Cellarmistress Debuts On "TV Tuesday Live!"

21 months ago, I sat in a little wine bar called Cellars Of Sonoma in Santa Rosa, California. I was appearing as a live guest along with Michael Gann of Gann Family Cellars on a local show called "TV Tuesday Live!". I knew little about the place and of the winemakers who were often guests, but my appearance that evening would make a huge impact on me and the way I felt about small family winemakers going forward...Afterward, more often than not, I would tune in and throw in my two cents, asking questions and using the show as a valuable learning tool. And then my moment arrived, the moment I would be asked to join the show as a live wine blogger in the field! I was ecstatic! The day I was contacted by owner Scott Jordan, was one of the best days ever!

Cellars Of Sonoma is GREAT! Not only do they promote small family wineries but the wines they carry are top notch. If you haven't heard of some of these producers, please seek them out because they are small production and crazy good! There are such Sonoma County producers as T.R. Elliott, Bonneau Wines, Amorosa Bella, Gann Family, Joseph Jewell, DuNah, James Family Cellars and Napa Valley producer La Sirena . You just can't go wrong with any of these producers! In order to participate as a "blogger in the field", Scott sent me the monthly wine club shipment (Yes, they have a wine club!) as samples. (These aren't distributed wines so I would not have been able to obtain them here in my area.)

Forward to last Tuesday, June 26th, my debut on the show! And what a debut! Who would have dreamed I, and my co-horts--Jodi Fritch (@TampaWineWoman), Dan Goderis (@DanGod1), Dezel Quillen (@myvinespot) and Shawn Burgert (@awanderingwino) would be sharing the stage with illustrious winemaker extraordinaire, Heidi Barrett and her La Sirena wines!

It is always a pleasure when Heidi appears on the show! She is someone I could sit down with and marvel at how she does it all--established winemaker, wife and mother, accomplished artist and helicopter pilot! And the list of wineries she has consulted for is stellar: Screaming Eagle, Paradigm, Fantesca, Kenzo Estate, Lamborn, Revana, Grace Family, Showket, Dalla Valle and Barbour. And how about her own wines, La Sirena?

The 2005 La Sirena Barrett Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah ($80) was simply WOW! A blend of berries and bacon, rustic with a lot of punch! And still so young. You could definitely lay this one down for several more years and watch it really come alive! If you are fortunate enough to taste Heidi's wines, savor them. They are some of the best the Napa Valley has to offer!

I might mention she also makes a very unusual white wine. Called 2011 La Sirena Moscato Azul, it is a dry Muscat made from grapes from the Napa Valley and Paso Robles. Pricey ($48) but worth it! Floral with grapefruit and stone fruit notes, it is Moscato for the dry wine drinker. Nothing sweet about this one except that it's beautiful and will make you smile. I was able to sample this one at a Premiere Napa Valley event for the Calistoga Winegrowers last February. The event was held at Chateau Montelena, a winery owned by Heidi's husband, Bo Barrett.

I am looking forward to being a part of the "TV Tuesday Live!" family on a regular basis and hope you will stay tuned for more fun with their winemakers coming up: T.R. Elliott, Bonneau and Amorosa Bella! The show airs on UStream every Tuesday night at 6 PM Pacific time. Who knows? I may even pop in on July 24th when I visit Santa Rosa! A big thanks to Scott Jordan and the team at Cellars Of Sonoma! I am honored to be a part of this!

If you would like to see a UStream version of the most recent show with Heidi Barrett, please go to this link: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/23590922

For more information about Cellars Of Sonoma, please visit their website, cellarsofsonoma.com. If you are in the Santa Rosa area and would like to stop by for some wine, they are located in downtown Santa Rosa in Railroad Square.

For more information about Heidi Barrett and her La Sirena Wines, please visit lasirenawine.com.

Photo Credits: Jerae Knutson and Grace Hoffman

"You Saw it Here First"...This post was created solely by Grace Hoffman for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk". Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all that it encompasses...