The Flip Side: JC Cellars

A while back, I said I would write about the 2005 JC Cellars The Flip Side.  Except I didn’t know what was in it.  Having bought the bottle on my first visit to the winery back in October, I only remembered the tasting room gal mentioning that Jeff (Cohn, as in ‘JC’) had put the labels on himself, so they weren’t exactly straight.  No word on the website and the back label only talked about the record reference.  So I finally called Thursday and got some information.  The woman who answered the phone immediately told me the wine was sold out—only nine cases had been made.  The blend included Zinfandel and Syrah, with the addition of Petite Sirah, though I didn’t get the breakdown.

But here’s what I wrote upon tasting it a few weeks ago:

After Open House, wine was the last thing I wanted to see.  But the cheese(buffalo)burger and lamb seasoning-dressed fries begged for wine–Syrah or Zin. Not sure what the Flip Side is, but it’s probably a blend of both. Pepper, vanilla, bacoon, plum, blackberry.

We came back to it the next night with a different meal and I only wrote down that it was big and smoky with lots of vanilla. But we enjoyed it both times, and the low production and low price of $20 makes me wish I had picked up a couple more.

Plus, it’s appropriate to write about JC Cellars, since today is the East Bay Vintner’s Alliance event: Urban Wine Trails Passport. 13 wineries in 8 locations with wine, food, and live music at some of the stops.  $35 ($30 before noon) for all that and a souvenir glass. You can still get your tickets online here. If you participate, please be safe.

Cheers!