Ever wonder about some of the descriptors used in wine critics' reviews?

Greg and Laurel Sumner, from Seattle, took a trip to Sonoma County a while back and were intrigued by all the descriptions they heard. They have a Web site with links to several things they like, such as motorcycles, the Washington Huskies and a personal photo gallery, so they created another one -- a "Silly Tasting Notes Generator" (www.gmon.com/tech/stng.shtml). Using the general tasting notes format found in wine magazines, they've created two categories, normal-silly and extra-silly, and by clicking on the appropriate button, you can generate some pretty wild and irreverent descriptions, and the titles are correct -- they are silly, but fun to read.

Some examples: "Creepy almost closed pinot noir. Starts with roasted meat, unripe fig and aggressive orange peel. Drink now through Tuesday." "Chunky but plump merlot. Shows fois gras, morally superior papaya and aggressive dried berry. Drink now through eternity." And "Rounded almost yellowed zinfandel. Detectable slim jims, open-ended slim jims and perceptable fruit rollups. Drink now through May."

(I don't advocate using the Sumners' descriptors, but I like those offered by Master of Wine Tim Hanni: "Yuk" and "Yum.")

Better late than never

The U. S. Congress has never been known as a fast-moving organization. Although the 30th anniversary of the famed Paris Tasting was celebrated in the wine world in May, the Congress finally got around to passing a resolution in early August commemorating the anniversary.

(Oh, well, at least it's ahead of the 31st anniversary.)

A new To Kalon label

Another wine is coming onto the market with the name To Kalon on its label. Herzog Wine Cellars, based in Oxnard, has joined with Napa Valley grower Andy Beckstoffer and plans to produce a cabernet sauvignon from the famed vineyard beginning with the 2006 vintage. The wine will probably be released in 2008.

(While Herzog makes some kosher wines, the To Kalon is not expected to be kosher.)

Brief notes

There was a notable moment during last week's dinner honoring Mike Grgich of Grgich Hills Cellar -- he took off his beret. Grgich is almost as well-known for his always-present beret as he is for making the 1973 Chateau Montelena chardonnay that won the famed Paris tasting. Thirteen bottles of the famed wine from Grgich's private cellar were auctioned at a price of $550 each, and proceeds from those and other auction lots, totaling more than $50,000, went to fund the Miljenko "Mike" Grgich Scholarship for Professional Wine Studies at the CIA.

Expect to see more winery events at the Napa Valley Opera House as a result of the successful release party conducted by the Buoncristiani Brothers last Saturday. Several hundred people roamed the foyer of the Opera House, the first time the venue has been used for this purpose.