Jenny and I finally hit Franklin Square, the wine bar across the street from Luka’s Taproom and Lounge in downtown Oakland. The space is airy, small and simple, with a similar vibe to Zza’s Enoteca across town on Grand Avenue.

It was about 7 p.m. on a Thursday, and we grabbed the only two seats available at the bar. Despite Franklin Square’s impressive Wine By The Glass program (15 whites available by half glass, whole glass and carafe; the same for 18 reds; and one rose), we went with the intriguing flights written up on the chalkboard. We couldn’t resist.

As long as no one has cooties (rare in this super-virus season), Jenny and I always try to share a red and white flight because it exposes both people to a whopping six wines. To start, we went with the Unusual White Flight ($10) and fell hard for the beguiling aromatic nose of the 2005 Goldmuskateller from Thurnhof in the Alto Adige of Italy.

The 2006 Irsai Oliver from Szoke Matyas & Zoltan in Matrai, Hungary introduced us to a new white wine from a region we’re both intrigued by. Our knowledge of Hungarian wines is limited to Tokaji, but not anymore. This gorgeous white has insane acidity and went really well with our goat cheese and quince paste. The 2006 Aligote from Patrick Size in the Cote Chalonnaise never really blossomed, perhaps too cold or just too closed for us.

For reds, we went with the flight of Chateau Musar ($17), the Lebanese producer from the Bekaa Valley that makes one of my favorite and balanced medium-bodied value wines, the 2004 Cuvee Rouge. Last place I saw it was Wine Mine for about $12. We found the white flight to be both a good value and a great learning experience. But the Musar was a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, the 2004 was showing well. It always does.

But the 2001 Hochar Pere et Fils was brown around the rim, and tasted offensive. Our wine steward agreed it was most likely oxidized or corked and opened a new bottle for us immediately. On second try, the offensive taste was gone, of course, but the color and clarity of the wine was still off to me, especially for a bottle that retails for almost $100. The 1995 Chateau Musar, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault, was closer to a Bordeaux, but a bit lackluster. The finish was flat for me but I enjoyed the focused nose and strong acidity. I expected more from these bottlings.

All in all a great experience, though. The duck was gorgeous with the 2004 Cuvee Rouge.

See below, in case ya’ll didn’t see this AP story last week. It’s about a Dutch winemaker who insured his nose for $8 million, and no longer takes risks, like picking it.

I was most curious to find out if and for how much wine critic Robert Parker insures his schnoz for. If Gort’s is worth eight mil, surely Parker’s is worth double that? All I could find is $1 million, a number I suspect is old considering the ever-increasing value of Parker Points, even in a flailing economy.

Feel free to post if you guys find a more current number on Parker’s nose. And consider the question: If wine tasting is 80 percent smell, then what is your nose worth? Happy sniffing…

Lloyd’s of London insurance market insures Dutch winemaker’s sense of smell for $8 million
By REGAN McTARSNE, Associated Press Writer

   LONDON (AP) — His schnoz is not to be sniffed at.<
A Lloyd’s of London syndicate said Tuesday it is insuring the nose of winemaker Ilja Gort for $8 million.<
The Dutch winemaker and taster took out the policy after hearing about a man who lost his sense of smell in a car accident.<
“I thought it must be a horror to lose your smell,” Gort said. “It would mean that you cannot taste wine anymore. Tasting wine is something you do with your nose, not your mouth.”<
Gort, 47, said his nose is essential for him to produce top quality wines at his Chateau de la Garde vineyard in the Bordeaux region of France.<
The custom policy covers Gort for the loss of either his nose or his sense of smell and has some conditions for protecting his nose. Among other things, he is barred from riding a motorcycle or working as a knife thrower’s assistant or fire-breather.<
And he can’t be a boxer. “I may not fight against Mike Tyson,” Gort said.<
Jonathan Thomas, the lead underwriter for the Watkins Syndicate at the Lloyd’s insurance market, also took note of Gort’s long, curly beard in drafting the policy. A clause requires that the winemaker use only experienced barbers who will keep their razors steady near his nose.<
“These insurance policies, they’re not all dry,” Thomas said. “There’s a bit of fun we can add with them as well.”<
This is one of many Lloyd’s body part insurance policies. Lloyd’s reported movie icon Marlene Dietrich had her legs insured and Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards was paid when he injured his finger on tour in the 1990s.<
America Ferrara, star of the ABC television show “Ugly Betty,” has her smile insured for $10 million, Lloyd’s said.<
“Let’s face it, it’s a Lloyd’s speciality,” Thomas said. “Lloyd’s specializes in unusual risks.”<
Gort wasn’t the first wine tester to get coverage from Thomas. He insured the senses of both taste and smell for wine taster Angela Mount for $20.1 million in 2003 for her bosses at British supermarket chain Somerfield.<

Can a wine drinker successfully navigate flights of vodka, eau de vie and single malt whiskey — all straight up?

I found out this weekend, when I put my palate to the test at St. George Spirits in Alameda. Housed in the old Naval Air Station not from from Rosenblum Cellars and the grounds of the monthly Antiques by the Bay, it’s a fantastic space, a sort of hangar-meets-club warehouse where, even 10 minutes to closing time, the modern rock’s blasting and the clientele’s buzzing.

Joel and I made it there with 19 minutes to spare, and decided to split the $10 tasting of 10-12 spirits. Looking back, neither one of us could’ve imagined doing it alone (and he’s a strapping, 6′1” man!).

The 2-3 ounce pours come in a cute grappa glass that you get to keep, but think about it: while wine pours are the same size, these spirits are as high as 43 percent alcohol! Certainly gives new perspective to a “hot” California Zinfandel clocking in at 16 percent. I took the first sip and let him down the rest.

Here are our standouts from the tasting:

Straight Hangar One Vodka: Made with viognier grapes, this was smooth and silky with a pure, clean finish and suppleness I attribute to viognier. Like no other vodka I’ve tasted. You almost don’t want to add anything to it. This is the one Joel bought.

Single Malt Whiskey: Shudder-free and elegant, this is aged for eight years and has a cocoa finish that goes on and on. I bought this for friend who loves serious scotch.

Hangar One Kaffir Lime Vodka: This woke my mouth up with its kicky, true-to-source kaffir limes (they always use real local fruit in their vodkas). Joel wasn’t wild about it.

We were good and liquored up so we didn’t feel like springing the extra $10 to try the St. George absinthe (I assumed it would be included, what with all the hype). Unfortunately, they weren’t featuring their savory vodkas, like chipotle or wasabi, while we were there. Next time!

Half bottles are the bomb. Especially when you’re going on a picnic with a boy and forget to pack stemware. Halfway into last week, I knew the weekend was going to offer glorious weather. When Saturday came, I packed the goat cheese, grapes, rosemary crackers, olives and a half bottle of Cline Cellars’ Viognier, with its full body, fragrant nose of stone fruits and bitter butter lettuce finish.

Once we dodged the come hither advances of a homeless man, we found a grassy knoll and popped the cork (the corkscrew, I remembered). We took turns swigging, and as I swirled the wine in my mouth I had an ah-ha moment. I finally realized, without the crutch of a glass, how efficiently one can aerate wine in the mouth. There really is a point to swirling it around in your mouth.

Try it. It requires no sophisticated technique. I make a slight fishy face and swirl the wine while holding it in the front of my mouth. I know supertasters like Wilfred Wong who do what is closer to a side-mouth swirl or gargle. Perhaps we can get the multimedia folks in the office to help me prepare a little podcast on the art of the swirl. Until then, get the Viognier or another half bottle white and find yourself a grassy knoll.

Busy day, but wanted to briefly share some impressions from Rhone Rangers. The parking sucked but the sun was shining and the food rocked. I’m still dreaming about Girl & the Fig’s duck cassoulet. Of course, the wines showed well, too. I’ll be writing more in the months to come, but here are some standouts:

Bell Wine Cellars: 2006 Canterbury Vineyards Syrah. A soft, round and peppery Syrah with controlled alcohol (14.2%) and an even more moderate price. Shows what food-friendly Syrah the Sierra Foothills are capable of producing. Does not taste young and tight. I was shocked when I saw the vintage. Buy it. Store it or drink it.

Price: $22. Who’s got it: Jackson’s, Lafayette.

Cass Wines: 2005 Grenache. An impressive Paso Robles expression of this often low-acid grape, think of it as a hefty Pinot Noir with only 15 percent Mourvedre added for backbone. I loved this wine, which has a tinge of South African sensibility (that’s where the winemaker hails from)

Price: $28. Buy it online at www.casswines.com.

Treana Winery: 2006 Mer Soleil Viognier-Marsanne. Fruit from this Monterey vineyard helps to churn out a succulent, balanced and flavorful wine with excellent minerality, aromas of jasmine and flavors of pear and honey. Where’s the Chinese take-out when you need it?

Price: $25. Buy it online at www.treana.com.

Chip Ferguson posted a great request in the comment section asking for recommendations for Sunday’s Grand Tasting at Rhone Rangers. Good point, Chip! With 130 wineries, how are you supposed to know what to prioritize?

Personally, I’ll be exploring who in California is going out of their way to bring white single Rhone varietals like Marsanne and Roussane to our eager palates. Chip’s focusing on Syrah and Petite Sirah. There are so many noteworthy producers on the list, but these are the ones you should try if you haven’t, Chip!

Foppiano Vineyards: This 100 year old, small, by appointment Russian River Valley property makes 100 percent estate Petite Sirah that is concentrated without being overly extracted. If you like blue and purple fruits with exotic spices in your PS, try this. The current vintage is only $23.

Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves: I’ve gushed long enough about Dashe Cellars. Now it’s time to gush about Mike Dashe’s other project, Dry Creek Valley’s Bella, where he acts as consulting winemaker. Try the Hillside Cuvee, a blend of Syrah, old vine Grenache and old vine Zinfandel that will transport you to the Rhone Valley.

Curtis Winery: This Santa Barbara County winery churns out big, gorgeous Syrahs more on the California side of the grape than the Rhone side. A few vintages ago, the Ambassador Vineyards Syrah had the most alluring nose of pure bacon fat. Since, the wine has followed a fruitier path of black cherries and blueberries. It is still a winner, even at a whopping 16 percent alcohol.

Do you wish California Syrah tasted less like Zinfandel and more like the smoky, gamy wine the grape is destined to become? Are you looking to expand your white wine repertoire to include seductive, aromatic and oft overlooked varietals like Marsanne and Rousanne? Do you flat out think Randall Grahm is a genuis?

If so, you might want to hit the 11th Annual Rhone Rangers this weekend. Aside from Family Winemakers, the Rhone-centered event is my favorite of the big Fort Mason darlings. This year’s Grand Tasting is on Sunday March 16 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Festival Pavilion and features the wines of 130 Rhone-style producers and artisan foods of 35 local purveyors.

Not to miss is the “Meet the Winemakers” special tasting area.  I’m told winemakers will present 20-minute mini tastings for small groups on topics such as single vineyard Syrah and vintage variation. Tickets are $60 in advance and remaining tickets may be purchased at the door for $65.

Follow this link for details and a list of participating wineries. See you there.

The fabulous Andrea Robinson (formerly Immer Robinson) has joined the staff of COPIA, adding to its already stellar reputation for consumer wine education. Never take it for granted — the fact that we have access to the industry’s top talent.In her role as Dean of Wine Studies, Robinson, one of 15 female Master Sommeliers in the world, will develop new consumer wine education programs, attract wine faculty, and, of course, teach.

I met Robinson at COPIA in 2006 at the re-enactment of the Judgment of Paris. She was warm and approachable. And, as a judge of the older vintages, she even sneaked a few sips of those legendary wines to her hubby-cameraman John Robinson. It was really sweet.

Check out the list of courses she’ll be teaching here, or visit her web site for more details about her credentials and background.

Wine director Michael Pierce of Maverick throws one heckuva wine class. Instead of stuffy, three-hour sensory evaluations, Michael goes straight for the gustatory good stuff. His next atypical ”One of a Kind Wednesday” wine seminar is centered around junk food.

 I’ll never forget this one time when I was interviewing him over the phone. He was munching on Cool Ranch Doritos and washing them down with a Pinot Noir. Good times.

Pierce is holding a junk food wine pairing class from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on March 16 at the restaurant. The class may very well be sold out (10 people is their max), but visit the web site for a schedule of upcoming lessons. 

Each seminar costs $35 and offers three wines paired with complementing dishes from the kitchen. A great deal.

I had a great pairing last night at Fresca, makers of zesty, mouth-watering Peruvian ceviche. The stuff is so good and addictive, I’m convinced there’s something illegal laced in there.

With the five elementos halibut, which is cured in a lime bath, we drank the 2005 Nora Albarino from Rias Baixas, Spain. Like Viognier, Albarino is an oily, medium-to-heavy bodied white but instead of the floral aromas associated with Viognier, Albarino is all lemon zest and tropical, with a dollap of minerality that hints of chlorine.

The wine didn’t do too shabby against a New York steak either.