Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road. As the trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she would like a ride. With a silent nod of thanks, the woman got into the car.
Resuming the journey, Sally tried in vain to make a bit of small talk with the Navajo woman. The old woman just sat silently, looking intently at everything she saw, studying every little detail, until she noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Sally.
“What in bag?” asked the old woman. Sally looked down at the brown bag and said, “It’s a bottle of wine. I got it for my husband.”
The Navajo woman was silent for another moment or two. Then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder, she said:
“Good trade.”
Recent WineCard Artist Clayton Cotterell is a young up-and-coming photographer in the ny city art scene. RiotWine brings you images from his personal portfolio in the form of a series titled “Teens” focusing on suburban youth.
Taking cues from the likes of Gregory Crewdsonand Philip-Lorca diCorcia Clayton’s work is a new perspective on the contemporary art landscape.
Contact for Commercial Work: mail (at) claytoncotterell (dot) com
Ted Osborne and Kim Wedlake are the super down-to-earth and family oriented couple behind Olabisi Vineyards. Ted has worked hard to make amazing wines and it really shows. Don’t be surprised if in the next 3-5 years you see his wines pop up more and more in major publications. Robert Parker, has already taken note and scored some Olabisi wines an impressive 90 points. Ted, the winemaker, humored some questions from RiotWine friends and customers.
The Interview:
What is the first “great” bottle of wine you tasted? Your epiphany?
I was 19 when my uncle brought over a bottle of 1969 Haut Brion. We shared that bottle amongst 7 people–those in my family who were old enough to appreciate it and my future wife. We had never tasted a great wine before. It was that good that we talked about it through the next day, or maybe that was just me.
What is the best beer to drink during crush season?
Always for me a lighter beer, Budweiser is an amazing palate cleanser. Plus you can drink more and still keep your eye on the ball. A couple Sierra Nevadas and I’m done.
Do you feel more like a farmer or a rock star?
I feel like someone who gets to make wine for a living. I try to focus on that and being a father, husband, and friend.
What wine that you produce has a story that will allow me to make-out with the listener after I’ve told it?
The Petite Sirah from Roger King’s Vineyard. But obviously I can’t tell the story. My wife would kill me.
Do you make alternative wines at home?
I make alternative wines at work.
How did you get into wine? What age were you? Did you always dream of it?
I was a 29-year-old unemployed English major and my wife got a job in St. Helena designing wine labels. I had nothing better to do so we moved from SF up to Calistoga. Six months later I was still basically unemployed and applied for a job at Cakebread Cellars. It was the first job I didn’t hate, which is a pretty big deal.
How competitive is the winemaking business?
I’m not sure yet. It’s hard to know what drives you to keep making better wines every year. But I think that it’s all we really want. We’re all seeking the holy grail.
Is winemaking everything you hoped it would be and more?
It’s the best thing I could find to do for a living.
What’s your personal style when it comes to making wine?
I guess I would say that my personal style is to let the grapes and the wine do their thing.
“Don’t Break the Bottle is an ingenious puzzle - simply lock the bottle up in the puzzle, and hand it over to the lucky recipient. At first sight it appears laughably simple to open, but first impressions are deceptive. It’s hugely entertaining watching the recipient go from cocky to puzzled to deeply frustrated - especially whilst everyone else is chipping in with their advice… “No, loop that bit over there, slip that toggle round the whatsit” etc. They’ll feel they deserve every last drop if they do finally manage to crack it. If they don’t, aside from you crowing, you can put them out of their misery as it does come with release instructions.”
Decanting a bottle of wine is a commitment: you will drink the bottle alone in one sitting and wake up without your pants in an alley. And your teeth/lips will be purple.
The Metrokane Vacuum Decanter is a smart solution. Constructed from hand-blown crystal, the decanter works normally to aerate your wine/make you look suave. But when you are done enjoying the vintage, pop on the stopper and use the included pump to vacuum seal the wine. (A digital indicator will tell you when the oxygen is gone).
If only this decanter didn’t look just like an Erlenmeyer flask…$68.99 – Mark Wilson
Varietal has recently been selected by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the 95 most exciting new restaurants in the world. Since some of you may have missed this interview way back in January there is a link here.
Varietal: 138 West 25th Street (Between 6th & 7th Aves.)
