St. Louis Eats and Drinks With Joe and Ann Pollack

Secret Order

 

The plot is not quite ripped from the headlines because the play is more than seven years old, but with a Washington University physician and professor fired recently because of some similar ethical lapses, "Secret Order," which opened last night at the Rep Studio, shines a light on some shadows that have dimmed many reputations in academic, scientific and political arenas in recent years.

Bob Clyman's drama, which opened the Studio's 2009-10 season, will run through Nov. 15, showing off four terrific performances under taut direction by Risa Brainin.

Richmond Hoxie is exciting and powerful as Dr. Robert Brock, head of a research foundation, loaded with persuasion and not above bullying, nor above stooping to lie, cheat and steal while in the bitterly overweaning search for money, glory and more money, and if some medical benefits accrue along the way, well, that's a lagniappe, kind of like bugs sticking to the windshield.

Stan Lachow is old and wise as Dr. Saul Roth, filled with folksy Jewish humor; he must have had a marvelous bedside manner. Now, with retirement looming, he has lost a struggle for power and prestige to Brock, and he hates losing.

Todd Lawson, as Dr. William Shumway, just gleams with sincerity. He reminds me of Dr. Martin Arrowsmith, hero of a book by Sinclair Lewis. Shumway dreams of finding a cure for cancer, but instead finds himself trapped in the inner workings of a power struggle, and the more he thinks he has found an answer, the farther the answer slides away from him.

Angela Lin is Alice Curiton, driven to climb the rocky ridges of the research mountain. She is obviously brilliant, tough and a post-doctoral candidate in her ability to lie, cheat and steal. She is not afraid to use any of those tactics, plus an offer sex and several other methods she thinks up on the fly.

Clyman, a psychologist, sets his story brilliantly, drops some good lines into the mix. Brock becomes Shumway's protector, and also press agent and tutor in the ways and the wiles of the research game, which segues easily into the drug company game, the money game, even the Nobel Prize game. Shumway, blinded by Brock's familiarity with power and his apparent control of every situation, slips into some obvious traps.

The quartet of actors, playing in perfect harmony, are a joy to watch. Clyman's story finds some too-pat answers, but ethical difficulties have no easy solutions. All four of the actors, no matter what they say, have feet of clay and, sometimes, heads to match. Nevertheless, it's a solid evening of strong theater, the sort of performance to which we have become accustomed in the Studio space.

A Repertory Theatre production in the Studio, through Nov. 15

-Joe

Chelsea on the Rocks

 

The Chelsea Hotel, on West 23rd Street in Manhattan, has been a haven for artists and writers, actors and ne'er-do-wells, for more than a century. Built in 1883 as an apartment house, it became a hotel in 1905 and remains so. But things began to chance a couple of years ago when a real estate developer bought it and announced plans for redevelopment. The change in ownership brought the dismissal of long-time manager Stanley Bard and, undoubtedly, was an impetus for "Chelsea on the Rocks."

Whether it refers to the drinking habits of its residents or the position of the just-sold building, the result is a wandering, uneven documentary written and directed by Abel Ferrara, who has made numerous movies about the city. It's his first documentary, however, and it shows off an inexperienced interviewer.

But Ferrara has a trove of stories and friends, and mostly he lets the latter take care of the former, so director Milos Forman, actors Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper, and artist R. Crumb do much of the story-telling about parties, orgies, other guests and their own relationship with Bard and the hotel. Archival footage of people like Janis Joplin, Andy Warhol, Jerry Garcia, Dylan Thomas and Thomas Wolfe, all of whom were residents through the years, is background to stories about them, and other neighbors like Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote "2001: A Space Odyssey," while living there, or Eugene O'Neill, who wrote several plays as a resident.

One of the great Chelsea scandals was the murder of Nancy Spungen, supposedly by Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, but they are played by Bijou Phillips as Nancy and Jamie Burke as Sid.

"Chelsea on the Rocks" is sloppy and erratic, but it's enjoyable to hear the stories of excess. In that regard, the Chelsea truly rocks.

Opens today at the Plaza Frontenac

Earth Day

 

While a few Congressmen, who probably still believe the Earth is flat, continue to insist that there is no such thing as a danger out there involving global warming, greenhouse gases, rising oceans and the like, others out there are extremely worried about the fate of our planet, and still others think that we're already too late, that the earth and its inhabitants are doomed to perish in the next few centuries.

"Earth Days," a new documentary film opening today, looks at those who have been speaking out for many years. Writer-director Robert Stone begins with clips from the speeches of every American president since John F. Kennedy, each one talking about the potential problems caused by chemical pollution, drought, clear-cutting of timber, and the fact that the U.S. needs to heed this call to action.

A handful speak up, all now elderly men and women, still with fire in their eyes and passion in their voices. Stewart Udall and Pete McCloskey, former members of Congress; biologist Paul Ehrlich; former astronaut Rusty Schweickart; activists and scientists like Denis Hayes, Hunter Lovins, Stewart Brand, Stephanie Mills and others speak of the problems we face, and this film was made before we realized that the disappearance of the Arctic ice mass is so great that ships now can sail from North America to Asia through open water.

As in most documentaries, there's a point of view, and there also is hard evidence that tragedy is ahead unless the nations of the world, and the people of the world, do something about it, something that may be unpleasant. But there's an international conference coming up in Copenhagen before the end of the year, and it will offer another opportunity to create change, and perhaps to make a difference.

Stone's film may influence some people. We can only hope.

Opening today at the Plaza Frontenac

-Joe

Ranoush

Folks who consider people-watching to be a joyous part of the restaurant experience need to hie themselves to a window table at Ranoush in the University City Loop, especially on a weekend. The passing parade is almost like the one in New York's East Village, full of the young and not-so-young in various combinations, walking and dancing and talking – to other people, too, and not just on their mobile phones.

That was a bonus at Ranoush, which occupies the Delmar-and-Westgate corner where Saleem's once held forth. And while the recent arrival considers itself Syrian, the menu and preparation are close enough to Saleem's that someone who wandered in, not noticing the name change, could eat happily. And Ranoush, too, is family-friendly as well as being comfortable for diners who arrive in twos and fours; we saw quite a few young children at an early dinner, and a number of high chairs. And the kids were having a good time.

There are, unsurprisingly, hummus, baba ghannouj, falafel and other familiar dishes on the appetizer list. But we try hard to investigate things that are new to us, so we went in another direction. The stuffed eggplant involved a handful of small ones, full of sweet red pepper and nuts, all pickled, chewy, tangy and crunchy. Just about every culture has some variation of the turnover, and here they're called fatayer. They're baked, always preferable to dishes that come out of a deep fryer, and have either a meat or a cheese filling. An order involves three, and we asked for it "mixed" to try both fillings. The meat, almost certainly beef, was moist and not greasy, seasoned with a little mint that brought a slight tartness. It beat the cheese, whose crumbly interior was barely warm.

While much of the menu involves vegetarian dishes, there's a lot of focus on grilled skewers of meat, and we began with a mixed grill that showcased beef, shrimp and chicken. Two of the three are devilishly easy to overcook, but not here; the shrimp were succulent, the white meat of chicken nicely seasoned and moist, and the beef, while it wasn't pink inside, also remained tender and flavorful. Paired up with a few leaves of salad with a mint-laced dressing and sitting on a pita so thin it was almost like a flour tortilla, it felt light and healthy, even dipped occasionally in the tahina dressing that came in a small cup alongside. The salad, pita and tahina also came with the lamb skewers, which were properly cooked although the meat was not as well trimmed as the beef, leaving it a little chewy. Still, for ovinophiles, the complicated way to describe a lamb-lover, they were quite good.

A limited wine list includes a Lebanese red from Chateau Musar. Not exceptional, but pleasant.

  Yes, the dessert list includes baklava, but for a first visit, be sure to try the knafeh, a pastry that's filled with a sweet cheese filling and topped with those thin, thread-like noodles that faintly resemble shredded wheat. There's a light syrup poured over it all, but it maintains much of the crunchy texture that mixes well with the creaminess of the filling. And coffee lovers should investigate the special coffees as well. It arrives from the stove in one of the small individual pots sometimes called briks, strong and hot. When ordering, the server offered us coffee, coffee with cinnamon, and coffee with cardamom. The latter version is what we both have had in the Middle East, and we ordered it with alacrity, along with another, unseasoned one. No sugar or artificial sweeteners were offered, but the cardamom coffee, because of its marvelous aroma, almost seemed sweet. There were practically no grounds in the bottom of the pots, again somewhat different from what is often found at Eastern Mediterranean restaurants around the U.S., but all in all, a fine finish to the dinner, especially paired with the knafeh.

Good service, even on a busy night. No belly dancers on our visit, but others swear they appear.

Ranoush

6501 Delmar Blvd., University City

314-726-6874

Credit cards: Yes

Wheelchair access: Difficult

Smoking: After the kitchen closes, hookahs are available.

Entrees: $10-$16

 

Gulfport, MS

 Years ago, Ann was in Gulfport, Miss., with a friend who had grown up in what was then Yugoslavia. Friend surveyed the long empty stretches of sunny beach and gentle surf, and remarked, “You know, in Europe, a beach like this would be full of people. What's wrong with you Americans?”

Well, that's one thing that hasn't changed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since Katrina. The beaches are still pretty empty. But lots of things are humming again. We happened to be there during the annual Cruisin The Coast  week, when more than 4500 remember-when cars were swarming. (Check the website for photos; it's a gas, if you'll excuse the expression.) People there certainly seem eager to receive visitors again, although Gulfport has instituted a city-wide smoking ban in its restaurants, perhaps thinking that the family trade was more important than that offered by hard-core smokers. In the four years since Katrina, city business owners have worked hard to bring things back, and in a brief visit, we found two locally-owned restaurants that charmed.

Located in a great old one-time bank building in downtown Gulfport on U.S. 49, a block from its intersection with U.S. 90, the road along the Gulf of Mexico, the Half Shell Oyster House is dark and cool inside, a multilevel re-fitting of the building that's left it feeling almost sanctuary-like. This time of year, we were about the only non-locals there, and the servers were pleasant and obliging in our oyster-driven urges.

These are Louisiana oysters, mild and easier for a rookie than those from colder waters, where they acquire flavors that can be deeply mineral-saline in flavor. On the half-shell, they were unusually large and extremely fresh. And the Half Shell is not just for raw oysters, either; we loved the Bienvilles, topped with a creamy sauce studded with small chunks of seafood, the flavors dancing together. And the barbequed oysters, cooked over an open flame and basted with a garlicky butter sauce, were shockingly good. The version described as charbroiled was milder, but still good. We also sampled some Rockefellers, whose seasoned spinach topping was made creamy with cream cheese. They were very good, but not as remarkable as the Bienvilles.

A portobello mushroom stuffed with crab was mostly crab, not bread crumbs, a good take on deviled crab, very satisfying. A little meat? Voodoo chicken wings were large, moist and meaty, but the voodoo sauce was more sweet than spicy, and needed a nice dribble of Crystal Hot Sauce to top 'em off.

The Half Shell's bread pudding, a dessert that has spread across the Gulf Coast from New Orleans, is made from cinnamon rolls and dried cranberries, served in a martini glass.

Half Shell Oyster Bar

1300 13th St. (U.S. 49), Gulfport, MS

228-867-7001

 www.halfshelloysterhouse.com

Lunch & Dinner daily

Credit cards: Yes

Wheelchair access: Fair

Smoking: No

Entrees: $13-$22

 

Farther east on Highway 90 is the White Cap Seafood Restaurant, from the Lizana family that's had it since the 1920's. The website shows the re-building process – this is not the original location – but unfortunately lacks a link to their menu. It's another place that's popular with the locals, and the food is simple, rather than fancy. In fact, unless it's a time of year when things are dead quiet, a reservation may be a good idea.

The large, busy dining room overlooks the Gulf, and there's an aquarium and separate bar to occupy those waiting for a table. Servers are young but quick, and know their jobs and the menu equally well.

The clear specialty is fried seafood, so we headed mostly in that direction. Everything arrived, hot, fresh, crisp and greaseless. The platter included oysters, shrimp, crab claws, scallops, catfish, which has become a frequent visitor to Mississippi restaurant menus, and some (un-fried) deviled crab. The seafood wasn't overcooked, still moist and juicy under the cornmeal crust. Hush puppies, of course, fries and an unremarkable salad came alongside, but it was the seafood that pleased.

We also tried a couple of softshell crabs, which were particularly good, the crust not overwhelming the delicate flesh inside. For sides, the parsley potatoes and slaw were both winners. The potatoes were sauced with a generous amount of butter and garlic as well as the parsley, adding up to a memorable version of a seemingly simple dish. Even the slaw veered off the usual paths, with an unidentifiable tanginess that pleased.

For dessert, “Chef's Daily Selection” says the menu. That night, it was a bread pudding with a coffee caramel sauce, moist and warm.

White Cap Seafood Restaurant

560 Beach Drive (U.S. 90), Gulfport, MS

228-604-4444

http://www. coastseafood.com/whitecap.html

Lunch & Dinner Tues.-Sun.

Credit cards: Yes

Wheelchair access: Good

Smoking: No

Entrees: $12-$22

 

Still Walking

 

Unless the story includes a gun fight, serious movies about family life are quiet stories, their rise and fall as gentle as the ripples in a Forest Park lagoon. So it is in "Still Walking," a Japanese import. But there's a current hidden below the surface, and it affects everyone in Hirokazu Kore-Eda's lovely film about a family that cannot let go of its past, or its future, for that matter. Kore-Eda wrote, directed and edited with real skill.

We're dealing with an upper-middle class family. Kyohei (Yoshio Harada) is a retired doctor, his wife, Toshiko (Kirin Kiki) is a homemaker and they have three children. Junpei, the eldest, died while saving a small boy who was drowning, and the other two, son Ryota (Hiroshi Abe) and daughter Chinami (the single-named You), have lived in his shadow. Even the annual vacation at the seashore summer house, where we are joining them, is a chance for Kyohei to speak of Junpei and what a perfect person he was.

Adding to the difficulties is the fact that Ryota has married a widow with a child, a marriage that the patriarch does not like very much. And Chinami also has a husband and two small children, making the house rather crowded, and she is working her parents to leave her the house. Small disputes are common, Kiki's determination and kitchen skills are good to watch (her performance impressed me a lot), and the rhythms of family and life in Japan, we discover, are not dissimilar from those in St. Louis

At the Tivoli.

-Joe

Good Hair

One would never confuse Chris Rock with Michael Moore, but here's the comic acting like the rabble-rouser in "Good Hair," a fascinating look at the multi-million dollar industry and the amazing cultural phenomenon created by hair for African-Americans, primarily women. The movie opens today.

 

Apparently, or at least publicly, it all began when one of Rock's two small daughters asked him why she did not have good hair. Rock went off on a world-wide jaunt, visiting India, where much of the long, dark hair comes from; Atlanta, where hair-dressers engage in strange competitions to see who can make the most outlandish creation; Hollywood and New York barbershops and hair-dressing emporiums, where he interviewed dozens of people, famous and not.

 

For a Caucasian who has gone without much hair for many years, it's a very interesting journey. I never knew a man was faced with outrage and anger if he ran his fingers through the hair of his beloved, especially if she has a weave or a perm. The former involves attaching new hair from someone else to old hair of your own; the latter deals with the long-time use of harsh chemicals to straighten hair. Both are painful and expensive, but Al Sharpton has one, and he speaks of it at length.

 

Others who talk about the philosophy, social meaning and related issues of the hair trade include writer Maya Angelou, actors and entertainers like Nia Long, Salt-and-Pepa, Tracie Thoma and Ice-T, plus many others like the group of men in a barber shop, some of whom complain bitterly about the lack of contact, others who say they prefer white women with whom they can achieve this intimacy.

 

In addition to being the star, Rock's film was directed by Jeff Stilson and they share the writing credit with Lance Crouther and Chuck Sklar. It's an interesting story, well-made and highlighted by Rock's sense of humor.

At Multiple Locations

-Joe

Maude Maggart

 

Member of a show business family for four generations, Maude Maggart comes by her talent honestly, which makes her an honest-to-goodness pleasure when she's on a stage. She sings with honesty and emotion; she tells stories with a winsome expression that draws an audience right into her big, brown eyes.

Maggart opened her second St. Louis cabaret run last night at the Kranzberg Center, and she'll entertain through Saturday; she was in town a couple of years ago at Savor. Pretty and open-faced, wearing a simple black dress and flowers in her hair, Maggart, in her early 30s, appeared a little nervous in the early going, with some distracting hand movements for emphasis here and there. But by the third number, Stephen Sondheim's "Beautiful," she was rolling.

Between songs, she chatted about herself and her family, talking about growing up as a child whose parents were divorced. That problem was compounded when her mother, at 40, married a 24-year-old man. Meanwhile, her father, a well-regarded Broadway singer, dancer and actor, with whom she spent summers, was deep into a California lifestyle at Venice Beach.

Maggart has several siblings, including singer Fiona Apple, and several half-sibs. She is, by turns, wistful, sad, bemused, filled with longing and mellow, and she's always smooth.

Her program wandered, but in a good way, reaching here and there to sample composers and styles. She is scheduled for an engagement later in the year at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York, and it appears that her St. Louis run will look at several songs that she and John Boswell, her accompanist and music director, may weave into the act.

With a teasing glint in her eye, Maggart sang of a relationship with two men that allowed for word plays on various numerical subjects, some sexual, some poking fun at sex, and she bounced through the Rodgers and Hart "A Little Birdie," complete with whistled trill and a vocal style direct from the 1920s, lacking only a Charleston kick or two.

Dolly Parton's "A Coat of Many Colors," was delivered with the proper notes of trauma and triumph, and some adolescent pain in her own life came forth in a song about her relationship

with her mother. Judy Collins and Maury Yeston also were included in her song list. Maggart concluded with "Our Love Is Here to Stay," Ira Gershwin's tribute to his brother George, who died as they were working on the song.

And then she bounced back with an encore of "Moonshine Lullaby," the Irving Berlin song from "Annie Get Your Gun," first sung by Ethel Merman. Maggart didn't have Merman's belt, but offered a sweetness Merman could never match. A delightful performance, without intermission.

Maude Maggart in concert at the Kranzberg Center, Grand Boulevard at Olive Street, nightly through Saturday.

- Joe

Breakfast At The Majestic

 

Anyone who's been around the southern end of the Euclid strip over the past four or five decades knows the Majestic. It's been feeding neighborhood residents and students for all that time, serving as St. Louis' own version of the Greek diner. And while meatloaf and open-face turkey sandwiches are all very well and good, diners spell breakfast to most folks. And so it is for us.

During the week, most of the action is inside, with plenty of regulars reading papers and bantering with the employees, but on sunny weekends, the tables outside get plenty of action,

The coffee elves are at work at the Majestic these days. Diner coffee is almost never strong, but sometimes it exhibits the lip-curling sourness that comes from inadequate cleaning of the coffee makers. Thankfully for people trying to overcome the pain that comes with waking up, it doesn't happen here, and that gets things off to a good start.

Like any proper diner, the kitchen knows how to handle eggs, like the classic over easy with crisp edges and a hot but nicely runny yolk. But the omelets are a safe bet, too. We headed for a Bill's special, with gyro meat, feta cheese, tomatoes and a dribble of tzatziki sauce over it. The toppings were generous enough that every bite had more than just egg, and the flavors were bold, despite the wan tomatoes. And then there were the potatoes. These are really granny-style fried potatoes, slices both soft and crisply browned, perfect for soaking up egg yolk for those who like them nice and runny, whether sunny-side up or over easy. We'd be even happier if there was some onion in there, but that's just us.

For a while, the Majestic's pancakes were just not up to expectations, but those days are long behind us. We're fond of the silver dollar blues, if only for the name, which makes us hear twanging guitars, but don't go expecting silver-dollar sized cakes. No, the serving was four 3-inch pancakes with real blueberries, not just some pie-filling stuff poured on top. And yes, it's real butter for the pancakes, as well as half-and-half for coffee, not the fake stuff.

And then there was the St. Paul. If you're not a St. Louisan, Joe will be happy to enlighten you on the subject of the St.Paul/Denver/Western omelet or sandwich. Calling the egg-ham-green pepper-onion concoction a St Paul is a very St. Louis thing; back east when he was a kid, it was a Western, or a Denver. The legendary Bismarck, when its home was known as 12th Street, was the first place he saw the name St. Paul, which also became a Chinese restaurant standby when restaurateurs sandwichized egg foo young and slapped it between two slices of bread. Anyway, with or without cheese, it's satisfying at the Majestic, though it would be improved if the yolk and white were beaten longer so they blended more completely. It's helped, however, by the fact that it arrives with more of those delicious potatoes.

The Majestic Restaurant

4900 Laclede Ave.

314-361-2011

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner daily

Credit cards: Yes

Wheelchair access: Difficult

Smoking: Yes

Entrees: $6-$12

This Week's Wine October 21, 2009

 

There's a great deal of bargain-hunting in wine shops these days. Only bankers, brokers (stock, not ticket) and professional athletes can afford the really good stuff. The rest of us are scrambling. But thankfully, with some winemakers and wineries also feeling some financial pressure, there are good values on shelves and lists.

While I know there are other bargain opportunities out there, I've enjoyed some recent tastings, at a dinner with David Mirassou, scion of the Napa County-based winery that posts a legitimate claim to being the most venerable of the California winemaking families, and with some samples from Bogle, the long-time Sonoma County producer of tasty wines at the lower end of the price scale. And Dan Kravitz, the Brooklyn-born (in a neighborhood very close to mine) wine importer who lives in Maine and whose headquarters are in Virginia, was the host at a Wine & Cheese Place tasting that displayed 10 wines from France, Spain and Argentina at $16 or less.

Kravitz works with smaller properties in Europe and South America, and had some excellent examples. Foremost was a 2007 Boniface Apremont ($16), made from the Jacquere grape, a new experience for me. The white grapes grow only in Savoie, in the French Alps, and the light wine displayed a slight, lovely tingle on the tongue. There's an aroma of flowers, with a hint of mint, and the flavor has a bit of pepper and some lemon behind that. Producers recommend it with fish, but I see it equally promising as an aperitif. I can't recall tasting wine from Jacquere grapes, but I'd be happy to drink it again.

Another interesting offering was an '06 IA Garnacha, 100 percent Grenache from Spain ($10), with a nice smoothness and pleasing raspberry overtones. A similar wine from Kravitz' own estate in France called Domaine Cabireau Serge and Tony ($15) is a little richer than the Spanish version even if it is a year younger, and its name is less complex than the wine. Serge takes care of the vineyard and Tony is the winemaker. Among his Argentine wines, an '07 Sauvignon Blanc from Alfredo Roca ($8) had a charming mineral quality and a nice touch of citrus, and an '06 Cabernet Sauvignon ($11) with the proprietary name of Altura 1024, for the 1024-meter (about 3300 feet) altitude of the vineyards, was a deep, hearty red that called forth images of roast beef or T-bone steak.

French Cotes du Rhone blends of Syrah, Grenache, maybe some Cinsault, or Mouvedre, or Carignan, depending on the winemaker's prererence, show up in several of Kravitz' wines, like a French Terre de Mistral ($13) or a Spanish Cuvee des Galets ($13). They do not have a lot of finesse, but they're hearty and they make excellent companions to a simple meal of pizza, pasta or hamburgers.

Pierre and Henrietta Pellier emigrated from France in 1854, bringing cuttings of Pinot Noir and other grapes from their own vineyards and replanting them in California's Monterey and Santa Clara valleys. They made wine, and their daughter, also Henrietta, married Pierre Mirassou, a neighboring grape farmer. With 155 years of winemaking experience behind them, the Mirassous are among the California pioneers; about three years ago, Mirassou became part of the Gallo empire. David Mirassou, the sixth generation of the family, is a spokesman who, like many winemakers and their families, go on tour after the harvest, selling and talking and drinking their wine, which sells in the $12-13 range.

Mirassou talked about five of his wines over dinner recently, starting with a crisp, tasty 2008 Sauvignon Blanc that showed considerable acidity and tartness. An '07 Chardonnay, about half aged in American oak, the rest in stainless steel, was light but with a pleasing flavor, and using steel helped reduce the big, buttery flavor which many like and as many dislike, finding it overpowering.

Three reds were more successful. An '08 Pinot Noir was young but fruity, though it's hard to tell how longer it will improve. Best of the group, in my opinion, was an '06 Merlot with grapes mainly from Paso Robles and Lodi, and a little Zinfandel and Syrah for added complexity. Soft and rich, its flavor opening and becoming tastier with every sip. It's a splendid value. Almost as good was a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon , also with grapes sourced from Paso Robles and Lodi, where hot summers build the sugar content and bring bigger black currant flavors and more body to the wine.

Another six-generation wine family, the Bogles of Clarksburg, make some of the most drinkable inexpensive wines in California. Farmers since the mid-19th century, the Bogles are late arrivals in wine, starting in 1968 when Warren Bogle and his son, Chris, planted the first 20 acres of grapes.

Like me, the Bogles prefer red wine, and four 2009 releases from the 2007 vintage demonstrate their skills in offering well-made wine at $11 a bottle, except for the Merlot, which is just $9. Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, from grapes grown in the Bogles' own Clarksburg neighborhood and in Lodi or along the Central Coast, are wines with elegance and backbone.

The Zin, from vines 40-80 years old, is rich and dark, mellow and round with hints of pepper and spicy chocolate in the finish. Ten months in American oak give it tannin and a touch of wood, but also indications that the wine will age nicely. Cabernet Sauvignon, with 14 months in American oak, is certainly drinkable now, and should improve for 5-7 years. A plum nose tickles the palate. Bogle has long made a specialty of Petite Sirah, first producing it in 1978, and using grapes from Lodi and its home territory of Clarksburg. Blackberries are noticeable in the aroma, and leather and oak in the flavor. It's a wine that shows individuality and the winemaker's skill. Merlot, lush and mellow, also is a winner.

-Joe