Barrel Fever | Chateau Montelena (and Prostitutes)

I understand that blog title may be confusing. Let me explain. Some of you may or may not know that CB and I have a little hobby; drinking wine. But not just drinking wine, we travel around the country to wine taste, we own books on wine, attend classes on appellation and variety, subscribe to wine spectator, and have an expanding wine cellar. I realized recently that I don't blog about wine much, maybe it's because I don't think I know enough about it to pontificate to the masses, but truth be told I really really like wine, I like drinking and learning about wine as much as I like cooking, baking and learning all things culinary. So, starting now I will have hopefully, regular blog posts about wine. I'll post the really good reviews, along with the stinkers and everything in between, I'll include the vineyard tasting notes, along with what I thought of the wine and of course the price.

I'll get to the prostitutes in a minute. I've named the wine reviews Barrel Fever, the reason for this is two-fold. My favorite author David Sedaris has a book titled Barrel Fever - I love his writing style and his books, for me at least are laugh out loud funny. I love the way he makes ordinary life so colorful in the way he describes it. Second - wine specifically red wine is aged in oak barrels...duh.

For the first Barrel Fever posting I have chosen a wine from Chateau Montelena in Calistoga California. If any of you have seen the movie bottle shock, or heard about the 1976 Paris tasting where California wines basically shocked the wine industry and the wine world altogether than you know that the 1972 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena took first place for the best white wine at that competition. Fame and fortune have followed, but the truth is, they are still making amazing wines 30 years later. So without further ado:

2005 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel
$24
Winery Tasting Notes: The wine shows a very good deep red color. It has many of the typical Zinfandel notes on the nose: spicy berry, subtle briar, and some dried fruit component. On the palate it opens with a nice big bowl of the same briar and berry flavors, and a spicy Zinfandel character.

JB Tasting Notes: I just loved this wine, it had a great nose...I got spice and dried fruit in the nose, but on the palate I got chocolate, dark rich chocolate. I didn't need food with this wine, I could have been happy with just a hunk of bread and this wine. I liked it much better than CB, he liked it, but wasn't as gaga over it as I was. I drank it with my aunt and uncle, avid wine drinkers, and both agreed, this was a solid buy and a great bottle of wine.

Rating: Damn Good (buy this wine)

Now what you've all been waiting for: the prostitutes. I'm going to read you a little article that was in the Metro the other day.. here we go

Prostitutes Offer Deals for Recession
Brothels in Germany - where prostitution was legalized seven years ago - are scrambling to offer recession specials as the dismal economy takes a bite out of even the oldest profession. One German brothel is offering an all-you-can-eat buffet (well if that doesn't have a double meaning I don't know what does) with its services; another invites men to bring their wives along and make the event more of a family affair. (hell sure, bring Grandma along too) "If customers can't even afford to spend money on housing, food and cars" asks Monika Heitmann, a prostitute support worker, "then how can we expect them to spend money on sex?"

Well - here's a brilliant idea, instead of those men coming to the brothels with their wives and paying prostitutes to have sex, why don't they just stay at home and have sex with their wives! I mean really priorities please. And I love the all-you-can-eat buffet, I'm still trying to figure out if that is actually food.