Playoffs! Put down the beer and grab this wine!

Yes, our beloved Ravens are in the playoff once again, and this time, they mean business. Hell, this could be the year where they take it all the way to the promised land.

Parties, festivities, and bbq's are all being planned as we speak to celebrate and cheer on our team to victory. I'm sure you already got the beer lined up, but what you really need is a wine that was built for football.

Behold the 132 Seam Go!!!

Yes, a smooth and delicious Merlot that will accommodate all your desires, go with all your dishes, and make everyone happy.

Come in and grab some before gametime.

Go Ravens!

Come to the fire, Baby, & bring the damn wine!

Brrrrrr,

so cold outside. A cold that makes your bones feel brittle and your joints rusty.

Time to settle on down by the warm, crackling fire and open up a nice, seductive red to revive your soul and rejuvenate your essence.

Nothing beats a hearty, full-bodied red this time of year, so when you're in need of one, come on down to Swirl, and we'll match the perfect wine for you.

"What wine will do the trick?" You ask.

"What wine will bring back the hot, steamy romance that's been missing?"

Of course, we could set you up on a rendezvous with a California Cabernet, maybe a sexy Italian Tuscan blend, or an exotic Southern French red might entice you.

There's some fire in these bottles that will heat you up quite nicely.

We'll see you soon.

Another recycle bin full of delicious memories

I always wonder...

every time I walk our recycle bin to the end of the driveway, what the trashman thinks when he makes his stop to collect our accumulated mass of bottles, that's clinking and brimming to the top.

"Damn, these people are alcoholics"

The second thought that goes through my mind is, where the hell are our neighbors buying the booze they're putting out for recycling?

They better come to Swirl!!!

Stock up for Halloween, if you dare...

Come in and get some great deals for your Halloween party.

We got it all.

Beer,

Liquor,

and a few bottles of

wine to choose from.

Unattended children will be given a zombie friend

We want your experience here, at Swirl Wine, to be nothing short of spectacular, so we went the extra mile for you and your kids. Little baby zombies are the perfect playmates for your precious ones. We know how hard the daily grind can be, constantly and prudently watching over your little demon, it wears you down. So come in, find yourself the most perfect bottle of wine, while our little zombie watches over your loved one.

(Swirl is not legally responsible for any zombie attacks or zombie infection that may occur)

Enough talk, let's drink

Alright, I've been ranting long enough.

Let's get back to business, shall we?

So, what'cha been drinking lately, anything good?

Always, my friend, always.

One in particular that has struck our fancy, is this little juicy beast: Rubus old vine Zinfandel.

If you're looking for the best bang for the buck, looking for a big, lush, red wine that over-delivers, come in and try this one for $15 bucks.

Mmmm-mmmm. Tasty. Especially serving it with nice, fall dishes, stews, and slow-cooked meats. Or just having it while you kick up your feet after a long day, this red will relax your mind and fill your soul.

Come get some.

Well, what'll it be? - Drink psychology

Drink psychology:

What you drink, gives an impression to other people about your personality, and maybe a little more.

You walk into the dimly lit bar.

Friday night and the place seems to be coming to life.

You squeeze and side step through a crowd of people that have camped by the jukebox, and notice an empty seat by the middle of the bar.

As you approach and pull out the stool, the bartender makes eye contact, pulls down a dirty glass from the bar top, and quickly wipes down the counter in front of you.

"What can I do for you?"

You freeze up. What to order? The panic attack slowly starts trembling deep, down inside. This is an important, defining question. The drink in your hand becomes almost like an accessory to your outfit. It could speak volumes about what type of person you are and the image you're trying to project.

Do you order a:

1) Grey Goose martini, extra dry and extra dirty, with extra olives. Blue chz stuffed olives, if you got'em - A serious drink for a person who's going to be slurring their words after the fourth sip, and spilling their drink after the sixth. Wants everyone to know they're classy, stylish, and up to date on all latest occurrences of Real Housewives.

2) Vodka and Red Bull, with a splash of cranberry and 2 limes - easy there, Maverick. This is a pure signal to everyone that you'll be doing a disastrous, breakdance routine to a random 80's song, that's quickly followed by puking your guts out in the nearest trashcan.

3) Light beer - Conservative and not too adventurous.

4) Laganitas IPA - A bold beer for a person seeking amped up flavor. You are a someone who appreciates fine things and are looking for someone to talk with about the latest independent movie playing.

5) Makers Mark bourbon on the rocks - You are a rebel. A renegade. You have a slight hint of danger to you.

6) Jameson Irish whiskey and ginger ale - Not too rough, and not too light, this one is just right. You're a fun and easy person that's looking for a laugh.

7) Margarita - whoa, baby, you're not at the beach, or at a taco restaurant, but you want that everlasting summer to keep the conga line going. Yee-haw!

8) Strawberry Daiquiri - You've got, "I don't go out too much" written all over your forehead. You don't like the taste of alcohol and this is your standard drink to fall back to when pressed for an order. When you finish it, you'll go home and start crocheting granny squares.

9) A glass of Pinot Grigio - safe and classy. You're an adult, or just want people to think that you're an adult.

10) Captain Morgan & coke - You bring the party when you arrive. People can hear your laugh as soon as they open the door. You're ready to turn it up a notch and another Capt. is going to help you do that.

So, tell me, what drink are you going to order when you belly up to the bar and the bartender asks you, "What're you having?"

What drink defines you.

James

(drink #11: a Pale Ale with a shot of Reposado Tequila, and then follow that with a Rooty-Tooty-Fresh-and-Fruity with a curly straw and umbrella, please)

Is your beer manly enough?

I remember, when I was a little runt, sitting down with my Dad and watching the big football game of the week. There was always a beer commercial that caught my attention. It depicted a group of men that were usually out in the wilderness somewhere, either fishing, hunting, or something of that sort. Anyway, they gather back at the camp spot, with the big catch, and start cooking it over an open fire, while the beer froths at the lip of the can and snow-capped mountains loom in the far horizon.

One of the fellas raises his beer and looks to the others, and proclaims, "Guys, it doesn't get any better than this."

Men being men. Drinking manly, cheap beer that made you more of a man. It was a great ad. I'm not an Old Milwaukee beer drinker, but when a cowboy with an overgrown mustache hands you a fresh, cold one, who's going to say no?

Now a days, you got commercials depicting men asking which beer has the lowest calories and which one has the lightest, most refreshing taste. In 20 years, we've gone from the capable and secure, master-of-his-domain man, to the ultra-insecure, "am I too fat in these jeans" type of man.

What happened?

Advertising. Those clever bastards mess with our heads more than we know, or give them enough credit for. You see, this is an epic campaign of psycho-infiltration started decades ago, and the effects have become subconsciously wired into the general psyche.

The mighty corporate beers (Budweiser, Miller Lite, Coors Light, etc..) have spent so much money persuading us to ignore our senses, our reasoning and judgement, and obediently purchase only their product, it leaves little room for us to consider another tastier option. If you don't buy Bud (or if you say anything bad about it) you're labeled un-American and driven off without an offering of debate. Not sure if you knew this, but Anheuser-Busch isn't even an American owned company, it's a Belgium-Brazilian company, InBev, that is the world's largest brewer.

Why is it that when someone wants to drink a micro-beer (aka a small brewery not owned by the corporate fat-heads), they are labeled a "fancy pants," or too "hoity toity."

"Is our beer not good enough for yuh?" The old timers say out loud.

What the hell?

The advertisers and fat-heads have achieved what they were after: brand loyalty. If you drink, or seek out, another beer, you're labeled a traitor, a trouble-maker, or have perverted sensibilities.

Soon you'll be an outcast in the far, dark corner of the bar, drinking your imperial IPA.

Look around you before you saddle up to the bar and order. Take notice to what beers everyone around you in this bar is drinking: Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light, with an occasional Michelob Ultra and a few bottles of Corona spattered around.

Then make a decision. Do you join the rest of the sheep and order a mediocre, watered down beer, or do I rebel against the programming, go outside the box, and order a beer with flavor and substance.

Man up.

Soon, they'll be changing their advertising tactics and go after the younger set. Gotta sell all that beer.

James

Party like it's 1999, again

Time to unleash 1999 again and keep the party and good times rolling. This wine just arrived, and for around $30 bucks, it makes for an impressive, eye-opening gift.

I mean, everyone is rolling into the dinner party with their current favorite 2008 and 2009 vintage wine on display, and then, all of a sudden, you shuffle in, do a dramatic twirl and dip, and showcase to everyone your prestigious Bordeaux from the previous decade. Whoa.

Chateau Simard, Saint Emilion, right-bank Bordeaux, 1999 vintage. That's right, this is the current vintage. The winery typically ages their wine for at least 10 years before releasing their juice to the thirsty masses. Aged Bordeaux, ready to be poured into your glass and enjoyed, very nice.

All the effort, time, and cellaring has already been done for you. All you have to do is drink, smile, and reminisce about the good old days of 1999.

Do you remember those times?

Here's a toast to good times ahead.

Cheers, everyone.

The higher, the better...

Higher. Our little baby wanted to go higher. The squeaking of the swing was drowned out by her little giggling, that bursted out of her in an affectation of pure excitement the higher the swing went.

Higher. That's where the pleasure is. That's where the excitement is.

It can be the same with wine.

High elevation vines pass on a flavor that not only stimulates the senses with an added flair of intensity and brilliance, but it also imparts a lingering, taste-altering performance that makes other wines pale in comparison.

This Wednesday, for our Wine Flight Weds, we'll be featuring a stellar line-up of Malbecs, with the star, the showboat, the anchor to the line-up being, Catena's Alta Malbec.

Catena's Alta Malbec is sourced from small, carefully selected estate grown lots high up in the Andes mountain range (between 3000 - 5000 feet). Altitude becomes the determining factor in obtaining grapes of intense concentration, body, and flavor. Since there's no cooling influence from the ocean to help with grape development, they rely on the elevation to provide the perfect component to producing wines of enormous magnitude.

Come try one of the elite wines produced in Argentina, and see if indeed, the higher, the better.

The Devil's in that bottle

There are some that would argue that the devil lives in the bottles that line the shelves of our shop, waiting patiently to befuddle and influence the unfortunate soul who uncorks his lair.

Is there Evil lurking inside these bottles? Hmmm, perhaps. Depending on the bottle and the hand that opens it, I guess. Given enough time, and drink enough of his wile, most will succumb to a foul thought or two.

Yet, last night, at our Wine Flight Weds, we had a lot of enchanting devils that were unleashed, free to muck havoc, but everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, with joy and laughter abound. Not a trace of evil to be found.

Yes, we shook hands and drank with the devil last night, actually the "Devil's Elbow," and here we are, this morning, talking about it fondly. We had a tasting of big, big reds (and who doesn't secretly covet a big, hulking red?), and the "Devil's Elbow" Cabernet made quite a lasting impression.

Come in to Swirl Wine, and let's find a devil in a bottle for you to take home and enjoy.

James

Women like them big

The bigger, the better...

Big, hunky, muscular. Hey, I'm talking about red wine here, and tomorrow night, for our Wine Flight Wednesdays, we'll have some big-big reds open for you to lose yourself in.

The Chippendale's of wine will be showing off their strong, hulking, fleshy, full bodies in the glass for you, so come on by and take a long sip on these gorgeous, big reds. So meaty, yes.

Come to Swirl and get your groove on.

Steak that melts in your mouth

Those dreaded words.

What are we doing for dinner tonight?

Every night, the same old frustrating question.

Blah-blah-blah, who doesn't go through the deja-vu process of a recycled weekly dinner program, right?

Sometimes it feels like we're eating the same dish on the same night as the previous week, and watching the same crap shit on television.

We need something fresh to wake up our taste buds.

So, last night, was the time to try out a new variation, a cooking method for a steak that I haven't tried yet, but have been seeing it done in a lot of high end, celebrity-chef restaurants: butter-braised rib-eye.

Now, usually the standard method of cooking a steak would fall under the process of high heat and a quick cooking time, either on the grill, under a broiler, or a very hot skillet. But this new process, is all about medium heat in a skillet, bathed in butter, and a slower, more gradual cooking pace. The reasoning is that while high temperatures do a good job of searing the meat, it also creates burnt flavors. This more moderate approach allows for even cooking and the imparting of tremendous flavors on the steak, due in part to the roasty (non-charred) flavor and, of course, the rendered fat from the steak and the richness of the butter being reabsorbed and intensified into the meat.

Ok, let's go, good a get cut of rib-eye. Don't season it yet. Bring it to room temp. Set a skillet to medium heat and then place the rib-eye in on its fatty edge sitting upright in the skillet. Depending on its size and thickness, cook it on its side for about 3-5 mins, until it has rendered a decent amount of fat.

Then flip it on its flat side, add about a hefty tablespoon or two of butter, 2 garlic cloves, a splash of soy sauce, and then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 4-5 mins.

Now, after about 10 mins the butter has browned to a point where, if we don't do something, it's going to start imparting burnt flavors to the steak. So, before that happens, dump the cooking fat, and add another couple of tablespoons of fresh butter.

Flip the steak to its other flat side. Season this side with a pinch of salt and pepper. All the while, spoon the melted butter over the steak, and then keep basting. About 3-5 mins on that side (once again depending on your thickness, and how you prefer your meat to be cooked. I like it med-rare, so you'll have to adjust your time to your preferences).

Ok, very important. After the steak is done and removed from the skillet, you'll have to let the meat rest for at least 5-7 mins.

Oh, thank you butter for making this steak unbelievable.

So freakin good. This steak literally melts in you mouth. All you need is a good bottle of wine to accompany it, and you're set. Come see me for any questions and for a good recommendation on wine.

James

"My God, Doctor, have you gone Mad?"

Mad? Mad, you say.

Well, yes. Yes, I'm afraid so.

Bu-wah-ha-ha.

"What the hell are you doing?

What, in tar-nation, are you pouring?"

These are wines, my friend, the likes from which you've never seen before.

Come. Come closer and behold.

Wine Flight Wednesdays at Swirl Wine

The perfect venue for sampling the esoteric wine finds that we stumble across, yet are not so easily found. Cab, Merlot, Pinot - you've tasted these time after time.

So, this Weds, let's try something new, shall we? Something like, Blaufrankisch, out of Austria, anyone? How about some Cannonau from Sardinia?

So many different grapes waiting to be discovered.

Come on in to our laboratory. Let's start this experiment and see what happens. Mosey in after a long day at work or come after dinner, we keep the experiment running from 5 to 8pm.

And you don't need to wear a lab coat or any protective eye wear (unless you really want to).

James

It's here and almost gone, hurry!

(Movie trailer voice):

"In a world, where only a small, limited production of truly great cabs exist, there lies one Cabernet that a few, select people will rise up and fight for. It is a wine that delivers a knock out punch to the senses, and they call this wine, 'The Knock Out.'

Rated NC-21. Playing until sold out. Starting today at Swirl Wine."

Erna Schein "The Knock Out" Cabernet

We only have a limited stock of these ultra, hard-to-get Cabs out of Napa, so please run, don't walk, to Swirl and secure your bottle before the next person does.

http://www.behrensfamilywinery.com/wine/all-wine.htm

You had me at first sip...

We had this beauty last night, at our first Wine Flight Wednesday, and let me tell you, not only is it good looking, but it's also got a great personality.

There's just so much depth to it, layer after layer, slowly revealing itself to me throughout the night. Yes, even my friends were impressed and kept talking about it.

Mmmm, gorgeous and fun to be around. This one is a keeper. Might have to bring it home to meet Mama.

Domaine Weinbach's Sylvaner

There's just something magical about a good Alsatian wine.

James

Touchdown! Give me five!

Oh, thank you, God.

My baby girl likes to watch football with me. As the Ravens were pouncing on the Steelers, and I was getting revved up, hooting and hollering, there was Vivian, getting all excited with me and I swear, I think she already understands the game of football.

Amazing.

My little football watching partner.

Lets Go Ravens!

Crush Tennessee this Sunday.

Time to go crazy!

I'm so excited.

Football is here. Thank god, we made it.

Tonight is the first game of the season, and Sunday, the Ravens play against the Steelers. That's the way to start off the season with a bang!

We have all your drinking needs here, at Swirl Wine, so come in and refuel your game-watching, tailgating supplies.

Whether you need some beer to guzzle, liquor for cocktails, or wine to pair with the meat off the grill, we'll take care of you.

Go Ravens.

Come to me, yummy Dogfish Head

I love beers with flavor, so I'm so happy to say that, it just arrived.

Dogfish head's Punkin Ale.

One of my favorite breweries, you give me anything from Dogfish Head, and I'm guzzling in content with a smile on my face.

If you're tired of the same old - same old, watered down beers that leave you with no memory of their existence after you drink them (except that you have to go to the bathroom faster), then come in and step into flavor country.

Two of my all-time fav's are: Dogfish Head's Midas Touch (honey & spice, so nice at 9% abv) & Palo Santo Marron (vanilla & caramel complexity at 12% abv).

I don't have the time at night to shoot down a whole 6 pack, so I look for a concentrated burst, an explosion of flavor that packs a wallop and sends me spiraling into my drunken oblivion.

Come join me in my perpetual oblivion.

James

Water, water everywhere, but what to drink?

Ahhhh, it's almost closing time here at the shop.

Another long day come and gone, and now a delicious dinner waits for me at home, expertly prepared by my loving wife.

Now comes the most difficult decision of the day: what wine to bring home to drink?

If you think you have a hard time picking out a bottle of wine, whew, let me tell you, it's a tough task, even for us, surrounded by all these goodies.
What to drink?

Perusing the aisles, up and down, from region to region, varietal to varietal. So many tempting choices.

Oh, yes, there's a lot of tasty drinking on these shelves.

But what to drink?

Tonight, it shall be....

Sierra Cantabria Crianza Rioja '07 $18

Mmmm, this stuff is just packed with delight. So many layers of intoxicating flavors and spices that intermingle and jump out, yet it's so cohesive that it flows smoothly down the gullet. Aged in French and American oak for 15 months, this wine is for that Pinot Noir lover who's looking for something a little different with a little bit more stuffing. If you haven't had a Spanish wine from the Rioja region, well this one would make an excellent introduction.

This is one savory wine, and a great way to end the day.

James