January 2012

January 27 – “Beefy”

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by Grape Stomper Todd on January 31, 2012

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Toddcast Episode #3: Wine Word of the Day 1/27/12, Tasting Room Talk, Wine News, & Ask Grape Stomper Todd.

Hello everybody and today is January 27th.

And on this day in 1908, William Randolph Hearst, Jr. was born. The second of five sons born to William Randolph Hearst, Billy (which I’m pretty sure is NOT the name he went by) followed in his famous father’s footsteps and became editor-in-chief of the Hearst Newspapers and heir to his publishing empire. He was instrumental in restoring family control of the Hearst Corporation which is run by a board of trustees made up of family members and Hearst executives. Today, his son, William Randolph Hearst III represents the family on the board.

Though born with a silver spoon, William Hearst, Jr. was lauded as a reporter and an editor. In 1956, he shared a Pulitzer prize for international reporting. He died at the age of 85 in 1993.

Much of the land in our neck of the woods, belongs to the Hearst family. Hundreds of acres surrounding Hearst Castle is still used as ranch land, where the cattle is grass-fed, producing some of the finest meat you can buy. “Hearst Ranch Beef” on a label is an indication of some pretty good chow.

And that brings us to our Wine Word of the Day: Beefy

Beefy is a non-formal wine tasting term used to describe a heavy wine. No, the wine doesn’t taste like beef, but if you are a dog living in the United Kingdom, they now make beef flavored wine for you. (I’m not kidding. Just check out our Wine Word of the Day podcast for January 20th!)

Beefy is typically a positive attribute if you are looking for a big, heavy, red wine. So what does beefy mean? If I had to break it down in the most basic terms I would say:

- The color would be a purple dark enough to resemble a black hole in the deepest parts of the universe. Or, hyperbole aside, at least you couldn’t see through it if held up to the light.

- The texture (or body, or mouthfeel, if you prefer), would feel thick and rich. The tannins should be as firm as…I dunno, pick your favorite male or female body builder.

- The aromas would not be subtle, either. I would expect bold, expressive fruit flavors and a hefty dose of barrel bouquets like smoke, leather, and tar.

- and finally, the finish from a beefy wine should never end. I would hope to wake up in the next morning and still have it’s flavor in my mouth! Wait a minute…that doesn’t sound quite right.

For transcripts, links and more podcasts go to winewordoftheday.com. If you have any ideas for more words, historical facts, or tips on which beefy wines to pair with tri-tips, send your emails to wwd@moonstonecellars.com

And until next time, steers to you!

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January 20 – “Ullage”

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by Grape Stomper Todd on January 21, 2012

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Hello everybody and today is January 20th. And on the day in 1930, Buzz Aldrin was born.

As you may recall, back in 1969, Buzz Aldrin was one of the first men, along with Neil Armstrong, to step foot on the moon. Mr. Aldrin retired from NASA in 1972 but has not stopped exploring. He is still active today, lecturing, writing books, traveling, deep sea diving, designing rockets, and even took a turn on “Dancing With the Stars.” You might also suspect that Buzz Lightyear, the animated Disney star, was indeed named for the famous astronaut.

And it turns out Buzz is, in fact, his real name. He had it legally changed in the early 80s. His birth name was Edwin E. Aldrin, but the nickname “Buzz” came from his little sister who couldn’t say “brother, but called him “buzzer.” Ironically, Buzz’s mother’s maiden name was Marion Moon.

That brings us to our Wine Word of the Day: Buzzed

No, I’m kidding, it’s: Ullage

And what the heck is Ullage? Ullage is a wine making term that refers to the unfilled portion of a wine barrel. Thus, when a gallon of wine evaporates from a barrel it is said to have a gallon of ullage.

So how do we connect an astronaut to ullage? Easy, ullage is more commonly known by the phrase “Head Space”. Get it? Space? Head Space! Yeah, most winemakers call it Head Space.

Oh, so you don’t think that was a good enough connection to Buzz Aldrin? Well, I’ll have you know that rocket scientists use the term ullage, too. For them, it’s the extra space left in the fuel tanks of liquid propelled rockets. Ullage is necessary to allow for the thermoexpansion of the propellant. Buzz certainly knew that! And guess what? Rocket scientists took that term from the wine making industry. So logically then, as a winemaker, that makes me smarter than a rocket scientist.

For transcripts, links and more podcasts, propell yourselves over to winewordoftheday.com. If you have any words, historical facts or snobby wine party conversation starters like: “The ullage in that unopened bottle seems excessive. Are you sure you’re storing your collection correctly? You may want to check the humidity of your cellar!”, Please email them to wwd@moonstonecellars.com

And until next time, cheers to you!

 

Also recommended by Grape Stomper Todd:
Disney Advanced Talking Buzz Lightyear Action Figure — 12” Estes 2157 Saturn V Flying Model Rocket Kit
3-D Hanging Glowing Solar System A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts

Tagged as: ullage

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January 13 – “Dead Arm”

January 13, 2012
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Hello everybody and today is Friday the 13th.  And anytime the 13th of the month falls on a Friday, a lot of people stay home, draw the curtains, and hide until the day has passed.  Fear of Friday the 13th is one of the most common superstitions, far outweighing black cats, spilling the salt or [...]

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January 6 – “Pierce’s Disease”

January 6, 2012
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On this day in 1853, a train derailed in Andover, Massachusetts, killing the son of the then President-elect, Franklin Pierce.   General Pierce and his family were traveling from Boston when the accident occurred.  Pierce’s only child was 11 years old and was killed instantly in the accident. Of course, this was devastating to the family [...]

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