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

"Can I have a drink that tastes like nothing?"

Oh, man, I love to drink.

Go on, get me a drink. It doesn't matter what it is. I love the taste of alcohol, and all the different varieties it comes in, all the different concoctions it can be made into, and all the different flavors it can impart.

The smoky complexity of a nice scotch.

The bold, caramel sweetness of a bourbon.

The mellow, clean smoothness of an Irish whiskey.

The brash, energetic way tequila wakes you for a night of debauchery.

And the way that vodka tastes like, nothing.

Vodka.

Start talking to me about vodka, and you might notice my eyes starting to glaze over and lose focus. People love to come and zealously, wax poetic about the subject of vodka. The number of distillations, how it was filtered and how many times, the type of glacier water used, how they only use the choicest grains for their particular vodka, etc... Meh, I'm just not that interested.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love drinking vodka and when I bartended for all those years, used it extensively to create and make drinks with. It's a great empty canvas ready to be shaped and manipulated to your desire. But it's just vodka, despite what all those years of marketing has forced down our throats. It's distilled, diluted with water, and bottled (and trust me, the bottles cost more to make than what's inside). No aging for years in barrel. Nothing to add to it for complexity or flavor, unless you want the chemicals they use for that watermelon or mango taste.

Vodka is just vodka. We drink Sobieski at home, one of Poland's favorite and best selling vodka's. We sell a half gallon bottle of that, here on Sale at Swirl, for $17.99, while a fifth of Grey Goose will usually run for about $30. Twice the amount for a helluva lot less vodka. Is it worth it? I guess people think it is, G.G. is one of the best selling vodka's. Which I don't understand, especially if you're mixing it with cranberry juice or Red Bull.

I remember bartending one night, and this lady asks for an extra-extra dirty, dirty martini with the Goose. "Make it filthy," she says to me in a rusty, smoker's voice.

We used 8 oz martini glasses that we filled to the rim. That's a lot of alcohol to slurp down. I must've poured maybe an ounce of vodka and then filled the rest with olive brine, shaken and strained into the glass, and she loved it. Raved about her olive brine with a hint of vodka to her friends.

And then she says, "It's because you used Grey Goose. It's soooo good."

Wow. Could you really even taste the difference if I used another vodka?

Could you?

Do a taste test one day. Make sure you do it blindly so the marketing, or the design on the bottle, or the costs doesn't interfere with your judgement.

I'm sure the vodka purists out there are set to pounce on me the minute I leave the building. Sorry, didn't want to offend anyone, just stating that nothing is nothing.

This post got me started on my vodka rant, check it out:

http://www.charcuteriesundays.com/2011/02/vodka-is-stupid/

Happy drinking,

James

Wine Flight Wednesdays

Wine Flight Wednesdays at Swirl begin September 14th.

What are Wine Flight Wednesdays you ask?

Why, they are informal weekly wine tastings geared for fun and enjoyment. For a nominal ticket price (which will vary depending on the wines featured for the night), you can Swirl, sip, and relax. A discounted ticket price will be offered for those who purchase in advance.

Honestly, our Friday tasting format was getting a bit stale and boring. Coming up with fresh, interesting tasting ideas for every single Friday was getting a bit difficult. We always envisioned our Friday tastings to have more of a "cocktail hour" feel, in the sense that one would be comfortable chatting and mingling while tasting some new treasure that we discovered. But, the reality of Fridays is that most are dashing from work in a hurry to get home after a long work week. Alas, Wine Flight Wednesdays was born.

Each Wednesday we will feature something compelling, expect to sip on little known values, esoteric oddities, and decadent treats. We will announce the flight line-up in advance on our website, Facebook page, and in our weekly newsletter. Not on our email list? Sign up for our email list via our website and find us on Facebook to stay in the know of all things Swirl!

Feel free to contact us with any questions if your curiosity is piqued. We are totally excited to get this thing started. Finally, wine fun in the 'burbs.

Salud,

Austin & James

The 3 P's of Parenthood

My life for the past nine months has been driven by the three P's of parenthood. Pee, Puke, and Poop.

Oh yes, the glamorous life of being a parent. These days I feel like I won the lottery if I scrounge up enough time to blow dry my hair. I have not blow dried my hair in two months. Whenever I come across a perfectly coiffed mommy, I have to resist the overwhelming urge to poke her eyes out. I mean really? Come on! Let me tell you about my morning.

After the morning chaos of breakfast for hubby, breakfast for baby, a nibble of toast for mommy, doing the dishes, throwing a load of laundry in, and figuring out the logistics of the day. It's bath time for baby. Baby does not care that mommy has five other things to do before attempting to get ready for work. After undressing the little rug rat she promptly pees all over the changing table and my slippers. When I let out a surprised yelp, she simply grins her bugs bunny grin adoringly at me. For those who are not yet blessed with your own bundle of joy, this is nothing new. Expect to be peed on at least once a week. Then comes the puke.

Freshly scrubbed and outfitted in her new ladybug themed outfit, she grins and spits up all over said ladybug outfit. At least this is better then yesterday when her spit up landed in my mouth. Had I known that grandma recently fed baby a bottle, I would have known not to play airplane with baby. Coulda, shoulda, woulda.

On to outfit number two!

Finally, baby is dressed and ready for a new day! Time for mommy to jump in the shower and, oh man, really?! Grinning baby girl has an atomic poop and destroys outfit number two. Oh yes, the glamorous life of parenthood.

Austin

There's magic in that glass

There's a wide, longing look in your eye. You've wandered through those doors searching to fill a numbing emptiness.

What is it that you need?

Do you have a desire, or a lust for something blissful?

Do you need a spark, a hint of inspiration?

Or maybe you just need a glass to help you escape.

We can help.

There is magic here at Swirl, lying dormant on these shelves. We just need to dwell around the aisles for a moment, sniff a little to the left and then back to the right, and carefully listen to which bottle might be softly calling out to you.

Shhhh. Do you hear it?

There's magic in here, waiting patiently to be poured in a glass, but you have to believe.

With each person it's different. The magic that exists in one bottle might not come alive for one person, while for another, it creates a lasting impression. It all depends on what you need and what you're longing for.

A bargain bin wine might be the perfect remedy for game night with tacos, yet another night might call for a $25 single vineyard Malbec that will create another world for you.

A little dramatic, you say?

Hey, give us a try. Trust us.

We want to find the magic for you. That's what makes us happy.

James

Speaking of Zombies

Yes, these are wedding photos.

I don't know this couple, but...

I love them!

These are utterly fantastic.

And, how bad-ass, the guy is still holding his glass of wine while he fights off the zombie.

What a man.

And speaking of hard core, the wife finishes the zombie off with a shovel blow to the head.
All that pilates paid off, huh?

I would've loved to have gone to this wedding. Wow, speaking of a bonding experience, any couple that can battle a zombie together, is on good grounds for a solid relationship.

This burger is like smoking crack

Hey, man, I need my fix. I need it badddddd.

I'm smacking my lips. I'm rubbing my belly.

It's time.

Give me my burger!

The hell with 5 guys. I'm heading to Burger Brothers in Towson.

It really is like your brother inviting you over for a homemade burger fresh off the grill. Hand made patties, made with love, sweat, and tears. The taste is soul satisfying.

And it means something when the actual owner of the joint is back there flipping your burger and not some high school punk. These guys want you to come back again and again, and I for one, have been converted.

This is what keeps us going here at Swirl Wine. This is our fuel, our sustenance.

God, I love a good burger.

James