This is Agnar. Okay, it's one of the original Nast drawings of the modern Santa Claus, but if you put it in a bit of a diet and gave it a shave, it could be Agnar. Same ruddy features, same twinkley eyes. And Agnar is from Norway, not too far from where this guy came.
Actually, it was the Julenisser that came from Norway, household elves or gnomes. Here's a good backstory in them.
This is an Izzy. You may recall Izzy from this picture re: LA Times article on him and his underground beer storage with this handy transportation system.
Izzy has 40 gnomes last count, how interesting that he should be the one to submit a review of Agnar's latest contribution to our taste buds, a beautiful pomegranate wine that quite magically appeared around the holidays.
(note: I was in the bathroom when Izzy got here. Sometimes they let me out for that sort of thing.)
From the Iz-man:
"Sometime between the rainstorms last week I wandered into the cave; to my surprise, Jen was no where to be found. Hidden in a nook of the cave, under the glow of the nostalgic light bulbs, there sat a bottle of 100% pomegranate wine surround by tiny glasses… A trap? A friendly welcome or just a mistake of placement?
I sat next to the bottle, trying to resist it but found myself pouring a taste quickly. A beautiful pale strawberry elixir with crystal clarity sat in the tiny glass while the aromas of sweet port and honey filled the air.
All the bottle read was 100% pomegranate… This was a mystery of a sweet fruit wine with a great balance and fine fruit flavor. Full bodied with a long and bright aftertaste that lingered on the tongue.
Fruit wines are often a disappointment in my experience, usually nothing more then an overly sweet mess of bad grape wine with a fruit flavor. This was special, a unique fruit wine with deep complexity and well balanced acidity.
Jen caught me writing my tasting notes and squeezing out the last drops out of the glass. I was later informed the bottle came from an excellent wine marker who stores at The Cave. How the bottle appeared on to the table when no one was looking, no one knows…"
