10 WINE PICKS From all over. Five from Dan, five from Joe. September 2, 2010 Hello, Happy almost-Labor-Day weekend. Marks the end of linen season, back to school, football is back, Indian summer. It's the watch-the-clock holiday, beginning of the home stretch to the end of year and "where has the year gone?" exclamations. Also means that cooler weather is coming: more amenable to shipping wine. We like that! Today's email is a NorCal edition, geared toward customers who come in for their wine rather than call in. That means we go outside our local wine lines and recommend wines (and more) from around the world. Ten of them.  Five of my current favorites. Five from Joe. And we get subjective on you. What we like to drink. And since we have amazing taste (in wine at least), what we like is worth something I guess. Have fun with our ten. Recommended with passion and described with brevity. TASTING EVENTS! BRING A BLIND BOTTLE is tonight (Thursday), 6 to 8 PM. Don't be shy, come play! GSMC: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. One of each plus a blend of all four (which means a CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE). This Friday (tomorrow) night, 5 to 8 PM. Make it part of your evening in Downtown Napa. Do you know who's playing? Ukulele Concert and Party Next Friday, September 10 Gerald Ross, Ukulele artist, and Back Room Wines launch the Wine Country Ukulele Festival with a Ukulele Concert and Party. It'll be a blast! Party starts at 5. Concert 6 to 8 P.M. Details here. By the way, if you read last week's email, I just Googled Meatballs and Ukuleles (no quotes) and Back Room Wines was #1! Try it, just for kicks. Dan Spirits Clearance Sale NINE new spirits adorn the shelfs/shelves of Back Room Wines in the past week, including the hard-to-get ST GEORGE ABSINTHE VERTE. To make MORE room for MORE specialty herb-infused liqueurs and American whiskeys, Back Room Wines' CLEARANCE SALE continues. Drop by Back Room Wines and sweep up the last of... ASOMBROSO Tequila "la Platina" Silver. WAS $44, now $35 FRIDA KAHLO Tequila Reposado. WAS $47, now $33 LA CAVA del MAYORAL Tequila Blanco. WAS $39, now $31 DEL MAGUEY Crema de Mezcal. WAS $42, now $34 (This is Dan's favorite. Makes a mighty fine nightcap) Ten Prime-Time Picks Five from Dan, five from Joe Have fun climbing up the price ladder. UNDER $15 Dan suggests VALLECLARO Rosado, Valles de Benavente, Calidad 2009, $14/bottle $12 a bottle The grape used is PRIETO PICUDO. Too much information! What really matters is this: It's hot outside. This is delicious, dry, and bursting with fruit. 9 out of 10 shoppers give it a BIG THUMBS UP. JOE suggests TENUTA SANT'ANTONIO "Scaia" Rossa IGT Veneto 2009  $12 The kind of fun, fresh, delicious wine one can take down by the gallon. I can. I have. I will again. $15 to $20 Joe recommends ANDRE BRUNEL Côtes du Rhône "Cuvée Sommelongue" 2007  $17 Close your eyes and remember those first (cheap) CdRs you had long ago and fell in love with. Sommelongue is like that, but way way better. And still pretty cheap. Dan recommends C&T Merlot "Front Porch" Napa Valley 2007 $17 Seekers of "training wheels" red should keep looking. An Italian-esque food-friendly style makes us think, drink, think and drink. Ratatouille wine! $20 to $25 Dan says $23 a bottle ALVARO PALACIOS "Camins del Priorat" 2007 $23 If you don't like this wine, god bless you. Forward fruit, spice, soil, meat, silky. Delightful. Equivalent of finding a killer Napa Cab for a similar price. Joe says BUFFALO TRACE Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey  $23 A pick outside the box. Average Bourbon age here 8-9 years. Nothing against a resurgent GM here, but I think the slogan should be reworked: "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and bourbon drinks." Catchy, eh? $25 to $30 What say you, Joe? RUSSIAN HILL Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley  2007  $26 It's really, really, really good.  Yes, three "really's." Stop asking so many questions and have some! Et tu, Dan? HIGHFLYER "Centerline" California 2007  $28 Five grape blend. Mostly Napa fruit, but not quite enough to call it so. Tastes like THE PRISONER from days of yore. Big fruit, spice, power and deliciousosity (Go ahead. Look it up.) $30 to $35 Bring it home, Joe JAEGER DEFAIX Rully "Mont-Palais" 2007  $31 $32 a MAGNUM Bang for the buck White Burgundy. Sing along, to a very familiar tune, friends: "Rully, Rully, whooah no... we gotta go, yeah yeah yeah yeah..." Danny Boy? PEPIÉRE Cabernet Franc MAGNUM Vin de Pays du Val de Loire 2009  $32 Yes, it's a Magnum. 1500 ML of party wine. Fresh raspberries, plums, rosemary and white pepper. No  Drink as much as the chicken here and call a cab, OK? 3 Day Weekend Enjoy it. Harvest here we come. Drink more Côtes du Rhône. Dan Daniel Dawson Owner, Back Room Wines Corner of First & Main Streets (First Street Entrance) Downtown Napa, California 94559 Phone: (707) 226-1378  Toll Free # is 877-322-2576 Visit our website here email: daniel@backroomwines.com