Wine Wear Daily: TOMS & Lemasson

We’ve got wine and fashion. Getting dressed and drinking wine. Two things one MUST do.

This post could also double as a Label Love post since I am OBSESSED with these labels. And the wine, of course – three of the 2010 red offerings from Olivier Lemasson of Les Vins Contes. It’s a Loire Valley gamay, pineau d’aunis, côt, grolleau lovefest! All of these wines are incredibly drinkable, aromatic, fresh and great with a little bit of a chill. Not to be taken too seriously, but seriously good wines nonetheless.

I imagine myself drinking any one of these in a chambray artist’s smock and these corduroys with a hunk of baguette and some fresh cheese nearby. Maybe there’s an easel in front of me and the Eiffel Tower nearby? OK- I don’t know about that, but these shoes would be on my feet.

You know what else this post can double triple as?? A how-to/DIY post, that’s what. My pal Harpal came to dance class the other week with his TOMS splattered with paint. What started out as an accident while doing some crafting turned into a brand new pair of shoes. Since I had an old pair of navy blue TOMS sitting in my closet not getting much action, I decided to totally copy Harpal and get a little Jackson Pollack with them. Et Voila!

And, as always, last but never least…the beauty shot. Gotta love a good foil!

All wines available at Domaine LA

What’s for Sipper, Zak Walters?

Zak Walters is one half of the chef/owner duo of the always delectable Salt’s Cure.  He can break down an entire cow, smoke the crap out of some pork, but also delicately slice and plate some of the most beautiful crudo I’ve tasted. A chef with brawn and elegance, he is making food you should definitely put in your mouth and devour.

Aaaaaaaand- action!

Name: Zak Walters  Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK  Location: Los Angeles

Favorite summertime beverage: Campari and soda.

Favorite cocktail or spirit: Old Fashioned with any decent bourbon.

Favorite place to grab a drink: Bar Covell for wine and beer. The Varnish for cocktails.

Favorite toast: Good health.

Favorite post-dinner quaff: Bruichladdich 18 year neat or bitters and soda. Guess it depends on what I ate.

Favorite food & beverage pairing: Muscadet sur Lie and oysters.

If you could travel to one region of the world right now for its food and/or drink where would you go? The Loire.

What’s for sipper? Working tonight, so some wine! {editor’s note: Zak just came into the wine shop and picked up that delish Lambrusco I’m loving right now. Hope you dug it dude.}

Zak doing what he does best. Keeping the people happy and well fed.

Image above from LA Weekly

Selection Massale

I got mail!

I was eagerly awaiting my first shipment from Selection Massale and the other day it finally arrived. What is Selection Massale, you ask? Well, it’s a brand spanking new small import company based in Northern California founded by Cory Cartwright and Guilhaume Gerard. Cory and I first met last year at Barbera Meeting in Italy. We tasted a lot of wine, sometimes out of very large glasses. Right after that week in Asti, Cory flew off to France to meet up with business partner Guilhaume. They spent almost a month traveling throughout the country to find the best, extremely small production, traditionally made wines to import to the States. The findings from that trip are now sitting in my cellar! Well a few of them, at least.

A Loire Valley party! From left to right:

2009 Un Saumon dans la Loire Gamay Molleaux ($13.89)- a slightly sweet gamay. I can’t wait to try this super chilled on a hot day. Taking poolside sipping to the next level.

1990 Domaine les Roches Chinon Rouge (sold out)- one of winemaker Alain Lenoir’s favorite vintages of this wine, in addition to ’89 and ’94.

2009 Domaine Frantz Saumon Montlouis “Mineral +” ($19.13)- made from 30-60 year old chenin blanc vines and aged in old barrique.

And I’ve got 2 more wines in the queue waiting to shipped! If you want to get in on this wine buying action and feel like one of the cool kids, get on their mailing list. Do it! To see their current offerings and past mailings, check out their blog. PS- wanna know what in the hell selection massale means? Read this.