“Jeremiah was a bull frog.Was a good friend of mine.Never understood a single word he said,but he always had some mighty fine wine.”


Joy to the World by Three Dog Night

When you think of having a glass of Sherry, you may have images of your grandparents sipping out of tiny little glasses late at night. I distinctly remember my grandmother having a glass of Sherry before bed for "medicinal" purposes. She claimed it cured her arthritis as well as giving her a good night's sleep. Sometimes she wouldn't finish her glass and I would breathe in the last drops of the nutty-smelling alcohol. It was a warm smell that I would later catch on my grandmothers breath as she kissed me goodnight. Sherry is a wonderful after dinner drink, or as my grandparents enjoyed it, a nice way to end a day before bed.

The two predominant types of Sherry are Fino (very dry with a lighter-body) and Oloroso (still dry, but much richer in both flavor and body). If the winemaker is going for Fino, alcohol is added (fortification) until it reaches just over 15%; however, if Oloroso is the goal then alcohol is added to reach an 18% alcohol content. Now the fun begins, while the wines remain in their casks they are permitted contact with air in the top portion of the cask. A layer of yeast, called "flor" forms a coating on the surface of the Sherry, keeping the wine from over oxidizing- these wines will become Finos as their lower alcohol content is what allows the yeast to grow in the first place. Olorosos on the other hand, do not support the growth of flor due to their higher alcohol content. Olorosos are permitted to oxidize intentionally, producing a darker, and richer wine, with more body than a Fino.

Sherry has a long history of serving the likes of Christopher Columbus to Shakespeare, and has recently been previewing new spotlights for its stellar value and food-friendly behavior in our modern world of wine.

"This is very old wine. I hope you will like it."

Count Dracula in Dracula (1931)

Dead Red... Jerry Garcia's Finest

Folie à Deux or Ménage à Trois

As wine should be a fun experience, a winemaker oftentimes will select a name that reflects his/her interests or just their whimsical side. Such is the case of the Napa Valley wines named Folie à Deux and Ménage à Trois.

Folie à Deux is from the French meaning "a madness shared by two". A paranoid or delusional belief transmitted from one person to another. The winemaker suggests that they "craft wines that will deliver a delightful shared experience". Clever and unique enough to make you try out their different varietals. Their prices are quite reasonable per bottle (around $22), so you are getting a quality domestic wine at an affordable price. The reds they offer include: a Cabernet that is rich with a dark berry taste, a Zinfandel that is more on the spicy side (as Zinfandels are) and a Merlot that is full bodied with earthy aromas and hints of both berries and spice.

Folie à Deux also offers white wines including a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardonnay is creamy with a bit of pineapple to it. The Sauvignon Blanc, as most are, is full-bodied with a grassy nose. These two wines are really good choices as we move into warm weather as they are light and easy to drink either alone or paired with a good meal.

Ménage à Trois is produced by the Folie à Deux winery and is described as "...what happens when you put three attractive, single, young grapes together in one exquisite bottle". "Three saucy grapes make up the blend. Zinfandel adds a juicy character, Merlot mellows and Cabernet adds backbone. Forward, spicy and soft, this delicious dalliance makes the perfect trio", all this goodness for a reasonable $12 a bottle.

Ménage à Trois also has a Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Muscat grape combo that makes a fantastic white. Finally, they also offer a Rosé that is described as a "like a carnival in your mouth".

Try out one of the bottles of the Ménage à Trois or Folie à Deux with a friend, if for no other reason than the name is intriguing, and see if you can share the madness or feel the sauciness of the grapes. Cheers!

“Wine is like people. The wine takes all the influences in life all around it, it absorbs them and it gets its personality."

French Kiss (1995) – Luc (Kevin Kline)

Take a Wine Country Vacation

Instead of the big wine names of Napa Valley try this quaint Victorian town just north of Santa Barbara. Los Olivos, California is the area now famous as the setting of the movie Sideways. The region is stunningly beautiful and is one of the best Pinot Noir producing areas in the United States. The historic downtown is home to over a dozen wine tasting rooms in a small area.

A little vino... would be keeno!

Bachelor Party..1984