Wine 2.0 invites Merlove to New York

Wine 2.0 invited us to join for their big wine event at Webster Hall that was hosted by Gary Vaynerchuk. We not only attended to show/tell folks about our documentary, but we also came as ambassadors of Merlot. We poured Merlot for several producers from back home. These included: Darioush Winery, Clos du Val, Clos du Bois, Blackstone, Swanson, Rutherford Hill, Markham Vineyards, & Courtesan. Thank you to all these wineries for their Merlove. We had many folks try our rainbow of Merlot. Our table was definitely a popular table for the rowdy crowd at this exciting event. It was a ton of fun to talk to NY folks about wine. We can't wait to go back and try some Long Island Merlot. We may bring Merlove to Long Island very soon!

A big thank you to Wine 2.0 for the opportunity to share our Merlove.

Cheers!
Marisol


http://www.winetwo.com/
http://tv.winelibrary.com/
http://www.websterhall.com/
http://www.darioush.com/
http://www.closduval.com/
http://closdubois.com/
http://www.blackstonewinery.com/
http://www.swansonvineyards.com/
http://www.rutherfordhill.com/
http://www.markhamvineyards.com/
http://www.courtesanwines.com/

Successful 2nd Merlove showing at Copia

We want to thank everyone for another successful sold out show at Copia. It's always a great pleasure to see your smiling faces. We appreciate the love of our home area.

We hope you all enjoyed watching the changes that were made to Merlove. Much of what was added or taken out during the editing process was made directly from your feedback. We want to thank all that sent there feedback. We most definitely appreciate all the constructive criticism that was given. It only helped us to express our Merlove more clearly. Rudy even recently filmed the St. Helena firefighter John Sorensen bottle some Merlove from the saved Merlot grapes in the film.

For those that haven't yet seen the changes. You will have some more chances coming up. We will be showing Merlove a 3rd time at Copia, this time during the holiday season. We will show it Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 8pm. FYI = This is a day after Rudy's 34th birthday! We are trying to get it to show at the Cameo in St. Helena soon too.

For folks who live in the Seattle, WA area.....Merlove will be showing soon at the Big Picture Theater in Redmond October 24th through 30th, 2008.
http://www.thebigpicture.net/movies/cinema_showtimes.htm

We will be posting updated venues of other selected showings of Merlove across the nation at our website. www.merlove.com Some possibilities include Long Island, Kansas City, etc. Let us know if you know of a movie house we should contact for a possible Merlove showing.

Hope to see everyone soon.

Keep spreading the Merlove!
_Marisol

Merlove meets Lino Bozzano

August 11, 2008

Hello everyone,

We recently made a quick trip to Arroyo Grande in Southern California to meet with 3rd generation farmer Lino Bozzano. If you could not tell by his name he is of Italian descent. He is the vineyard manager for Laetitia Vineyards & Winery. He also makes his own label & yes of course he makes a Merlot. I highly recommend it! It's a rich and juicy Merlot.

My little brother Craig (aka C-Rez) & myself filmed Rudy & Lino surfing from the Pismo Beach pier. Rudy thought it was interesting that Lino is making a Merlot where many other folks in the area are making Pinot Noir. It was also interesting to hear that many of the vineyard managers and winemakers of that area love to surf, including Lino. Rudy also loves to surf and thought that it would be fun to get some footage of them surfing together. There was also the idea of letting a bottle of Merlot drop into the sea of mediocre Merlot and have it pop back up and float sideways, but this didn't quite happen. The bottle was dropped and never came back up. Lino swam under the pier a few times to look for it, but no luck so instead we had a sacrifice of Merlot to the sea.

Stay tuned for some of these surfing shots in the final cut of Merlove.

http://www.laetitiawine.com/

-Marisol

Gary Vaynerchuk - 500th Episode

Rudy, myself, and our friend Jayson Johnson decided to attend Gary Vaynerchuk's 500th episode featured at CrushPad in San Francisco. Unfortunately, I had to work that same day so we arrived after the episode was filmed. It didn't help that Rudy took the long route to SF. We eventually got there after our tour of SF, we made it there for tasting session that occurred after. There were multiple tables set up throughout the facility with featured wineries. Many of the wineries were from Napa Valley, as well as other parts of CA. There were some amazing wines from New Zealand too! There were even a couple of tables of random wines that folks attending brought to share and of course some wine that Gary brought to share with the crowd too.

We met our other good friend Gregory Troyer, manager of Rubicon Estate there and he fortunately was there for the filming of the 500th episode. So he was able to clue us in with what we missed. He let us know of the several Riojas tasted during the filming of the 500th episode. We got to try them later ourselves.

Later on in the evening Gregory fell into responsibility of Gary's spicy garlic pickles, which were a gift from a woman who attended the event. He carried them around all night, even when we tried to meet for the after party at Medjool in the Mission District. Gary didn't end up going because he was tired from his Bordeaux trip (he had just got back), but it would have been extremely hilarious if he had. Gregory even took the pickles with us to a quick Mexican dinner stop we made. Gregory took the pickles home and even ate them. Crazy! If the lady who gifted them only knew.

That night we had some fun wines. What stood out most for us was the table of New Zealand wines. We tried multitudes of Sauvignon Blanc, some Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, & an amazing 50/50 blend of Merlot & Malbec. Another great table was Crooked Vine. We even got a rubber chicken out of that tasting experience. We stopped by the Duckhorn table and Rudy asked how come they weren't part of our movie. I think this triggered some questioning amongst the company and Rudy is now in the process of setting up a last minute interview. We had attempted several times for an interview at Duckhorn, but we were dismissed because of some company changes that they were going through. We've very excited to interview with them.

I have to mention that our friend "JayJohn" (Jayson Johnson) was an absolute hoot! He was on a mission that entire night to give out as many Merlove cards as he could. He was our dedicated promoter for the evening. Gregory later helped too, but when it came to JayJohn it was serious business. He scrounged up some blue tape and was taping them to people. He even put them up on walls and one guy told us he saw a card above a urinal in the bathroom. I thought his entire mission was hysterical. I saw JayJohn put cards in peoples pockets and purses, so smoothly that they didn't even notice. There were people with cards stuck on the back of their shirts or jackets. I must mention that we did not tell JayJohn to do this at all. We were okay with him being an ambassador of Merlove, but he was a bit extreme. All the same, I hope the word keeps getting out there. So, don't forget to tell all your friends, family, and co-workers about Merlove if you haven't already. We're on a mission to Merlove the world! Always try new wines and love as many as possible!

Gary was a very vivacious and articulate type of fellow. Not much taller than I (5feet 1inch). He was sweet towards me telling me he loved the glitter I had around my eyes. He was very friendly with Rudy & Jayson even though he had only met them both once before when they filmed him for Merlove at a Borders store in SF.

It was a fun night indeed! We can't wait to partake in more celebrations of wine, especially internationally.

http://tv.winelibrary.com/

http://www.crushpadwine.com/

Cheers!
Marisol Ramirez

Cheers to a Successful Merlove Premiere!

July 1, 2008

Dear Merlovers,

Thank you very much to all who attended the Merlove Premiere Friday night at Copia. It was a great time of Merlovers coming together to share their enthusiasm for such a wonderful wine as Merlot.

The Merlove team wants to especially thank all the wineries & people who donated wine and/or came to pour. These folks include Markham Vineyards, Kelham Vineyards, Steltzner Vineyards, Darioush Winery, Swanson Vineyards, & Provenance Vineyards. Much obliged to you all.

We are eagerly awaiting every one's feedback via snail mail or email. You can only help make for a better film. We are most definitely going to tighten the movie up a bit. We really want to hone in on the key messages, so they come across more easily and focused. We will also be adding some more animation throughout the documentary.

FYI = There will be another showing of Merlove at Copia, Friday September 5, 2008 at 8pm. This should be the final cut! We are told by Copia staff that tickets are already starting to sell. Don't forget to get yours before we have another sold out show. We would Merlove to see everyone there.

Please contact us with any questions or comments.

info@merlove.com

or

Rudolph N. McClain
Producer/Director
P.O. Box 713
St. Helena, CA 94574

Hope to hear from you soon & see you all in September.

_Marisol

A Big Warm Thank You to Washington State Wine Commission

The Merlove Crew wants to send a big warm thank you to the Washington State Wine Commission. A special thanks to Robin Pollard, Madeline Dow, Ryan Pennington, & Shayn Bjornholm, MS. We felt as if we were welcomed with open arms. We were very impressed with the demeanor of everyone we met on this trip. It was quite humbling. We were embraced as visiting friends and treated as extended family.

The thing that stood out most on our trip to Washington State was that it's wine industry is very much like a family unit. We wondered if this is what Napa Valley use to be more like when they first started making wine. We went away with the knowledge that many people in the wine industry of WA state share equipment and cellar recommendations. They feel as if each individual succeeds, then they all succeed. This was a refreshing outlook. It was a "all for one and one for all" type of attitude, very much unlike some rock star wine makers that are just out for themselves to succeed and not necessarily care about what others do in their winemaking area. There is a definite strong "sense of place" for Washington State wine producers. They are not afraid to help their neighbor out, even if they are seen to the world as competitors. They are all still friends just the same. I think many can learn from their example. It is all about not being afraid to try something new, whatever it may be.....it can only lead to better things. In this case study = better wines, better Merlot. I must also say that WA state wine producers are also making some amazing Syrah and Riesling, but experiment with many unusual varietals.

While in Washington State we felt as if we were extended family. We were given the royal treatment. This was indeed a warm and fuzzy feeling inside of us. It made us not want to leave. We can't wait to visit again.


http://www.washingtonwine.org/

-Marisol

Merlove meets Rob Newsom & Family

June 7, 2008

This morning we left for our last interview. We were heading to Leavenworth, WA to meet with owner/winemaker Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars. It was quite a drive, but an amazing experience. Let me tell you how it went. Well, first of all Leavenworth is like the Solvang of Washington State. It is a storybook town and Rob Newsom lives in that storybook log-cabin in the woods. His property and home actually exist in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Driving in this National Forest somewhat reminded me of a mini Yosemite. We were about 2000 feet above sea level and the mountains on both sides of us were about 7000 feet above sea level. The air here was so invigorating. We felt full of life with the vivacious nature that surrounded us. There were small flowing waterfalls here and there. Along Rob Newsom's home he has the Icicle Creek which flows year-round. He actually rigged up pipelines coming from the stream to his cabin home. He has some of the freshest water around and he doesn't even have to pay for it. How about that! We got to quench our thirst with some.

Lucky timing on our behalf, some of the Newsom family was in town. Not only did we get to meet Rob’s wife who lives in the forest with him, but we got to meet Rob’s mom and dad, as well as his daughter. We learned that Rob’s father Jimmy has been a musician his entire life. He started playing guitar and singing as a little boy and much of it was just from what he heard around him. We were privileged enough to have both Jimmy & Rob perform 3 songs for us in the cabin before we left. We have this on tape and it will definitely be in the movie. Just so everyone knows, Jimmy is in his mid 80s and his family refers to him as a "Human Jukebox." He has many songs in him. Rob has been playing with his dad for many years and he tells us it is always a surprise to hear what his father will sing/play next. Jimmy told us that Rob is always able to catch on and accompany him with another guitar. Somehow it is no problem at all...father and son have an obvious bond like no other. They flow like the water in Icicle Creek.

The Newsom Family is the epidemy of southern hospitality. They are all originally from Louisiana. I would say their kindness was as typical as what you hear about or even what you see in some movies, but we lived it. It was real life. Not only were we showered with kindness, they realizing we were hungry treated us to some warm Marionberry pie, brownies with walnuts, smoked ham freshly made from the night before, local bread with homemade dipping sauce (balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, truffle oil, & herbs), and coffee. Rob even sent us home with a full case of wine. We thought all of this was more than generous.

We most definitely saved the best for last without even realizing it until we were there. It was like saving the cherry on top to enjoy last after you’ve enjoyed your ice-cream sundae. Maybe in this case a Rainer cherry (there are many Rainer cherry trees in Eastern WA).

Going to Boudreaux Cellars was like a beautiful dream. Overall, impressive experience from wines to location and hospitality. The whole shabang!

http://www.boudreauxcellars.com/

I found a website that has many short stories about the Southern Louisiana character Boudreaux and his friend Thibodeaux. It is this Boudreaux character that gave Rob the inspiration for his winery name. You should read some of them. They are quite hilarious.

http://www.southernthoughts.com/STBoudreaux.htm

We even left with the perfect song to end Merlove with. The name of the song is I Wanna Drink It Today and it is by Paul Gregutt, one of Rob’s good friends. Paul Gregutt is the author to “Insider’s Guide to Washington Wines,” he is a columnist for The Seattle Times Newspapers, and he is also a contributing editor to The Wine Enthusiast.

As we left, driving west closer to the coast there were more and more trees that started to be present. The desert was behind us now. There were many green glowing hills and meadows with vibrant wild flowers. After a while, then came the rain pushing through the thick gray clouds to be heard and seen. Even though, the sky was not completely saturated with gray. There were small bits of blue sky occasionally making a stand amongst the domineering clouds. As we drove through The Cascade Mountains on Hwy 2, we saw multiple mini waterfalls. There were ones that were solo and fell from very high and others that started low that spanned out into other small veins of falling water. We also saw many snow-capped mountains. It was like driving through a winter wonderland. The mystical mountains and all their glory gave way to their hidden magic as we drove through. The fog appeared to lift away like curtains alongside a movie screen for our car as we drove along. The beauty, the amazement, and wonder of the Cascades left us desiring for more time to explore. So until next time, such lusciousness will be an imprinted memory in our minds.

When we got back to Seattle we were to spend one more night at Hotel Vintage Park. Chris decided to part with us and meet up with some of his old friends from the area. Rudy & I decided to have one last nice dinner out on the town. We ended up going to The Kingfish Cafe on a friend's recommendation. We figured southern food would be an appropriate end to our day. It was excellent! Amazing flavors and huge portions. Their cornbread has whole pieces of sweet corn in it. Yum! We even shared a strawberry shortcake for dessert that probably stood about 12 inches high.

Next day we were to head home. We made sure we had some Pho first and then it was off to the airport.

-Marisol