Moose's blog

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Review: Garden State Wine Club

A couple months ago there was talk of the Garden State Wine Club. I did some research and decided to try it. I'm in my second month, having just received my wines for April, so here's a review of the service itself, and some very short TNs on some of the wines [obviously haven't tried the April wines yet, but I will add them here when I do]. Here are some of the good things about the club.

1. You can reorder wines, it's not just a wine club. Better yet, it's at a discount, and the discount is usually about 1/3rd off. For example, if you reorder a $20 bottle of wine, you will pay about $14.50. 2.

There are three different levels of the club. The "cheap" one [wines approx. $10 per], the middle level [approx. $20], and the high-end level where the wines run from $40 to $60.

3. You can mix and match, and are able to choose a minimum of 2 bottles [or one of the high-ends], up to a maximum of 4 bottles per month. So if you hate whites but still want 2 different reds, you can have one $10 and one $20 bottle sent to you. I get 4 bottles per month, 2 of the cheap reds, 1 cheap white, and 1 of the middle-level reds. [Your reorders can be as many as may as you want.]

4. The club isn't a fixed rate per month. Why is this a good thing? Some wineries and clubs are like $30/month... no matter what. What undoubtedly happens frequently is they send you wines that don't add up to $30/month. In the GSWC you pay for the value of the wines you get each month.

5. They deliver, it's not sent through post. Meaning you don't have to be there to sign for it.

Some bad things:

1. The online ordering doesn't work, you have to call to reorder. And apparently they are still figuring out this wacky concept called... "e-mail."

2. Their initial service is sketchy, I did not receive 2 cheap reds the first month, only one [I was not charged for it]. However, I called with the change, and ordered 2 more bottles in addition to my monthly alottment and received everything.

3. They deliver it, it's not sent through post. Meaning that I can't order something and expect it within a couple days. They'll bring it monthly when I get my wine club wines. [Not that big a deal for me, but worth mentioning.]

The main reason I wanted to get into this wine club, was the ability to drink various wines, and so far I haven't been disappointed. Doing research on previous selections you'll find more syrah/shiraz, chardonnay, pinot grigio and cabernets than other wines, but they sell the best so you can't really fault them. That said, here's some of the wines I've received and some notes on them.

March:
Smoking Loon Zinfandel 2005 $11: Some of you may have already sighed at this selection, but it's not as bad as you think. Go to your wine shop and look for it, it probably won't be there. Their Zin is new to the market [at least in Jersey] and I was happy with it and ordered 2 more [$7.39]. I found it well worth it for the price and far better than say, Yellowtail.

Turner Road Pinot Grigio 2005 $10: I just had this and was very pleased with it. I've been loving white wines and this didn't disappoint. If you buy inexpensive PG it's worth picking up and giving a shot. I didn't reorder because I don't drink whites that much [one bottle per month is probably enough since my wife doesn't drink it].

Toasted Head Merlot 2004 $16: Wasn't overly happy with this, but it was more because of the price point. Granted $16 isn't an arm and a leg, but you can find more serviceable merlots for less. I did find it interesting, though and quite flavorful, just wasn't my thing. Someone with a more distinguished pallette might think I'm nuts.

My April selection hasn't been tasted yet but I've received a couple interesting ones.

Sebastiani Sonoma County Chardonnay 2005 $11.49: I've never really had Chard so I'm looking forward to trying it and see what all the fuss is about. Like I said I've been loving whites, including riesling, PGs and muscadets.

Sebastiani Barbera 2004 $21.39: Recently had a Kunde Barbera and thought it was excellent albeit young, curious to see how this matches up.

Long Flat Cabernet-Merlot 2004 $13.32: The prize of my April selections. Why, you say? Because it's a BOXED wine! I am sort of leary, but not. Why would a winery selling cheap boxed wine just now be getting out their 2004s? Doesn't make sense, they'd already be pushing out the 2006s. Just tells me that thought and care has been put into it, albeit in a curious containter. I can't wait to try this. Also the container is a litre, not the normal 0.750L.

Do I recommend it? So far I'd say yes.

In case you're curious as to the quality and price points of their high-end wines, here are the last 4.
Domaine Du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf Du pape $40 [$30 reorder]
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino $63 [$46 reorder]
Juslyn $76 [$59 reorder]
Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $46 [$34 reorder]

Check back in a week or so for reviews on the wines I haven't tried.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Shooting at Virginia Tech - April 16, 2007:

For those of you that don't know, I spent close to 4 years of my life at Virginia Tech. I unfortunately did not graduate as a Hokie, something I deeply and profoundly regret, now more than ever. But my experiences there, the ups and the downs, far overshadow my other college experiences at Bergen Community College and William Paterson University, both of which I did achieve degrees at.

When I say ups... I mean UPS. Great friends, fun parties, wonderful teachers, amazing football games, an NIT championship celebration for the basketball team, rock-climbing, swimming in the New River, the musical performances and outdoor festivals, and above all modeling our own tri-Lamba fraternity after the one in Revenge of Nerds, and discovering what real frats go through when random people wanted to be a part of it.

When I say downs... I mean DOWNS. Alcoholism, sleeping disorders, drug use, overnight jail visits, DUIs, accidents, involvement in two racially-charged violent situations, a friend's death due to a drug overdose, depression and the occasional suicidal thought, and finally suffering the embarrassment of not being able to finish my time there, knowing I hadn't tried hard enough, and wasting a boatload of my parents' and my own money. I even had the opportunity to study abroad in Switzerland, but screwed that up, too. One fall semester, I made the Dean's List. The following spring I received 4 F's and a D.

What got me through it? What makes my experience different from the shooter's? Well, the downs are probably hauntingly similar. Now admittedly I never at any time had any inklings to even OBTAIN a weapon to injure people other than myself, but I can see that I had a similar frame of mind.

The difference? Friends, a positive outlook, a strong family base that refused to give up on me, the knowledge that it WOULD get better, if only I waited it out. Unfortunately I confused "waiting" with "sitting and doing nothing", something I'm just now understanding was silly and still needs to be changed in my life. I look at the campus and it's hitting me HARD, largely because I can see myself in those classrooms and jumping out those windows. I can see myself walking down the hall looking at a gloomy kid in a hoodie and wondering if he's going to flip out. I can see myself standing with those students holding candles and singing Amazing Grace, in fact I WANT to be with them, to offer my support and gain that sense of community back. Hell I've even considered going back for graduate school, wondering how I could swing and realizing I probably couldn't. Hell, they probably wouldn't even want me back, that would be hard to take.

My experience in Blacksburg, however, is largely a positive one. I kick myself every day for not keeping in touch with old friends, but I reach out from time to time, as recently as Monday, the day of the shooting. The campus is beautiful, it is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains amongst greenery and its buildings are built with gorgeous limestone. Springs and summers in Blacksburg are outrageous, everyone is playing volleyball and going to the river, outdoor parties and pick up football and ultimate frisbee games or simply sunbathing. How could someone want to disturb that? And academically it is far superior to anything else I've taken part in. I failed out because you can't just skate through like you can elsewhere.

And it could have been any campus in the country. Ohio State, USC, Penn State, Tennessee, Colgate, Harvard, Florida, Clemson. Go to any of them and do your research and you will find disturbed students. Some will be fine, some are stronger and will be positively affected, learning from their experiences. Like myself. Others won't be so lucky.

It's upsetting to know that something like this tragedy can occur, and it's hard to imagine something good can come out of it. But I know that I am better for it, because there are things and people I need to appreciate now. Like my wife, my family, my health, my friends, my present and my future... because you never know when it may be taken away from you.

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Friday, April 06, 2007


Day 4 [through 6] – November 3rd

First full day in Rome… interesting to say the least. I’ve been on alert as I’ve heard stories of robberies and pickpockets. Seen a couple candidates but we’ve been left alone so far.

Went up to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Square/Basilica. Afreakingmazing. A lot of money ran through that place. We made the mistake of doing St. Peter’s first, because we went to the Vatican museum afterwards and after waiting in line for over an hour we found they’d stopped admitting people for the day. So so so disappointing.

Took the Metro back to the hotel, ate at La Brushetta and had a good cheeseless maranara pizza.

Saw Pope John Paul II’s tomb as well, that was neat and unexpected. The best part of St. Peter’s was the pure magnitude of everything. Not one thing in there isn’t priceless, the statues, the alters, everything. Didn’t find the spot where all the columns line up, maybe tomorrow.

Saw the Spanish Steps as well, so-so. Too tired to really look around so maybe they’re better from the top or something [Post honeymoon note: They’re not.] Tried to find a restaurant recommended by a friend of mine, Adam, didn’t. Rome is so confusing.

Slightly less disappointing afternoon. Went down to the Coloseum/Forums , which were closed at sunset, but you can still walk around them. Very cool and very old. Also saw the Piazza del Popolo, by far my favorite piazza so far. Huge space and…. Benches!!! Only Drawback was the Egyptian pillar was covered to protect it from the elements. It’s a wonder they haven’t closed Rome.

Done a ton of walking, feets are tired. Sticking close to the hotel tonight for dinner, planning on eating on Via Veneto in an outdoor caffé. They have glass-enclosed ones which are pricey but we’re going to splurge.

Ate at Il Peperone, I had a Caesar sales [con anchovie] and a steak, very tasty. Jill had patate fritte [fries] but wasn’t feeling well.

Day 5 – November 4th

Got up early and did the Vatican museums. Waited in line for 2 hours but actually got in this time. Most impressive for the both of us was the map room. It’s a long hallway with medieval maps on the walls, a various works of art on the ceilings. The Sistine Chapel is impressive in the sense that one guy did the whole thing. We made the mistake of hitting that and then trying to go back to a room we missed. It was worth it to see the Raphael Rooms, but it was crowded and bottlenecked the entire way as they file everyone in the same direction. We saw the Sistine Chapel twice, hehe.

Walked over to the Castel Sant’Angelo, which is featured prominently in the Dan Brown book “Angels & Demons.” It serves as a fortress for the Pope and it afforded our best view of the city of Rome thus far. We are TIRED, but it was a good day. Will try to see the Trevi Fountain tonight. Saw the Spanish Steps again, still only semi-impressive, but they’ve got a ton of shopping down there. Got to the Trevi Fountain as well which is very nice at night, if you can avoid the rose sellers and whatnot. After that we walked back to “our” neighborhood and ate at a place our hotel manager recommended, Il Pomodorino. Inexpensive and quite good. We both had veal, Jill said it was melt in your mouth, and I think I’m becoming a wine drinker, Jill says I was already a wino.


Day 6 – November 5th

Out last Day in Rome. Kind of sad but we’re ready to come home. We’ve had a wonderful and memorable time with ups and downs, beautiful landscapes and unfortunate closings, long lines and pleasant surprises.

We spent today SHOPPING!!! Woo! I bought a sweet leather jacket for E165, and we got a bunch of souveniry-type things for gifts. Ate at the Hard Rock for lunch and I had a much needed burger and a beer, hehe. Ate at San Marco for dinner, the first meal I couldn’t finish. Fettuccini with porcini, Jill had steak and her first real taste of eggplant [she loved it].

Like I said we’re ready to come home. We didn’t get robbed and we didn’t get accosted by gypsies. If you come to Rome, don’t drive in it, hit the Vatican museum first thing in the morning and make sure you have a map and see everything the first time around, be cautious and alert about your valuables but not paranoid (it’s tiring), if you see a small church in your wanderings please stop in, they’re all beautiful. Tuscany is worth every penny and should be a vacation all its own. There are so many beautiful towns and they’re all worth seeing. If we come back, I think a good itinery is Florence and some small Tuscan towns, much like we did this trip.

Ciao ciao from Roma.

PS: What I wouldn’t give for a Sports Bar with a football game.

Post Honeymoon Tip: If you have a shop ship something back to the States, make sure you know how much the shipping charges are before you decide to purchase something. We ended up paying $244 for the shipping of two ceramic plates.

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Thursday, April 05, 2007






Day Two and Three – November 1st

Last night we ate at La Grotta, pretty expensive but the food was decent. Jill had a steak (she said medium, came out rare) and I had some ravioli and piccioni (that’s pigeon). Pigeon was a bit gamy and not a lot of meat, but it was stuffed with goose which was excellent. Total bill ran E76, expensive.

Today we found many of the wineries we wanted to visit closed. Wednesday is probably a mass day. So instead we drove up to Castiglione del Lago on Lago Trasimeno. Basically it’s a palace adjoined to a castle on the edge of a large lake, probably the coolest part of our trip so far. The castle isn’t “too ancient” by European standards, “only” 16th century. But it was very cool and pretty spooky and the palace was quite impressive, with frescoes on the ceiling throughout. We were able to walk along the ramparts around the whole thing.

Relaxing right now, tomorrow we’ll make another attempt at the winery on our way to Roma. On the way, we’re planning a stop in Orvieto, where on the agenda is the mega-impressive duoma (cathedral) , a medieval well you can walk down into, and a ceramic shop with space underneath the city with a catacombs-like feel.

Well we forgot to remind ourselves of the little restaurant we ate at tonight. I tried the gnocchi and the biggest veal steak I’ve ever had. Was good, though undercooked. Jill had a four cheese pizza which contained a cheese she didn’t care for. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.

We’re packing to leave Montorio now, and it’s bittersweet. I can’t wait to get to Rome, there’ll be so much to do and so much to see. But that’s just it, Montepulciano , though I’m sure it’s busy and crowded during the summer, is perfect now. Nice cool weather, empty streets, and peace and quiet, the perfect antidote to a busy week leading up to the wedding. Next stop, Orvieto, and then on to Roma.



Day Three – November 2nd

Oofa, what a day. We made it to the Poliziano winery, weren’t able to tour but we were able to taste. We bought 12 bottles, 5 Rosso, 5 Nobile, and 1 Nobile Asinone and 1 Madrone for a gift.

Almost got into 2 accidents on the way to Orvieto, only one would have been my fault. Orvieto was very interesting. The well was like 300 feet deep and walking down (and especially up) tired us out. We walked up to the duoma which was pretty magnificent, unfortunately it was closed for repairs! Ugh. Oh well, an excuse to come back.

We then drove to Rome and got our 1st real experience in Italian driving. How we didn’t get into an accident or witness one or see someone killed is beyond me and I will never understand. We had a guardian angel or something, cuz it definitely wasn’t my skillful driving. Getting around in Rome is confusing and we never did find our rental car dropoff near the hotel, instead we ended up driving all the way back to the airport and getting a cab. Travel Tip: if you rent a car to get around Italy, don’t try to drive in Rome. That’ll be E10 for the advice.

We ate at a nice restaurant nearby on Via Veneto. Forgot to get the name… OH! It was Caffé Stregga. Tasty and not too expensive. I had lasagna and scaloppini, whatever that is, and Jill finally got the roasted chicken she’s been craving (Jill: “And potatoes!!!”) Also had our first taste of gelato (pistachio) which was tasty but not amazing, but I’d never had pistachio ice cream before so I’ve nothing to compare it with.

Afterward we walked down Via Veneto to the Piazza Barberini, which was okay. The fountain was neat but reminded me of something you’d find in Disney World, Neptune supported by 3 large fish. It was this bug square and nary a bench to be seen.

Oh, forgot to mention the prostitutes we saw on the way to Rome. It seems they’re not in the city, but on the outskirts they were pretty much everywhere and pretty obvious.

Tomorrow is the Vatican, can’t wait.

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Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Honeymoon - Day One October 31st, 2006

Our first full day in Italy. Everything is great so far, including the flights, which were for the most part on time. Quick note on the airports. Munich was nice and they actually have “romance” shops in there (no, we didn’t buy anything). Leonardo da Vinci in Rome was much more crowded.

We rented a car we’re calling the “Little Egg”. We need to translate that to Italian so we can name it properly. [Post honeymoon note: It is “poco uovo”.] Drove up to Montepulciano, took us about 3 hours and we had no problem with directions except we missed the sign for the Montorio.

Some of the people drive crazily, but for the most part it isn’t too bad. The motorcycles are the worst. They were weaving in and out of traffic at 80 kph (~60 mph).

Last night we ate near our villa at Il Covo di Obelix. Everything tasted wonderful. Jill had pizza and I had the wild boar. SO yummy, albeit salty. Vino della casa (house wine) was good, too. Also had spinach on a bruschetta-type bread as an antipasta. [PHN: “Antipasta” in Italy doesn’t mean what it does here, where it’s a specific dish, instead it literally means “before pasta” and could be any type of appetizer.]

The Montorio is beautiful. So well kept, the view is amazing and we’ve got a nice overlook of the San Biaggio church. We’re unwinding nicely and have taken naps two days in a row.

Today we ventured up into Montepulciano and I had my first taste of espresso, which I love, Jill hasn’t ventured yet. Planning on eating at La Grotta tonight near San Biaggio.

Little things are probably the most interesting. Dogs barking nearby, the olive trees right near the villa, the alleys leading up the hills of Montepulciano, the quiet echoes in the churches. The hills are many and it gets tiring quickly, but there are many places just to sit and rest.

Sat at the Caffé Poliziano, which if it isn’t crowded (it wasn’t) offers amazing views of the countryside. Jill had a Coke (heh) and I had an espresso.

The 1-4 PM siesta is no joke. 80% of the places close. Not that big of a deal, we were napping.

More later, ciao. Oh, we did see some kids in Halloween costumes, though only one group. That was neat.

The weather has also been perfect. Sunny and 60s during the day, chilly and cool in the evenings. Not too hard to understand people, some words are very similar.

Forgot to mention the American couple we met that locked themselves out of the Montorio. The doors don’t have knobs (that are functional anyway) and they were standing outside when we came back from dinner last night. We called Stephania, the hotel manager, from our room and she came and let them in. They’re lucky we were there or they’d’ve been sunk.

Also did a wine tasting at the Cantina del Redi. Spooky wine cellar and we bought 2 bottles of wine. A 2002 Vino Nobile (better than the 2003) and a Rosso that Jill actually liked.

Italian TV is funny. The game shows all have scantily clad women hanging around. CNN is the only channel in English, which kind of blows cuz the last thing I want to do while relaxing on vacation is watch the news, but it’s a little piece of normality I guess. It’s international news, so it’s more interesting that US news.

Here is the view from our door at the Montorio for your viewing pleasure.

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Pictures of Edith



And a picture of me.

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