Another reason not to live in Utah...

Sat Mar 17, 9:19 PM ET (AP)

SALT LAKE CITY - Merlot can be a variety of grape or a type of red wine, but not an acceptable personalized license plate in the state of Utah.

Glenn Eurick's 1996 Mercedes has had the license plate reading "merlot" for 10 years. He says the plate never got a lot of notice until the Utah Tax Commission told him last week that he had to remove it because the state doesn't allow words of intoxicant to be used on vanity plates.

Six or seven-letter words like liquor or whiskey probably wouldn't make it through the state screening process before the plates are issued. But merlot did and Eurick was fine until an anonymous caller told the state that merlot was also an alcoholic beverage.

Eurick's car with the offending plate is dark red, like the wine. He said few people who asked about the plate made the connection. Though one man did ask "if we chose merlot because there were too many letters in cabernet sauvignon," Eurick said.Eurick said he will challenge the state's decision.

Cold Stabbing: A heinous crime?

Winemakers can be guarded, competitive, and very protective of some of their secrets. But would they go so far as to kill? A quick Google search of stabbings or homicides in wineries only turns up a murder mystery winery dinner theater in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

And yet, as winemakers, we are playing a bit of “Jack the Ripper” or “O. J. Simpson” (just pick your favorite slasher from any era) by “cold stabbing” our 2006 Viognier. And although no harm is being done, the technique still remains controversial for some.

Cold stabbing is hip winemaker speak for a process known as cold stabilization. See our definitions page for all the gory details and the pros and cons of this treatment to the wine and why a few argue this procedure kills the look and taste of some vino.

The picture above is of our little 2000-liter tank (528.344102 gallons for those of you keeping painful track at home) with 29-degree Fahrenheit food-grade glycol coursing through its outer “jacket.” In other words, we’re refrigerating the wine near its freezing point.

We’ll keep our Viognier “on ice” for up to two weeks or until the tank’s ball-valves turn blue.

Tasting Room Site Selected

Although it's covered in sawdust right now, we do have a tasting room site selected. We will be located at 801 Main Street, Suite C, Cambria, CA 93428. It is at the corner of Main and Sheffield in the West Village. Click here for a Google map.

I'd write more but I'm off to Home Depot for more paint!

Overheard in the tasting room

Q: What do you call a meal without wine?

A: Breakfast.