Now that you’ve figured out there’s no money in the dot-com world, you’re wondering what to do about your incredibly shitty job. My advice—to all non-Seattle Weekly employees—is to jettison your unfulfilling career and open a virtual winery. At least, that’s what Randy Leitman (Randall Harris Winery) and Howard Rossbach (Firesteed Winery) did.
While both Leitman and Rossbach own very successful wine brands, neither grows a single grape or owns a winery. So, how do they do it? Instead of buying land, planting grapes, building a huge wine-making facility and hiring a dozen employees, they did it a different way. They buy their grapes from whomever they please, then rent the facilities and wine making. The result is the two most successful virtual wineries in the Northwest. I’ve previously reviewed Randall Harris; this time, it’s Firesteed’s turn.
Firesteed: complex flavors, no hint of bricks and mortar
I was alarmed when I discovered Firesteed makes a ’97 Barbera d’Asti ($9). Until I realized that Howard actually buys the grapes from a grower in the little Italian region of Asti. This is a softer, friendlier version of this Italian wine, seducing with aromas of strawberries and cream, then finishing you off with delicious mint, sage, and raspberry flavors. It’s got to be one of the best deals in the wine world.
Ever wanted to try a Pinot Noir, but been turned off by the high prices and earthy flavors? (That’s a rhetorical question; I don’t need an actual answer.) Then try the ’98 Firesteed Pinot Noir from Oregon. With bright cherry flavors and a whiff of wood, at a price of only $10, it’s your perfect intro to this mysterious grape variety.
Dennis,
I invited a coworker over for dinner three times before he finally decided to accept. When he showed up, he brought a Champagne that was labeled “extra dry,” but it tasted sort of sweet to me. Am I insane?
JOYCE
Joyce,
You don’t sound insane. Just desperate. Most Champagnes are either “extra dry” or “brut,” a designation of the sugar level. You’d think that “extra dry” would be . . . well, extra dry. But it’s not. Historically, Champagne was made intensely sweet and “extra dry” was a way to designate a wine that was only slightly sweet. “Brut,” on the other hand, is a designation given to the driest of sparkling wines. A wine with “brut” on the bottle will have no hint of sweetness. And Joyce, don’t dip your pen in the company inkwell.
DENNIS
E-mail: wine@seattleweekly.com
