Wine is sunshine held together by water.

Galileo said that, among other things. Pretty bright guy, which, of course, is why The Church had a problem with him (back in the flat earth, sun revolves around us days). Anyway, I heard that line while we were watching “Bottle Shock” Tuesday night. Great movie.

A number of customers told me I absolutely needed to see it, and they were right. We ended up watching it twice, back-to-back, it was that good. If you are interested in wine, and enjoy seeing the French lose at anything, then this is the movie for you. It is out on DVD, so run, don’t walk, to your nearest movie store and pick it up!

Anyway, seriously, it is worth seeing. Make sure you have wine.

Speaking of wine, Amanda, from Juice, hosted last week’s tasting, and we had a big crowd in to enjoy some good Paso Robles products from Tarrica winery. This south-central Cali coast region has been producing some excellent wines, and we carry some from Eberle, along with the Curious Beagle. All fine wines.

Friday morning, Jeremy, from Country Vintner, returned to ensure I would not be operating any heavy machinery. He tasted us on about eight wines, including a blind taste on a bottle that no one could identify. We were all over the map, and it turned out to be a big California Pinot Noir. We guessed everything from Sangiovese to Malbec. It was big and hot, and not anything like the Pinot Noirs our taste buds have become accustomed to. And I think Jeremy got a kick out of tricking us, because that is just the kind of dirty bastard he is. Which, of course, is one of the many reasons we like him.

Friday night was a little slow, but Saturday was a busy day all the way through, with the Chowder Cook-off right next door. I was actually a judge, so I was forced to drink beer and eat chowder all afternoon. But I’m a trooper, so I pulled through. Michael’s Seafood won, hands down, on a beautiful Chamber of Commerce day.

We also had a visit from an all-female barbershop quartet, who enjoyed themselves so much they belted out a couple numbers. It just goes to show, you never know what you are going to miss if you aren’t at The Grind.

Saturday night, Dave brought along a cast of characters to sit in, including Lou, Larry and Johnny on the percussion. They got tighter as the night went on, and by the end of the evening sounded like they had been playing together for years (although Dave occasionally had to shout out what key Lou should be playing).

Monday, I played in Michael’s golf tournament with Team Pelican. Danny thought it would be a good idea if we played Sunday to warm up, and it was a good thing we did. Sunday, I couldn’t hit the ball to save my life. Well, let me rephrase that, I hit the ball, a lot, just not well. Monday, though, we pulled it together, and everyone had some good shots. Could have been the bloody Mary’s, I don’t know. Our team shot a seven under, and we whooped it up at the after party (where Dave and Jeremy played – made famous by The Grind!).

Which is why I am writing this on Wednesday.

Plumbing is in, electrical is being worked on as we speak, and, despite a lengthy permitting process, we are moving full speed ahead. Don’t think the Treehouse Bistro will make it open by the 15, but that is OK. I would rather come out of the gate strong, than half-ass it to meet some artificial deadline. But, hey, that’s just me.

This week, Esther, from Ararat, will be hosting our tasting, featuring some wines from Italy, South America and France, including a white Bordeaux, a Pinot Grigio, a Pinot Noir, a Syrah and a Carmenere. Should be interesting.

So there you have it. Wine tomorrow, music on the weekend, and good weather. What more of an excuse do you need? So come out to 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind, and let us pour you a glass.

Shawn

In Vino Veritas.

Some drunken Roman said that, but he was mostly right: “in wine there is truth.” It can mean many things, some of which aren’t so nice, but I prefer to focus on the positive. I use my drinking for the purposes of the greater good; to help spread knowledge and appreciation of that fine little fruit we call the grape.

It was for that reason that I found myself at Circa last Thursday, with Jeremy, from Country Vintner, tasting 36 wines. OK, the last one was a Champagne, so, technically, 35. For those who don’t know, Country Vintner was one of the original three vendors who visited us when we were getting ready to open. Although Jeremy was not our original rep, he definitely has the right disposition to deal with us. In other words, he is a very sick man.

Anyway, that night, he and one of his vendors did our tasting, and we had one hell of a crowd. Unfortunately for me, I had to attend a Planning and Zoning meeting, so I missed the bulk of the festivities. And, after the aforementioned 35+ wines, I was in no mood to legislate. But, alas, the common good and all…

Good weather led to a great weekend. We must be the talk of the town in Raleigh, because we had several groups in from the capitol city, drinking fine wine and listening to excellent music compliments of Dave and Jeremy. Oh, and Lou was involved, too. And by the end of the night, they actually weren’t booing; they really were saying “Lou.” I guess Dave finally impressed on Lou the concept of how much better the music would sound if Lou actually knew the songs. And Dave ran with it, since he was more comfortable with his baseline, he started belting out the vocals, and the music sounded fantastic.

Monday, Amanda, from Juice (another one of our original vendors), tasted us on some good wines, including a beautiful Cotes du Rhone, from Domaine de la Solitude. Rich cherry notes, light tannins, great balance…the French have been doing this for a few years. And at the price this is a great value for an excellent example of this classical style.

Amanda will be doing Thursday’s tasting, featuring the wines of Tarrica, a nice Paso Robles, Cali winery, that makes some really tasty wines. We will feature their Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio (yes, a California Pinot Grigio…don’t be scared), Merlot, Cab Sav and Pinot Noir. Now, those of you who have followed the blog know that we view Oregon’s Willamette Valley as the premier Pinot Noir region. However, for a California Pinot, this one is quite nice. They source the fruit from Monterey, which is a little cooler growing climate than Paso Robles, and Pinot likes cool weather.

Construction on the kitchen continues, and we hope to have our plumbing and electrical permits in the next day or two. It is quite strange to me that the permitting process takes longer than the actual construction, but I guess that is how government justifies its existence. Oops, did I just say that out loud? Darn, guess I did. Of course, if any inspectors are reading this, I was only joking. You guys are doing a helluva job.

Susan thought we should call the restaurant 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind’s “Treehouse Bistro.” We all liked that, so that is where we are heading.

On a totally unrelated note, several people have come into the shop to taste wine, and after the first sip, admitted that they couldn’t taste the wine because they had just brushed their teeth, eaten a mint, or chewed gum. Please, we don’t care how bad your breath is, only that you enjoy the wine we offer. If it is that bad, we will stand back while we pour. I’m just sayin.’

Our friends at the Weather Channel are forecasting sunshine this weekend, the shelves will be stocked with delicious wine, and the music will be awesome, so, come on out to 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind and let us pour you a glass.

Shawn

Full speed ahead!

“In water, one sees one’s own face, but in wine we behold the heart of another”

I don’t know who said that, but I read it on the back of a wine bottle at the Mutual trade show Monday, somewhere around my 23rd wine. I thought I should write it down, to see if it was profound in another state of mind. I guess I still think it is.

That was how the week began, and also how last week ended, as Jeremy, from Country Vintner, tasted me on 12 wines before noon on Friday. He is doing this week’s tasting, and wanted to try all of the Terra Andina collection. Following that experience, Steve, from Millennium Beverage, tasted me on three cabs, just to make sure I had enough wine before lunch. Fortunately, I was able to go home after that, because I was definitely unfit to operate heavy machinery. Or a toaster, for that matter.

We had a good group on for last week’s tasting, and Friday we started to see the return of our Raleigh crowd, so we know the season is near. A good crowd enjoyed Dave and Jeremy, and on Saturday Lou stood in for a couple songs, until his wife finally called and told him to get his ass home. But a bigger treat was that Dave got to perform with two of his kids, as Simon played bass on one number and Auri sang along on another. Good stuff, and very talented kids.

Monday, construction began on the kitchen, and we were very excited about that when we went to Mutual’s event. To celebrate, we went to Jerry’s for dinner, in Wrightsville. Had a bottle of the Alexis, a beautiful blend the winemaker created for his daughter’s birthday years ago. He got such a good response, he started making it for public consumption. At least that is the story I heard.

Anyway, we had a delicious dinner, toasted ourselves, and then got back to work.
Here it is Tuesday, and we have had a busy day, with all the nailing and pounding, brewing and pouring. It is spring break, so we actually had some people (other than me) drinking wine during the day. Which is always nice.

We also added a new person to the staff, as Kristi came on board to work mornings. She brings a cheeriness to the coffee crowd, and allows me to sleep in a couple days a week, which I like. Really like. Especially after a night like Monday. It is hard to make a good latte when you can only open one eye.
I’m just sayin.’

So, we will have a good line-up Thursday for the tasting, and this is Jeremy’s first tasting. Well, technically, he did an off-night tasting early on, when he represented a specific line of Aussie wines for Country Vintner, but we are not counting that one. So come out and show him some love.

The kitchen is coming together, the wine shelves are full, and the weather is warming (well, after today!), so come on out to 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind and let us pour you a glass.

Shawn

The walls come tumbling down!

Yes, demolition was in full swing last week, as we began ripping into walls in preparation for kitchen construction. Joel even got into the act, taking advantage of some slow times to beat the living hell out of defenseless 2X4s. Well, not defenseless…this place was pretty well built, and those boards were nailed in, but good!

Actually, after the two of us spent a couple days ripping and tearing, I came to the conclusion that it might be best for us to pay someone else to do this, in the interest of keeping on schedule and not hurting ourselves. So we did, and the boys from Bluewater Structures made quick work of all the demo, doing in eight hours what would have surely taken us a week.

Our contractor should have permit in hand today, and, with luck, construction will begin in earnest.

The chefs, Susan and Ed, got together to begin planning the first couple weeks’ menus, and we are meeting with food vendors and getting samples to help us decide how we will do all the magical things we are going to do. Susan has accused me of creating high expectations, but, hey, I know what we are capable of, and we all have high expectations of ourselves, so I know that what we turn out of the kitchen is going to be nothing short of exceptional. So there.

Thursday, Billy Barru, from Tryon, poured for our tasting, and weird weather made for a weird weekend. Like everyone else, we are ready for some consistently good temperatures and sunshine! In 20 years at the beach, I don’t remember a winter this cold and/or long.

Saturday, however, it appeared people were ready to get the hell out of the house. What seemed like it was going to be a slow night suddenly blew wide open, and Dave and Jeremy rocked the crowd with their ever-expanding selection. Friday night, Dave played solo, killing some Steely Dan (where did you get those shoes?), and hammering the piano. Lou sat in for a couple songs, but people stayed anyway. We expect more this weekend.

This Thursday, Liza, from Mutual, returns to wow us with her wines. She will feature an international selection from Portugal to Chile, Argentina to California. We tasted them yesterday, and there are some really interesting wines in the mix.

In fact, that is one of the reasons I am writing this today, sans wine, instead of yesterday (when I may have had too much wine). I am kidding, of course, there is no such thing as too much wine, and I just couldn’t seem to work the writing in between the tasting, as three different vendors came in yesterday. The morning started early with Domaine Serene’s Yamhill Cuvee, an absolutely delicious Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, We visited this winery in September, but the current vintage of the Cuvee had not been released, so this was the first time we got to taste it. Yum!

OK, well, that seems to be enough for now. The shelves are stocked, the beer is cold and the music is awesome. So come on in to 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind and let us pour you a glass.

Shawn