Guess Who's Back...

And just in time for ZAP! ZinfanGirl apologizes for falling of the wine-o wagon, but that kind of thing tends to happen around the holidays. Anyhoo, I am back, and am gearing up for a weekend of Zinful fun!

ZinfanHubby & I will be volunteering in the AM at Fort Mason (wristbands & check-in-- come say hi!). After that we will attempt to sample as much grape juice as our little livers can handle. While volunteers are given a shirt to wear during their shifts, I still plan on wearing my snazzy "Living in Zin" hat:

But will I wear my beloved Biale shirt, or switch things up and sport my Four Vines "ZinBitch" tank top? I am quite pleased with my growing collection of wine-o wear, but for this very special event I better keep it Zin-related.

Will I see you there, dear ZinfanReaders?

Hunting the Black Chicken, Part II

Wow, I am ZinfanSlacking! But I am determined to punch out the rest of the Black Chicken adventure before ZinfanHubby & I head to Paso Robles this weekend.

So, where were we? Ah yes, leaving Regusci winery...

Next stop: Robert Biale vineyards! ZinfanHubby is responsible for introducing me to this treasure. They are appointment-only, and make extraordinary wines. It's worth a visit just to hear the Black Chicken story (which ZinfanGirl knows, but also knows she will never give it the story-telling justice it deserves).

The party was already underway when Noah & I arrived. The wine was flowin' freely and the food was nothing short of delightful!

After filling our bellies with some of the delicious grub, I showed Noah around Biale's grounds. First was the barrel room:

I suspect the barrels in the foreground were put up to keep Black Chicken Society members from wandering back there...

In addition to big steel tanks, Biale has several wooden barrels. French Oak (I'm assuming it's chêne-- oak) I'd heard of but Hungarian?? Need to look into that one!

Noah was especially striken by the barrels that were literally seeping with the goodness. We tried to guess what wine(s) were in which barrels, how long they had been in there, etc., but never confirmed our guesses. There's always next time!

Aldo & Clementina Biale are the reason the Black Chicken exists. Aldo is now in his 90s! They were graciously signing the souvenier glasses and were such delights to chat with. ZinfanGirl's autographed Biale glass is proudly displayed in her "really frickin' awesome, could never be replaced" collection of glasses (from Porto, Champagne, etc).

And of course, we had to get a picture of ZinfanGirl & Noah:

You can't really tell, but my shirt says, "Zinfandel" and has the Robert Biale logo on the bottom right side. Yes, I did decide to wear the shirt, and I rocked it proudly!!!

OK, enough with the pictures already. Let's talk some wine!!!

Biale was pouring all of their wines, and while Noah indulged himself, ZinfanGirl was on driving duty and hence had to keep her tastings under control (for wine anyway. The food is another story). The most memorable stand-outs:

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  Pollo Bianco: The Pollo Bianco (white chicken) is the only white wine produced by Biale. It is about as good as a Sauvignon Blanc can get. It is always released in limited quantities, so ZinfanHubby & I snag as many as we can. It tastes and looks like summer, and I definitely suggest grabbing some if the opportunity ever arises.
  
  
  

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  Black Chicken: The darling of Biale vineyards, this zinfandel has just enough jam to give it that yum-yum mouth & fruity flavor, yet can easily stand up to spice and BBQ. If I could only drink one wine for the rest of my life, it would probably be Black Chicken (or a Turley zin... nah, it would be Black Chicken).
  
  
  

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  Royal Punishers Petite Sirah: It seems unfair to ZinfanGirl that a winery as small as Biale can make a Petite Sirah just as well as they can make Zin. If you're in the mood for a dark, brooding wine, this is an excellent choice.
  
  
  

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  Stagecoach Zin: The Stagecoach grapes are grown at a higher elevation than Black Chicken. I suggest a side-by-side taste & compare to really note the subtle yet distinct differences in these two Zins.
  
  
  

• Party Line Zinfandel: Not to be confused with the Party Line Petite Sirah reviewed here. When ZinfanHubby & I visited Biale last May, there was talk that the new Party Line Zin may possibily be more delicious than the Black Chicken. Naturally, this was unacceptable-- nothing could be better than the Black Chicken, they exclaimed! While this wine is a delight, I think their fears were unfounded. Nothing tops Black Chicken!

Noah & I walked away with almost 2 cases of goodness, full bellies, and souvenier glasses (one autographed). ZinfanGirl is proud to have initiated another ZinfanFriend into the world of wine, and is looking forward to returning to Biale very soon!
And if you absolutely must know how Black Chicken got its name, please see http://www.robertbialevineyards.com/blackchicken.html

Squawk squawk!!!

-ZinfanGirl

Review: 2007 Biale Party Line Petite Sirah

In case you couldn't tell, ZinfanGirl has quite a love for Robert Biale & his wines. Yesterday was the members BBQ/pick-up party, and I walked away with quite a take! I will tell my ZinfanReaders all about the party very soon (hopefully tomorrow); alas, for now, I will simply stick with a review to keep you going.

This wine is brand spankin' new. This Petite Sirah joins the Party Line Zinfandel & other amazing Biale wines. While known mainly for their Zins (fear not, ZinfanGirl will post a review of the new Black Chicken release soon!), Biale sure knows their Petite Sirahs & Syrahs. And the new Party Line is no exception.

Inky goodness is dripping down the sides of my glass. Just when I thought you couldn't get a wine with more POW than a Biale Zin, they have to one-up themselves with this pow-a-licious little number. The tannins are mellowed out by luscious black fruit-- any Biale fan will immediately taste and feel similarities (think: blackberry jam) between PLPS and PLZ. Heavier in the mouth than the PLZ, the PLPS is just begging to be invited to your next BBQ. But save the lighter fare for another time, as this wine is best served with real meat: we're talking lamb chops, thick steaks, and any red meat that is best served slightly charred. This wine would easily overpower something delicate like fish or chicken... unless we're talking Black Chicken, of course.

Read more about Biale's Party Line Petite Sirah here.

Biale Pick-Up Party: Saturday, Sept. 12th

Hello wine lovers! Anyone heading to any pick-up parties this weekend? ZinfanGirl is off to Napa this Saturday to celebrate the new releases with Robert Biale Vineyards. ZinfanHubby is unable to attend so I will be attending with another partner in crime. However, he has asked me to bring back two cases of Black Chicken booty.

So, being the (semi)fashion-conscious girl that I am, I'm wondering: Would it be tacky for ZinfanGirl to sport her Biale "Zinfandel" shirt to the pick-up party? It's a cute shirt, and black too, which is a sure-fire way to avoid red wine stains! Obviously I wouldn't wear the shirt to another winery's event!

What do you think: fashion faux-pas, or fashionably fabulous? I only have 3 days left to decide!

http://www.robertbialevineyards.com/

For the love of Wine (Away)

In the world of passions, mentors can come in handy. The best mentors are the ones who may not even be aware of their influence. I have had many sources of inspiration during my wine journeys, everyone from the man at Château Montcontour who let us in for a tasting (off-season) & talked wine with 3 Americans for hours, to the staff at Coit Liquors who were always willing to give out samples of already opened bottles on my way home from school, to the staff members of tasting rooms all over California. But this individual won my heart in a most wine-sical way...

"And what is a Wiii-mooo?"
"A Wimo is wine tasting in a limo. My friend organizes it. Should be a lot of fun."
"Wine? Limo? Yeah of course I'll be your date! Umm.. platonic, right?"

Jess is-- how do I say this unpretentiously?-- smarter than you. He's smarter than me. He is smart about everything worth being smart about. And it was under the most unusual of circumstances that we crossed paths (and that is one story that, being un-wine-related, will not be published here).

Our friendship grew over shared loves for fun, dancing and wouldn't you know it, wine. Jess is not one to be outdone, whether he tries or not. So it did not strike me as odd when he insisted on dressing up for this Wimo trip. How on earth, after agonizing for hours, did I end up choosing a white dress for wine tasting is beyond me, but I did. And I looked damn good.

I think it was somewhere between Domaine Chandone and Biale that The Incident happened. Imagine 30-something people on a limo-bus stocked with a full bar. Most people were drunk before we even left San Francisco. So it was inevitable that red wine would eventually make contact with my ill-chosen white dress. The culprit was my dear friend Vinay, combined with a too-sharp turn or maybe a speed bump. The victim was my white dress; the poor thing looked like it was fashionably bleeding. Before the thoughts, "Oh f-- my dress! I am gonna walk around with a wine stain all day long!" could process, the never-outdone Jess produced a magic potion from his bag...

Wine Away, how had I never heard of you?!?! A couple of sprays later, and my dress was once again immaculate. And I was head over heels in love.

Not too long ago, at a winery (I believe Martinelli?), I found a 3 pack of travel-size Wine Away spritzers. I keep one in my purse at all times, and lemme tell ya: I have un-ruined more garments, removed more carpet stains, and warranted more "Oh my God THANK YOU!!!!" hugs than I ever imagined possible. All for $10? What a bargain!

Wine lovers everywhere, experienced or not, or even for you clutzy folks (because I can attest that this stuff removes fruit juice, ketchup, and more!): you NEED Wine Away. Get it now. Most wine shops, BevMo, and specialty food stores carry it. If not, order it right here, right now!

And as you may have guessed, the Wine Away wasn't the only one to steal my heart that day.