Had a great day yesterday, after meeting my wife at her work, which was a mad house even after she was suppose to be able to leave we got on the road.

To start we went to taste at Palumbo winery in Temecula. Iit is very much off the beaten path, about a mile off the main road on a side street that is paved with houses and other wineries around. You drive into the winery, in essence through the vineyard which is quite nice and unexpected in Temecula. They have a dirt/gravel parking area with room for about 10 cars and a small tasting room which in essence is part of the garage of the house. I can see why they only accept limos and tour groups reluctantly with an appointment. Another note-no public restroom as of yet, although they are about to begin construction on a small addition to the property which will add public restrooms. When we arrived at Palumbo after wondering if our little Volvo was going to be stuck forever in the gravel, we were noticed the dog laying in the sun in front of the tasting room. Inside two more dogs seemed to enjoy the cool tile floors.

On to the wine. The hard part of this blog to me is that I am still learning the proper amount of information to share and what needs to be withheld. I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading other wine blogs to see how wine bloggers handle their reviews. It seems that they either will only post positive reviews, or they don’t review at all. There isn’t a ton of negative press out there, for good reason. While at Palumbo we met the winery owner and had a chance to chat with him and he talked some about the small number of cases he produces and generally cares greatly about his craft…as all winemakers do. That being said I will never be overly negative, but I feel like since Uncorked Ventures is asking for your money we need to be up front about the types of wines that we’re likely to feature. This is exactly the type of winery I’d love to work with, family owned, accessible owner etc etc.

We were able to taste the following wines for $7.00 or for $10.00 if we wanted to take the glass home with us. We opted to take the glass. Prices per bottle are listed.
2006 Syrah $34
2006 Merlot $36
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon $38
2005 Cabernet Franc $36
2006 Meritage$36

Finally their Port was not listed on the tasting menu, but they did pour it for us. My general impression of the wine was the earth tones came through too strongly. To me the Merlot seemed especially earthy, which I was surprised to say because I typically love Italian wine which is generally more earthy then the French grapes which they are growing at Palumbo. The Syrah was my favorite of the wines however I did not consider bringing a bottle home. At $34 there are plenty of other options in that price range including Stag’s Leap which we tried a few weeks ago which I prefer.

An older gentlemen in the tasting room was especially happy with the Cab Franc, absolutely loved it is probably a better explanation. I do know that they typically sell out most of their wines and at points there has been a waiting list of up to 1 year for their wine clubs. The Cab Franc is a unique offering for Temecula.

Although a much better experience then tasting at other wineries in Temecula I thought the wines were too earthy to be included in any of our wine clubs. I do see potential though in their vineyard and wish them the best in the future, I’ll be watching their progress.

After leaving the winery we contemplated going to another tasting that our guide at Palumbo had recommended however we decided to stop while we were ahead and head to Lake Elsinore to get a cup of coffee at Flour Fusion. Upon arriving I realized my wife had called ahead and ordered a small birthday cake for me which was very nice and unexpected.

We enjoyed the cake, chatted with the staff(they make muffins for Trader Joe’s locally) and also played two games of chess. I was victorious in both games, despite a random passer by trying to instruct me how not to put myself in check.

After the coffee shop we had thought we’d get a glass of wine at a local restaurant, but everything in walking distance was either an antique shop or a Mexican restaurant….my wife has a bell pepper allergy so eating at an unknown Mexican restaurant isn’t really an option.
We decided to head over to The Diamond for the game. As we found out when we pulled in, we were there entirely too early as the gates didn’t even open until 6pm and it was only around 5.

We returned a couple of phone calls and enjoyed having some time to the two of us.

I will say that if you’re not a baseball fan, go ahead and skip this part as it is another passion of mine and I wanted to share a couple of observations about the game in general, we had GREAT seats in the first row almost directly behind the plate. It was a fun game to go to with Lake Elsinore scoring early and often on their way to an 8-2 win.

For the Storm:

James Darnell has been thought of as a ton 10 Padres prospect and he definitely looked the part of a future MLB player He hit a ball a ton to right center off the wall and later pulled an inside fastball down the left field line for another double. He can clearly hit and takes the game very seriously. Additionally he’s fairly fast for a corner infielder, at least fast and quick enough to play an outfield corner if he had to.
I was happy to get a chance to see Jeremy Hefner pitch in person and I was not disappointed especially considering the competition. He showed an above average fastball and an above average curve which no one seemed to be able to track last night. Additionally it comes out of his hand quite well and is indistinguishable at times from the fastball. Change-up seems to have some empathsis and was useful a couple of times at 1-1, but still needs work. He’[s a projectable arm which is something the Padres lack at upper levels.
I’ll follow up with some of the Mariners prospects to follow in a future entry, but I don’t want to bore any of the wine people with too much baseball stuff.

As always thanks for reading.

Just a quick couple notes before I head off for a tasting and Lake Elsinore Storm minor league baseball game….yes happy birthday to me.

At Uncorked Ventures our trip to Napa next week is really coming together, we’re very much looking forward to tasting and speaking with Alpha Omega, Cornerstone, Copain and Audelssa, all of which have been confirmed.

I’m very happy that we’re going to be able to source the type of high quality wine that our customers will demand for our different wine of the month club options. As always the winemakers and everyone involved in the business has been a joy to work with and I’m very much looking forward to the trip and meeting everyone in person.

I hope everyone is able to have a good glass later tonight and that the weekend gets off to a great start!

Tomorrow will bring a rather lengthy blog about our tasting as well as anything else we try along the way.

So if you want the lowdown on the actual game you can mosey on over to my other site SDPads1 and see some pictures and feedback from this game. Here I have the program (that was handed out free when you first walked in), my ticket (which was a hard plastic ticket hooked to a lanyard) & a Lake Elsinore Storm road hat that I bought while I was there. The Storm logo is consistently ranked as one of the best in all the minor leagues year after year and I figured I might as well finally expand my Padres collection to include some minor league Padres stuff. The game took place on June 23rd, 2009 at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore which is an awesome ballpark that every Padre fan should visit at least once. The California League defeated the Carolina League in 10 innings 2-1.

]]> http://winterwheat1.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/another-post-from-nesn-about-manny-rameriz-and-his-return-to-baseball-via-the-minor-league/ Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:34:58 +0000 winterwheat1 http://winterwheat1.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/another-post-from-nesn-about-manny-rameriz-and-his-return-to-baseball-via-the-minor-league/

I gotta believe this is gonna happen!  I will be there with my Nikon for all of the reaction!!

Manny headed to minors

Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez will soon be donning a minor league uniform in preparation for his major league reinstatement.

Ramirez was suspended 50 games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy after testing positive for a steroid-related substance containing estrogen. He is able to return to the Dodgers on July 3.

The former Red Sox slugger is eligible to begin his minor league stint on Tuesday, but because of the California League’s All-Star break, there are no games until Thursday. Ramirez will likely get back in the batter’s box June 25 for Los Angeles’ Class A affiliate, the Inland Empire 66ers.

“That’s what we’re thinking about. Just for the convenience of the whole thing,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Ramirez was hitting .348 with six home runs, 20 RBIs and a .492 on-base percentage in 92 at-bats prior to his suspension.

This entry was written by Derek Zetlin, posted on at 10:42 am, filed under MLB and tagged Boston Red Sox, estrogen, Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, steroids. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

About the Author

Derek Zetlin is a member of NESN’s new media team.

I got this from The Lake Elsinore Storm web site http://stormbaseball.com/

Here is the article and link to ESPN.  I may even be there for that as I am going to watch the Storm play on Sunday and staying to watch the All-Star Game next week in Lake Elsinore.  Inland Empire is the Dodger’s minor league Class A Advanced League.   He may start back in his first game against the Storm!  We will see!!

Ramirez

LOS ANGELES — Manny Ramirez appears to be a week away from beginning a minor league assignment as he nears the end of his 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s substance abuse policy.

Manager Joe Torre said Wednesday that it was possible that Ramirez would start out playing for Class A Inland Empire next Thursday. The 66ers begin a three-game series at Lake Elsinore that day before playing their next three at home against Rancho Cucamonga, making it convenient for Ramirez to drive from his home in Pasadena.

“That’s what we’re thinking about. Just for the convenience of the whole thing,” Torre said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Ramirez is eligible to begin his assignment next Tuesday, but there are no games in the California League until Thursday because of their All-Star break. He is eligible to be reinstated on July 3, when the Dodgers are in San Diego.

“That’s still conversational right now. There’s nothing been scheduled,” Torre said, according to the newspaper. “We’ve got to get him back on the field first.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4268201

• First things first in case you didn’t know I nailed every pick I put up here last night for the tournament….If you went with them you’re swimming in money and those of you who missed out I will have them again for tonights games because I’m for the people.
• Plax’s lawyer is trying to get a deal before Tuesday.  According to Mike Garafalo of the Star Leger and a jedi master of all things Giants,
  

  I will tell you that, last week, Brafman said via e-mail he would let me know more “next week,” meaning this week. The past couple of days, he’s replied “nothing yet” to questions about Burress’ situation. This morning, when asked about any new developments, Brafman wrote, “Doubt I will have any comment before Tuesday (court appearance).” Read into that what you will because that could mean anything from a deal is in place and will be announced on Tuesday to Brafman’s saying a deal is unlikely.

  I spoke to a few New York criminal lawyers over the past couple of days and one of them told me Brafman is known for keeping things quiet and not leaking anything to the media. From what I gather, he’s like the Patriots of attorneys.

So apparently Plax’s attorney films other attorney’s signals in the courtroom.  We’ll see what happens Tuesday could decide a lot of things but then there is also the wrath of Goodell to worry about.

• Oh those crazy Minor League Baseball promotions people.  According to Deadspin the Lake Elsinore Storm will be handing out SubtleButt anti-fart shields on all you can eat Tuesdays.  Apparently this thing attaches to the inside of you draws and filters the stench out of your farts….What kind of food are they serving that this is a problem in an outdoor ball park?
• Keep your head on a swivel when you’re drinking with friends at a bar.  In Cottonwood, Arizona a rabid bobcat walked into a bar and there was no punchline that follows that joke….Just kidding of course it had a hillarious ending guys jumped on pool tables grabbed cell phone cameras and got mauled……..hahahahhahahahahhahahahaah hillarious.  The cops didn’t think so shooting it later saying it was rabid.  Who said they have a sense of humor.
• In Delaware, yes DE a state where nothing happens, cops had an interesting encounter when they had to shoot a Naked guy for attacking them.  Apparently Fabian Silvestre had beaten his wife and had it coming.  But when he fled the house he ripped off his clothes and thought it was a good idea to attack two state police officers like a tornado of finger nails and teeth.
• Terelle Owens finally realized where he was traded.  Having no intentions of being in Orchard Park, NY until it is absolutely mandatory T.O. even went as far as to hint he really has no intention of ever living in upstate NY. “If I’m in the area, I tend to stop by the facilities and work out with the guys. You know, I’m looking forward to that type of stuff.”  Translation…man have you been there it’s cold and I’m too pretty for Buffalo.  My agent said I was playing in NY and then I realized where! Anyone want to bet how long the T.O. show lasts in the B-LO?
• Tonights Matchups:

What Dorothy is from Kansas

Eric Sogard, last year’s 81st pick in the MLB amateur draft, is off to one hell of a start with Hi-A Lake Elsinore.  Granted, at 21 going on 22 Sogard is a little old for the level, but it’s only his second year of pro ball.  And he appears to be making serious strides.  His pro debut was nothing to write home about, but he made the adjustment to wooden bats by hitting around if a little below league average.

Through roughly 130 PA this season having been bumped up a level from Low to High Single A, Sogard is doing basically everything better than he did last year.  He has seen an increase in his isolated power, walk rate and line drive rate while simultaneously cutting his strikeout rate significantly.  And while there may be no such thing as a doubles hitter, Sogard is at least doing a fine impression of one by hitting a double in 15% of his at-bats.

His overall line of .388/.496/.553 is well above impressive, but it is also not sustainable primarily thanks to a ridiculous .430 BABIP.  A .430 BABIP is what you’d expect from a line drive rate over 30%, not Sogard’s 17% which suggests something closer to a .300 BABIP perhaps higher given the lower quality of fielding faced in Single A.  And of course, 130 PA isn’t much to go on, but Sogard was a high draft pick and has a mature plate approach, so he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on.

In single-A action yesterday, the High Desert Mavericks, the M’s affiliate in the Class A California League, stormed out to a quick 4-0 lead against the Padres’ affiliate Lake Elsinore storm.  The first five batters reached in the Storm’s bottom half of the fifth inning, however, against Mavericks starter Keith Renaud.

Renaud has yet to go further than five innings or given up less than three earned runs in a start so far this season, and is now sporting a 7.58 in 19 innings over four starts.  Despite limiting opposing batters to a .232 with just 16 hits allowed, a lack of control has done Renaud in, evidenced by a 17:12 walk-to-strikeout ratio.  To little surprise, a lead-off walk got things rolling for the Storm in their big five-run fifth innings yesterday.

Three players picked up two hits for the Mavericks:  Carlos Triunfel went 2-for3 to raise his average up to .119; Carlos Peguero also went 2-for-3 with a couple RBI and is now batting .316 with an .843 OPS on the young season; and Greg Halman also went 2-for-3.  All base hits went for singles, however, as the four Lake Elsinore limited the Mavericks to just eight scattered singles for the game.

Although the loss was the Mavericks’ fourth in a row, it brought them into a first place tie in the Cal League Southern Division.  Hopefully the Mavericks can right their ship in the second game of the three-game series at Lake Elsinore.

In case you’ve ever wondered what makes for an ideal affiliate for an MLB franchise, here’s what the Detroit Tigers look for. It’s a nice look at the ins and outs of the Player Development Contract from a feature called “Baseball 101″ [Detroit News]

This next story is not technically about A-ball. It’s about the Venezuelan baseball academies, which have always seemed kind of sad to me. Probably because they’re out there snagging 16-year-olds. Nonetheless, some of these kids will make it to at least the minors, and some of them will be in a ballpark near you. [Miami Herald]

Meet the Beloit Snappers (Twins). They love pancakes. And waffles. [Janesville Gazette]

You have to love this story. It’s about a guy named David Beal who has devoted years to supporting the Winston-Salem Warthogs (White Sox). He’s never been paid, but he shows up every day and offers to help because he just loves the game. [Winston-Salem Journal]

Big A-ball trade! Perales for Coutlanges! I don’t really know anything about these guys, I just liked their names. [MiLB.com]

An intrepid lady reporter eats Chef Boyardee as a temporary member of the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) [Orange County Register]

If you’re going to get your start skipped in A-ball, you might as well get to meet El Duque. The story of St. Lucie Mets pitcher Eric Niesen [Monroe News]

That’s A News for this week. Look for AA on Wednesday, the Z-Meter on Thursday, and AAA news on Friday.