Coppola? Coppola! Coppola.

Have you ever experienced a 'Malkovich moment'?  You know; an experience in which one topic/person/product converges through an inter-galactic wormhole and engulfs your entire being?  No?  It goes something like this:

Woman in red dress (w/J. Malkovich's head): Mmalk-o-vich..
Waiter (/J. Malkovich's head): Malkovich. Malkovich?
Woman in red dress (w/J. Malkovich's head): Malkovich.  Malkovich.
J. Malkovich viewing menu & wine list: All dishes/beverages printed as, "Malkovich"
& so on; + so forth. (video)

My Malkovich moment occurred just a couple nights ago.  Mi amiga & I dined in Park City at Chez Betty - one of the town's most consistently good restaurants.  Although, I have a teensy request to make for the management team at C.B.  Please, oh, pretty please, redecorate - your food & service are too good for the yawn-inspiring decor.  And, please, for the love of all that is holy & musical, pull the plug on the Kenny G-zak.  Almost any other musical selection would work (and be an improvement) in this eclectic eatery.  Now then; where was I?  Oh yes.  Feeling a trite gluttonish, I ordered the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings.  The food was divine and wines #1 & #2 were solid - a bubbly Spanish Cava and Monte Antico Rosso, a Tuscan Sangiovese offering textbook sangiovese-ness.  Wine #3 was to be an Oregon Pinot Noir from Patton Valley. Our server approached with a pre-poured glass and offered, "Would you care to try the Coppola* Pinot Noir instead?  It's been quite popular with our diners."  I began to speak when...from the adjacent table I heard:

"Another glass of Coppola, please."
"The Coppola?  Certainly, right away."
"For you miss?  More Coppola?"
"Yes.  More Coppola."

And then from the table directly in front of me:

"We'll have the Diamond Merlot...the Coppola."
"The Coppola?  Excellent choice."

I then heard my wife (who thankfully hadn't morphed into beardy Francis F.):

The Coppola?  He's not fond of Coppola. Coppola Coppola Coppola Coppola Coppola Coppola.

Ahhhhhhhhhh.

I felt the force of a thousand Coppolas pressing on my psyche.  The wormhole had opened and I was determined to force it shut (That, and I haven't been a huge fan of Coppola wines - my recent experience with the bubbly 'Sophia' was more Godfather Pt. III than Godfather I & II; if you catch my drift).  I summoned all my strength and stammered, "ahh. uhh.  I prefer to sample the Patton Valley, please."

Phewww.  The universe shifted back into balance.  A Coppola calamity averted.

By the way, the winning wine of the night was a humble French red (cleverly labeled as Pinot Noir - what a concept) called "Lulu B."  It's a Pinot Noir from the Limoux appellation - next door to the Languedoc.  'Twas a simple Pinot, yet this wine edged more to the earthy-funky side of the Pinot-continuum, while the berrylicious side was occupied by the Pinot from Patton Valley).

As I said, the universe righted itself.  Or did it?  Later that evening I saw the preview of Sophia Coppola's new film Marie Antoinette.  And damned if all the audio didn't reach my ears as, "Le Coppola, Le Coppola," etc.

*Yes, I know that Coppola is now "Rubicon Estate."  But, 'Rubicon, Rubicon' isn't quite as catchy as 'Coppola, Coppola'.

Technorati Tags: burgundy, california wine, coppola, france, pinot noir

Comments

[Gastronauticus]

I say go with real Italian. Coppola wines are new world as they come. Check out some Avignonesi Rosso 2003. Its a sang, merl, cab blend. It rocks and its real. I mean, have you tried the Sophia Mini? Come on now.

[Marcus]

No wonder my beard had gotten so thick I had to shave it off this morning -- a friend returned from Washington with one of those Coppola Pinot Noirs as a gift for me!

Cue the music from Psycho! Ha! You had me really scared. Best horror post of the year!

But actually Beau, to honest with you I'd rather have a New World Pinot than a Midi Pinot. While they are indeed bargains, in my experience those Pinots from La Sud de la France got nothing on, say, a young Cono Sur from Chile. That one's got some real Pinot style.