Recent content by John Donaghue

Opened a bottle of 05 Petillant towards the end of harvest last year and it was pristine. Absolutely beautiful.

Been done... http://on.cc.com/1h6svcB

Oops, I mistook your intent - I was thinking of shared sources rather than exchanged fruit. You're going to have a pretty tough time getting that exact. For example, I've exchanged fruit with other winemakers multiple times, but only one wine might end up being a one-to-one comparison...

There are a few people making Trousseau gris from the Fanucchi Vineyard, too. Maybe Hirsch as well? I don't know much about the Hirsch vineyard, but the blocks seem to be quite a bit different from one another, so winery to winery comparisons might be tough. Bechtold Vineyard Cinsault is an...

Dunno if it applies, but NOPA in San Francisco was pouring a Demuth Vineyard Chardonnay comparison by the glass last night. There were three different wineries, Lioco, Knez, and Anthill. It's on their current drinks menu so I imagine it'll be around for a bit. I was on a vieux carre kick so I...

More pizza wine!

A pretty good way to drink '99 Renaissance Merlot is to pour a glass, forget to put the cork back in the bottle, and drink the rest of the bottle the next day. Though I think I recorked it in the morning. Either way it's in a really nice place right now - loads and loads of gorgeous fruit, but...

I don't know much about tea (I'm pretty happy with basic Japanese green teas) but two of the most helpful things I have are a digital thermometer and a digital kitchen timer that's simple and easy to use. Makes my actual results way more consistent and easier to experiment with - 30 more...

I've tried 4 of the bottlings, three of them by the case, and they've all shown at least a touch of brett. None over-the-top for my taste, but I love a little brett in my cider and I'm not horribly sensitive to it, either.

Renaissance used to farm something like 350-360 acres of terraced vineyards, so yup, that's what they are. Most of the terraces have been abandoned, though - Gideon cut the vineyard down fairly dramatically when he became winemaker in order to eliminate poorer slopes/blocks. I don't know how...

But showers are for beer!!

Give it some time; it might grow on you...

Back to the original question, I'd advise patience. I found a place with a friend in 2008 and found a studio last year, both in areas that I really like and both for not-unreasonable prices. Have all your info ready (landlord references, credit report, pay stubs or a letter of employment), have...

Yeah, I guess I'm thinking more play than work - riding the N out and having lunch and a walk on the beach isn't too horrible, though the summer fog has been in full effect for the past few weeks...

I'm just gonna leave this here... Seven Sexy Cowboy Robots. Also Howard Waldorp short stories. "Modern fantasy"? "Magical realism"? I dunno, it's probably easier just to ditch the categories and just call it fiction. The Sawing Boys story is a great starting point.