"Need land, row lake, race kinsfolk for it, falling behind, need land, row harder, need to touch land first, falling behind, row harder, not going to make it, grab my sword, throw ashore, touched land first."
The minute I read that wacky name wines would be the theme for the January’s WBW, hosted by Pim of Chez Pim, I knew it would be a fun one.
Right then and there a did a quick Google search for wacky name wines and got this, which took me to Peter May's website, with its 16 pages of unusual wine labels. How’s that for a start?
After a little scouring and sifting I wrote down a couple dozen names on my dear Moleskine. I could not wait to go shopping!
Since later that day I was going to be working in the West Seattle area for the afternoon I would stop on my way home at Metropolitan Market, just to browse around and see if I got lucky.
It was there, while perusing the shelves of the wine department that I finally came upon the two wines I wanted to use for today's tasting, well, at least one of them anyway. But more on that later.
Metropolitan Market in West Seattle is one of five Seattle locally own upscale supermarkets. The West Seattle location happens to be their flagship store.
The store is gorgeous, thanks to its attractive and user-friendly merchandising, focus on small company, artisanal and locally produced specialty items--their cheese section is one of the best in town--with a lovely selection of fruit and vegetables, meats, beautiful deli offerings and some of the best sushi you can buy at a supermarket, anywhere.
Their wine offerings are no different. Such a lineup, scores of inspiring choices! Many of the labels sold here are well kept secret gems from Puget Sound and Eastern Washington wineries, big and small. From winemakers producing very interesting and increasingly popular juice, some of them in very in limited releases.
The selection, with generous dashes of Oregonian, French, Californian, Australian, Italian and Spanish wines is fantastic. And after a little detective work I've come to think that the quality of the wine available at this particular store has everything to do with Kate--the great--the store's wine manager.
A woman wine manager! How refreshing! And she is so nice too! Full of ideas, knowledge, helpful as can be and with one of those great smiles that could light up the darkest cellar.
When I approached her with my little notebook, asking for her favorite wacky labeled wines in stock, she went around the aisles with me pointing at over a dozen options.
Smoking Loon, Jezebel, Big Moose Red, The Stump Jump, Porcupine Ridge, Hill of Content, Jest Red, Domaine des Blagueurs, Heart of Darkness, Lone Canary, Jigsaw, "Pets" Petit Syrah, Oregon Pinot Express and at least a handful more.
I added them to my list of possibilities, scribbling furiously so as not to miss any precious and wacky morsel, each bottle more promising than the next.
And then, all of a sudden, as in a flash of divine inspiration, Kate mentioned another wine that she thought would be a great choice for today. However she warned me that they were sold out of it, perhaps without hopes of re-stocking.
Oh well, I was not in a hurry to choose that instant and besides, with the abundance of excellent wine around me, not only there but also at so many other merchants in the city, I was sure I would eventually found something wacky enough for Pim.
I took a peek at the spot she was pointing to and did a double take. Frankly, as soon as I saw the name on the tiny wine price tag, sitting so lonely on the empty shelf space I shuddered.
This was not so a wacky named wine as it was a blood-curdling and spine chilling one, like a horror film's title on a Netflix recommended listing, the kind I tend to take my eyes off it right away and press on the not interested button.
For a moment I was relieved it was sold-out. Then, walking by the corner end cap what do I spot but another unusually named wine with the most heartwarming and funny name, cute photo on the front label and an ever so tender story on the back that was so sweet I could not pass it up. Just in case, I took it home with me.
Still, I was curious about Kate’s wine suggestion. That wine's name—redolent of Edgar Allan Poe's narrative voice--even when I had not seen the label yet, was definitely gory and anathema to my life's MO.
Until then it never ocurred to me that someone would give a great wine--Kate raved about it--- such a name. One that, unless otherwise indentured, I would probably had never chosen to take home and serve to friends or family.
Little did I know at the time that I was bound to get that same old feeling again, a few weeks later while browsing the wine offerings at the Tukwila Larry's Market, when Paul-- one of my favorite wine guys in the city-- proposed the very same wine for today's WBW.
The minute he showed me the bottle I knew I had found my wacky--albeit creepy--named wine. Kismet? Coincidence? Who knew? I thought it was surprisingly appealing yet so paradoxical. But here it was again and I was not longer faint-hearted. This would be it.
After a little wine chat with Paul, I placed the bottle in my cart. As soon as I got home, still in its bag, I stored the bottle flat on the cellar floor, as far away from my previously purchased sweet-looking and cute as can be wine. Just in case the black-hearted manus had any gruesome ideas in mind on how to dispose of its well manered and good-natured contender. :-D
