Murphy-Goode Challenge: Part 1 Video
admin | July 14th, 2009 - 8:12 pmA few weeks ago I made my first visit to Murphy-Goode Winery in beautiful downtown Healdsburg. My mission was to find their best wine and find the perfect meal pairing with the help of my friend Greg Johnson at Zinsvalley Restaurant. I present to you Part One of my Murphy-Goode Challenge.
I was also very lucky to have Bill Reid as my tasting room expert to school me on the history behind each and every wine.
Sweet Reds
I love the “Liars Dice” and “Snake Eyes” because both make an excellent pairing with BBQ. The “Liar’s Dice” is very fruit forward and sweet while the “Snake Eyes” is peppery with a toasty oak finish. I think the choice between these two would really depend on the sweetness level of your BBQ sauce of choice.
Juicy Reds
The “Terra a Lago” is a very big, round, juicy, dark fruit Cabernet with a nice balance of tannins to open your palate. I can see myself having this with a Rib Eye steak and a baked potato. The “All In” Claret is another amazing red, lighter in color but has a big bite to it on the tip of the tongue. I would recommend this with a steak salad with a light blue cheese crumble.
Petit Verdot (Oh My God!)
My heart skipped a beat after that first big hearty whiff and for a brief moment, I was at peace with the world. There was no way to hide the expression of joy on my face. I spent the next few minutes smelling the wine before taking that first sip… and then… I was speechless. This juicy wine was full of big tannins that rocked my palate with a rich cherry flavor. After catching my breath I looked Bill in eye and said…
“There’s a party in my mouth and everyones invited!”
I left the tasting room confident in my selection. That evening I met up with Chef Greg Johnson at Zinsvalley Restaurant and told him about the Petit Verdot. He nodded his head with a huge smile. I think we have a winner.
I think this is your Best Video Yet! Can’t wait for the Zins Valley Part… You are doing an amazing job! Keep it up.
Love it, Frank! I’m totally stoked to try the MG wines in the tasting room now.
That Petit Verdot is a bit of a siren’s song for me, too. Looking forward to Part Dos at the restaurant.
By the by, were you spitting or did you stumble out of the tasting room in the first couple of takes?
Great, concise video.
Great video Frank, I didn’t realize how broad of wine selections were available at Murphy Goode. Been looking for the Petit Verdot to try, but have not tracked it down. Looking forward to part II as I have tasted many of Greg’s dishes, they all are truely amazing. Keep up the good work.
I loved the Murphy-Goode tasting room. This video rocked! Loved the editing…
I was impressed with the All In Claret. And the Petite Verdot surprised me!
Very fine, true to your form!
I have a few questions: do you spit or swallow? Seriously, why do you spit or swallow?
On the more serious note, why does the Petit Verdot say “Alexander Valley” on it? (I am assuming that this is an indicator of *something* — like do the other wines have other texts/geographical places on them?)
Looking forward to part 2! I still think this is a great idea and hope that you find people to copy your idea!
Hi Andy,
Spitting your wine during a tasting is just a simple method to make sure you don’t get drunk. Cellar Masters do this on a regular basis when they are doing barrel tastings to check the maturity of their wines. I usually swallow my wine because I’m not on the clock. ;-D
The Petit Verdot says “Alexander Valley” because that’s the appellation those grapes came from and the label also indicates “River Ranch” as the specific vineyard in the valley. All wines in California are label like this however most are blends from various valleys and vineyards.
Hope this helps
Ah, I thought it might be about where the grapes grow… so, Murphy-Goode has vinyards all over the place or do they sell their grapes to other wineries?
(Geesh, I am beginning to realize that some savvy wine social media person could spin my questions into a wine 101 series… *she winks*.)
Thanks for your answer, Frank!
Greets to Anita