18T06:44:46.289-07:002013-10-18T06:44:46.289-07:00Now this is what a wine review should be like. Wel...Now this is what a wine review should be like. Well done! Except petit verdot should be spelled correctly...kschlachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12810309689429676303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-26328695949838508182013-10-17T18:22:36.095-07:002013-10-17T18:22:36.095-07:00Rocca hired the right guy to take up their winemak...Rocca hired the right guy to take up their winemaking helm, I think. Anyway, I enjoyed this, particularly the excuse to use the wine to talk about yourself. But I still hate your wine essays, okay?Joe Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12302860568125840279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-82558287949066433762013-10-17T16:29:58.079-07:002013-10-17T16:29:58.079-07:00Sheldon,
It does seem that too many wine writers b...Sheldon,<br />It does seem that too many wine writers believe they're doing something of great value to society when they're usually being ridiculously pompous and self-indulgent. One of the most joyous creations of man oddly generates mountains of joyless prose. <br /><br />Thanks for chiming in. I still have a soft spot for your Paloma Merlots.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-67918527409063463782013-10-17T15:41:42.790-07:002013-10-17T15:41:42.790-07:00Well said. I think too many wine writers take them...Well said. I think too many wine writers take themselves too seriously. Your humor is refreshing. As to Steve and Carole—two wonderful, giving, honest, hardworking, creative people. That they make great wine is a bonus! Let's raise a glass to the many small, unsung heroes of the wine industry.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17998590401419840326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-41329036278298930502013-10-17T11:31:05.756-07:002013-10-17T11:31:05.756-07:00Unknown,
I've only met Mary Rocca, and the win...Unknown,<br />I've only met Mary Rocca, and the winemaker, and they are, as you say, very nice folks. Though I try never to let that play into a review. I could write a book entitled, "When Bad Wine Happens to Good People." But it is nice when great people also make great wine.<br />Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-83619396282915881312013-10-17T11:21:56.764-07:002013-10-17T11:21:56.764-07:00The best part is they are nice people too. My wife...The best part is they are nice people too. My wife loves the Rocca Syrah. I need to get some of the Cab!<br />Jack Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08736211199513422112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-84323353505220020312013-10-17T11:07:00.229-07:002013-10-17T11:07:00.229-07:00David,
Actually, I'm not at all a film buff. I...David,<br />Actually, I'm not at all a film buff. I very rarely watch films, but I did, unfortunately, see "Sideways." Dull script, as hackneyed a buddy picture as I can imagine. But so it goes...<br /><br />I didn't love Kael, but she had guts and style. And anyone who found Kevin Kostner to be the worst actor of his generation, and "The Stepfather" to be a great scare flick (the original is a terrific film), is OK in my book.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-81352720624979268622013-10-17T10:55:35.240-07:002013-10-17T10:55:35.240-07:00Guess you're quite the film buff eh Ron? .. I ...Guess you're quite the film buff eh Ron? .. I liked Sideways.. it was too bad Merlot got dumped on after but what was equally obnoxious was all these morons who started raving about KoolAid type Pinots.. got the Pauline Kael dig.. could never understand why everyone said she was such a populist.. I found her reviews condescending and obnoxious.. once sent an email to Roger Ebert why he gave so many thumbs up to so many bad movies such as absolute dreck like the Matrix II... a happy medium please... Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11992278224164669829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-86765284515049822592013-10-17T10:17:47.274-07:002013-10-17T10:17:47.274-07:00David,
I started Wine Essays as a response to all ...David,<br />I started Wine Essays as a response to all the badly written puff pieces I'd read on other wine blogs. Bloggers regurgitating "facts" they'd gleaned from winery marketing departments, or clearly trying to gain favor in the industry by fawning over every stupid wine they were sent for free. Or taking yet another junket and, mysteriously, being impressed by every winemaker who kissed their sad blogger butts.<br /><br />But there is so much wine, and so many wineries, and this style of wine writing takes a lot of time to think about and produce. The Wine Essays take twice the time it takes me to crank out the stupid satire, but are far more rewarding for me, personally. Trying to capture my honest reactions to a wine, rather than just recite a list of adjectives, or plagiarize a back label, is an interesting and enlightening exercise. It is about drinking a wine and not simply tasting a wine.<br /><br />As for Charlize, oh, man, you have no idea... I still have the stains--I call them Charlize Angels.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-21226030156218016292013-10-17T10:01:56.526-07:002013-10-17T10:01:56.526-07:00Ron,
I am glad that you didn't shut down like ...Ron,<br />I am glad that you didn't shut down like the Government did. This is the style of wine writing that is truly needed in the industry, in that it shows honest opinion and honest emotion about a wine that other writers de-humanize.<br />Thanks for introducing me to Rocca, and thanks for bringing Charlize Theron to mind again...voice of reasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245512801828772260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-33778338004801803562013-10-17T09:45:22.247-07:002013-10-17T09:45:22.247-07:00Renzo,
It's only when I write the "Wine E...Renzo,<br />It's only when I write the "Wine Essays," or the occasional "Reflection," that I step out from behind the HoseMaster persona. I think my biggest fear when I write is that I'll be dull. So much of what is published on wine blogs is duller than Glenn Beck fans. I can't believe, most days, the avalanche of crap out there. When I write about my wine career, it feels boring to me. It's that self-loathing thing that so many comedy writers endure. It generates that false modesty, which, I agree, is tiresome.<br /><br />Thanks, Renzo, for snapping me out of it.Ron Washamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10386836101202976147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-48529838456862946562013-10-17T09:29:24.450-07:002013-10-17T09:29:24.450-07:00"Everyone hates these “Wine Essays"
Your..."Everyone hates these “Wine Essays"<br />Your false modesty amuses ;)<br /><br />"I've been writing these "Wine Essays," which, let's face it, are as much about me as they are about the poor wineries" ... <br /><br />...And that is exactly what makes them a pleasure, Ron. I say that just in case you need reminding!renzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06719763151397519334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-73068479737414137422013-10-17T09:06:45.344-07:002013-10-17T09:06:45.344-07:00Steve,
I've had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Th...Steve,<br />I've had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Theron, and whatever it is that makes someone glamorous, elegant, and breathtaking, she has enough for ten people. <br /><br />Rocca is a brand worth pursuing, if its in your price range. As is Ms. Theron.<br /><br />Charlie,<br />When it comes to wine reviewing, I can't carry your luggage. But thank you for the kind words. There is something about Rocca's style that has always appealed to me--I'd call it restraint and elegance. I'm not opposed to the ripe, dense fruit bombs, just don't feel drawn to them as much.<br /><br />I've been writing these "Wine Essays," which, let's face it, are as much about me as they are about the poor wineries, about once a month. It gives me a way to take a breather because they don't get many comments. And I'm pretty sure almost no one reads them through to the finish. So don't worry, I won't be cranking out the reviews. Of course, the main reason is, I rarely get offered wines.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-50566579980842598952013-10-17T08:46:38.282-07:002013-10-17T08:46:38.282-07:00Nicely done, and a winery that certainly deserves ...Nicely done, and a winery that certainly deserves a lot more credit than it receives. <br /><br />But, of course, that is true for so many small and mid-sized Napa wineries who live in the shadows of their more famous cousins.<br /><br />And, as you have said, those less well-known wineries get treated as if they all made the same, highly ripened, dense and intense, oak-elevated wines.<br /><br />And, Jose, thanks for staying off my turf most of the time. I promise not to make more jokes if you promise not to review more wine.Charlie Olkenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02513782687786106137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-56288943093873399932013-10-17T08:32:27.304-07:002013-10-17T08:32:27.304-07:00I wasn't familiar with this brand, I'm gla...I wasn't familiar with this brand, I'm glad you reviewed it. And thanks for mentioning Charlize Theron and not Marilyn Merlot<br /><br />Steve PinzonUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01630807126264742266noreply@blogger.com