Smell: Chemical, wet-socks, lighter fluid -- sharp (not good).

Taste: Bark, dryness of a crisp apple, raisin.

Finish: Moss. Bark. Wood -- not oak or cedar, something more like fir. Earthy. Herbs: oregano and thyme. Very little (if any) fruit flavors; currant and then that granny-smith apple dryness.

Cost:    

Rating:    7.0

I recently went to India on business. Well, really to Bangalore for business and over to Goa for a bit of R&R. On the way -- and it is a very long way from Portland -- I stopped in Tokyo and Singapore as well. So why not see what wine was available in such places?

Of course the world is a much smaller place than it used to be, so imagine my surprise: finding Oregon Pinot Noir in a bar in Tokyo!



Lo and behold, they had Torii Mor right from the Dundee hills. The funny part was the Japanese presentation. Of course with most things in Japan, the presentation is very important, and apparently wine is no different. In order to actually get a glass of wine, first I had to watch the bartender drink it first. (Was it poisoned?). He carefully retrieved the bottle, and removed the vacuum seal. He then, meticulously poured the wine into a small desert glass. He then proceeded to spin the wine in the glass, lifts it up to his nose, and smells the wine. Finally, after a time, he tastes the wine.

Apparently, it was fine because he then walks over to me, and pours a very small amount for me. In fact the amount was smaller than what he has poured for himself, leaving me to assume I was suppose to taste it too (I speak very little Japanese, but he wasn't talking anyway). However, it turns out that the size of my wine pour -- like most other things in Japan -- is much smaller than in the US. And so what I thought was my "taste" was actually my glass of wine.

We were in a new development in Roppongi called "Midtown". It's basically a mini-city inside of a massive 50 or 60 story building, plus a surrounding complex of smaller buildings. The idea is that you never have to leave for anything: shopping, entertainment, et al. It was there we found an insane wine bar called "Vinoteca".



In typical Japanese fashion, the entrance was over-the-top: not just wall-to-wall wine -- that just wasn't enough -- no, this place even had bottles in the ceiling and floor!



Our next stop after Tokyo was Singapore. Similarly to Japan, most bars in Singapore don't have much of a wine selection, if any at all. But I did have the opportunity to have a glass of wine in the hotel bar.



Despite the fact that the hotel was the Ritz-Carlton, I had a selection of "white" or "red". I was totally jetlagged so white seemed more palatable at the time.

So what "white" does a super-fancy hotel have in Singapore? Gallo Chardonnay! Seriously. Oh, and that's Chihuly glass there in the background.



It was 1am there, and after a day in Tokyo and something close to 8,000 miles of traveling, my body didn't know what time it was and my palette was asleep anyway. Unfortunately I had to fly out of Singapore at 7pm, so dinner was out. So a crummy glass of Gallo is all I had time for.

Next up was India. There, the hotel provided a bottle of wine a night! And the bottle was one of handful of local wines. That was pretty exciting; how on earth would you find such a thing in the States. Unfortunately, but not surprising, the bottle wasn't that good. But then, this is at best a nascent industry for India. Not to mention that the climate -- you're lucky if it's less than 90 degrees -- is not very conducive for wine-making. But you have to give them credit for trying.

I wasn't planning on finding any wine in India at all. So in the Tokyo airport I picked up a couple bottles: a Rosemount GSM 2003, and a St Emilion 1999. It's unfortunate that I opened up the GSM first. In the past, I've had outstanding wine from their GSM, which is a Rhone blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre).



But this bottle was awful. Maybe it was the travel, maybe it was the poor conditions in the Tokyo airport. Whatever the case, the wine was not enjoyable. The second unfortunate bit was that, in the end, I didn't have an opportunity to drink the St Emilion. So I left it with a friend in India -- not that they tend to enjoy wine all that much (many don't drink alcohol at all) -- rather than try and transport it all the way back to Portland. So no luck with the Bordeaux in Bangalore. Maybe next time.

Smell: Mushroom, paprika, something sweet.

Taste: Sweet -- a bit too much so. Orange peel and a sweet taste, then it switches over to something earthy, but almost a rotting taste (not good). Prune.

Finish: Saw dust, bark, prune.

Cost:  (Tokyo airport)

Rating:    3.5

(Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre)

Smell: Musty/mossy. Plum, slightly sweet

Taste: Oak, plum, cinnamon.

Finish: Bark, wood, apple-dryness (not strong), slightly bitter

Cost:    

Rating:    4.5

(Cabernet Savignon and Syrah blend)

Jess: Jess works for Nike. She has a big family who really loves wine--in fact, her uncle makes his own wine. Jess stomped her first grapes when she was seven years old. Jess likes wine because it brings people together.

Blake Wehling: Blake is an Account Manager at the Trailblazers--basically, he sells tickets and takes care of people. Blake enjoys golfing, eating at Voodoo Donuts and watching football, but basketball takes up most of his time. Currently, Blake's bank account is recovering from microfracture knee surgery. If you ever want to buy Blazer tickets from Blake, you can contact him at: 503.963.3964.



Dinner

• caesar salad
• curried carrot and apple soup
• parmesan-encrusted halibut with acorn squash stuffed with crab and rice
• creme brulee and raspberries
• roasted garlic
• cheese

Wine

• Salitage, Pemberton (Bordeaux blend), 2001

Favorite quote heard around the dinner table:

• "I smell... Obama!" --Jess

Smell: Alcohol, prune, burnt toast with a hint of strawberry, pie cherries, and hay.

Taste: Fruity, tobacco, pepper, subtle oak, and vanilla. Yummy--we like it.

Finish: Clove and thyme. Smooth.

Cost:    

Rating:    7.0

Molly: Molly is an elementary school teacher. Her interests all over the board--from trashy reality TV shows to pug dogs to sun tanning on the beach. Molly is currently training for the Portland Marathon.



Casey: Casey likes wine. He's the president of Casey World. If you really want to know Casey, google 'Alex Jones.'



Dinner:

• garden salad
• roasted red bell pepper soup with crostinis and olive oil
• ahi tuna with twice-baked potato, broccoli and au poivre sauce
• citrus salad of navel oranges, blood oranges, clementines, kiwis and lime juice
• cheese and salami
• chocolate chip banana bread
• Denise's pear Eau de Vie

Wine:

• Dona Paula, 'Los Cardos', Malbec, 2004
• Barnard Griffin, 'Columbia Valley', Merlot, 2005
• Goats do Roam, Rhone blend, 2005

Favorite quote heard around the dinner table:

• "I would still prefer to drink my $6.99 Red Diamond." --Molly (after sampling a really nice pinot)

Smell: Beach, seaweed--smells like the ocean. Spicy and green olive.

Taste: Horsey and mousey with bark. Like the bite of Brie cheese. Like a goat. Not good. Ba-a-a-a-a-d.

Finish: Manure. Smooth and creamy. Like the area that a goat did indeed roam.

Cost:    

Rating:    2.5

Smell: Oak, wood, vanilla and a bit of cedar.

Taste: Blackberry, cherry, prune,  plum and mellow pepper. Very soft flavors.

Finish: Plum. Very soft and smooth.

Cost:    

Rating:    7.0

Smell: Chemical, kerosene, plum and nutty.

Taste: Tangy and violet. Like grape juice. Has a cheap wine sweetness to it. Gross--don't buy it.

Finish: Particles, gritty. A "hi-yah!" bite at the end.

Cost:    

Rating:     2.0