Book Passage Travel, Food & Photography Conference Redux!

For the second year in a row I attended the annual Book Passage Travel Writing & Photography Conference in Corte Madera, California. This year the conference included a Food writing track and there were so many opportunities to sample wine and other spirits it almost felt like a mini wine blogger event. I thought the added focus on food and wine for travel writers was a perfect pairing, especially for a wine blogger like me. I think the gap may be closing between wine blogger and travel blogger conferences.

In addition to the Food writing track, I sampled the session on Writing for Newspapers and Magazines, and some of the Photography offerings as well. I sat in on a photography session with Bob Holmes and Andrea Johnson where I learned composing a photo is not that different from approaching a story. Bob and Andrea collaborated on the book A Passion for Pinot, and their session evening included special guest Jean-Charles Boisset from Boisset Family Estates who poured some Pinot from DeLoach in Sonoma.

The alumni ranks at Book Passage are full of success stories about finding agents, inking book deals, meeting a collaborator, or just getting the confidence to send out that first piece and get published. I got to relate my own personal success story at the opening gathering on Thursday night when I announced I will be the editing the next Travelers’ Tales humor anthology --Leave the Iguana, Take the Mascara: Funny Travel Stories And Strange Packing Tips.

The conference has a magical quality that creates an atmosphere of possibilities. But it's more than the combination of faculty, karaoke, alcohol and camaraderie that make it special. It’s the people that you meet. I’m always as impressed by the students as I am by the faculty.

The Book Passage experience is intense. It's exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. The four jam-packed days are inspiring and give you a buzz and euphoric feeling about your work that is priceless. Although I think some of the buzz and euphoria this year was due to the Absinthe. Oh, did I mention the Absinthe tasting? Oh yeah, that was amazing! Afterwards everyone got that glassy eye glow. Recognize any of these people below?

At the closing ceremony, awards were handed out to the winners of the photography and travel writing contests. I won a prize for my entry in the travel writing contest. The winning story was read aloud by Don George. Don's dramatic readings are always a highlight of the conference. I think he could read the back of a cereal box and make it a transformative moment.

If you are looking to boost to your travel writing career or just want to get inspired by a great group of people, you should consider attending Book Passage next year. And if you do go, here's a tip: Stay late every night. All the real connections happen after hours. Especially on karaoke night.

Living the Dream

This picture above captures the essence of the "California Wine Lifestyle" --it's the classic image seen in many glossy wine and lifestyle magazines-- Friends gathered in the vineyard, sun setting, wine in hand.

When I moved to California wine country I decided I wanted to sample that picture perfect life those glossy magazines were showing. I wanted to learn more about wine and all its aspects. I wanted to be in one of those pictures. Then I looked at the picture again… wait a minute here…I am in that picture! (click on photo above to enlarge)

Cue Talking Heads music…Once in a Lifetime (with apologies to David Byrne for slight lyric changes)

You may find yourself in a beautiful vineyard, with beautiful friends

You may ask yourself: well... how did I get here?

Yes indeed! How did I get here is the question.

Well I suppose it all started with a love for wine and meeting some very generous and amazing like-minded individuals. I started wine blogging to give myself a place to talk about the things I was learning. I never really considered myself a wine blogger as the bulk of the writing I do is about travel. But now, after attending two wine blogger conferences and countless local wine events, I guess I really am a wine blogger. And here I am living the glossy magazine fantasy I imagined less than a year ago.

The photo above was taken at Floodgate vineyards at a celebration dinner event to commemorate the launch of Cartograph Wines by Alan Baker and Serena Lourie on July 24th.

We began the evening by touring the vineyards in a modified hay wagon. Vineyard manager Warren Burton led the way telling us the background and characteristics of each area that was planted. Floodgate vineyards produce a multitude of wines and is planted with clones of Pinot Noir as well as Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard tour was staged with stops that included a food and wine pairing for the particular grapes that had been grown there.

First pairing stop-- Prosciutto wrapped around melon paired with an outstanding Sauvignon Blanc by Atascadero Creek. This Sauvignon Blanc had the crisp fruity flavors and acidity that I normally attributed to SB from New Zealand. It was surprising to find that same balance in a local wine. I quickly took a picture of the label for future reference.

Pairing Station Two: Artichoke mousse tartlet’s with Cartograph Gewurztraminer. I love this Gewurtz. It’s endlessly satisfying and a delight to drink with it’s bight flavors and dry finish.

Pairing Station Three: Bacon and Blue Cheese with Pinot Noir from C. Donatiello Block 15 and Gary Farrell’s Alysian label Floodgate Pinot. These wines were quite different in style and showed the incredible range of the Pinot grape.

After the third stop I began to feel a bit like we were in the church of Floodgate and visiting the stations of the cross. I wondered when the collection plate would be passed around. But thankfully, this was not the church of my youth, this was a new religion altogether.

Pairing Station Four: Bruschetta and fresh tomato salsa paired with more Alysian Pinot.

While we sipped more Pinot on a hillside overlooking the property I noticed the rows at Floodgate were planted so straight that if Warren ever gives up his wine pursuits I think he’d make a top-notch orthodontist.

Pairing Station Five: Oysters on the half shell and a bit of Riesling as we watched the sun set.

Next we had dinner under the stars. Warren Burton kept us laughing all through out the meal and poured some Bradford Mountain Syrah. Our country BBQ feast featured grilled steaks and a host of side dishes including fingerling potatoes with mint that were deceptively simple--just butter potatoes and mint, but oh so good.

The glow and good cheer and camaraderie of that evening will linger with me for quite some time. It really was an evening straight out of a wine lifestyle magazine. But this evening was not a staged photo shoot. It was the real deal.

I’d like to thank Warren, Bobbie, Marlene, Maxine and Adam for their hospitality and of course Alan and Serena for making it all happen.

NOTE: This post is quite late because I was trying to recover my photos from the evening off a damaged camera disc. Unfortunately, they were all lost. But better to post late than never.

Mini-Tour of Willamette Valley

The Magic Bus

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Pre-WBC event tour the Willamette valley by Lynette Shaw of Soléna Estate. I’ve been on several of these type of events and I must say this trip knocked all the rest out of the park on the sheer fun meter, plus it did not hurt that the winery’s we visited were top notch as well.

To start the day off in style, we climbed aboard the flashy red double-decker bus from Portland. It was the maiden voyage for this little cutie and I hope we did not jinx it. The bus, a 1959 vintage had been completely restored and outfitted as a deluxe party bus complete with leather lounge banquets up top and a bar area down below. The view from the top deck was exceptional for taking in all those beautiful Willamette valley vistas. Adding to the thrill of the ride were the Voodoo Donuts a Portland gastronomic icon. Although I must admit those donuts looked more like hood ornaments than anything edible. Maybe they were "Mt. Hood" ornaments (Yuk Yuk).

Our first stop was Soléna located in Yamhill, Oregon. From the innovate design of the winery to the story of the “wedding gift grapes” there was a lot to take in. Danielle and Laurent Montalieu, the winery owners, greeted us. Laurent is the chief winemaker at Soléna. We also met Bruno Corneaux one of their winemakers from Grand Cru Estates.

Laurent and Danielle have one of the most unique stories I’ve heard about how they got the estate going. In lieu of traditional wedding gifts the couple asked for vine stock and received enough to plant their wedding vineyard. So where do you register for something like that? Crate and Wine Barrel? Nice way to start a marriage. But dare I ask what happens in the event of a divorce? Is Oregon a community property state? Lets hope one buys out the other and no ripping out of vines occurs. (just kidding, they seem very happy)

The Montalieu's are especially enthusiastic about their land. Laurent prides himself as being very hands on with the ability to take to the tractor and tend to the vines as needed. His daily immersion into the vineyard keeps him close to the changes that are occurring and alerts him to opportunities as well; such as planting on angles according to the declination of the sun for greater yields in the short but intense growing season.

One thing I’ve learned from visiting wineries is that you better love being out in the dirt as much as in the cellar if you want to make great wine.

After a tour of the open pavilion style tank room, built to have the flexibility of use, we adjourned to the cellar for some barrel tasting from vineyards located in the Willamette valley sub AVA’s: Hyland from McMinnville, Guadalupe-- Dundee Hills, Thistle –Dundee Hills, Monks Gate- Yamhill-Carlton District and Kalita – Dundee hills.

This was not your typical barrel tasting. It was a virtual “barrel buffet” in which we were all presented with our own personal thief’s and given free reign to taste and sample as we liked. I liked this unhurried approach to barrel tasting. Like hummingbirds with glass proboscises we dipped in and out of the samples at our own pace. I found it really gave you a chance to think about each sample and go back to compare and contrast among the barrels.

I liked the Hyland, Guadalupe, and Thistle, most, all of which feature volcanic soil. I liked this open tasting concept very much and it helped me to set the particular AVA’s in my mind and palate. I was struck by how vast the differences were between barrels.

We had a regal luncheon with food pairings created by chef Matthew Howard for each of the wines. It’s hard not to come away from something like this without a halo effect of affection, but I felt by tasting the barrel samples I got a good hit on the foundation of the wine they are making without the fancy package. Pairing the wines with food added dimension to the experience and for my goldilocks palate it was just right.

Next the bus grinded some gears up more picture perfect roads to Soter Vineyards. I just loved the look of this place--a simple rustic barn open on both sides to the most stunning views of the surrounding valley. Well, a simple rustic $7 million dollar barn probably, but who tallies theses things anyway. The impression was priceless. On arrival Courtney Sheilds handed us a glass of 2005 Brut Rose and led us to the tasting tables where we were able to sample the following:

2008 North Valley Pinot Noir

2006 Beacon Hill Pinot Noir

2007 Mineral Springs Ranch Pinot Noir

I preferred the 08 North Valley Pinot over the others which were both high point generating wines from Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate. I liked the body of the North Valley and it’s scent was filled with dark plum and earthy notes with and a bit sage and dust. Once again I find when placed sided by side I often favor the younger wines. Not to say that the Beacon Hill and Mineral Springs were not standouts as well, but my palate belongs to the Soter North Valley.

The atmosphere at Soter is very relaxing. Off to the side of the building I noticed the remnants of their hay bale Stonehenge; part of a celebration they had for the solstice. I get the feeling Soter is a more-fun-than-meets-the-eye kind of place. I felt a great sense of well-being on their land, and Mr. Soter seems to be one of the happiest wine guys I’ve ever met. There is something special in the air and in the soil up there at Soter. Go check it out.

Back on the bus we took a few pokes at the now half congealed Voodoo Donuts and next thing we knew we were at Anne Amie in Carleton.

The winery at Anne Amie looks like it could be the HQ for Swiss Miss. It’s a little bit Tyrolean. But the wines we tasted were far from the “braids and hot coco” esthetic the building might imply.

Wine maker Thomas Houseman has taken an interesting path to become a winemaker He was formerly a modern dancer. But as he says--art is art in whatever form you seek to create it. I was disappointed he did not do a few plie’s or rond de jambe’s in the barrel room or at the very least give us some Fosse “jazz hands” to spice things up, but the wine was jazzy enough, especially that Muller Thurgau, which for the rest of the day had me thinking of that movie Bad Santa where the kids name was Thurman Merman. (Don’t ask. Just know we all must seek to make sense of the world.) Anyway, we got to try some Pinot barrel samples with Thomas and based on what I tasted I think the Anne Amie Pinot's are worth waiting for.

The level of hospitality we experienced from all the wineries was exceptional and I can’t thank Lynette enough for organizing it all and also thanks to Thea @winebratsf for hooking me up. If the Pre-WBC was as far as I got on the road to the Walla Walla, Washington and the WBC, I would have gone home very happy indeed.

As always, it's the people in the group that really make or break it, and the biggest bonus of the trip was meeting new wine peeps with varied interests, backgrounds, and above all great sense of humor. Many of these folks have written about the trip more eloquently and in greater depth than I, so you might want to check out these posts as well:

http://www.vinotology.com/2010/07/willamette-details-post.html

http://lusciouslushes.com/2010/07/im-gone-to-ore-gon/

http://sticksforksfingers.blogspot.com/2010/06/pre-wine-bloggers-conference-petite.html

http://www.suburbanwino.com/2010/07/oh-places-youll-go.html

http://www.dallaswinechick.com/my-pre-wbc-conference-love-affair-with-oregon-wines/

The TSA Took My TorkScrew Away (Sung to the tune of the Ramones hit “The KKK Took My Baby Away”)

I only fly carry-on, never check bags even if I’m going away for a month. So I’m pretty clear on what can make it through the TSA check. But I had no idea the seemingly innocuous “TorkScrew” would cause so much trouble.

I was given a TorkScrew at #WBC10 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla by Neil Klindworth (@Torkscrew on twitter). The TorkScrew is a cork screw for opening screw caps on wine bottles. As Neil said; it “...adds some romance to the twist off.” Okay. I’ll go for that. I’m willing to try novel things. After all, in a moment of weakness, I did once buy one of those motion sensor talking trouts from Wall Mart.

Anyway, I gladly accepted the TorkScrew from Neil and went about my merry WBC way. I never really looked at it all that closely, I figured it was just a magnetic twist off device. I threw it in the bottom of my bag and forgot about it.

Fast forward to PDX. I had a 6 am flight to SFO and the TSA line was packed at 5:30 am. I’d removed any last bottles of wine, even gave one to the desk clerk at Aloft in PDX, and gave away my traditional corkscrews as well. But I’d completely forgot about the TorkScrew that was hiding in the corner of my carry-on.

Into the conveyor went my bag, but out the other side it did not come.

Next thing I know I’m being pulled aside and asked to open my bag.

The latex gloved agent delicately picked around my wine stained clothing and then plucked the TorkScrew triumphantly from it’s hiding place like Little Jack Horner pulling out a plum.

“What is this?”

“Um... It’s a TorkScrew.”

“A what?”

“TorkScrew sir. Says right there on the package.”

“And what’s it for?”

“It’s for opening wine bottles with twist off caps. Someone I just met gave it to me.”

As soon as I said that, I knew I was in trouble and never going to see the TorkScrew again.

“A stranger gave you this?”

“Um, well, sort of. I guess you could call him a new friend I had not met yet. But theoretically stranger would be correct.”

“Here in the airport he gave you this?”

“Ah no! It was in Walla Walla. At a wine bloggers conference.”

“M’am this has a knife on it and I’m sorry, but you cannot carry this on board.”

“It does? Let me see that.” And indeed it did have a foil cutter and traditional corkscew on it as well. “Hey that’s cool huh?” I said.

The TSA agent took back the TorkScrew and directed me to a secondary screening area. Next I got “wanded” and then was free to go. I have a feeling someone in Portland is going to get a very groovy TorkScrew as a gift very soon. If you want one too you can track down that agent or go here.

The Dangers of Pine Nuts

Have you heard of Pine Mouth? If you value your palate, or if your work depends on your ability to taste accurately, read on about this very disturbing condition. In the last year there have been reports that pine nuts imported from China have been causing unusual reactions in some people that range from a mild metallic taste in their mouths to a complete loss of taste for up to 14 days.

I've eaten pine nuts all my life and never had a problem till this past year. In the past 10 months I've had pine nuts from Sun Ridge Farms that are supposedly from Santa Cruz and experienced bad reactions with two different bags. But other times I’ve used Sun Ridge Farms and had no reaction. The bag states they are manufactured in Santa Cruz, but the package copy reads: “Our buyers travel extensively throughout the world to visit farms and ensure we pack only the freshest, most delicious and highest quality nuts and seeds available.” Well then that might explain the inconsistency in the packages. It seems that Sun Ridge Farms does not grow pine nuts, they just source them. Perhaps some of those “high quality" nuts came from China?

The same thing has occurred with pine nuts bought in bulk from Whole Foods. Sometimes they were fine and sometimes not.

How I used them did not seem to matter. I once made pesto and experienced a 12-day period of metallic taste and slight tingling burning sensation on my tongue. I also had a bad experience when I lightly toasted the nuts and tossed them over roasted broccoli.

It is only after I searched for the causes and symptoms of severe “metallic taste” that I came across the “pine mouth” posts (see more links below) that described my experience exactly. In addition to the bad taste, I noticed a slight swollen feeling and pale coating on my tongue.

In my case, the symptoms came on the day after and sometimes two days after eating pine nuts. In all instances the symptoms went away after 5 to 15 days, with my ability to taste as normal, increasing gradually each day.

The first time this happened it was very disturbing and I kept thinking it was due to tainted almonds or cheerios since that was what I ate when I first noticed the horrible taste. Subsequently, I was able to trace the common denominator of pine nuts in each occurrence.

If you are not sure if this ever happened to you, I can assure you it hasn’t-- because if it did, you would definitely know. It is not a mild annoyance by any means. It’s quite horrible. In fact, if this sensation could be purposefully induced, it would become the worlds best diet aid ever because you really can’t eat it’s so awful. It makes you avoid all food. Drinking wine while this is happening is impossible. It tastes like poison. Scary stuff.

So my big reason for writing this is to warn others. As much as I love pesto and using pine nuts in recipes, I have decided to delete them from my diet forever. I will make an exception when I am in Italy and the pine nuts are local. But otherwise it’s just too risky and who knows what the cause really is? We know so little about our food and where it really comes from. Unless we grow it ourselves, it’s impossible to know. We all know what happened with the pet food from China. I’m not going to gamble with Chinese pine nuts.

My advice to wineries…I would absolutely avoid the use of pine nuts in any recipes you serve for food pairings and forbid your caterers to use them at your events. It would be very easy for someone to mistakenly believe your wine is horrid, when what they are really experiencing is a reaction to pine nuts. None of my pine nut reactions have been instant, it’s always been a day or two later, but why take the risk?

Links for Further Reading:

Epicurious - Got Pine mouth?

Emergency Medicine

Daily Mail - Pine Mouth Puzzle

Pine Mouth” Syndrome. An Emerging Problem?

EXCERPT From Wikpedia-- Risks of eating pine nuts:

A small minority of pine nuts can cause taste disturbances, developing 1–3 days after consumption and lasting for days or weeks. A bitter, metallic taste is described. Though very unpleasant, there are no lasting effects. This phenomenon was first described in a scientific paper in 2001. Some publications have made reference to this phenomenon as "pine mouth". This is a relatively new phenomenon and appears to be most common in nuts coming from China. It has been theorized that the nut trees are absorbing something and passing it on to the nuts, or the nuts themselves are being treated with something before packaging. It is also possible that the nuts have spoiled and are rancid, causing the metallic taste disturbance. Also, it has been hypothesized that this bitter side effect is caused by an allergy that some people may have to pine nuts, but this does not explain the recent appearance of this syndrome. Metallic taste disturbance known as metallogeusia, are reported 1–3 days after ingestion, being worse on day 2 and lasting for up to 2 weeks. Cases were self-limited and resolve without treatment.

Local Flavors

There is nothing quite as nice as being able to walk out your front door and less than twelve minutes later be at a great local wine shop. In Sebastopol our local shop is the Wine Emporium, owned by Tom West. They have a wonderful wine selection and a fabulous tasting line up that changes monthly. They also host terrific events featuring local artists and musicians.

Last Friday we attend a reception for Charles Beck, a landscape artist we recently met on the open art studios tour. Beck’s work captures the essence of Sonoma. If you are a local and missed his open studio you can a view a sampling of his work at the Wine Emporium for the next month or so. An added bonus at the art reception was musician Tara Linda providing a lush musical accompaniment to the wine, art and edibles on hand. I was blown away by Tara’s relaxing, yet upbeat and eclectic style. Her music filed the space without overwhelming it. It was bistro with a beat, sensual and hip with a Cowboy Junkies meets Norton Buffalo sensibility. Anyway, I bought two of her CDs on the spot and have been listening to them ever since.

Naturally, the Wine Emporium features local wines from the area, but they also carry many international labels and I brought home a bottle of Naia, a Verdejo from Rueda in Spain, the purchase of which I think was influenced as much by the music, as what was in my glass. Never underestimate the power of pairing wine and music. The Naia was crisp and spicy with a grapefruit scent and a bright citrus top note. Perfect for a hot summer evening with some grilled chicken or tuna steaks marinated in a ginger-soy sauce. Have at it.

If you are in Sebastopol, or just passing through, take the time to check out the Wine Emporium. Pull up a chair at the wine bar, chat with Al, and let him take you on a mini tasting tour of the day’s offerings. You can even tell Al I sent you. He probably won’t know who you are talking about, but he will take special care of you regardless…it’s that kind of a place.

Pride of Palate

Domo in Paris by Lily Chou

Back in March I attend the Diageo Chateau & Estate Burgundy Tour tasting and wrote about it here. Recently I saw that a white burgundy I raved about at the tasting, the 2007 Domaine Philippe Colin Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet -- received 95 points from Wine Spectator.

I always say points or no points it’s what you like that counts. But I did feel quite smug and somewhat proud that I selected the same wine as something quite special. Even though I preach taste for yourself, it was somewhat validating to know that my palate knew it was on to something special and that wine "experts" agreed it was exceptional.

Here’s what I wrote about it back then:

The Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet 2007 gob-smacked me. I am still thinking about it five days later. It was classic and elegant like a signature scent. If Chanel No. 5 was a wine this might be it. Despite being 14% alcohol it had a food friendly demeanor with a long loving embrace of a finish. It was the essence of ambrosia. I was completely captivated by this wine.

My top three reds (all 2007's) also received high points:

Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot --92

Doamine de Courcel Pommard Grand Clos des Epenots --90

G. Rounier Morey-St.-Denis Clos de la Bussiere --91

I know it’s popular for wine bloggers to dis the old guard wine writers and especially those from the big glossy magazines, but I don’t feel that way. I just think you need to form your own opinions and not rely solely on points or reviews by others.

The most important thing you get from having a wide experience tasting many wines is confidence. If I’m at a winery and I don’t care for a particular wine, I feel I can really trust my palate. No need to second-guess it. Tasting rooms are sales rooms after all, and sometimes you can be swayed by more than what is in the glass. So pay attention to the wine first.

It’s been three months now and I’m still thinking about those wines of Burgundy. I seriously need to consider a journey to France and visit the land where they are made. (Sponsorship anyone? Please chime in.)

Photo Credit: Domo in Paris by Lily Chou