SLACKER or INFIDEL? Yes.

Too much time on the ephemeral Facebook (photos excepted) and not enough time posting here. There is in fact news: a probationary reconciliation with Red Zeppelin Winery in order to assemble a tasting room in Baja Cayucos; a new wine, the 2009 Stillman Red (no political humor, please) and of course the Infidel, which is related but not identical to the Stillman, in addition to having a jihad-worthy label. Preliminary artwork here.

Yes, that's Mohammed in Hades. He seems to have lost weight on a diet of bacon and wine.

2010 STILLMAN BROWN GRENACHE BLANC

The Chateau d'Abalone is here.
Our friends out at the Ocean Rose Abalone Farm, the largest producers of abalone in the US, are always experimenting with new recipes. I'm frequently a test subject, despite not being a foodie - perhaps it's because I bring wine to the "experiments" (parties). Perhaps the voice of the late great Bill Hoppe whispered in my ear, "make a wine that goes with abalone, Swill" or perhaps it was a coastal Gale, but I have. 80% Grenache Blanc, 19% Viognier, 1% Roussanne. All stainless, bone dry, and it's acidic instead of alcoholic. Citrus, cleanliness, richness. 75 cases made, email or call me to get some. You know how to find me, right?

WET ZEPPELIN III VENUES!

WET ZEPPELIN III

WET ZEPPELIN III THE WILDEST WINERY PARTY IN THE WORLD MAY 4-8, SLO COUNTY CALIFORNIA

Red Zeppelin Turns 20, Drops Dead

Today's the twentieth anniversary of the release of the first Red Zeppelin wine, a Rhone-ish blend with a label mocking Bonny Doon and Robert Parker. It's also the day that I leave Red Zeppelin Winery. (Not an April Fools joke, kids.)

I've already started Zeppelin Winery, and will of course continue with my other labels and some wild new projects (see below) and after an indecent interval will introduce Red Zeppelin Vineyard.

20 Years of Red Zeppelins

It's been almost two decades since Rick Tharp, Dan Lewis and I pranked the most precious and most pretentious figures in the wide world of wine with the first Red Zeppelin; Rick is sadly no longer with us, and Dan is pseudo-peacefully retired somewhere between Sedona and Adobe Walls. Of our targets, the precious winemaker went on to produce lakes of grocery-store plonk, then sold the brands, and is now attempting to regain respect by going beyond biodynamic, though some of his new wines are actually pretty good. The pretentious critic has handed off the reviewing of California wine to a minion, as the pressure to award 101 points to a Paso Robles Grenache was apparently too much for him.

I'll have very big news about myself soon.

The Prophets of the Zeppelins!

Jesus, Elvis and Mohammed: art in wine.