I'm So Hangry I Might Hit You And Have a Blintz

     A good friend of ours coined the term "hangry", referring to that point when you're so hungry it's just making you angry.  Well, when you work at a retail counter and/or bar for as many hours as we do each week, you start to see how the weather affects people en masse.  So that leads me to another definition of hangry -- when you're so HOT you're about ready to punch a kitten and crawl in your crisper for a nap.  And that long, long lead-up gets us to wine and heat.

     We get this question all the time -- what do I do with my wine if I have no A/C at my house?  This is pretty important because here in Eagle Rock, it's supposed to hit 104 degrees tomorrow and heat and oxygen are the mortal enemies of any wine.  First of all, don't throw the wine in your trunk where there is definitely no A/C and run errands for two hours.  At your home or apartment, by far the best thing to have is a wine fridge.  With wine becoming more and more popular over the last few years, there are many options at many price levels from counter-top units around $70 to ridiculous monstrosities for the price of a nice house. 

     If you have no A/C at home and no wine fridge, the common practice is to pick the coolest place in your house to store wine which can be the floor of your closet.  It's probably the coolest place in the house with no direct sunlight.  But when the weather is in triple digits for more than a couple days, this won't cut it.  So just put the wine in your normal refrigerator.  Unless you need long-term storage for a vintage, fragile wine, a normal fridge is just fine.  And yes, you'll read articles about the vibrations of the compressor damaging the wine but really, from that $8 sauv blanc to the $50 '06 California pinot, you have nothing to worry about unless you're going to stick it in there for years and years on end.  Just remember to let both whites and reds warm up to a proper temperature before drinking.  Or, if you're soooooo hot you're dying of thirst and need wine immediately (or Thangry), just tip that cold bottle up.  No one's going to tattle.

     Have other inventive creations to cool your wine?  Leave a comment or vote on our homepage poll.

Antonio Martinez, Founder, Antalva Imports

Importers of Great Import

     If you happen to not just imbibe wine, but follow some of the happenings in the wine world either through wine magazines or wine blogs, you've probably run across articles about different importers. These maverick grape slingers are often the unsung heroes of your local wine store shelves, taking chances on previously unknown or unpopular varietals and grape growing regions all for the glory of our tastebuds. The best ones are driven by an unstoppable passion to deliver to your dinner table an unforgettable experience they had possibly hundreds of thousands of miles away in the dank basement of a three hundred year old winery. Their wiring doesn't allow them to sip, smile and move on.  To them, a great wine stands up and demands to be shared with the rest of the world.

     Every once in awhile, we're going to take the time to introduce you to some of these importers, beginning with Antonio Martinez, President and Founder of Antalva Imports.  Antonio is a one man show....the same guy pouring the wine at our bar for us to taste, is just weeks later walking the vineyards of the wineries he repesents and looking for new ones.  We know this because we often screw up and call his cell phone to order some wine finding out that it's the middle of the night where he is.  Email..email...got to you remember to email.

     Antalva Imports was founded in 2001, based on the idea of bringing premium Spanish wines to the American market. The philosophy of the company is to seek out small producers with a commitment to value as well as quality. Martinez has been in the California wine industry for over ten years. Born in Spain, Antonio has always had a desire to bring the culture and lifestyle of his country - expressed through its wine - to America. After years in the wine industry and numerous trips back to Spain, he recognized that many exceptional wines had yet to be discovered and enjoyed by the American public. Antonio joined his passion for Spanish wine with his desire to share his culture and created Antalva Imports.  It's meeting and working with people like Antonio that continues to make us happy we dove head first into this business. 

Here's a list of wines we carry from Antalva Imports:

Vina Santurnia Crianza Rioja 2004, Spain

Vina Santurnia Riserva Rioja  2002, Spain (coming soon)

Faristol Garnacha 2006, Terre de Alta, Spain

Pago de Valdoneje Mencia 2005, Bierzo, Spain

Coto de Hayas Garnacha Centenaria 2005, Campo de Borja, Spain

Deobriga Crianza Rioja 2004, Spain

Crucillon Tinto 2005, Spain

Pago de los Capellanes Joven 2006, Ribera del Duero, Spain