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Skywalker Ranch Wines
Gates82 writes "The creative force of George Lucas is at it again. Producing his own wine. "I would love to see them plant another 5 to 10 acres. There must be spots on that ranch to make some really interesting wines."" Wonder if there's any spots on that ranch left that can make a good Star Wars movie?
"I can not bring myself to believe that if knowledge presents danger, the solution is ignorance" - Isaac Asimov
I hope it's not as bitter better as his prequels so far.
---
http://spaceruckus.web1000.com
These guys are putting together a free 3D action/adventure game.
Free Wii Points
The force was strong with this vintage... it's actually not too bad a wine, but horridly overpriced. Of course due to collectors only 2 bottles will ever be consumed, the rest stored away with all those action figures :)
drunk chemists
You mean he's producing something that's not 90% CG?
//Blessed are they that run around in circles, for they shall be known as wheels.
Lucas: We couldn't get Star Wars movies right, we cost Hasbro hundreds of millions of dollars in Episode I-II toys, we made the 2003 Coaster of the Year "Worst MMORPG Evah" award! Ruining things is too easy. We need a challenge. What haven't we ruined yet? What would be almost impossible to fuck up? Oh yeah! Booze!
and just like any star wars movies, they have a huge advertisement budget for the wine as well. In CA, f you tune in KGO or KCBS, you can hear the Ad many times a day.
Consensus is good, but informed dictatorship is better
Chardonney's & Merlots might be nice, but then again StarWars Episode I sounded nice too, but look how that turned out :S
Wonder if there's any spots on that ranch left that can make a good Star Wars movie?
:-)
Oh, the cynicism.
Seriously though, growing wines in west Marin leaves me wondering about the quality of these wines (particularly a Chardonnay), but Coppola has produced some rather tasty wines including a scrumptious Merlots and a Claret or two, so I am inclined to believe there may be something of note.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
That's pretty fucking unfunny.
Now I know what Lucas was drinking when he created Jar-Jar.
At Neverland ranch, Jackson is hard at work molesting children.
Does anyone else think that Lucas is completely driven by his own vanity? The prequels were just the start of this latest push, now he's getting into wine. The boutique wine boom is over already! Let's at least pray that he hires a professional vintner to handle the winemaking. God help us if he decides to make it himself.
It'll probably end up too sweet and more geared towards kids than adult drinkers. Seems like Jackson and Lucas have more in common than it seems...
I have been pwned because my
I think George Lucas should stop making wine and start making movies. I can't really imagine waiting until 1997 to see all nine parts of the Star Wars series.
Sincerely,
Seth Finklestein
Usenet Historian
I'm not Seth Finkelstein. I still speak the truth.
This would have been news if Lucas was doing a few hundred acres and bottling himself, Jar Jar Brut, Tattoine Port, Darth Zinfandel or something connected to the films, but as it is it's no more relevant than to American Graffitti or THX-1128
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
The early vintages were full-bodied and flavorful, but alas, more recent efforts have been dry and prone to leaving a bad taste in one's mouth.
Wonder if there's any spots on that ranch left that can make a good Star Wars movie?
Meee-ow!
By the way, I didn't think the ranch made the movies. That comment is stranger the more I think about it.
steveha
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
You realize that every fan and non-fan in the world just *has* to buy at least one bottle of this.
What are the margins on wine these days?
Colossians 2:8
"If there is a bright center to the universe, you are on the world farthest from it."
If C3P0 could only "alter time and speed up the harvest or teleport me off this rock"
etc.
So know we now know what Lucas was drinking when casting Hayden Christainsen.
I worry about celebrities making wine. Often, the wine's price gets a bump just for the name recognition factor, regardless of how good it is. This is the deal with Coppola's wines--they're just ok wines for better-than-ok prices.
Celebrity winemakers overally have little impact on serious wine drinkers. Obviously, though, Coppola proved there's a market segment that will spend money for a name on the bottle.
I would like to point out a brand new up-and-comer, non-celebrity wine--Sawkar Family Vineyards. They make a delicious Syrah that's probably in the upper scale of what most people want to pay for a bottle, but it's one of those that's actually worth it.
sev
but have you considered the following argument: shut up.
This is after all the wine valley, and he does bear a faint resemblance to Chase Gioberti.
https://secure7.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/de fault.asp?CS=niebaum&BusType=BtoC&Count1=612514674 &Count2=529655098&Target=products%2Easp&CategoryID =53
get your sofia mini blanc de blancs in a can for that oscar party!
(IN A CAN!)
Klerk - my main man ! We missed you.....
Where have you been ? Information wants to be wwwwwwiiiiiiidddddddddeeeeeee !
And do we need another fork ?..Oops wrong wine.
"You can grow this shit, George, but you sure can't drink it."
After the lameness that is sure to be Episode 3, there will be MUCH whine. :)
No way. Epis 1 and 2 must have been invented during a moonshine binge at the mildest, although I think it was more like a turpentine/diesel mixture. Throw in some soda candy. Yay JAR JAR!
Why doesn't he go for Colt 45? He's already got the spokesman. "Lando Calrissian here for Colt 45. The galaxy's FINEST malt liquor beverage." (from a Who's Line Is It Anyway sketch).
- I don't care if they globalize against free speech. All my best free thoughts are done in my head.
"Wonder if there's any spots on that ranch left that can make a good Star Wars movie?"
So far they've brought us to the desert, an ice planet, the sky, the forest, underground, a factory, a no-moon, undertwater, and a grassy field. I'd say a vineyard is the final frontier for Star Wars!
"Derp de derp."
That's my kind of wine!
From excellent karma to terible karma with a single +5 funny post...
I'm thinking Jim Jarmusch does one;
David Lynch does another (though his Dune work might disqualify him);
Quentin Tarantino definitely is in the short list.
Steve Speilberg is out (the dancing teddy bears were enough saccharin for the series). Rick Berman? Not!
Who else is on the list?
What the article doesn't tell is that every buyer of Lucas' wines is required to provide his name and address. That way George Lucas can visit you periodically to mess with the wine to make it taste the way he intended at the time, but was not able to by lack of proper technology.
But I was going to the Tashi Station to pick up some power converters...
It's not impossible. I used to bullseye womprats in my T-16 back home; they're not much bigger than two meters.
No... that's not true... that's impossible!
D'oh! Zymurgy... my bad.
--Chag
News that matters? Stuff for Nerds?
Who the fuck cares about this....
Lucas trims his hedges and its news? WHO THE FUCK CARES?!?
More specifically, I live a few miles from it. You don't grow wine in San Rafael, you grow it up in the Napa valley. His place is just a little bit off the 101, so I imagine carcinogens won't add to the flavor.
I guess when old white directors run out of good ideas they move up here and start a vineyard.
I guess I'm just an uncouth bastard, but I'd rather drink Antifreeze than the so-called "good Wines".
It tastes the same to me.
Not surprisingly, yes, I do prefer the "shit" sold by the box.
Just once, I'd like it if someone called me "Sir".
Without adding, "You're creating a scene."
Let him age, and he shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
- c -
He's going to have Dark and Light side wine instead of red and white right? So which do I have with my fish?
Needs some advice in winemaking, that is. We already know about script-writing issues. He should talk to this guy, who is just up the road.
Remain calm! All is well!
The operative word here is "good" Star Wars movie! Maybe Episode III will redeem itself.
Yup, your a yup from SF...
If it is, they'll be selling it in boxes out of 7-11.
What other celbrity products can they come up with next? Harrison Ford brand bull-whips? Tony Soprano automatic pistols? Michael Jackson -- never mind.
It's good to use your head, but not as a battering ram.
Coppola produces his wines right in the middle of the Napa Valley (unless he buys his grapes from somewhere else like most "Napa" producers).
On the other hand I never bought the whole "terroir" thing. With the recent advances in wine making (and even some old fashioned blending) it is possible to get good wines even without the best soil or climate.
"Wonder if there's any spots on that ranch left that can make a good Star Wars movie?
Doubt it - hasn't been one yet.
Obviously, GL has been crafting to build up his Chef skills!
"If you think you have things under control, you're not going fast enough." --Mario Andretti
Why? Does he need to run Microsoft Office on Linux?
We all need more Wine!
"Man, like a long time ago and stuff.. and like, it was like waaay away.. dude, there was this dude named Darth man..."
Uh, he's growing grapes, not weed.
One amusing thing I was told by the Lucas PR girlbot was that grape-picking was an annual event for the employees. From the way she phrased it, it sounded compulsory!
(Oh, and should you ever be lucky enough to have lunch there, go for the steak. It's delicious. No wonder Lucas has got so fat!)
You must think in Russian.
1) The Alcohol is strong in this one.
...as served at the Star Wars Cantina
2) Fear leads to drinking, drinking leads to courage, courage leads to rejection...rejection leads to suffering.
3)
4) Skywalker Ranch Wines -- Wet Your Whistle With Moonshine from Uncle Owen's Moisture Farm.
5) Bacta The Future! Hell, might as well ruin another trilogy.
I'd have to be tanked on this wine for them to expect me to renew my subscription.
I have no idea if Coppola invites visitors or has a tasting room.
Don't expect Lucas to welcome you onto his ranch.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Seriously though, growing wines in west Marin leaves me wondering about the quality of these wines (particularly a Chardonnay), but Coppola has produced some rather tasty wines including a scrumptious Merlots and a Claret or two, so I am inclined to believe there may be something of note.
Yes, but the Niebaum-Coppola wines are grown on the Rutherford Bench, which is generally considered the finest grape growing area of the Napa Valley. Fine wines have been cultivated there for over 100 years. He also has some very serious winemakers working for him.
West Marin though, as you note, hasn't exactly got an illustrious history of viticulture. That said you can grow some great wines in some unlikely spots in California, thanks to the excellent climate. One of my favorite wineries is Ridge whose main vineyards are on the ridge overlooking Silicon Valley.
Sailing over the event horizon
A lot of lame posts from nerds who know everything about Star Wars and nothing about wine...
What is it with you Americans anyway. Having seen an entire wall of a new York deli filled with fridges full of beer, I innocently enquired to the shopkeeper (a quaint term we use in this country) as to whether he had any wine for sale.
"Sir!" he said, somewhat down his nose, "You get wine from a Liquor store".
Jesus Christ! I'm not an alcoholic. I just wanted a nice FRENCH wine to take to a dinner party. I don't understand why I could buy like 24 gallons of Budweiser without the batting of an eyelid, but a small bottle of QUALITY wine was only available from a state-licenced store.
Of course I come from a continent where we wean babies with watered down wine but in all my visits to the USA, it is only in Boston that I have seen anything approaching the european sensibile towards alcohol.
Viandante del Cielo means "sky walker" in Italian
Actually the correct translation of viandante is traveler.
If there was a way to mod this to -2, I would.
TK-421, why aren't you at your post?
I bet he's drunk on Skywalker Ranch Riesling again!
YOU REBEL SCUM!!!
In principio erat Verbum.
In a couple years he'll release "Special Edition" bottles. They'll contain only grape juice and carbonation because Star Wars - apparently - was always intended for kids. He'll deny a wine version ever existed.
Oh, and you'll be forced to buy a bottle of 2008, 2007 and 2006 grape juice vintages just to get your hands on the 2003-2005 vintages *
* which will also be grape juice (perhaps with luck they'll *turn* into wine but don't bet on it)
Grapes from newly planted vines don't make good wine. It takes years for the plant to develop to the point where wine made from the grapes tastes good. Nowadays, people use old root-stocks, grafting new plants onto older roots, to speed up the process. But it still takes time. So all you jokers saying the first vintages will be good, but later ones will leave a bad taste in your mouth, sorry. Nice joke though.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
You know, George Lucas could bottle some grape juice and attach a label saying 7% Force/Vol, drink responsibly. A bottle of limited edition Star Wars wine would easily go for $1,000 per bottle on e-bay. They could even say that Natalie Portman hand picked the grapes and crushed them with her feet. The star wars geeks would be flocking to get anything tangibly related to Natalie Portman.
"There is no spoon." - The Matrix
"The creative force of George Lucas is at it again. Producing his own wine. "
/. It should be said, "wine[booze!]" or "wine[code]".
... duh.
I thought, that's cool, ILM is developing own wine . What the heck, it's not "wine," it's wine. The title is misleading on
finally produces something we can't pirate :-)
What?
I doubt it will be 30 dollor wine but it may not be terrible.
I know the Coppala wine is not a terrible buy at 12 dollors a bottle.
Though for good cheap wine you can't beat the aussies. They just do it right.
Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
Yellow Tail? They sell that at Costco, cheap... guess I'll have to try some now. Something about the picture of the Kangaroo an the bottle lead me to suspect it wasn't that good...
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
When I read the Slashdot blurb, I thought - "Hey, wow, George Lucas is rolling his own version of WINE. Teh 1337 h4x0r!!"
;-D.
The it hit me - wine, not WINE. Yup, I am a dork
What's a "good Star Wars movie"? Is it true that Princess Amidala takes refuge from Asinine Skywokker among the Ewoks? The only class act in the last movie was the diner wheelie waitress. That would make a great Saturday morning.
``Tension, apprehension & dissension have begun!'' - Duffy Wyg&, in Alfred Bester's _The Demolished Man_
For those of you who are wondering why Indiana Jones 4 is being delayed, check this link out:
http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=17037
Basically the script is done and Spielberg is ready, but Lucas wants to dip his hand in the script and mess around. Just like the Special Editions, can't leave anything alone, always gotte keep tinkering with it...
Next, Lucas might release a line of beer: Pilsner Amidala, Ackbar Ale, and Lager Calrissian. ...and for liquor: Qui-Gon Gin and Tonic.
"Give a man a fish and he will ask for tartar sauce and French fries!"
With the recent advances in wine making (and even some old fashioned blending) it is possible to get good wines even without the best soil or climate.
The classic example of this is the blended wines from Jadot in France. They have blended some exquisite wines that are quite reasonable in price.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
Yup, your a yup from SF...
Nope. A former punk rocker from Texas is closer to the mark.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
Monkey-see-monkey-do. He's just imitating his master. There are always two. This is Lucas saying: "Hey! If Coppola can do it, so should I!" Coppola's got more respect from his fans. I doubt Francis Ford would change The Godfather so Solozzo hits Michael first.
Start with Scotch. Though it seems more expensive up front, you don't have to drink as much to learn an appreciation for the pleasantries of the drink.
By drinking scotch you will gain a taste for the various flavors in the drink. Tastes like 'peaty', 'earthy', and 'oaky' are common descriptions of the flavors of whiskey. To enjoy it, you don't toss back shot after shot, rather you would sip and let the flavors spread on your palate. Though quite offensive at first, whiskey becomes delightful once you have developed a sense of what it is that you are tasting.
You can use the same slow tasting technique with wine. It's much less harsh than whiskey and it has many more flavors. The process of learning to enjoy whiskey will help immensely in your appreciation of wine.
It will at least help wean you off of White Zin, if nothing else.
I have been pwned because my
Maybe George is having a laugh with the whiney prequel fans.
has to follow Ford Coppola in everything he does eh?
Real SUV's don't have cupholders
It's 5:42 A.M., do you know where your stack pointer is?
Some really good chardonnays come from the S part of Sonoma and Napa that is right on the border between the Bay Area's cool climate and the really hot parts of Napa and Sonoma - the place where Domain Chandon has their huge tourist trap comes to mind.
What prevents more wine growing in W Marin is that land is even more ridiculously expensive there than in Napa - it's really fairly well within the Bay Area suburban fringe. Most think of Marin as rural but is it really suburbs all the way to the coast. (Marin does have the highest per-capita Hummer sales in the 9 county Bay Area)
Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and he'll say "WHERE'S MY FISH, YOU IDIOT?"
it's odd how many times I have to defend myself out here in the East Bay and South Bay as a Texan.... so many take me for a native 8-)
"Wonder if there's any spots on that ranch left that can make a good Star Wars movie?"
shouldn't this be
"Wonder if there are any spots on that ranch left that can make a good Star Wars movie?"
Oh well, who cares?
Cheers, Nostrada
he might start making absinthe to prepare himself for some more Indian Jones prequels. Might as well wreck some more films. Indian Jones and The Lost Chalice of Stupidity!
It must be when /. has lowered itself to post little better than a gossip headline (complete with catty comments). This is ridiculous, people - I thought this place was supposed to set a higher tone than the Drudge Report and Faux^H^H^Hox News, but apparently not.
To celebrate the occasion of my 1000th post, I will post no more forever on Slashdot. Goodbye.
It's probably equivalent to a $7 bottle of Ontario wine... ;-)
-psy
... the company which brought us such amazing games
as
- Maniac Mansion
- Zak McKracken
- Monkey Island
i.e. all the *really* good games of the 80s and early nineties. For me, they are much more important than Star Wars.
10) The French find the lack of tannins...disturbing.
9) Ad campaign: "I don't care what it smells like--just drink it!"
8) Grown by non-union Ewoks that are exposed regularly to heavy insecticides
7) A commercial designed to appeal to the Slashdot crowd features Natalie Portman drinking the wine to wash down some hot grits
6) The red wine isn't stronger than the white wine--just more seductive
5) Billy Dee Williams still prefers Colt 45
4) Wine hangover is much worse than carbonite hangover
3) Cantina scene to be re-edited yet again so that everyone's drinking Skywalker Ranch wine
2) You'll need to drink more than one bottle to enjoy Episode III
1) Doesn't come in a bottle. Comes in two jars.
If you bother to go to the wine country of northern California, I suggest going through Sonoma rather than Napa. Napa has some good wines, but it's very touristy.
Agreed in general though even the Napa has some quieter, smaller wineries that are worth visiting. There are several hundred wineries in the Napa and they vary tremendously.
Sonoma has great wines and is fairly quiet, off the beaten path. One of my favorites is Rochioli, close to Hop Kiln, which is also good. Suggest taking along some food, get a bottle of Chardonnay and kick back, as most of these places have a little outdoor area you can relax at.
Hop Kiln is a great place to visit and picnic - wonderful old building - but the wines are mediocre. If you really want great Sonoma wines then travel a little further down the road to Davis Bynum for some of the best Pinot Noir on the planet.
I have no idea if Coppola invites visitors or has a tasting room.
Yes there is a large visitors center at Niebaum-Coppola. Its touristy, including the inevitable movie museum complete with Oscars, but still fun and the wines are good. They recently announced a plan to go upmarket, lower volume better quality. Given their history with their reserve blends and vintages, I suspect they could come up with sometiming exceptional. Time will tell.
Sailing over the event horizon
Great, we now get to taste vicariously the wines of the wealthy.
I enjoy a good wine as much as the next guy and I hate to spoil the party, seeing that we are all having a jolly good time around here, but what the fuck does this have to do with "news for nerds, stuff that matters".
A tone of shit happened today in the free software world. Maybe somebody is hung over and has Slashdot stories on automatic pilot.
Pragmatism as an ideology is not particularly pragmatic in the long term. Keep it in mind when you dismiss Free Software
Stuff that's made of matter.
You know, if you blank out every instance of the word wine in the above comment, it makes a great mad lib. Replace it with movie(s). Then try it with baby(ies).
You need to come out here to the fresh coast if you want good food and wine. Make a trip to Northern California next time. You can even find good French cheeses if you look in the right places. The people are even almost sane in this region (if you don't go too far South). The East Coast (along with the part in the middle) is for the birds!
Coppola's merlot's include a significant number of grapes bought from other wineries. In fact there is so much moving around of grapes in the California wine industry that it is hard to pinpoint a singe taste or style for a geographic region. Quality of wines in this day and age is more dependent on the technology used after harvest rather than the grapes going into the harvest. BTW, if the Skywalker wines become popular look for them to begin buying grapes as well, after all they are selling a brand image more than a great tasting wine, and its cheaper to buy than produce good grapes.
You're kidding right? Niebaum-Coppola has a huge tasting room & merchandising area to push various food and wine knick-knacks. What really draws people to N-C is the fact that it also has a collection of FFC's movie props (Don Corleone's desk, a Huey shell with surfboards from Apocalypse Now, his Tucker Torpedo, etc.)
...grape juice anyone?
"Wonder if there's any spots on that ranch left that can make a good Star Wars movie?"
That is the funniest thing I have ever read in a Slashdot story. Props.
I was at Sky Walker Ranch a year and half ago. I have a friend that works at ILM. . When I was there the vineyard was considered a bit of a joke. The wine it produced was considered almost undrinkable. he must have gotten some help with it since then. Or maybe it still sucks and the taste is not important to anyone.
The alcohol and color are added in post.
"Use the Cork Luke"
I completely agree. I had for years gone wine tasting regularly at sonoma (and surrounding areas), without going to napa. I went to napa and I was apalled! $9 and $12 tastings? Super touristy rooms, that sell mostly cheap souveniers?
... heh.
Sonoma has lots of excellent wines, the tastings are half the price and it is far more pretty, IMO. Hit Ferrari Carrano (sp?), Mondavi, Rodney Strong (one of my faves, you can often taste 3-4 price points of the same family of grape for about 5 bucks, for those who want more, try Gary Farrell and get their tour (res req'd), or go to the Alexander valley (Hanna is very good, free tasting). Glacier Peak is good, as well.
We call the windy road (can't remember the name) that ends up hitting lake sonoma the tipsy highway
-Sean
reminds me of the old fishdot.org bit on star wars liquors. Unfortunately it's no more so here's a wayback machine look at it
*Shrug*
e.
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
Isn't this the stuff that made Greedo shoot first?
The real question is whether Lucas will CG his wine into the Mos Eiesly scene for the Star Wars DVD release...;)
Here's what I do: Bitty Browser & Andromeda
This photo shows "Lake Ewok" and to the right of it the Technical Building (where Skywalker Sound is). Between the two and down a little is where most of the vines are, and to the right of the tech building there are vines as well. It's an old picture so these changes aren't reflected in it.
And no, we didn't sneak in. In fact I don't think it's possible to sneak in. Anyways, I was there to visit family; doing the sound for a movie at SS.
You don't drink wine, do you? Its VERY easy to screw up wine. If they really wanted a challenge they should try vodka. Very difficult to screw up.
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
C3 Pinot Grigio
Chewbaca Sauvignon
CharddoR2D2
Darth Shiraz
Boba Zinfandel
Jar Jar Blanc De Blanc
and their motto...
I will drink no wine until the force is with me
You aren't free to do anything, until you've lost everything.
Sam Neill has a vineyard a few hours drive from where I live.
He shot a winemaking programme for History channel ages ago.
Coppola has a pretty big vineyard. Actually, I'm kind of partial to their wines.
Pretty good stuff.
"Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
Make that Geyser peak....
-Sean
I remember the face of George Lucas as a kid. He had brown hair, clean shave, and modest frame. I remember the face of Orson Welles. He sported dark hair, clean shave, and had an average build.
/. article, "Coppola and Lucas have made wine together for about 12 years, but the 2002 vintage is their first commercial release". In the 1970s, Welles became synonymous with Paul Masson wine commercials, and his famous line was, "We will sell no wine before its time."
The early work of George Lucas as a writer, director, and film maker were praised and won acclaim. His later projects were an effort to finish prior ones, and they received less than favorable reviews. The beginnings of Orson Welles career in film and literary works were groundbreaking, and legendary. After some time, he too resumed his film career. In his later work, ambitous films were unfinished, and others, never met expectations.
In his prime, George Lucas is a silver fox with matching beard and tips the scale in weight. In his twilight, Orson Welles had white hair, sporty white beard, and carried a spare tire around his waist.
From the
I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.
--Kelso
"A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
You can buy the wine from here. Limit two bottles per customer.
anyone who describes something as "scrumptious" is a homo
Elliott Smith Tribute CD available now on Double D Records! Visit www.doubledrecords.com to order.
The "spots to grow some really interesting wines" are already in service growing some really excellent weed.
In fact, a large proportion (if not most) of the vineyards in California don't produce their own wine - their grapes are sold to various other producers for inclusion in those wines.
I'd hesitate, though, to say that the after-harvest method is more important than good grapes from a good area (for those grapes). While the same grapes, given to different vintners, can produce radically different wines, the quality of the raw material determines the baseline quality of the wine.
I have something in common with Stephen Hawking...
Skywalker wine - the only wine that will have more unopened bottles in star-trek collections than will have been drunk. Maybe luke's down on cash and hes trying to milk the fans for anything he can sell.. Hm speaking of milk, maybe he could...
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
Point-Counterpoint: Wines
[Counterpoint: I Hate You, I Hate You, I Hate You]
Is that right? Are there some excellent wines coming out of Argentina these days? Please, tell me more about Argentine wine. Tell me everything you know. I'm begging you.
God, what a colossal prick.
A lot of people here might enjoy this conversation, but I'm not one of them. Who gives a shit where you get your wine? The way you're guzzling it, I'd be surprised if you can even taste it. And I'm really impressed by your references to gauchos and the pampas. What a worldly, cultured man you must be to know those two words. Should we have sex here or in one of the upstairs bedrooms?
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.
If there's one thing more irritating than wine guys, it's wine guys with personal-space issues. I can hear you fine: Quit acting like the music's so loud that you have no choice but to lean in close to my ear.
Do you ever shut up? I wish I lived in your world, where I could spew a nonstop stream of dull facts and think people actually care. If you love the Mendoza region so much, why don't you move there? No, I'm not going to buy a case of anything, I'm just looking for a graceful way to get away from you. Where do you think you're putting your hand? Oh my God. He actually just did the invisible-lint thing. I don't think I've had a guy try that one on me since college.
This would be a great time to kick someone in the testicles. I wish I had the assertiveness to say something, but I haven't even had a chance to open my mouth. I've just smiled politely and nodded. Won't someone please get this guy away from me? Won't someone please hold a loud conversation about golf or foreign cars that this guy will overhear and want to join? Oh, how I long to hear this man say to me, "Excuse me, but I need to set someone straight about the merits of the new Big Bertha XP-200 titanium driver."
Thanks so much for your card. I'll be sure to use it if I ever need a piece of scrap paper.
Personally, I've always been fond of "It's Walky's" interpretation of why Lucas movies has sucked more and more over time.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
No, that's how you see yourself.
You were a punk-rock poseur then, now you've moved on to being a wine poseur. The next move? I'm guessing a pompous, self-styled jazz expert with a mornicaly overpriced turntable.
On behalf of everyone on the planet who will be subjected to your dull, self-indulgent bullshit: fuck you.
You'd have to find a writer and director on that ranch left who could make a good Star Wars movie first. If the Pinot Noir is anything like Episode 1, you can just make mine a Guinness, thanks.
Freedom wines, er sorry, French wines, are still undoubtedly the best. Don't believe me? Buy some in France. Don't confuse the stuff the French export as wine with the real stuff - the export is just the horrid crap they fob off on foreigners. But if you actually go to a shop in France[0], especially one of the caveaus in Nuits St. Georges or any village in a good wine producing region, you will find some top wine at pretty reasonable prices. Of course, you can pay through the nose for the excellent crus, but you can do that anywhere; the point is, even the 3 euros[1] table wine from the supermarket actually tastes good.
;-)
But the main thing in their favour is that, apparently unlike almost everywhere else, the French haven't forgotten how to make subtle wines.
[0] No, I don't mean "EastEnders" in Calais. That barely counts as France
[1] Damn. Why has my keyboard stopped producing euro signs...
"'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'"
- JRR Tolkien.
A large proportion of the wine industry is built on "rich guys" who want a hobby vineyard to play with. Some of them actually make marketable wine: some make outstanding wine (because they can afford the consultants to organise the viticulture and the subsequent winemaking). The most famous example in napa valley (CA) is Francis Ford Coppola.
Oh dear. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before we're all drinking Chateau Neverland...
...Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.
Churchill
Many of us couldn't even order this wine if we wanted to.
Free the grapes
http://boycottstarwars.com/
...I bet they can make one more!
Happy Trails!
Erick
http://www.busyweather.com/
Mostly it is to broaden one's horizons and to be able to converse intelligently about the topic.
Your Boss: Ah, this 1952 Chateau Margaux is absolutely delicious. The tannins have really mellowed and the cassis notes have become very prominent. What do you think?
You: I don't like wine. I like Bud Light, though.
Your Boss: (thinking) No promotion for you, dumbass.
Clikey...
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
Can Americans produce a good wine? If so I haven't found one yet...
Why is anything star wars related considered newsworthy? The prequels are trash, the acting so f'n stale it's embarassing. OMG I can't believe those people actually waited in line for 2 weeks just to watch episode 1. When I saw it I was fighting to keep my eyes awake. Ep2 shit man... total rubbish... who the hell would green light a movie with such shitty dialog/acting like that. Did you see the part where Anakin rides (surfs) the bull
Give it a rest man.. the cash cow iss over. When ep 3 comes out I'm hitting www.suprnova.org kthnx!
Olde Republic "800"?
Don't let Paramount Studios find out.
Dude, call any vegetable, and the chances are good that the vegetable will respond to you.
maybe taco should worry about good slashdot editing instead of a good star wars movie.
The two most influencing factors in a good wine are:
#1- the ingredients (grapes)
#2- the process
Coppola and crew may have the process to make good wine. A good vintner can even salvage a bit from questionable grapes through solid process. But there's very little you can do to help the final product if conditions aren't ideal for the vines (which is very likely to include this section of Marin). There's a reason why certain areas, like Napa and Sonoma, demand such high land prices. They produce consistant high quality grapes. Sure, Marin may have an occasional good year- but the typical vintner can't just toss their harvest for the year after a unfortunate change in weather. (not a problem for Lucas!)
With the way wine prices have dropped this past decade, you can get an exceptional bottle for well under the price Lucas/Coppola are asking. Stick to areas known to product good grapes. And help the little guys who are (trying to) make a living making wine because they love it- not some guy who kept it "on the back burner" for years before bringing in the big guns to make it for him.
I'm sure this will be misinterpreted as flamebait, but so be it. I'm so fucking fed up with this snotty attitude.
If you don't like the fucking films don't post about them! Pretend they don't exist or something. Nobody is forcing you to go see them. Nobody is forcing you to acknowledge their existence. What is with this incessant need for certain so-called fans to use every opportunity to whine and bitch about films that are primarily intended as fun and eye-candy, not high art. Fercrissake, get your life in order and maybe this might not seem like such an issue. Whether you accept it or not, Ep. 1 & 2 were every bit as good as 4, 5 & 6. We just don't have the gloss of nostalgia to help us ignore the warts of the latter.
Either leave the films alone to those of us who can get over that and enjoy them for what they are or just shut up about it. "WAAAHHH... I don't like these films so I have to chuck out a load of horseshit whining every time someone mentions it." Christ! Message received, okay? Move on.
--Rick "If it isn't broken, take it apart and find out why."
Actually, the article might have it wrong.
I have a bottle of Skywalker Chardonnay from 2000. When I worked at LucasArts, I inquired about obtaining a bottle and was told it was impossible; that George keeps it for special occasions only.
Just to show my colleagues that I don't like being told things can't be done, I pulled a few strings and got a bottle from an undisclosed source.
I don't know about the "Viandante del Cielo", but I'm fairly certain my bottle's label is Cielo Caminante.
Jory
Yes, in fact, the wine is being released by Coppola. Moreover, Coppola has been making wines with Lucas's grapes (for private consumption and gifts) for a number of years.
"The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
but what I want to know is if Greedo harvests the grapes FIRST?
Or maybe he will in the Special Editions...
"Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
Man walks into liquor store and heads for the Italian section. Clerk in robe comes over.
Clerk: These are not the wines you're looking for.
Man: These are not the wines I'm looking for?
Clerk: (offering Lucas Wine bottle) This is a much better purchase.
Man: This is a much better purchase!
Clerk: Move along.
Tuus crepidae innexilis sunt.
FYI, that's a karma-whoring fakester troll - it's not the real Seth Finkelstein
See that post all you penis bird crapflooders? That is how you troll someone :-)
Do you even know anything about perl? -- AC Replying to Tom Christiansen post.
I can already see a review of tie-in Phantom Menace wine, with its annoying character and just a hint of midichlorians.
A subsequent Attack Of The Clones wine would probably try to invoke the passions a bit more, but that, like Hayden Christensen's acting, will probably end up wooden and stale, and a bit on the nose.
Of course, they both lack the complexities of previous vintages, and both are acetic enough not to age well...
Attack its weak point for massive damage!
I'm not even a linux geek (Mac OS X guy with some BSD on whiteboxes) but even I read the headline thinking "SWEET! Skywalker Ranch made their own ultra-badass super stable and highly useful in-house version of WINE and they're open-sourcing it!"
:(
Fucking actual wine. I LOVE wine. Don't get me wrong. But it woulda been cooler if they unleashed a seriously reliable way to run Windows binaries on linux.
If you bother to go to the wine country of northern California, I suggest going through Sonoma rather than Napa. Napa has some good wines, but it's very touristy. Sonoma has great wines and is fairly quiet, off the beaten path.
A good book to read is "A Tale of Two Valleys." The author talks about how several interesting characters in the Sonoma valley fought to avoid becoming like Napa. A pretty interesting read for those into the people behind the wines.
-- Fugacity: Confusing chemists since 1908
Every time they press the grapes, they throw in Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fischer, and ten tons of garbage.
---- "If we have to go on with these damned quantum jumps, then I'm sorry that I ever got involved" - Erwin Schrodinger
IIRC, the wines that taste at their best many years after bottling are mainly red wines made from Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
For those who cant stand the taste of wine
might I suggest instead a Woody Haze (named after Woody Harrelson).
It is mainly a sativa (although not 100%)strain of cannabis with a high T.H.C. and low C.B.D which make this plant a perfect head stash variety.
Heavy, thick, milky smoke with a hint of spicy sandalwood (its indica legacy) in its fruity flavour and the scent is a delight to even the most experienced smoker.
The plant has tiny leaves and long reaching buds yet very little hairs (same as the real Woody) and heavy resin.
The long lasting uplifting high make this a great plant when you need to get work done and dont want the couchlock associated with typical indicas.
A couple of grams of this beauty and you'll have a great day without the nasty after effects of alcohol.
zack
No, it's men who engage in anal sex with other men that are homos. I thought pretty much everytone knew that?
That was classic intercourse!
They make any good beers?
if i had the priviledges, i would just entirely wipe that comment from the page and pretend it never existed, so it wouldn't disturb anyone else like it has disturbed me.
Look at his sig. It says "I am not the real Seth Finkelstein, I'm a troll." Obviously, a real troll wouldn't put that in their sig. It's definately him.
Ridge's ridge is NOT an unlikely spot to grow good wine. It's antedates Napa and Sonoma in terms of fine wine production. Long before Silicon Valley ever came to be great wines were being made up in them thar hills.
Stephanie says / she wants to know / why she's given half her life to / people she hates now.
Say, how much alcohol would it take to make Episode II seem halfway decent? Maybe five acres isn't enough after all. Oh, and make it port. Strong port.
So I'm reminded of a joke that my wife's co-worker told her:
;-)
Q: How do you make a small fortune in the wine business?
A: Start with a large fortune and start a winery
The woman had some credentials to get away with the joke; her family owns a medium-sized winery in either Napa or Sonoma, CA... been too long, can't quite remember. Or maybe the wine has killed those brain cells.
- Leo
You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right.
Interesting... Frank Herbert also produced his own wines.
-- SKYKING, SKYKING, DO NOT ANSWER.
.....what does it wine about?
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
Don't expect Lucas to welcome you onto his ranch.
Show up with a Dark Maul outfit.
Sig it.
Deathstar shaped CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE....glorious Cheese....more CHEESE PLEASE!
when "Skywalker Ranch" and George Lucas was mentioned in relation to wine was _Boone's Farm_. This series of "wines" just seems the closest approximation to a wine I would expect from Lucas via a "Skywalker Ranch". Sugary, sweet, childish, not appropriate for mature adults. Yep, just like most of the Star Wars movies since the first one.
Skywalker Ranch Special Childish Reserve Apple Wine.
In Bushworld, they struggle to keep church and state separate in Iraq as they increasingly merge the two in America.
His vineyards have belonged to his family for generations. In order to finish Apcolypse Now he had to use the vineyards as collateral for his loans. If AN flopped the vineyards would have been the bank's and Coppola would have been screwed.
AN Redux was the movie Coppola wanted to make but he was too afraid he wouldn't make enough money with that version so the "orignal" version was released instead.
Hollow words will burn and hollow men will burn.
And as long as you're out there and in a wine-tasting mood, may I recommend Monterey County. (Disclaimer: I'm from there, so I may be biased.) There are some really wonderful wines there: Smith & Hook, Flint, Chalone and Paraiso are some I can recommend. Plus, it's a lot less crowded than Napa and many vineyards still let you taste for free.
Your fantasies contain the seeds of important concepts.