Behind the Vines

Camping Isn’t Just for Hot Dogs and Beer

by Farley on November 7th, 2007

Lucky you, readers and drinkers, that I keep coming across these fun posts that almost got lost in the new blog/old blog adjustment. I just found two pages, folded up and a little stained, from our camping trip back in July. Here’s what I wrote:

This is my second morning waking up in a tent. I seem to be the first one up or at least the first one out. Last night was a celebratory end to a long day of off-trail hiking, swimming, and four-wheelin’ up rock staircases. We had ribs bbq’d on the grill, my mama’s potato salad (sadly, without Blue Plate, but still good) and veggies I sauteed in garlic, olive oil, and white wine. For beverages, I opened a bottle of Roger Rosenblum’s 2005 Barbera from the Planchon Vineyard (just outside of Oakley in Contra Costa County). Rosenblum was just named America’s best producer of wine from the San Francisco Bay and makes a Zinfandel from Planchon that I absolutely love. So I was quite interested to try Kent’s brother’s attempt at one of my favorite grapes from the same source. Bottled for only one week, it was surpisingly solid. Fair acidity, strong tannin, and bright red fruits were all I could discern before diving into the ribs and other goodies.

That’s all I wrote, as it must have been time for me to make my French toast (sadly, without the Twisted Oak Petite Sirah: see link in first paragraph). We also tried some tasty Bonfire Vineyards wines that evening, but not the Fuel Barbera, if I remember correctly because I recall wishing we could have done a side by side. Later, I asked Roger about his Barbera to satisfy the cellar rat’s curiosity, and found out it also had 15% Sangiovese and 12% Syrah.

Which reminds me…I was supposed to get a bottle for the cellar rat and never did. Roger?

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POSTED IN: Barbera, Rosenblum Cellars, winemaker to watch