"The Pahrump Valley locals figured someone was either crazy or brilliant, creating a winery there in the Mojave Desert. Their verdict: Brilliant. But you can decide for yourself. First, sip the award-winning wines in the Pahrump Valley Winery tasting room, stroll through the tranquil rose garden with its gazebo and Spring Mountains backdrop, savor live jazz on the outdoor stage, or dine in our upscale, casual restaurant, Symphony's. Stay for the Grape Stomp, concerts and dancing under the stars. Stay long enough in this warm, serene, elegant world, and the answer will linger long after you have forgotten the question. Brilliant!!" http://www.pahrumpwinery.com/
I had stored this blurb on my computer and I had some choices to make.
What would you do? Janet was sleeping in after the big Wine Spectator tasting and some Conservative Bashing by Bill Maher. David II wants to sunbathe at the Venetian's fabulous fourth floor pools, with even more fabulous ladies -- in David I's case, gents -- in the merest wisps of bathing suits on display -- or is it "on offer"?. And David I has had enough of me after forty some years, and wants to read some fascinating legal document or other. I'm free until 6:00 when I have to get ready to see "Spamalot" at the Wynn!!!!
I was torn between hiking in Red Rock Canyon for three hours or driving an hour each way to Pahrump Valley Winery, touring yet another wine tasting room -- are you sure it's open on Sundays Bob? -- and then putting in a half hour appearance at Red Rock Canyon, my favorite Las Vegas attraction. http://www.sunsetcities.com/redrock.html
I drove south along the Strip marveling at the tourists -- as a twenty five year veteran visiting Las Vegas at least once every two years -- these folks have no clue at how the place has changed. (Neither do I if truth be told.) There was a discount liquor store just ahead and if I was in luck, there was a compromise in sight.
The retail store was air conditioned -- a very good sign on a 85F morning -- and there were four shelf talkers for Pahrump -- a mini-miracle:
PVW Burgundy. $9.95 per bottle. There is no other Burgundy in the world like the Pahrump Valley Winery American Burgundy. Our Burgundy is light, fruity, and slightly sweet as a result of special blending.
PVW Cabernet Sauvignon. $13.95 per bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon is the noblest of all wines, taking its place among the fine collection of Pahrump Valley Winery wines. A dry, but medium-bodied red wine, with a hint of raspberry and currant. This Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to age in the bottle and can be stored for several years. A definite gift for those you know who appreciate great wines.
PVW Merlot. $12.95 per bottle. Merlot has become one of the world's most popular wines. Our Merlot is very soft with subtle overtones of cherries. Perfect with many types of food.
PVW Symphony. $10.95 per bottle. There are not many acres of this grape growing in the world, making it a rare white wine and difficult to obtain. You can be assured you are tasting one of the rarest wines ever produced. Symphony is a sweet, fruity wine. Even dry wine drinkers are fascinated by this wonderful wine.
The Burgundy note was vaguely threatening and certainly ambiguous; the Cab note described a bottle you should give away with an admonition not to drink it for a long time and certainly not until the donor is well out of range; and another soft Merlot -- OMGIH as my daughter texts me from time to time.
But what the Dickens is Symphony? Irresistible, that's what! "rare", "difficult to obtain" "rarest" "fascinated" "wonderful" -- those are words that sing to an OF escaping from the fleshpots of Las Vegas. I can always check my diary and Wine Lovers Page, and figure out what this stuff really is. And, it's 20% off today. The discount guy gives me another 20% for buying three bottles of water. And he throws in a $.25 chip for one of the slot machines.
I deposited the chip, the wheels spin, the device bangs away for a long time and finally gives me a piece of paper with a bar code on it. The discount guy gives me ten bucks after scanning the slip of paper, together with a sort of sour smirk.
But I'm out of there feeling really happy. Not so much because of the slot machine -- I hate to lose and get almost no pleasure from winning. Red Rock Canyon is the prize I seek.
I found the road to Pahrump, and then after passing a seemingly never ending series of new developments, found a north seeking road that promises to take me to Red Rock Canyon.
I passed the so-called ghost town -- which in fact has twenty tourist cabins, a railroad, a riding corral, and a cafeteria with some of the worst food I've ever eaten, at least it did six years ago. [The town did have a pack of 16 wild burros roaming past the road into town six years ago, but there's no sign of those burros today.]
The visitors center at Red Rock Canyon [$5 per vehicle entry fee] leads to a 13 mile scenic drive, with a number of trail heads on offer. I've hiked several of them, but decided on the Willow Springs trail head and picnic ground, home to four different trails, and with the best chance of seeing wildlife.
As I got out of the rental car, two Chukkas, origin Pakistan, ambled away; I had hoped for burros, but the Chukkkas were just fine, thank you.
Two miles along the trail [and up 700 feet] I found a shaded spot and sat down. My butt fit the indentation perfectly, and the shade was perfectly positioned. Great views, including an eagle hunting high above me in the bright blue sky. I poured some of the Symphony into my travelling O Glass, and sipped and lost myself in the scenery.
Pahrump Valley Winery Symphony Nevada NV. Pale yellow color, clear hue, slight aroma of delicate flowers and fruit, firm refreshing acidity, clean mouth feel. Somehow it was the perfect refresher on this almost perfect hike. 3*.
The return hike was demanding enough to work off the effects of the alcohol, and just as I got back into the rental, four burros ambled by. They were the perfect ending to a now perfect hike. And, a great introduction to the joys of "Spamalot" that awaited me back on the Strip in another world altogether.
Regards, Bob
Notes:
Wikipedia: The Symphony grape is one of dozens of new grapes bred by Dr. Harold Olmo, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California (Davis). Its development began in 1948 and was completed and introduced commercially in 1981. It was patented in 1983. It is a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. dThe grape makes a white wine with a slight spiciness and pleasant fruit aromas, sometimes including citrus or apricot and peach. It is most often used for blending, due to its ability to bring out aroma and flavors in other wines. It has been made on its own in limited quantities and is planted in limited amounts. Producers of Symphony wines include Ironstone, Chateau De Baun and Sebastiani.
Wine Lovers Page, Robin Garr:
I hear a Symphony
Considering the enduring history and strong traditions that uphold the world of wine, where most of the "noble" grape varieties go back to medieval times and some to the ancient Greeks and Romans, it's a rare and interesting thing to find a grape of real quality and interest that dates only to the middle of the last century.
So say hello to today's featured grape, Symphony, a modern variety developed in California in 1948.
Symphony is one of dozens of new grapes bred by Dr. Harold Paul Olmo, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California (Davis), which is arguably the center of wine and grape technology in the U.S. Olmo, who served the university for more than 40 years and turned 93 last year, was recently presented the California State Fair's Grape and Gourmet Lifetime Achievement Award. A white grape, Symphony is a cross between two French vinifera varieties: Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. In today's featured wine, from Ironstone Vineyards, the aromatic Muscat character shows in perfumed yet delicate fruit and flower aromas and a pleasant hint of bitterness; its white Grenache parentage seems evident in a degree of structure and snappy acidity that's not common in pure Muscat.
According to California's Baywood Cellars, another Symphony producer, the name was endowed by a wine scientist who tasted one of the first finished wines made from the new grape and declared that it showed "a Symphony of aromas and flavors." Symphony is grown here and there in California, but not in great amounts, and only a few producers are currently making it as a varietal wine, although it may turn up as an anonymous component in some blends. Today's wine, which bears the producer's proprietary name "Obsession," is made from grapes grown in Lodi, in California's hot Central Valley. It's a crisp, slightly sweet and very refreshing white, just the thing for casual sipping as spring spreads its balmy days over the Northern Hemisphere.
