Reading and Drinking

The state of Oregon has lots of personalities and I wanted to experience as many as possible during my recent trip to wine country. An excursion to the coast was a must. My travel companion and I decided to let the winds guide us to a winery stop along the way. Driving through a small town by the name of Amity, a sign reading "Coelho Winery" immediately caught my attention. Could it be that one of my favorite writers, Paulo Coelho, has a winery in Oregon?

It wasn't the first time the people at the winery had been asked that question. Both are Portuguese but apparently there are no other ties. Coelho was one of my favorite finds in OR. It didn't hurt that we were the only ones in the tasting room on that Sunday morning; we got lots of attention and the wine was superb.

One of the most interesting was the Pureza Pinot Noir Blanc ($30). It smelled like roses and tasted like peach and citrus. The 2010 Paciencia Estate Pinot Noir ($45) was silky and spicy with that typical mushroomy, earthy nose of a Pinot. Another favorite for me was the Antecipacao Petite Sirah ($40). The color was rich and I was anticipating it to knock me over. It was bursting with flavors of dark berries and do I dare say, bacon? YUM. Needs a little more time in the bottle, so I bought some to store.

I love Coelho's book, "The Alchemist", about dreams and following your own "Personal Legend". I've been looking for a new, good book to sink my teeth into. But while writing this blog, I decided to pull my old friend off of the shelf. Lets see what new nuggets of inspiration I'll discover. Sweat pants (check), glass of wine (check), "The Alchemist" in hand (check). Part One: "The boy's name was Santiago....."

Spumante Surprise

At a wine tasting this week I saw the top of what appeared to be sparkling rose, and I couldn't wait to try it. That is until the wine rep pulled it out of the ice and I saw the word "Spumante". When I hear or see the word "Spumante", I automatically make a face inside of my head. My first thought is "this is going to be really sweet." I prefer my Prosecco or any bubbles for that matter, to be dry.

Looking at the other wines on the table, I knew there was quality at hand so I decided to let go of my pre-judgement and give it a go. I could always dump if it was a dud. I'm so glad I didn't have to. This Zardetto Spumante Rose from Veneto, Italy, was not only a beautiful raspberry color, but had a fresh raspberry flavor with a little spice. It's easy to drink and easy on the wallet; in the $15 range.

She's So Mean: But He's Not

Matchbox Twenty's new single "She's So Mean" may bring back bad memories of bad girlfriends (or boyfriends) but lead singer Rob Thomas says that was not the band's original intention. I talked to him yesterday, the release day of the new album "North". Smart guy, nice guy, a pleasure to interview.

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