BLOGSCHU

Flowers!

Welcome March!

While the month has arrived in traditional lionish fashion in many places, here in Sonoma it might rain later today, but otherwise the warm, mild day is quite lamb-like.  February rains and warm weather have us a little ahead of the game, and spring seems to have already sprung in the form of tall mustard in the vineyards, pink cherry trees and smiling daffodils all over town.

After a weekend in the snow, I drove up from San Francisco this morning to find the Sonoma landscape startlingly vibrant.  There is a pasture at the corner of Arnold Drive and the 121 that has a particularly beautiful carpet of yellow mustard and wildflowers.

I was admiring the spectacular view, thrilling to the idea of warm weather and longer days, when I noticed a row of Acacia trees in full flower. My throat tightened just at the sight of them - welcome to Claritin season! These evil yellow trees kill me every year.

On cue, an 80's classic came on the radio: The Talking Head's 'Flowers.' 

David Byrne sings 'If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower.'  I had to laugh. Once Sonoma's notorious spring allergy season kicks into overdrive, I may be a little more inclined to agree with him.

Auto Rock

I travelled to Boonville this weekend, in the heart of Anderson Valley, to pour the only Sonoma Valley wine at the Annual International Alsace Varietals Festival.  

It was amazing to be surrounded by a group of winemakers and wine lovers so passionate about wines that altogether probably represent less than a few percent of wines sold in the US. Even with all the buzz about alternative, aromatic whites, the few restaurants and wine shops that do embrace these varieties tend to focus on imports, but there are several excellent domestic bottlings that were on display this weekend.

Our cool site and unique legacy make us unique among our immediate neighbors in our ability and commitment to grow gewurztraminer, but up in the Anderson Valley, there are dozens of exceptional rieslings, gewurztraminers and pinot blancs to taste. There were dry and off-dry table wines and decadently delicious late harvest wines. Wines that I (and you) don't remember to drink nearly often enough, though they offer tremendous variety and are exceptionally food-friendly.

I promised myself I'd return to Anderson Valley soon with the free time to explore the wineries and the spectacular beauty of this place. It is only two hours from Sonoma, but something always makes it seem further away in my mind. That something is Highway 128.

Highway 128 is a one-lane slalom course through the mountains that separate Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. It can be a super-fun drive, if you dont get carsick, have a well-handling car, and there isn't a local bearing down on your back bumper for going too slowly. However, when you're running a bit late for an event and it is raining, it can be a bit stressful. The total lack of radio and cell phone reception mean that if you don't have company, you had better have some good driving music close at hand.

Which brings me to today's Music Monday. Mogwai's aptly-named 'Auto Rock' kept me mellow so that I was able to enjoy the beauty of the drive and take my time.

Hooray Saints!

I love New Orleans.  I love the food, the music, the art, the architecture, the people, the whole steamy gumbo of it.

I don't give a hoot about football, generally, but I know how important the Saints are to the city. And I am well versed in the chant, thanks to a Gun Bun dinner years ago. 

In June 2005, a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina, Gundlach Bundschu held the first annual Wine Club Member Revel in New Orleans.

The concept of the member Revel is based on the old parties Charles Bundschu used to throw around the turn of the 19th century, hosting friends and family somewhere other than Rhinefarm to celebrate key events like an engagement, or the start or end of a voyage. They were usually grand dinners filled with the camaraderie of family and friends, and always involved some kind of performance, usually a reading poetry or singing songs. He called these gatherings Revels. We now hold these annually for 100 members of our wine club from all over the country; this year's trip to Chicago is long sold out.

That first Revel in New Orleans was full of amazing experiences, from the fais do do on a five-generation homestead on the Bayou to a long night of Sazeracs and Jazz that started at Brennan's and ended much later on Frenchman Street. But the most memorable was dinner at Muriels. Our party for 100 took over the top floor and balcony of the 200+ year old house that holds this fine creole restaurant. The group was divided between two grand rooms, with Jim and Jeff Bundschu each hosting half the group.

Somewhere between the second and third courses, the guests from Jim Bundschu's room each grabbed their napkins and paraded through the adjoining dining room swinging them high and singing, what else, When the Saints Go Marching In.

What ensued was a performance 'battle,' each room taking the opportunity between courses to stage a performance for the other. After several rounds of food, drink, and rapidly deteriorating performances, a New Orleans native (and dear friend) in attendance stood up to rally us for one last joint song. She explained that the one thing that always unites the people of New Orleans is their love of their local football team, the Saints. She proceeded to lead us in a call and response cheer that culminated with the now familiar refrain "Who dat, who dat, who dat sayin' dey gonna beat dem Saints?"

As I mentioned, I'm not into football, but tonight, I embraced the NOLA philosophy that any excuse for a party is a good one and made a dinner of a few of my cajun favorites (more on Thursday).  And when the Saints won their first Superbowl, I sang that cheer as loudly as a drunk fool on Bourbon Street.

What a way to kick of Mardi Gras, eh? That should be SOME victory parade.

Congratulations New Orleans! Two live songs this Music Monday to celebrate your triumph - Louis Armstrong, of course, and The Saints are Coming, performed by Green Day and U2 at the first Saints game in the Superdome after the storm. 

Hard Times Come Again No More

I haven't had the chance yet to watch all of the Hope for Haiti telethon, but I did catch Mary J. Blige perform a chill-inducing rendition of 'Hard Times Come Again No More'. 

She was fantastic, and the song - written in 1854 and popularized during the civil war - had a weight and timeless message befitting the occasion. The first line is "Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears, while we all sup sorrow with the poor."

This performance alone should be well worth the cost of the benefit album.  You can download the album or individual performances here: http://www.cmt.com/haiti/. Most of the performances including Mary's, below, are on youtube.

 

The Best Medicine

Art imitates life, and man there are a lot of intense, cynical and downright depressing stories out there right now, real and imagined. Why anyone would want to see Stanley Tucci play a pedophile, for example, is beyond me.  Not my idea of entertainment.

After searching the listings for live music, theater and movies on Saturday night and failing to be inspired, my husband suggested we check out the comedy clubs.

It never occurs to me to go to a comedy club, it has been years and years since I've seen live stand up.  I thought it was a brilliant idea. We went online and bought tickets to a show at the Punch Line with absolutely no idea who was performing.

The warm up comic was funny; fairly traditional fare mocking politicians and his own dysfunctional family. But the headliner was an absolute genius.

About now you might be wondering where the Music component of this Music Monday post comes in.

Reggie Watts is not your traditional comedian. He spent over ten years as a musician before becoming, as his website says, an "interdisciplinary comedic performer".  His comedy is absurd stream-of-consciousness observations that are delivered in pseudo-intellectual babble, interspersed with improv music performance.  He uses a loop pedal to create his own backing beat box grooves, then sings over the layers on a number of topics, ranging from the contents of a woman's purse to telekenesis, and many other colorful subjects not appropriate to include here.

I laughed for an hour straight, tears running down my face on several occasions. And his music has been in my head for two days now.  The many videos on YouTube don't do this guy justice, though I picked one of the music pieces for today's post for your viewing and listening pleasure below. It's not comical and somewhat unintelligible, but you get a sense of his talent, and to paraphrase the many online comments from viewers, the groove is sick. I highly recommend seeing him live.

Which brings me to a question for all of you. We host events in the winery's outdoor amphitheatre all summer long, from the Mozart Festival to Indie Rock, movies and more (stay tuned for the 2010 calendar announcement in a few weeks). I don't think we've ever done a comedy night. What do you think, would a comedy night be of interest?

PS - I am not clever enough to know whether there is a way to capture this audio on playlist.com so I can add it to the ongoing Music Monday Archive playlist, but if any of you can help, let me know! Thanks.

Anticipation

Why do some artists release new material every year, and others make you wait four or five years for an hour of new music?

I was recently looking at a list of anticipated albums of 2010 and was happy to see one of my 'local' favorites on the list. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has a new album coming out in March.  I love these guys, perhaps because that '80s alternative sound of my youth clearly influences them.  That might have something to do with the fact that the bassist is the son of the singer of The Call, but they remind me more of The Jesus and Mary Chain, at their softer moments at least. The live shows are quite a bit louder actually. I've picked two different songs for this week's archive addition, and look forward to revisiting all their older stuff over these next two months.

Who have you been waiting for ages to release new music? What new albums are you most anticipating in 2010?

Welcome 2010!

In the first days of the new year, many of us turn our thoughts and energies to setting goals, to refocusing on the those things that bring us joy, health and fulfillment. At the very least, a few weeks of holiday-making inspire in many the resolve to exercise more and eat and drink less. In others, perhaps the commitment to take MORE opportunities to eat and drink with friends and family (yes!).  

I too spent the first days of the new year doing my first sit ups in eleven months, as well as opening a few of the best bottles in the rack, and setting my sights on the year ahead. One of the most exciting prospects of 2010 for me is the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.  (Though I am far too superstitious to get my hopes very high, most members of my family did receive some form of official gear of the Spanish national team for Christmas.) 

This will be the first time ever that the tournament will be held in Africa; hugely significant in many ways beyond the sport thanks to the resources, tourism and world media that come with it.  And in a rare display of good musical taste (remember Ricky Martin's Cup of Life??), FIFA has chosen a fantastic official song and given a huge boost to Somali-born singer K'naan.

So for the first Music Monday of 2010, I thought it fitting to fly the 'Wavin' Flag.' Though I far prefer the reality of the original lyric (in the Archive playlist audio below) to the sanitized version he played at the official event (video).

At Year's End

Given that this is my last Music Monday of the year, possibly my last post of 2009, I tried to think of a great closing tune, ideally from a show I'd seen in 2009. It only took a few seconds to think of Luka Bloom.

Back in the Spring after a brief road trip, I took a cab straight from the airport to the Great American Music Hall, by far my favorite SF venue, to meet my husband and friends at the Luka Bloom show. Unusually, the floor was filled with cocktail tables, and somehow my group had scored a table in the front.

I hadn't listened to Luka Bloom in years, and asked myself why several times as I sat ten feet away from the guy, watching and listening as he used his voice and an acoustic guitar to hold a few hundred people rapt for about two hours. Here was a man who has been playing for decades, taking the stage by himself to spill his stories in an intimate, subtle fashion to small audiences, driving a van from city to city to do it over and over again, and after the show, manning his own table, selling and signing CDs, politely chatting with the drunks and sycophants.

At the time I wondered what kept him going, after all these years. It seemed exhausting, and I presumed the scene has to get old, even faster than we do.  And yet here is a guy pushing sixty with no real prospect of getting any bigger, clearly loving what he does.

He closed the show with Sunny Sailor Boy, and asked the crowd to take over the oo-ah-oo-aaah-oo bit throughout the song, and left us singing it for longer than you'd imagine, long after he'd left the stage. I realized he was actually lucky as hell to do what he does, and have an audience who gives him so much in return.

Happy New Year, Gun Bunners! We on Rhinefarm thank you for reading, drinking and visiting in 2009, thereby allowing us to do what we love.  We wish each of you a new year filled with the simple joy of doing what you love too, and finding many occasions to toast to your good company and good fortune.

  

You can't be twenty

Last Monday we welcomed Marina Mayer to the Gun Bun team as the new fearless leader of the crew in our tasting room. Since her responsibilities now include making daily selections from the ipod that the keeps the crew and customers hopping, it seemed fitting that she select this week's Music Monday track. And because her job is to think on her feet, I gave her no warning and no time to think - quick, first song to come out of your mouth.  Nice to see she's in a happy place - how can you not be if the tune in your head happens to be Sugar Mountain? Come pay us a visit and introduce yourselves to Marina!

Music Monday: Alternative Holiday Favorites

Like it or not, the holiday season officially begins the moment you scrape the last pumpkin pie plate.

Overnight, every public and commercial space begins bombarding your eardrums with their official holiday playlist.  (Almost all - we are pretty good about avoiding holiday music in the Gun Bun tasting room, with one exception: the day of our annual Toy Drive.) 

So before you are subjected to Santa Baby for the 2,000th time (never, I promise) and don't even want to think about holiday music, let's take a break from the regular Music Monday Archive list and collaborate to put together an alternative Holiday Music Monday list.  Perhaps we can look for songs that aren't in constant rotation.  Then we'll have a playlist that you all aren't totally sick of yet that we can play at the Toy Drive this Saturday!

I'll get us started with five songs I would gladly trade for any of the standard fare:

Let's start with my all-time favorite holiday song, one that rarely gets any radio play, perhaps for obvious reasons.  I completely adore this song, any time of year:

1. Fairytale of New York by the Pogues.

I'll toss in a couple more that further demonstrate my appreciation for a little irony with my mistletoe.

2. Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto - James Brown

3. Father Christmas - the Kinks.

I'll finish off with two of the sincere variety. 

4. 2000 Miles - The Pretenders (the most frequently played on the list, but a gorgeous song)

5. I Believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake (The recording may be a little dated, but I am amazed that this song isn't one of the regulars this time of year.)

So there are my five. More Santa references than I'd realized, actually. Now it is your turn:

Please go to the GunBun Holiday playlist at playlist.com and add your own favorites.  It is easy, though they do make you create a login to the site (it's free). Use the search box above the playlist to look for a song, and when you find it, hit the + button.

Or if you prefer, just leave the song name and artist as a comment and I can add it for you. Then we'll have a diverse list of songs to play at our Toy Drive on December 5th! Hope to see you there, and thanks for your help!