Grenache Day at the Allen Party Farm

I have been critical in the past of all these random Wine days like Chardonnay Day and Champagne Day and Cabernet Day. I fully expect to see 2% Milk Day at some point. We might as well just call them all Marketing Day, but they have some merit and I think the best events are ones like #PinotSmackDown where wine is tasted in person with the winemakers. Of course not everyone can organize or attend that type of tasting, but they are in my opinion a far more qualified way to promote a varietal.

Once again William Allen pressed the Greenhouse into service for an outstanding group of wines including Grenache and Grenache blends from Baiocchi, Quivira, Wind Gap, Mounts Family Winery, Sheldon, Stage Left Cellars, R2 Wine Company, Thumbprint, and Ridge Vineyards.

 I'm already a fan of most all of the wines, especially Mounts and Ridge, and I'm a member of the Quivira wine club. But there were several "new to me" wines including Baiocchi, Sheldon and Stage Left Cellars.

I was very taken with the Baiocchi Entre Nous 2009 a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah. This wine had a deep floral nose with a gorgeous earthy flavor, nice tannins and a lovely lingering finish.

I also really liked the Stage Left Cellars 2006 Grenache with 8% Mourvedre --a funky meaty blend of flavor with a nose that kept evolving each time I tried it.

From Grenache Day to Birthday

After the Grenache Day tasting it was time for the Main Event: William Allen's Birthday Bash, and it would not be his birthday unless the Fire Department was put on alert. Mr. Allen's affinity for all things wine and pyromania make for interesting events. Events that people talk about for days and weeks and months after they get released from the hospital.

Although there were no fire dancers this year, there was a bon fire large enough to cause locals to wonder if Burning Man had been extended and the Handcar Regatta was encamped on his back forty --the back 40 feet, not acres, as the Allen Party Farm is a marvel of compactness.

The resident sheep Rowdy and Hardy* did a little horn gnashing and a bromance love dance, but that was the extend of the provocative entertainment for the evening. The rest of it was good wine, good food, and great friends.  (*not sure if those were the exact names of the Allen Party Farm sheep but if not they should be renamed immediately)