tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40864186321213046062024-03-13T09:22:08.428-07:00Cellarmistress' Cellar TalkGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-31502332644272096382013-05-12T08:37:00.005-07:002013-05-12T08:37:58.229-07:00Three Great Reasons Why YOU Should Be Drinking Rosé!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let's face it! I would drink Rosé all year long if I could. Why? Because it's a wonderful and delicious way to drink red varietals cold. I am all about the pink. And when I have some, I am in heaven... Rosé can be made of any red varietal grape and I hope to explore the whole gamut of possibilities during peak Rosé season this Summer!<br />
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Unfortunately, here in the midwest, Rosé is not the easiest to find, so I've had to rely on the help of friends, local and afar, to keep me in the loop on the latest finds. Today, I'm going to give you three great reasons why you should be drinking Rosé and how to get your hands on them!<br />
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Let's start with my obvious choice, my favorite so far this year, <b>2012 Stepping Stone Corallina Rosé </b>by <b>Cornerstone Cellars </b>in Yountville (Napa Valley), California. As you have probably read from previous posts, I am enamored with <b>Cornerstone Cellars</b>. Their wines are top notch, their winemaker <b>Jeff Keene </b>is awesome and he makes this amazing Rosé that is redolent of strawberries and watermelon. Like a fun Jolly Rancher candy with more zip! The moment I took a sip, I wanted to swim in it! Made of 100% Syrah from Napa Valley vineyards and aged in French Oak. Terrific! I'm moving to Napa next month. I am stocking up! $16 on special from <b>cornerstonecellars.com </b>or visit the tasting room!!</div>
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Value is rare in Napa Valley so when I find it, I am beyond excited. Take this next wine for instance. Who's been to downtown Napa? There are so many cute tasting rooms and I found one that brings amazing value for your hard-earned dollar, <b>Taste</b> <b>At Oxbow</b>. This place, located near the Oxbow Public Market, is a must-stop. After stopping there myself in February, I discovered a plethora of wonderful wines with a much higher perceived value. And I love, love, love the fact that they make a gorgeous Rosé out of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Just look at that color, dark and mysterious! The <b>2012 Waterstone Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon</b>. Strawberries, dark cherries and floral notes round out this great Summer sipper. $18 at the tasting room. Please visit! You'll be happy you did!</div>
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I was actually able to find this next Rosé here at home, much to my surprise. I am assuming the <b>Wagner Family </b>of <b>Caymus </b>and <b>Belle Glos </b>fame distributes these wines a little more than some of the smaller production wineries but nonetheless I was thrilled! This one is the <b>2012</b> <b>Belle Glos Pinot Noir Blanc </b>from Sonoma Coast. 100% Pinot Noir, partially barrel fermented and delicious! Cranberry, cinnamon and citrus notes. Vibrant, fruity and refreshing! Do not miss this one,. $17 and available at your local wine store or online at <b>shop.wagnerfamilyofwine.com</b>.</div>
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Well, there you have it! I am looking forward to test-driving many more Rosé wines once I reach my final destination in wine country this Summer! Stay tuned for more cool finds!!</div>
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Thank you to <b>Cornerstone Cellars</b>, <b>Taste At Oxbow </b>and <b>Waterstone</b> <b>Wines</b>, and the <b>Wagner</b> <b>Family</b> for making such terrific Rosé! I look forward to tasting many more!</div>
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"You Saw It Here First!" This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk". Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine writer/wine educator with a great passion for wine and everything it encompasses!</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-75075228990482921572013-04-14T08:48:00.000-07:002013-04-14T08:48:20.907-07:00Passaggio Wines Looks To The Future!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's been awhile since I told the remarkable story of one woman's quest to follow her passion and become a winemaker. Winemaker <b>Cynthia Cosco</b> of <b>Passaggio Wines </b>has certainly come a long way since the early days of her winemaking career, which believe it or not, was not that long ago! I am proud and excited to say, a lot has happened since my last update and I am here to share a new chapter!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not long ago, Cynthia moved <b>Passaggio Wines </b>from the town of Sonoma to a new home in the city, <b>Dogpatch Wine Works</b>, which is located in San Francisco at 2455 Third Street--a quaint little neighborhood with beautifully restored architecture. Not only is <b>Dogpatch</b> <b>Wine Works </b>a custom crush facility, meaning those who want to make wine, amateurs and pros, can go there to do so, but it also serves as a tasting room and a retail venue for Cynthia's wines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My girlfriends and I were excited to visit and Cynthia was gracious enough to host our large group on a chilly Sunday morning in the city! We had a wonderful time, mingling, sampling and overseeing the process of which Cynthia's wines are made there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As of now, Cynthia makes four wines (soon to be five) and each time I sample her wines, I get the feeling more exciting news is just around the corner! She is the prime example of someone with so much passion, her wines get better and better and this latest crop of wines are no exception!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>2011 Passaggio Unoaked Chardonnay</b>--I was speechless when I sampled this wine. In fact, my bottle disappeared very quickly! Clean fresh citrus flavors with great minerality and balance! This is her "flagship" wine and when people ask me about Unoaked Chardonnay, this is the one I talk about. It's amazing. Just take my word for it and try it. $23. I can't wait to try the 2012!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>2011 Passaggio Pinot Grigio</b>--This is a zippy wine with ZING!! Pinot Grigio can sometimes be a little boring but this one is far from that! I love the melon flavor and clean finish. It's refreshing and sure to be a go to wine for everyone's patio this Summer. $19</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>2011 Passaggio Rose'</b>--I will discuss this wine even though it is currently sold out. I remember being one of the first to try her Rose' and this is the second vintage. She changes up the formula a little each time. This one was a Saignee-method (where they bleed the vats) rose' and made up primarily of Zinfandel from the Dry Creek AVA in Sonoma County and the addition of some Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. A very different combination but worked beautifully! Really tasty with strawberry, cranberry, and watermelon flavor throughout. YUM! Make more please!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And now for Cynthia's first red: <b>2011 *Unmarked* Pinot Noir</b>--I have to tell you how excited I was when I found out she was making Pinot Noir. We were all clamoring! From the moment I took my first sip, I was completely stoked! It's GREAT!! Cinnamon baking spice, dark tea, cranberry goodness. So lovely. None of that bacon fat or funk. Just nice subtle, pleasant flavors. It will bring a smile to your face. And the "Unmarked" means it goes to support Law Enforcement Personnel, something very close to Cynthia's heart since it is a tribute to her former life. $45.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what's new on</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> the horizon? A new wine! *<b>Unmarked* Sauvignon Blanc</b>!! We can't wait! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Releasing soon hopefully!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These are exceptional wines and should be enjoyed by everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> So how do you get some? </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Very easy. In addition to visiting </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dogpatch Wine Works</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, the wines can be purchased from her website, </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">passaggiowines.com</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. If you're not part of the </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Passionistas</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wine Club </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">yet, you are missing out. Being a member gives you a 20% discount on your purchases and at these prices you will want to purchase some more! I am proud to be a member! Interested in making wine or just visiting? Please go to </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">dogpatchwineworks.com </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for more information.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you to Cynthia Cosco for her continued friendship and support. We had a wonderful time visiting with you and hope to do it again soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"You Saw It Here First!" This post was published solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine writer, wine lover and wine educator with a passion for wine and all that it encompasses.</span><br />
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<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-73420312628892115172013-02-10T09:36:00.001-08:002013-02-10T09:46:26.021-08:00Beauty And Grace In Sonoma Valley...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On the last day of my latest venture to wine country, I was treated to a grand surprise! Such a beautiful and peaceful experience that it will be forever etched in my mind! Tucked away in a remote corner of Sonoma Valley is the most amazing place you will ever encounter! Rich with beauty and grace, The <b>Hanzell Vineyards </b>experience will leave you breathless and wanting more!<br />
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I had thought about this place many times over the years, never having tried any of their wines. When a friend of mine mentioned the possibility of visiting them and would I be interested, I immediately said yes! I had no idea where it was. As we drove closer and closer, we went past a gate and began climbing up the five hundred or so feet to the top where the winery is located, stopping along the way to take photos of the breathtaking views! As we approached the winery buildings, I knew I was in for a special treat!<br />
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The history of <b>Hanzell Vineyards </b>is fascinating! Founded in the early fifties by <b>James David Zellerbach</b>, a gentleman who was appointed Ambassador to Italy by <b>President Dwight D. Eisenhower</b>, this winery is famous for being the <b>first </b>winery to do many things:<br />
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They were the first to create and use custom-designed temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks such as the one below (now housed in a museum-type area of the winery).<br />
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They were the first to use inert gas at bottling to prevent oxidation.<br />
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They were the first to use only French oak barrels for aging their wines.<br />
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And a very important point, they were the first to isolate and cultivate the bacterium responsible for malolactic fermentation.<br />
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<b> Hanzell Vineyards </b>now owns six estate vineyards where they have forty acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay planted. I was able to see two of the six, the <b>Ambassador Vineyard </b>(Pinot Noir) and the <b>Ramon Vineyard </b>(Chardonnay). They have the most amazing quality control. Everything is near perfect and pristine to the eye. And it is just this attention to detail and quality that shines in the wines when you taste them for the first time. The vineyards were absolutely beautiful. I could have stayed there all day long!<br />
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After the ambassador's death in the early sixies, the winery was sold to <b>Douglas </b>and <b>Mary May</b>. During their ten years there, they expanded the winery. When Mary passed away, the winery was once again put up for sale. In 1974, the <b>Countess Barbara De Brye</b>, purchased the winery sight unseen. Upon her unexpected passing in 1991, her young son <b>Alexander </b>became and is now the current proprietor. Although he lives in England, he and his family are on-site often and oversee the day to day operations of the winery. <b>Hanzell Vineyards</b> has had five winemakers since its inception, including their current winemaker, <b>Michael McNeill</b>. The wines are impeccable!<br />
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After visiting the wine library, where vintages of their wines go all the way back to the sixties, we were led to a small office where a private tasting was held for us by the winery's wine educator, <b>Gary Saperstein</b>. He was wonderful and I have to say, he made my experience so relaxed and comfortable! He is definitely an asset to the <b>Hanzell Vineyards </b>team!!<br />
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The tasting included three current releases, one of which I was the very first guest to try! That was so special! The three wines included in my tasting were: <b>2011 Hanzell Vineyards "Sebella" Chardonnay ($36)</b>, <b>2010 Hanzell Vineyards Chardonnay ($75) </b>and the brand new <b>2010 Hanzell Vineyards Pinot Noir ($95)</b><br />
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The <b>2011 "Sebella" Chardonnay </b>was a breath of fresh air! Stainless steel fermented then barrel aged for six months in 1-4 year old French oak barrels, it was citrusy, with green apple and tangerine tones and a clean, crisp finish. It reminded me a lot of a Sauvignon Blanc (which is my favorite white varietal) so I enjoyed it very much!<br />
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The <b>2010 Chardonnay </b>was exceptional! Creamy with a long finish and beautiful notes of honey, lemon and nectarine. Well-balanced with good minerality. They recommend decanting this one. (I guess I would have to learn to be patient!)<br />
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The <b>2010 Pinot Noir </b>was a nice surprise! I don't usually drink Pinot Noirs very young but this one was full-flavored with vibrant cherry notes, anise and cinnamon spice. Just a tiny bit of earthiness. I would love to taste this vintage again in a few years to see how it fares. Absolutely delicious!<br />
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I have decided to make <b>Hanzell Vineyards </b>a part of my new life in wine country and hope to join one of their wine clubs when I move out there soon. I feel like I would be part of something very special when I do. They are off the beaten path and definitely worth making an appointment to visit. Words cannot describe how I was feeling upon my departure of this beautiful place. It's something you have to experience for yourselves. And I hope you do!!<br />
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I would like to thank <b>Gary Saperstein </b>and the team at <b>Hanzell Vineyards </b>for making my visit so special. I would also like to thank my friend, <b>Chef Carlo Cavallo </b>of <b>Meritage Oyster Bar & Grill </b>in Sonoma<b> </b>for setting up my wonderful appointment. For more information on how you can visit Hanzell Vineyards, please visit their website at <b>hanzell.com</b>.<br />
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"You Saw It Here First!" This post was written solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman, CSW. Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine writer, wine lover and wine educator with a passion for wine and all that it encompasses..."<br />
<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-9353831822813002512013-01-21T09:45:00.000-08:002013-01-21T09:45:06.903-08:00The Best Olive Oil You Will Ever Experience...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Most of you have either heard of or have seen the movie, <b>"Under The Tuscan Sun"</b>--the somewhat autobiographical story of author <b>Frances Mayes</b>. In the movie, Frances moves to Tuscany on a whim and purchases a villa named <b>Bramasole</b>. Since the book and the movie came out several years ago, I've had the opportunity to meet Frances twice. Her story has really inspired me to follow my passion.<br />
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Recently, I found out that Frances and her husband <b>Edward Mayes</b> were off on a new venture--making their own Extra Virgin Olive Oil! How fantastic! This oil would be made from the<b> Frantoio</b>,<b> Moraiolo</b> and <b>Leccino</b> olives grown on the Bramasole property! Some samples of two vintages of the oil, 2011 and 2012, were sent to me and I could not wait to try them out!<br />
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Italians consume 15 liters of olive oil per person per year. On the other hand, Americans do not. Not even close. One taste of this oil and their minds could be changed forever! Olive oil has concentrations of polyphenols that carry anti-inflammatory properties. In other words, you should consume more! It's good for your health!<br />
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I truly did not know what to expect and what I got in return, after sampling the oil, was the largest surprise of my life! I received a small can of the newly pressed 2012 vintage. The instructions were to pour some in a white glass bowl and eat it with some crusty peasant bread, which I did! It was amazing! So lush, so green, so peppery. I had never tasted anything like it before in my life! Even the bottle of the 2011 vintage was still peppery but the flavors had integrated to a smooth, beautiful finish! Oh my!<br />
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I am completely spoiled for life! The Extra Virgin olive oil I have been purchasing at the grocery store has been retired. I'm sold. Every dish I have added this oil to now has an indescribable richness. Wow!<br />
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So---how can you obtain this oil? Frances and Edward have started the<b> Bramasole Olive Oil Convivium</b>. <br />
Information on this is available on their website, <b>thetuscansun.com</b>. The oil can be purchased by case or as a 5-liter can. When you order this oil, you will know where it came from and on what date it was harvested.<br />
Most olive oils do not mention this on their label. I think it's worth it. You will be spoiled and your culinary experience will be forever changed. For an amazing experience, please give the <b>Bramasole Olive Oil </b>a try!<br />
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I would like to thank my friend <b>Chef Robin White</b> and <b>Frances</b> and <b>Edward Mayes</b> for allowing me to experience such greatness. I also want to thank my friend <b>Katherine Parker</b> for assisting with the photos.<br />
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"You Saw It Here First"--This story was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk". Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine writer, wine educator and wine lover whose passion is wine and all that it encompasses...<br />
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-13350870291398661662012-11-18T10:34:00.000-08:002012-11-18T13:27:06.127-08:00Cornerstone Cellars Rocks!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I first learned of <b>Cornerstone Cellars </b>in 2009 when I attended the North American Wine Blogger's Conference in Santa Rosa, California. Managing partner, <b>Craig Camp</b>, came to our table during a "speed-blogging" session and poured us some of their wine. I remember being pretty impressed at the time, so I became an instant fan. Two visits to the tasting room later, I am even more impressed and excited for them. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They are proof that Napa Valley can produce some great buys that are affordable and the experience of visiting them is fun and relaxing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They may seem new to you and I but in reality, <b>Cornerstone Cellars </b>have been around for twenty years. They are committed to excellence and quality and I think for being such a young winery, they can compete with the valley's heavy hitters! This winery has something for everyone: Great wine bargains for daily consumption to single vineyard mountain wines for the consummate collector. Today I'm going to focus on those great wine bargains--every day drinkers that prove that quality does not have to break your bank account.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I recently received four samples from them--all from their "Stepping Stone" label, which is their second label. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Each wine was unique and enjoyable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> The 2011 Corallina Napa Valley Rose </b>is 100% Syrah and what makes this wine so unique is the fact that it ages for five months in French oak. Lots of strawberries, cranberries and citrus. Perfect Summer wine. Perfect anytime wine. At $20, it won't be around for long. Get it while you can!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Next are two new wines that were just being introduced recently! The first is a unique blend of Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer, the <b>2011 Stepping Stone North Coast Rocks! White. </b>Made in the style of wines coming from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, this refreshing wine dances in your mouth with crisp citrus and pear notes. I loved it! I want more!! For $18, I don't believe there are any other white blends out there that stand up to this one!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, this wine has a red partner that is just as tantalizing! The </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2010 </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stepping </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stone </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">North </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Coast </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rocks! Red, </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Merlot. This hearty, spicy blend is delicious and perfect for barbecues, Italian feasts, stews and the like! Juicy, playful and fun! You don't even have to think about it. You just have to enjoy it! $18.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And finally, a perfect everyday Napa Valley bargain that tastes so good, it gave me the notion of a much higher perceived value. The <b>2010 Stepping Stone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon</b>. 93% Cabernet Sauvignon (sourced from many great Napa Valley vineyards) and 7% Merlot--aged 18 months in 50% new French Oak. Rich and velvety smooth with lots of dark cherry and cedar/cigar box notes. For $35, this wine is a steal. It will continue to open up and the layers are fantastic already! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Cornerstone Cellars </b>also produces some stellar single vineyard wines in Napa Valley as well as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from their vineyards in Oregon. They are definitely worth visiting. Their beautiful tasting room is located in Yountville, California. The friendly atmosphere is enticing and their staff is very knowledgeable and fun to converse with. They are also very active in social media, something I like very much! They have an awesome Facebook page and love to include their visitors as part of their daily posts! I had a great experience there and I'm sure you will to! So please include them as part of your next visit to Napa Valley! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For more information on <b>Cornerstone Cellars, </b>please visit their website, <b>cornerstonecellars</b>.<b>com</b>. Please follow them on twitter @cornerstonenapa and like their page on Facebook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would like to thank <b>Craig</b> <b>Camp</b>, managing partner at <b>Cornerstone Cellars </b>for turning me on to such fun wines and to the staff of the Yountville tasting room for their gracious hospitality! Stay tuned for an upcoming story on the Oregon wines!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"You Saw It Here First!" This post was created solely by Grace Hoffman, CSW, for Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk. Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred, wine blogger/educator with a passion for wine and all that it encompasses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-86080667704772135942012-09-20T18:11:00.000-07:002012-09-21T16:09:27.065-07:00The Quest For Higher Wine Education...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As most of you can see, I have not been blogging much lately. I decided to devote my time to my quest for higher wine knowledge. The past few months have been frightening, enlightening and empowering. Why did I decide to do this?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN">It all started in the Fall of 1999. We all crammed into this tiny wine and
cigar shop <o:p></o:p></span>hoping to sample free wine and spirits at a pre-holiday wine tasting. Me, I
knew nothing. I was along for the ride. I was a Tanqueray and Tonic girl. Maybe I would
sample the wine. Maybe I wouldn't. My sister's friend who was working for a distributor said,
"Here Grace. Try this Shiraz from Australia." I took a sip. I wanted
to die. My mouth could not comprehend the ugliness that had just happened.
Cotton balls. I had a mouth full of cotton balls. The scary look on my face probably
said it all. And thus, completely by accident, began my wine education...</span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fast forward a year. It was a fierce snowstorm during the dead of winter.
Nothing was stopping me from attending my first Bordeaux class at the local
wine shop. So there I was, just me and four older gentlemen. Some nice Bordeaux
wines and a wheel of Maytag blue cheese.
One of the gentlemen poured me some Chateau Carbonnieux, a
Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend and "PING!!!" There went my head.
Something just exploded. Something I couldn't grasp. It was a defining moment
for me. I knew I would eventually do something wine-related as a profession. I
just didn't know what it was. Yet…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's been 13 years since that day I sampled my first Shiraz. Wine has
brought me a vast new world of pleasure, happiness and success. The interim has
been full of wine adventures: attending classes at local wine shops, attending
wine tastings, purchasing and reading a massive library of books and magazines
on wine and anything remotely related, amassing list after list of notes, trips to Napa Valley and Sonoma and even a
short-lived in-home wine tasting business. (I finally gave that up when I tired
of showing up at the host's homes and their guests were already drunk!) With
the advent of <b>Facebook </b>and <b>Twitter</b>, my so-called wine life became larger than
life when I diligently networked and became friends with many important people
in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. These on line friends are now my close
friends, in real life. There are some that I even consider family and if it
weren't for wine, we never would have met. Social media has brought me into a
sort of spotlight and I have been able to experience some great things! In 2009, I won a "Bloggership" through the North American Wine Blogger's Conference and in 2010, I won the "WBC or Bust" contest through the Washington State Wine Commission. As far
as my wine education is concerned, there is nothing better than hands on
experience and I have been able to meet winemakers and follow them around during harvest and
crush and watch them actually make wine. I've toured vineyards, tasted some of
the best wines California and the Pacific Northwest has to offer, and rubbed elbows with the best of the
best at many Napa Valley and Sonoma County events. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All this is great but what do I really have to show for all of it? Short of some great photo albums on Facebook, nothing. I didn't go to college to do this. I did go to college but not for
wine. I don't have a degree from UC Davis or any other school that offers
courses in winemaking, enology and wine business. Do I want to go back to
college? Not really but I do have a huge desire to learn and prove what I'm
worth and then some. So what now???<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A few years ago, I met a national rep for Kings Estate, a winery located in
Oregon. She handed me her card and there was a title next to her name… <b>CSW</b>. I
asked her what that meant. She said, “Certified Specialist of Wine”.
Hmmm…Really…So I delved further, doing some online searches and I found <b>The
Society of Wine Educators</b>, based in Washington D.C. I put off doing anything
about it for a long time and just concentrated on what I knew best. But it was
eating me up inside. Having all this knowledge and experience and not having
anything on paper to show for it. I did look into every aspect. Would I want to
become a certified Sommelier? Not really. The restaurant business is not my
thing. I love to go to restaurants but I don’t want to be there all the time.
Then there was the <b>WSET</b> (<b>Wine & Spirits Education Trust</b>) certifications. Very
pricey. Not in my budget. I know a lot of people who have taken the test at
different levels and passed. In my opinion, <b>The Society of Wine Educators
</b>offers the most cost effective way to get certified for wine education. And you
can study at your own pace, a key point that I loved considering I work full time.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So at the end of May 2012, I purchased my study guide and signed up for my
test. The study guide and the scheduling of my test together was a package deal
for $450. A savings of $50. I had a year to commit to a test date and
thankfully, there was a date scheduled in my home town at one of the
distributor’s offices on September 14<sup>th</sup>. Now it became real. I did
not spend the extra money to join <b>Society of Wine Educators </b>and gain access to their online library of materials<b> </b>(though I may do that when I move to the
next level. The <b>CWE</b>) nor did I purchase the CSW workbook. I was just using the
study guide alone. (I was told there would not be anything on the test that wasn’t
in the study guide.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At first I committed myself to reading a couple chapters a day. The study
guide is quite large (250 or so pages)and I would fall asleep reading it. I was
really worried about being able to retain the info. But I found a great website
called <b>quizlet.com </b>and it helped me tremendously. There were other people’s
flashcards on there. I also found a website called <b>bubblyprofessor.com</b>. That
site (which is full of practice tests and helpful hints) was instrumental in motivating me to get where I needed to be. Once I had
read the material, I practiced those tests every day (knowing full well that
possibly none of those questions would even be on my actual test. I was
wrong. A lot of them were. Thankfully…) I even took the <b>CWE </b>practice test in
error and scored an 83 the first time. I was pretty excited! The more I
“practiced” with those tests, the more I started to retain these tiny facts.
All this wine knowledge. It made me feel powerful!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here’s what you are going to need to know: The chemistry of wine,
viticulture, winemaking 101 (whites, reds, sparkling, fortified), wine faults,
wine etiquette, everything wine related to France, Italy, Spain, Germany,
Austria, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the US, all their wine
laws, regions, maps etc etc etc…It’s a lot. Foreign words, definitions, you
gotta know it all! And you have to know your geography. No question is beyond
choosing… I missed at least 8 questions on this exam, one of them I don’t even
remember reading about. It was about
Rainwater Madeira—something I will probably never drink in my entire life. I
went back and looked and sure enough it was the tiniest fact listed. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I walked into the testing room on September 14<sup>th</sup> and much to my
surprise some of the local wine reps here in town were taking the test too. One
guy made a joke about “carbonic maceration” and he pointed at me and laughed.
If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t even know what that meant. He had taught us
that at a wine club meeting years ago. I laughed too. Some of them were joking
around about not studying much and I thought they were crazy. You have to
study. Even with years of wine knowledge, one can’t possibly know everything!
To my relief, I was able to answer about 90% of the questions with confidence.
The other 10%, not so much. Some were disappointing and insignificant facts I
will probably never need to use. They are probably the questions I’m sure I
missed since I had to take a wild guess on the answer. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now the hard part comes.
The waiting. The waiting. The waiting. It’s been a week already. They say 2-4
weeks for results. In order to pass and receive your certification, you have to score at least 75% or better. I am confident I did at least that. In the meantime, I have begun the next step. I want to take
the <b>CWE </b>(Certiified Wine Educator) exam in Napa Valley in September 2013. By
then, I will be a Napa Valley resident as I am taking my dream one step further
and moving there next year. I will need a good job in the industry to afford to
live there so everything I do now I consider an investment in my future and in
my dream. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Should you decide to do this too, I would strongly recommend it. If
anything, my quest for higher wine education has given me a whole new
appreciation for the wines of the world and on my next visit to wine country, I
will be able to have even stronger conversations with winemakers and industry
folk. It’s making me better. And that’s what’s important. Good luck to all of
you who decide to educate yourselves further. It’s completely worth it! </span></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For more information on the <b>Society Of</b> <b>Wine Educators</b>, please go their website:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>societyofwineeducators.org</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"You Saw It Here First!" This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk." Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with a passion for wine and all it emcompasses..."</span><br />
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Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-44906818708106479432012-08-19T07:02:00.016-07:002012-08-19T09:56:40.641-07:00The St. Francis Food & Wine Experience<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCixX_lqaZc/UDD48NFVWZI/AAAAAAAABsI/6zm8F1zztQE/s1600/IMG_3670.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCixX_lqaZc/UDD48NFVWZI/AAAAAAAABsI/6zm8F1zztQE/s320/IMG_3670.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778392035104217490" border="0" /></a><br />This past July, I was invited to visit <b>St</b>. <b>Francis Winery</b>, which is located on the gorgeous <b>Valley</b> <b>Of The Moon Highway </b>just past Kenwood in Sonoma County. The drive to reach this place is one of my favorites of all time, very picturesque and in my opinion, one of the prettiest areas of the Sonoma Valley. The day before my visit, my life kind of fell apart due to technology and I almost had to cancel my visit! What did we do before cell phones ruled our lives? I did not let the lack of a working cell phone ruin my day there and I enjoyed every minute of my visit!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wXQyXlJ2PO4/UDD5p395n4I/AAAAAAAABsg/aagDz2iS39s/s1600/IMG_3680.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wXQyXlJ2PO4/UDD5p395n4I/AAAAAAAABsg/aagDz2iS39s/s320/IMG_3680.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778392819709878146" border="0" /></a><br />I did not know what the staff had planned for me that day so I drove up to their tasting room and introduced myself. A minute later, a gentleman came out and gave me directions to drive up the road aways to the winery's production facility and administrative office. I was really taken aback when I was offered a VIP tour of the production facility with their two <b>winemakers</b>, <b>Katie Madigan </b>(who makes their Sonoma County wines)<b> </b>and <b>Heather Munden </b>(who makes their artisan wines). I was able to taste out of their barrels and walk through their laboratory and see how a larger winery is operated. The two winemakers were so gracious to take time out of their busy schedules to do this for me. They explained what their lives are like during harvest and I was able to get a better understanding of what it is like day in and day out there.<br /><br />I also met <b>Dave</b> <b>Buerger</b>, their <b>DTC Marketing and Social Media Manager</b>. Dave is awesome and in my opinion, the reason why their Facebook page and website are the most informative and exciting winery pages today! He seems very excited and enthusiastic and since he is on premises, he understands the public wants to know what is going on at the winery! I hope other wineries use their pages as examples on how to excel in social media!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RlyWp6Gf2vA/UDD5XqsStaI/AAAAAAAABsU/wmaJlDXZqwc/s1600/IMG_3682.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RlyWp6Gf2vA/UDD5XqsStaI/AAAAAAAABsU/wmaJlDXZqwc/s320/IMG_3682.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778392506908718498" border="0" /></a>Their photographer came out and photographed me on the lawn with the two winemakers, their <b>Executive Chef David Bush </b>and <b>President and CEO</b>, <b>Christopher Silva </b>with the stunning Sonoma Valley view behind us! My visit was posted on their Facebook page as well as mine! It was a nice surprise! After our photo session, I sat in their newly refurbished dining room with <b>President and CEO</b>, <b>Christopher Silva </b>and chatted about life and wine while enjoying a five course food and wine pairing that seemed endless!! I completely lost track of time as I immersed myself in the experience. It was very intimate and lovely. Pretty amazing and I highly recommend it for groups or just for two! Here's a video that shows you a little bit of what I experienced...<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mZ1qg8fD8ck" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><b>Chef David Bush</b>, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, changes up the menu on a regular basis and I asked him how he decides what wines to pair with the dishes and he replied that he usually bases his dishes on the wine instead of the other way around. Our five course pairing was exceptional! I could eat like this every day!!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1cHvLlepD0/UDD7XG9kTcI/AAAAAAAABss/a1uDrUcFzQw/s1600/IMG_3684.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1cHvLlepD0/UDD7XG9kTcI/AAAAAAAABss/a1uDrUcFzQw/s320/IMG_3684.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778394696340753858" border="0" /></a><br />The first course was a <span style="font-weight:bold;">White </span><b>Corn Vichyssoise with citrus marinated rock shrimp</b>, <b>basil puree</b>, <b>sweet peppers and micro basil</b>. It was paired with their <b>2010 Sonoma</b> <b>County Chardonnay </b>($14.95). I am a huge fan of this Chardonnay and try to keep a few bottles in my collection at all times. It is a tremendous value! Perfect balance of lively tropical fruit and oak. The acidity in it was perfect to offset the creaminess of the soup!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkuqXn6LULQ/UDD9WRihrNI/AAAAAAAABs4/ueuh_bcn-Ag/s1600/IMG_3686.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkuqXn6LULQ/UDD9WRihrNI/AAAAAAAABs4/ueuh_bcn-Ag/s320/IMG_3686.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778396881023511762" border="0" /></a><br />The next course was a <b>Roasted Mushroom Salad with Hamhock Braised Collard Greens</b>, <b>Roasted Cippollini Onion</b>, <b>Truffled Cream </b>and <b>Chive Blossoms</b>. It was paired with what will soon easily become one of my favorite wines from their Artisan Series, the <b>2009</b> "<b>Trouble</b>" <b>Sonoma Valley Syrah </b>($35)! This is a full-bodied and somewhat rustic Syrah and it enhanced the earthiness of the mushroom salad. Just lovely!!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByUqQVGx1GI/UDEFGy6ewSI/AAAAAAAABtw/MfIlTlQYlMk/s1600/IMG_3688.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByUqQVGx1GI/UDEFGy6ewSI/AAAAAAAABtw/MfIlTlQYlMk/s320/IMG_3688.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778405411197468962" border="0" /></a><br />If I were to pick a favorite of all the five courses I tried, it would have been this next one. <span class="st">A <b>Bánh </b></span><b>Mi Sandwich </b>which consisted of <b>Grilled Sirloin of Beef, Duck Rillette, Aioli, Pickled Vegetables, Fresh Herbs and a Sweet Chili dipping sauce!!! </b>It was paired with the <b>2009 </b>Sonoma County Old Vines Zinfandel ($19.95). I would love love love to have the recipe for this sandwich. It was amazing! The vibrant flavors, crunch of the pickled vegetables paired so nicely with the Zinfandel. I never would've imagined pairing a red with this but it works so well!! All I can say is "YUM!!!"<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HKyBym_YL_U/UDEI7HjmJTI/AAAAAAAABuo/FpGgc2utA-w/s1600/IMG_3689.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HKyBym_YL_U/UDEI7HjmJTI/AAAAAAAABuo/FpGgc2utA-w/s320/IMG_3689.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778409608626709810" border="0" /></a>Course number four was a <b>Slow Roasted Spice Rubbed Shoulder of Local Lamb with Housemade Lamb Chorizo</b>, <b>Potatoes, Fava Beans, Wilted Arugula and Roasting Jus</b> paired with <b>2008 Anthem Sonoma Valley Meritage </b>($60). The <b>Meritage, </b>a Bordeaux blend of 69% Petit Verdot (YEP! You saw it here first!! I don't think anyone else makes a blend quite like this! It is to die for!!!) with smaller quantities of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Smooth, silky and the perfect accompanyment for this dish which had a spicy melange of flavors. The aroma was quite tantalizing!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AKDnktFLq2w/UDEN0-_YCrI/AAAAAAAABvg/cXP_fXPgr-w/s1600/IMG_3690.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AKDnktFLq2w/UDEN0-_YCrI/AAAAAAAABvg/cXP_fXPgr-w/s320/IMG_3690.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778415000806230706" border="0" /></a><br />The cheese and dessert course were like two courses in one--both served on the same plate. <b>Bellweather Farms San Andreas Cheese with Pickled Mission Figs</b> <b>and Toasted Walnut Bread </b>on the left hand side of the plate, along with a <b>"S'more" </b>consisting of <b>a Graham Cracker Crust, Red Wine Soaked Blueberries, Dark Chocolate Ganache and Marshmallow Fluff. </b>This course was paired with another Artisan Series wine, <b>2009 Caro Santo Sonoma Valley Red Wine </b>($45) which is 85% Sangiovese with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the blend as well. Absolutely wonderful combination!!!<br /><br />This seated food and wine pairing is available to the public for $38 (or $30 if you are a wine club member). This is an amazing price for the experience you will have. The winery does three seatings on Friday through Sunday, two seatings on Monday and Thursday. They do not offer seatings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. (My seating was a private offering done for me.)<br /><br />I want to thank the winery staff and especially <b>President and CEO of St. Francis Winery, Christopher Silva, Dave Buerger, Chef David Bush, and winemakers Katie Madigan and Heather Munden </b>for their gracious hospitality and for taking an afternoon out of their busy schedules to surprise me with such a wonderful visit. You have made a fan for life out of me and I hope to be attending events at the winery very soon!!<br /><br />For more information on <b>St. Francis Winery</b> and their wines, please visit their website, <b>stfranciswinery.</b><b>com</b>. Follow them on Twitter <b>@stfranciswinery</b> and please like them on<br />Facebook. Their page rocks!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QZor6rsZxGI/UDEUFxiVf-I/AAAAAAAABwk/6VrHG3Ti3GM/s1600/IMG_3671.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QZor6rsZxGI/UDEUFxiVf-I/AAAAAAAABwk/6VrHG3Ti3GM/s320/IMG_3671.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778421886322311138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />"You Saw It Here First!" This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk." Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with a passion for wine and all it emcompasses..."<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-37909183371066584762012-08-11T16:04:00.011-07:002012-08-12T10:27:20.600-07:00Everything's Coming Up Rosés...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZRWOfNS3hk/UCblToxIBjI/AAAAAAAABp0/xKtIQtHPyWg/s1600/n21.jpg" style="font-weight: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZRWOfNS3hk/UCblToxIBjI/AAAAAAAABp0/xKtIQtHPyWg/s320/n21.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775555697672980018" /></a><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;">Everyone who knows me, knows I love love love <b>Rosé</b>! And, everyone who knows me also knows how I am always complaining I can never find any... I recently took a trip to California and my goal was to sample and bring home as many bottles of <b>Rosé </b>because now is the time you should be enjoying them! It's hot and it's the middle of Summer and nothing says "Summertime" like <b>Rosé</b>!</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;">But what is <b>Rosé </b>and why is it so scarce in other parts of the country. First, I would like to say that NO, <b>Rosé </b>is not White Zinfandel. White Zinfandel was an accident that happened in Napa Valley in the 1970s and if that is your beverage of choice, great--however, I'm here to give you a small tutorial why you should embrace <b>Rosé</b>. <b>Rosé </b>is dry--usually but not necessarily over 13% alcohol. They are often small production and not often distributed nationwide which makes them a lot harder to find!</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;">There are several ways a winemaker makes <b>Rosé</b>. If their primary purpose is to do this and this only, they will allow the juice to come in contact with the skins for a brief amount of time, enough to provide a pink color. The longer the skin contact, the deeper the color. <b>Rosé </b>can be made from almost any red varietal and the more I explore this category the more I am finding more and more interesting ones to choose from. The second way is <b>Saignée </b>method. This method is when a winemaker decides, while making red wine, that he or she needs to remove some of the pink juice in order to impart more color or tannin to their reds. The resulting juice is fermented making <b>Rosé </b>. The third way is to blend white wine with red wine. I wouldn't concern myself too much with this method. Rarely happens enough to mention...</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;">California is a virtual smorgasbord of <b>Rosé </b>especially this time of year! I found many appealing and I have chosen just a fraction of them to discuss here...Please seek these wines out. They are delicious and enjoyable on hot days like today:</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>2011 Pink Girl Rosé of Syrah</b>--Last Fall I had the pleasure of meeting <b>Tina Carpenter </b>in Napa. Tina is the wife of <b>Chris Carpenter</b>, winemaker for <b>Cardinale </b>in Napa Valley. "<b>Pink Girl</b>" is her project. The wine comes from grapes sourced in the <b>Coombsville AVA </b>(Napa Valley's newest AVA) and Tina designs the beautiful label (even adding a Swarovski crystal to it). She had a larger than life, awesome personality which made the whole room light up! She handed me a bottle of the 2010 which I tried recently before I had the chance to retry it again when a friend brought it to dinner. This time, it was the 2011. I love it. The flavors were subtle (cranberry, pomegranate) and refreshing! Two hours of skin contact for this one. Under $20. Found at many retailers in the bay area. Delicious!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aowcAOs69zQ/UCbmS0FxreI/AAAAAAAABqA/TbF-jDUQdGk/s1600/Cline.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aowcAOs69zQ/UCbmS0FxreI/AAAAAAAABqA/TbF-jDUQdGk/s320/Cline.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775556783044144610" /></a></span></div><div><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">2011 </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">Cline </b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>Cellars Contra</b> <b>Costa County Mourvedre Rosé</b>---OK, it was a frantic Tuesday all around and Cellarmistress was about an hour late to her appointment at <b>Cline Cellars</b>. Stuff happens, phones quit working, where was technology when I needed it? But I was focused and I knew when I got there, I would want to purchase this wine. Why? Because it is one of the BEST value <b>Rosés </b>in the state of California. For under $15, you are getting a mouth full of flavors---plummy pomegranate and then some. At this price, I want more more more!! I hope they make a lot. This wine could definitely be a staple in my collection!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzQQrrRkhII/UCbmuGV8RuI/AAAAAAAABqM/UnvAZrXnbmI/s1600/Acorn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzQQrrRkhII/UCbmuGV8RuI/AAAAAAAABqM/UnvAZrXnbmI/s320/Acorn.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775557251800254178" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>2011 Acorn Winery Rosato</b>---As you can see from the photo above, the hue on this wine is absolutely gorgeous and stunning! A bright bright red and the flavors coming out of this wine will wow you! This comes from overnight skin contact! Part of this wine is made using the </span><b style="font-size: 100%; ">Saignée </b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;">method</span><b style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; ">.</b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"> This wine is a blend of </span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><b>Sangiovese</b></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;">, </span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><b>Dolcetto</b></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;">, </span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><b>Cabernet </b></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><b>Franc </b></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;">and </span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><b>Viognier</b></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;">. Bet you've never had one like this!! If you haven't discovered this tucked away, small family winery in Sonoma County (Healdsburg), I highly recommend you do. They are wonderful and the wines they make from their </span><b style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Alegria Vineyard </b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;">(which I feel blessed and fortunate to have toured) will make you smile. A small labor of love and a lot of great wines! This one hails for $22 and pairs nicely with just about anything! Thank you to </span><b style="font-size: 100%; ">Bill </b><b style="font-size: 100%; ">and </b><b style="font-size: 100%; ">Betsy </b><b style="font-size: 100%; ">Nachbaur</b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;">, the winery's proprietors for turning me on to such a nice wine!</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UAvzkkBZE0o/UCbnShwLJ5I/AAAAAAAABqY/Z2uSrqhgCwQ/s1600/Cornerstone.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UAvzkkBZE0o/UCbnShwLJ5I/AAAAAAAABqY/Z2uSrqhgCwQ/s320/Cornerstone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775557877633329042" /></a></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>2011 Cornerstone Cellars Stepping Stone Corallina Rosé</b>--I can't say enough great things about this winery, located in Yountville. This Rosé is the one that got the ball rolling for me! I received a sample of this from my friend <b>Craig Camp</b>, managing partner of the winery, right before I went on vacation and it rocked my world! This Syrah <b>Rosé </b>is blended with a little bit of Grenache and even undergoes a few months of barrel fermentation to smooth it out. Bone dry with creamy strawberry flavor and a fuller mouthfeel. It is simply amazing and you must get some! $20.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h6wW6vsUkgg/UCbn0cFIP0I/AAAAAAAABqk/-x9MRh79_OY/s1600/Waterstone.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h6wW6vsUkgg/UCbn0cFIP0I/AAAAAAAABqk/-x9MRh79_OY/s320/Waterstone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775558460226158402" /></a></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>2011 Waterstone Winery Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon</b>---On the last day of my trip, I sat in this cute little tasting room called <b>Taste At Oxbow </b>in Napa<b> </b>and sipped this pretty wine all afternoon. The bottle sold for $18 and was floral and fruity at the same time! Bone dry and flavorful--lots of stawberry and rhubarb...I would have purchased more and taken it with me if I'd have had room in my shipper box. But alas, I didn't. So I'll hopefully get more on my next trip!</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UZQGhronBdw/UCboX3WwiFI/AAAAAAAABqw/lPlvFCX1Ak4/s1600/2012-08-10_18-14-52_573.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 181px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UZQGhronBdw/UCboX3WwiFI/AAAAAAAABqw/lPlvFCX1Ak4/s320/2012-08-10_18-14-52_573.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775559068843280466" /></a></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br />For my last </span><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>Rosé</b>, I wanted to write about something I hold very near and dear to my heart. Sometimes a varietal comes along that you've never tried before and it becomes sort of a quest to find it. How many of you have heard of <b>Charbono</b>? I didn't think so. But I found some up in Calistoga, the northern most part of Napa Valley, at a small family-owned winery called <b>Summers Estate Wines</b>. This varietal is rustic and hearty and this </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">Rosé </b><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;">is a perfect match with spicy foods! (I had mine with fish tacos--muy bueno!!). The flavors are reminiscent of a cherry-berry explosion! They also make a red varietal <b>Charbono </b>which would stand up to stews and Italian foods really well. But folks, this one is winery only, so you'll have to visit them and you should!! $22.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;">So there you have it! These are some of my favorite recommended <b>Rosés </b>of the season! Get them while you can and enjoy the last days of Summer with these treats!!</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;">For more information on these wineries and wines, please visit the following websites:</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>pinkgirlwines.com</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>clinecellars.com</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>acornwinery.com</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>cornerstonecellars.com</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>tasteatoxbow.com</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b>summerswinery.com</b></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;">"You Saw It Here First!" This post was written solely for Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk. Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with a huge passion for wine and everything it encompasses!</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-18191727907227309682012-07-07T14:28:00.006-07:002012-07-07T15:23:24.700-07:00Reflections Of Global Sauvignon Blanc Day<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhGaGik7E48/T_iyraNix1I/AAAAAAAABlw/vbau0z5K1Tw/s1600/St%2BSupery.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhGaGik7E48/T_iyraNix1I/AAAAAAAABlw/vbau0z5K1Tw/s320/St%2BSupery.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5762552182060795730" /></a><br /><span style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><b>Sauvignon Blanc</b>. What can I say about this varietal except that I have an obsession with it and am beyond help! Sometimes to understand these things, one has to go back to the beginning. So we'll go back to the beginning of my wine education. I remember my first wine tasting in November of 1999. (Yes, it's true...I did not drink wine before then...Shame on me!) I was at a free, overstated holiday wine tasting, which enabled me to sample here and there. I fell in love with a bottle of <b>1998 Sterling Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc</b>. So I went and bought one. And that's how my obsession started. Over the years, I've tasted hundreds of them--from the grassy, gooseberry-flavored wines of New Zealand to the peppery wines of Argentina to the citrusy, tropical wines of California to the cat's pee-flavored wines of France (apparently I have not had enough French White Bordeaux--I'm sure they don't all taste like pipi du chat...). This year in June, we admirers of Sauvignon Blanc came together in a global way to celebrate this grape varietal. We tasted and tweeted and put on events all over the world for twenty-four hours. I was a willing and excited participant!</span><div style=" font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style=" ;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I chose two bottles (or rather, they chose me--but I was happy to represent them out in the field as both were fine examples of high quality), the <b>2011 St. Supery Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc </b>and the <b>2010 Gary Farrell Redwood Ranch Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc</b>. The two wines were like night and day!</span></div><div style=" font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style=" ;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The <b>2011 St.</b> <b>Supery </b></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><b>Napa </b></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><b>Valley </b></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><b>Sauvignon </b></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><b>Blanc </b></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family:georgia;">was sassy!! Love at first sip for me! It had a personality that did not quit. Fragrant with limes and grapefruits, the wine's fleshy, tropical mid palate was juicy and lively! So vibrant!! This wine is 100% stainless steel fermented with a beautiful crisp finish. One of my favorites so far this year! After happily enjoying this bottle, I said to myself, "Now there's a wine I am going to want to keep drinking!" I made an appointment to visit them in a few weeks. I'm pretty happy! $20.</span></div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxbWS12VPE8/T_ivx9qLKXI/AAAAAAAABlE/kRHeoSJ_Bn4/s1600/Gary%2BFarrell.jpg" style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxbWS12VPE8/T_ivx9qLKXI/AAAAAAAABlE/kRHeoSJ_Bn4/s320/Gary%2BFarrell.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5762548996120455538" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">The <b>2010 Gary</b> <b>Farrell</b> <b>Redwood Ranch Sauvignon Blanc </b>is a whole other animal. It is elegant, sophisticated and lovely. It has typical citrus notes but it is a bit more complex than that. There are some interesting flavors coming from this wine--unusual ones. I tasted some spice notes and a touch of vanilla. This stems from the fact that the wine actually saw some oak treatment but not so much that it takes away the acidity we love. This one is definitely a food wine--a great accompaniment for seafood, chicken, salads, cheeses... This is what happens when Sauvignon Blanc gets dressed to the nines to go out to a formal dinner. She's radiant! $25.</span><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Global Sauvignon Blanc celebration doesn't end here. Until next Summer when we reconvene to celebrate the day once again, I will continue to drink them on a regular basis and explore them every chance I get! I have a feeling in me, Sauvignon Blanc has found a new best friend!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;">For more information on <b>St. Supery Vineyards and Winery</b>, please visit their website, <b>stsupery.com</b>. They are located in Rutherford, CA. Their wines are available at their tasting room, online and through some distribution nationwide.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;">For more information on <b>Gary Farrell</b> <b>Vineyards</b> <b>and Winery</b>, please visit their website, <b>garyfarrellwines.com</b>. They are located in Healdsburg, CA. Their wines are also available at their tasting room, online and through some distribution nationwide. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;">I wish to thank <b>Sam Folsom & Associates</b> (trade & media contact for <b>Gary Farrell Winery</b>) and <b>St. Supery Vineyards and Winery </b>for sending me the Sauvignon Blanc samples. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;">"You Saw It Here First!" This post was written solely for Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk. Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with a huge passion for wine and everything it encompasses!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-30870400278192577322012-07-01T15:07:00.009-07:002012-07-01T16:53:49.418-07:00Cellarmistress Debuts On "TV Tuesday Live!"<span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; font-size:100%;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fr5uD9yXi2g/T_DOkQjlZzI/AAAAAAAABjU/bhdwxaFc1OI/s320/La%2BSirena%2B1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5760331045721696050" /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;">21 months ago, I sat in a little wine bar called </span><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Cellars</b><b style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "> </b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Of</b><b style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "> </b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Sonoma</b><b style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "> </b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;">in Santa Rosa, California. I was appearing as a live guest along with </span><b><span style=" line-height: normal; font-size:100%;">Michael</span> </b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Gann </b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;">of </span><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Gann </b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Family </b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Cellars</b><b style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "> </b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;">on a local show called </span><span style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;"><b>"</b></span><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">TV </b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Tuesday</b><b style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "> </b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Live</b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">!</b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">"</b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;">. 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 </span><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Scott</b><b style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "> </b><b style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; ">Jordan</b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;">, was one of the best days ever!</span><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b>Cellars Of Sonoma </b>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 <b>T.R. Elliott</b>, <b>Bonneau Wines</b>, <b>Amorosa Bella</b>, <b>Gann Family</b>, <b>Joseph Jewell</b>, <b>DuNah</b>, <b>James Family Cellars </b>and Napa Valley producer <b>La Sirena </b>. 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.)</div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:100%;">Forward to last Tuesday, June 26th, my debut on the show! And what a debut! Who would have dreamed I, and my co-horts--<b>Jodi Fritch </b>(@TampaWineWoman), <b>Dan Goderis </b>(@DanGod1), <b>Dezel Quillen </b>(@myvinespot) and <b>Shawn Burgert </b>(@awanderingwino) would be sharing the stage with illustrious winemaker extraordinaire, <b>Heidi Barrett </b>and her <b>La Sirena </b>wines!</span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:100%;">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: <b>Screaming</b> <b>Eagle</b>, <b>Paradigm</b>, <b>Fantesca</b>, <b>Kenzo Estate</b>, <b>Lamborn</b>, <b>Revana</b>, <b>Grace Family</b>, <b>Showket</b>, <b>Dalla</b> <b>Valle </b>and <b>Barbour</b>. And how about her own wines, <b>La Sirena?</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">The <b>2005 La Sirena Barrett Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah </b>($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!</div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c39pF75TeGQ/T_DfDYGBHCI/AAAAAAAABkM/HSGb-aZ0w_A/s1600/La%2BSirena%2B3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c39pF75TeGQ/T_DfDYGBHCI/AAAAAAAABkM/HSGb-aZ0w_A/s320/La%2BSirena%2B3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5760349172507155490" /></a><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">I might mention she also makes a very unusual white wine<b>. </b>Called <b>2011 La Sirena Moscato Azul, </b>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 <b>Premiere Napa Valley </b>event for the <b>Calistoga Winegrowers </b>last February. The event was held at <b>Chateau Montelena</b>, a winery owned by Heidi's husband, <b>Bo Barrett</b>.</div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KLV4hDoX-A/T_DdST6qk2I/AAAAAAAABkA/rvOeivlkLMU/s1600/La%2BSirena%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KLV4hDoX-A/T_DdST6qk2I/AAAAAAAABkA/rvOeivlkLMU/s320/La%2BSirena%2B2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5760347230060581730" /></a><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">I am looking forward to being a part of the <b>"TV Tuesday Live!" </b>family on a regular basis and hope you will stay tuned for more fun with their winemakers coming up: <b>T.R. Elliott</b>, <b>Bonneau</b> and <b>Amorosa Bella</b>! The show airs on <b>UStream </b>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 <b>Scott Jordan </b>and the team at <b>Cellars Of Sonoma</b>! I am honored to be a part of this!</div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">If you would like to see a <b>UStream </b>version of the most recent show with <b>Heidi Barrett</b>, please go to this link: <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/23590922">http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/23590922</a></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">For more information about <b>Cellars Of Sonoma, </b>please visit their website, <b>cellarsofsonoma.com. </b>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.</div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">For more information about <b>Heidi Barrett </b>and her <b>La Sirena Wines, </b>please visit <b>lasirenawine.com.</b></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Photo Credits: <b>Jerae Knutson </b>and <b>Grace Hoffman</b></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">"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...</div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-91077641830797447372012-07-01T06:51:00.007-07:002012-07-01T09:18:18.123-07:00Cellarmistress Goes To Italy, Part One<span style="font-weight: normal; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 306px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EaQ5TmZS_LE/T_BXRuLQmPI/AAAAAAAABhk/lCGSoNjHJPQ/s320/OurVineyards1.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5760199885371513074" /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family:georgia;">In an effort to get back to my Italian roots, I decided I needed to learn more about Italian wines. But where was I to start? A person could seriously spend years learning about the wines of Italy and not even touch the surface! When an opportunity came up for me to sample the wines of <b>Beni di Batasiolo</b>, a winery in the Piedmont region of Italy, I embraced the opportunity! The experience left me tantalized and excited to learn more!</span><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><b>Beni di Batasiolo </b>is located on 345 acres and is estate-owned. The Dogliani family have been farming this land since 1978 and their dedication to quality is impeccable. I sampled four distinctively different wines, all great values and much to my surprise, I found them a delicious alternative to the California wines I always write about.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:georgia;">The first one I sampled was the <b>2011 Gavi di Gavi Granee DOCG</b>. I wish more of the American public would discover Gavi. It is an amazing white wine! Made from 100% Cortese grapes, it is food-friendy, crisp with floral aromas and citrus flavors! Just a breath of fresh air and perfect for Summertime sipping. I love it and going forward, I am going to seek out this varietal and make it a staple in my wine rack! $18.99.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oW963MAvMF0/T_BYjoqFy_I/AAAAAAAABhw/R_9CLhONC_c/s1600/GaviGaviGranee.png" style="font-weight: normal; "><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oW963MAvMF0/T_BYjoqFy_I/AAAAAAAABhw/R_9CLhONC_c/s320/GaviGaviGranee.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5760201292639489010" /></a>My next bottle was the <b>2008 </b><b>Barbera</b><b style="font-weight: normal; "> </b><b>d'Alba </b><b>Sovrana </b><b>DOC.</b> Barbera was a varietal I had tried before, but I was used to its rugged and rustic California counterpart. This Barbera was fruity and smooth. Delicate but with ripe fruit flavors and a beautiful ruby red color. This wine, also very food-friendly, is the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Average price around $18. Great value!<div><span style="font-weight: normal; "><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j-oe_Sz7w2I/T_BvXHgTaVI/AAAAAAAABic/-ZMFFhHzFzU/s1600/baroloDOCG1.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j-oe_Sz7w2I/T_BvXHgTaVI/AAAAAAAABic/-ZMFFhHzFzU/s320/baroloDOCG1.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5760226366349076818" /></a>This was the first time I had ever had a Barolo. Yes, in my short 13 year history of drinking wine I had never once tried a wine made of 100% Nebbiolo grapes! (My counterparts out there are probably shaking their heads right now!!) Barolo is the KING of Piedmont and its pride and joy and I can see why. This wine is almost regal! The </span><b>2007 Barolo DOCG </b>is huge, rustic, spicy with a velvet finish. I would love to taste this one again after a few more years as it is so ageworthy! Firm tannins will give it a lot of future life! So impressed I am with this wine that I cannot wait to sample more of them. Average price $48 (and a bargain at that!)</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">And now for the big surprise of the day!! Everyone who knows me knows I am not a fan of sweet wines. I make a face everytime I think about it. Something made me change my mind recently and of course it had to be Italian!</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WylrrfUByg4/T_BxbAUJ1KI/AAAAAAAABio/9vZKuDVl148/s1600/mustactelRose.png" style="font-weight: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WylrrfUByg4/T_BxbAUJ1KI/AAAAAAAABio/9vZKuDVl148/s320/mustactelRose.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5760228632161801378" /></a>There is a huge Moscato craze here in the US. Most of the ones I've seen and tried are of the sticky sweet variety. I call it a "girly girl" wine for those who don't really drink wine, almost likening it to a wine cooler. The Italians, however, know how to do Moscato correctly and even though the alcohol level is low (around 8%), guess what? You would never know when sampling this one! The <b>Moscato Spumante Rose </b>is absolutely delicious! Not only does it taste dry but the lovely strawberry flavor reminds one of Summertime! It's also a very romantic kind of wine. Hot tub wine, I call it. For you and your sweetheart! $15.99.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">I want to thank <b>Katie Hunter </b>of <b>Charles Communications </b>for turning me on to such lovely wines and sending me the samples! It definitely was a great experience and I look forward to exploring a lot more Italian varietals in the future! Hopefully some day I can go back to Italy and maybe even visit <b>Beni di Batasiolo. </b>These are great wines worth exploring!</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><b>Beni di Batasiolo </b>wines are distributed nationwide through <b>Boisset Family Estates</b>. For more information on Beni di Batasiolo, please check out their website, <b>batasiolo.com</b>.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for"Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-44192832899244704172012-06-17T08:47:00.000-07:002012-06-17T15:40:59.752-07:00The Father Of ChardonnayIt's been awhile since I've posted anything. You can blame on the furthering of my wine education and the countless amounts of online wine tastings I've participated in for the past two months. But I'm back in full force and ready to begin this again on Father's Day...With a rather fatherly story...<br />
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Everything has a beginning. I recently struck gold when I did an online event for the winery responsible for the beginning of Chardonnay in this country, <b>Wente Vineyards. </b> Founded 125 years ago, Wente Vineyards is located in Livermore, California--a town on the East Bay of San Francisco. In 1936, they were the first commercial California winery to produce wine labeled with the varietal name, Chardonnay. This Chardonnay came to be known as the "Wente Clone" and virtually every Chardonnay vine in the state of California has its origins from this clone. <br />
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Nowadays, the winemaking at Wente comes under the watchful eye and skilled expertise of <b>Karl Wente</b>, a fifth generation winemaker. Karl is an up and coming force to be reckoned with. As a veteran of many online events with Karl, I've come to find out that his wines are pretty special. Karl keeps us on our toes. He is a master of blending and we never quite know what he's going to do next. He makes enjoyable wines at every price point and knows how to please his audience of wine consumers.<br />
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In conjunction with Global Chardonnay Day 2012, I began my week with a plethora of Karl's Chardonnays. Each one completely different in style and price point. But each one as enjoyable and memorable as the next.<br />
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The first of the four was <b>2011 Eric'</b><b>s Small Lot Chardonnay</b>. This is Karl's unoaked Chardonnay project and it is just lovely. I agree that there is a niche for unnoaked Chardonnay. As consumers, we like options and when the market is flooded with boring, big oaky Chardonnays, the unoaked version is very welcome and a breath of fresh air. This one, unfortunately, was not produced in large quantities so I believe the only way to get some would be to visit the winery. As of today, it is not available for purchase on the website but may be in the future. As for taste, this wine bursts with green apple, pear and citrus flavors with a crisp, mineral finish. Perfect for a hot Summer day!<br />
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The <b>2010 Morning Fog Chardonnay </b>is a winery bargain. I call this the Chardonnay for those who want a little oak but also enjoy a crisp, fruit-driven wine. And the $12 price point and wide availability make this wine a must for everyday enjoyment. (Plus this has to be the best under $15, widely distributed Chardonnay on the market today!) 50% of this wine was barrel fermented and aged sur lie for 7 months. The other half was stainless steel fermented. This allows for rich, fruity taste with crisp acidity. It's very well balanced.<br />
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The <b>2010 Riva Ranch Chardonnay </b>is a tropical dream come true! Buttery, with pineapple, vanilla and caramel flavors, this too is a huge bargain for around $17! I had my first experience with this wine years ago at a small little seafood restaurant in Newport Beach. The server brought it to me in a plastic glass. I remember thinking to myself, "Wow! I wonder what this wine would taste like in a real glass!" It was that good! The grapes for this one are sourced from their Arroyo Seco Vineyard near Monterey. Central Coast Chardonnays are full-flavored and tropical without being cloying. In other words, you won't stop at one glass!<br />
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OK, so I've waited a very long time to finally try this one. <b>The 2009 Nth Degree Chardonnay</b>. The Nth Degree tier of wines is something usually reserved for wine club members, with a small percentage of the vintage distributed nationwide. This $50 Chardonnay is elegance and finesse in a bottle. Balanced, full-bodied and barrel aged in a combination of several types of oak, it has a lush mouthfeel with intense tropical flavors and spice. It's just a gorgeous wine. <br />
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I want to thank <b>Karl Wente </b>and <b>Charles Comm </b>for providing me with these fine wine samples to kick off my week of Chardonnay exploration. The event was magnificent! If you would like to see the tutorial and event footage, here is the link: <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/22765029">http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/22765029</a><br />
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You may access the wines of <b>Wente Vineyards </b>on their website at <b>wentevineyards.</b><b>com</b>. If you are interested in visiting them, they have a gorgeous winery located at 5050 Arroyo Road in Livermore, California. I hope to visiting them some day soon!<br />
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"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman.<br />
Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses. <br />
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<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-28875554881481015792012-05-13T11:40:00.001-07:002012-06-17T16:23:24.731-07:00Cellarmistress Pinks Out!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9bxlm59Yw9Q/T6_9rdecAJI/AAAAAAAABes/XmF0jZXFQzA/s1600/Rosy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9bxlm59Yw9Q/T6_9rdecAJI/AAAAAAAABes/XmF0jZXFQzA/s320/Rosy.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">Every May in San Francisco, there is a lovely event that takes place at <b>Butterfly Restaurant</b>. The event is called "<b>Pink Out</b><b>! SF</b>" and it is a celebration of <b>Rosé</b>. Rosé is a wine often misunderstood and overlooked and I beg to disagree with the non-believers. I am a huge fan of this wine. The more,the merrier! It is made of virtually every red varietal grape, in many different styles (including the dreaded, sweet White Zinfandel, which we will not talk about here...) If you can get past the stigma that pink wines have been burdened with for the past thirty plus years and realize what you have isa virtual goldmine of flavors, you too will enjoy this wine! I look forward to celebrating this event every year, albeit virtually from out in the field, but still proud to partake! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">This year, samples came to me from two Sonoma County wineries: <b>Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves </b>and <b>Envolve Winery</b>. I also received a sample from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chateau </span><b>D</b><b>'Esclans </b>in the Provence (France) and <b>Croft</b> (Portugal). These four wines were all unique in style and distinctively different! From the serious to the not so serious...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UzO9_crD4Bc/T6_-WXZ-egI/AAAAAAAABe0/fXpwmWg9DZw/s1600/pinks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UzO9_crD4Bc/T6_-WXZ-egI/AAAAAAAABe0/fXpwmWg9DZw/s320/pinks.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">The <b>2007 Gloria Ferrer Brut Rosé </b>is just gorgeous and a wonderful example of a sparkling rosé. I had the pleasure of visiting the winery in Sonoma last Fall and enjoyed every breathtaking moment of sitting on their terrace and drinking in the view. With that in mind, this handcrafted wine is heavenly,with its hints of cranberry, strawberry and cotton candy. Off dry, perfec talone or with cheese and charcuterie. Loved it! $45.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">The <b>2011 Chateau D'Esclans "</b><b>Whispering Angel" </b>was a breath of fresh air. From its light, iridescent color to its fresh and fruity flavors, this wine held court at my place! Handcrafted with a much higher perceived value, I was blown away at the $19 price point! Fashioned from five varietal grapes:Grenache, Rolle, Syrah, Cinsault and Tibouren and stainless steel fermented. I want more of this wine now!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">I was excited to try the <b>2011 Envolve Winery Sonoma Mountain </b></span><span lang="EN"><b>Rosé. </b>For those of you who aren't familiar, if you happened to watch ABC's "The Bachelor" show on prime time earlier this year, you would have familiarized yourselves with <b>Ben Flajnik, </b>one of the winery's partners and winemakers. This </span><span lang="EN">rosé punched me in the face with its huge strawberry/raspberry/rhubarb "Jolly Rancher" flavors but I couldn't quite grasp the finish. I wasn't excited. It was a tad too sweet so I'm not understanding why they fermented it sweeter rather than drier. It would've been so much more palatable and enjoyable as a drier wine. Perhaps for future vintages? Time will tell. $24.99.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">The last wine we sampled was <b>Croft Pink Port</b>. I was skeptical. At first sip, I didn't much care for it. I like my dessert wines with more substance.However, the next day, I made a nice Martini out of it. It makes a great mixer!In fact if you go their website, there's a link for cocktail recipes. I'm not really sure what the price point is on this one. But I can't imagine it would be pricey. Not if you're going to make cocktails with it. It was a great thought, whoever decided to create this concoction. I think it would definitely appeal to women.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">So, this event has me so excited to seek out more Rosé wines!! And I plan to do that in a couple months when I visit Napa and Sonoma again! Cheers everyone! It's Summertime! Get your Pink on and Pink out!</span><br /><br /><span lang="EN">And Gentlemen, keep in mind that we women love a man who drinks "Pink"!</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN">A special thanks to the team at TasteLive for inviting me to participate again this year and to my great friend Katherine Parker for providing the fun"Pink Out! SF" photo.</span></div><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for"Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-86233303794447041782012-05-02T18:54:00.007-07:002012-06-17T16:25:21.964-07:00Rock Stars & Their Wines, Part Two: Carlos Santana Sparkles...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_L45Q2jEoLM/T6Ha9qU9nKI/AAAAAAAABck/-pzbIePeo_Y/s1600/2012-04-27+18.35.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_L45Q2jEoLM/T6Ha9qU9nKI/AAAAAAAABck/-pzbIePeo_Y/s320/2012-04-27+18.35.07.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br />A couple days ago, I was one of a team of wine bloggers chosen to participate in an event called "<b>The Wines Of MUSEXPO</b>." <b>MUSEXPO </b>was an event that took place in Hollywood. An international festival bringing bands together and...WINE! Our friend, <b>Ziggy Eschliman </b>(better known as Sommelier to the music world and <b>@ZiggyTheWineGal </b>on Twitter) was our on-line hostess with the mostest and we sampled our way through an array of wines! So what does rock 'n roll have to do with wine? CHECK THIS OUT!!<br /> <b> </b><br /><b>Carlos Santana</b>...Rock star extraordinaire...He delves in some serious stuff... Restaurants, shoes (yes, I happen to own a couple pairs of his designer shoes...) and BUBBLY. His relationship with <b>Mumm Napa Winery </b>in Napa Valley has been long standing and his latest creation, <b>Santana Brut</b>, has proven successful. And it is delicious! At $45 a bottle, this gorgeous sparkler (35% Pinot Noir, 65% Chardonnay) bursts with red apple, hazelnut biscotti and a huge kiss of strawberry on the finish. Light effervescent bubbles will transport you to a dark and raunchy state of mind. Guess there's a reason why he sang, "<b>Black Magic Woman</b>"... But the best part, part of the proceeds of your purchase of this wine goes to the <b>Milagro Foundation, </b>a charity that helps under privileged children. And when you're done with the bottle, you'll want to find an artsy thing to do with it because the front and back labels are fabric with the classic <b>Santana </b>logo and the metal cap, well...It's one of the coolest I've ever seen...So smooth!!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WD5FjgyMHZk/T6HiY-v9mhI/AAAAAAAABdE/rUfJDY0uOTY/s1600/2012-05-02%2B17.43.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WD5FjgyMHZk/T6HiY-v9mhI/AAAAAAAABdE/rUfJDY0uOTY/s320/2012-05-02%2B17.43.43.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Santana Brut </b>is available at <b>Mumm Napa Winery </b>or online at their website, <b>mummnapa.com</b>. For more information about the <b>Milagro Foundation</b>, please check out their website at <b>milagrofoundation.</b><b>org</b>. What are you waiting for? Everyone has a rock star within them! Go unleash yours and sparkle!!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-76091964601157312052012-04-29T09:47:00.001-07:002012-06-17T16:26:21.729-07:00Staying Cool With Francis Ford CoppolaCool. Crisp. Delightful. I love my white wines. Simple. Easy. Perfect for warm weather sipping on my patio. With our crazy weather this year, you can never be too prepared. When I look for these types of wines, I also look for value, especially if I want to impress friends when they come over for company. I've been drinking the Coppola Diamond Collection wines for awhile now and they are always consistent.<br /><br />Recently, I sampled two such delights: <b>2011 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Pinot Grigio </b>and <b>2011</b> <b>Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Sauvignon Blanc</b>. At $16 each, these wines are true values and should be a staple in everyone's collection.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJV8J7f1VOk/T51tAJJqF2I/AAAAAAAABcE/YMJ2-hdp9aQ/s1600/10_DIaPinotGrigio_Bottle_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJV8J7f1VOk/T51tAJJqF2I/AAAAAAAABcE/YMJ2-hdp9aQ/s320/10_DIaPinotGrigio_Bottle_LR.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="87" /></a></div>The nose on the Pinot Grigio is intoxicating, with the promise of nectarines, ripe apples and floral notes. Most Pinot Grigio is bland in my opinion, but this one is bursting with fruit flavors and very juicy. It's delicious and will pair well with Summer salads, seafood dishes and light cheeses.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMXUqvMDBz8/T51uAlXl3zI/AAAAAAAABcQ/XacWce-b_As/s1600/10_DiaSauvBlanc_Bottle_LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMXUqvMDBz8/T51uAlXl3zI/AAAAAAAABcQ/XacWce-b_As/s320/10_DiaSauvBlanc_Bottle_LR.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="88" /></a></div>I really enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc. Each year, winemaker Corey Beck, sources his grapes from different vineyards all over California. The 2011 is made from grapes sourced in the cool areas of Lake County (which is just north and east of Napa Valley) and Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County. This makes for a juicy, grapefruity and grassy Sauvignon Blanc, not so much in the New Zealand-style but more so a typical California style. Loved it!<br /><br />And for a more hands on Coppola experience, I can't wait to visit the winery in Geyserville, which is located in northern Sonoma County. Not only are these wines featured there, but many others produced by the Coppola team. The winery is fun and boasts a wonderful restaurant named <b>Rustic</b>--the menu features many recipes from the Coppola family. Definitely worth a visit!These wines are easy to find and are distributed nationwide. For more information on these wines and the winery, please visit <b>francisfordcoppolawinery.com</b>.<br /><br /> I'd like to thank the Coppola PR team for sending me these wines to sample and share them with you! Happy Summer Sipping!!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-75498365496693581402012-04-07T06:03:00.025-07:002012-04-07T08:03:35.133-07:00An Afternoon At Garagiste Healdsburg<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fU3e7lTO6mc/T4A7TaoDXSI/AAAAAAAABYk/MU1psIVF1qo/s1600/Garagiste.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fU3e7lTO6mc/T4A7TaoDXSI/AAAAAAAABYk/MU1psIVF1qo/s320/Garagiste.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728643930766138658" border="0" /></a><br />Back in October, I was celebrating yet another birthday with my fabulous wine country girlfriends, when one of them gave me a bottle of wine as a gift. <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Cartograph Wines Two</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pisces Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir</span>. I had barely heard of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cartograph Wines </span>let alone tried any of it. But I was fascinated...So when I got back home, I did some research and on my latest trip, I decided I wanted to visit them. Why? Because their story, like so many that I am encountering as I venture my way through wine country, is inspirational. I've met many who pick up their lives and move to California to realize their dreams. I plan to do that myself very soon! They had a dream and guess what? It's coming true!! That's an inspiration!<br /><br />I let another friend of mine plan the visit and on a quiet and chilly early Sunday afternoon, we all got in the car and ventured to Healdsburg, California in Sonoma County. I've been to Healdsburg many times but never to a tasting room in the downtown area. So this was a first for me. However, this place was more than just a tasting room as I would soon find out. It was also a great lounge to hang out with good friends and a micro-winery where small lot wines were showcased!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5IvlvXLF9U/T4A9x3dPV_I/AAAAAAAABYw/_lucn3dd3V0/s1600/Garagiste%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5IvlvXLF9U/T4A9x3dPV_I/AAAAAAAABYw/_lucn3dd3V0/s320/Garagiste%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728646652924745714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alan Baker </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Serena Lourie </span>met at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crushpad </span>in San Francisco. Alan, a Minnesota native packed up his life and moved west to make wine. Serena also did this from the east coast. Alan made his first Pinot Noir, under the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cellar Rat label</span>, while at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crushpad </span>and Serena helped him make other wines. Soon the two were collaborating on their own project, which brings us to the present and this wonderful little place they call <span style="font-weight: bold;">Garagiste Healdsburg</span>!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLxVMhkFCT4/T4A_XDrnXRI/AAAAAAAABY8/9PIkcm42rIg/s1600/Alan%2B%2526%2BSerena.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLxVMhkFCT4/T4A_XDrnXRI/AAAAAAAABY8/9PIkcm42rIg/s320/Alan%2B%2526%2BSerena.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728648391373053202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />To understand <span style="font-weight: bold;">Garagiste Healdsburg </span>is to understand the concept behind it. A "Garagiste" is a person who handcrafts small lots of wine with passion and care. Alan and Serena are small lot winemakers who take pride in their work and it most certainly shows! Their wines are amazing and I had a wonderful time sampling these delights. The tasting room also features the wines of their friends, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Stark Wines</span>--another example of handcrafted goodness. These are gems you will not want to miss!! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Garagiste Healdsburg </span>is very modern, airy and welcoming. Alan and Serena are wonderful hosts!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-20kxfFQrV64/T4BDIwAkR8I/AAAAAAAABZs/TOQH3BOpNtY/s1600/line%2Bup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-20kxfFQrV64/T4BDIwAkR8I/AAAAAAAABZs/TOQH3BOpNtY/s320/line%2Bup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728652543620564930" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The tasting room features a very lengthy menu that the owners switch up from time time. Wine can be purchased by the glass or by the bottle.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SYN1E3h3lH4/T4BGA2n4gSI/AAAAAAAABZ4/B8g3Ig5BptY/s1600/stark%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SYN1E3h3lH4/T4BGA2n4gSI/AAAAAAAABZ4/B8g3Ig5BptY/s320/stark%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728655706492010786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Among some of my favorites (it was tough to choose because I loved them all!) were some interesting whites.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJQyk273pTY/T4BHE_PYOgI/AAAAAAAABaE/uooJOjHzwV8/s1600/Cartograph%2BGewurt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJQyk273pTY/T4BHE_PYOgI/AAAAAAAABaE/uooJOjHzwV8/s320/Cartograph%2BGewurt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728656877036255746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Cartograph Floodgate Vineyard Gewurztraminer</span>. Gewurztraminer isn't a wine I drink a lot of but one sip of this spicy, sassy white and I immediately started thinking about all the Asian, Mexican and Indian cuisine I could pair it with! $22.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMZanQFD610/T4BIPQslzOI/AAAAAAAABaQ/b9R5h_vRgzI/s1600/Stark%2BChard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMZanQFD610/T4BIPQslzOI/AAAAAAAABaQ/b9R5h_vRgzI/s320/Stark%2BChard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728658153032502498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Stark Windsor Oaks Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay</span>. This is where the bold and the beautiful comes into play! Huge, creamy, and tropical. When I'm in the mood for this style of Chardonnay, this is where I would come to find it. They only made 118 cases so get it now while you can! $30.<br /><br />And some interesting reds...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Cartograph Perli Vineyard Mendocino Ridge Pinot Noir</span>. Interesting and rustic. Leather, mushrooms, cranberries, very full-bodied. Perfect for those gamey meals but I'd drink it with a lamb chop or a huge steak. It's va-va-voom and in your face! $42.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5BQvO6zbCo/T4BMstoX4QI/AAAAAAAABac/V8vFDwgTvJU/s1600/Stark%2B4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 135px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5BQvO6zbCo/T4BMstoX4QI/AAAAAAAABac/V8vFDwgTvJU/s320/Stark%2B4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728663057062158594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Stark Eaglepoint Ranch Mendocino Ridge Syrah</span>. Drool. Drool. Nom. Nom. Nom. My mouth is watering when I think about this wine. It is so elegant. To me, it was almost perfect. Layers and layers of dark fruit and minerals. Another small case production. 118 cases. Very recommended. $42.<br /><br />The more I sampled, the more I didn't want to leave! I had such a great time meeting Alan and Serena and hanging out with my close girlfriends. It was such a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I highly recommend everyone visit this little place. It will certainly find a place to stay in your hearts!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6N82kUmtH5I/T4BOUQegzaI/AAAAAAAABa0/eWoybr7gtLg/s1600/Stark%2B3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6N82kUmtH5I/T4BOUQegzaI/AAAAAAAABa0/eWoybr7gtLg/s320/Stark%2B3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728664835942567330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I want to thank <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alan Baker </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Serena Lourie </span>for being such gracious hosts and making such great wines! I would love for you two to join me on Twitter the evening of April 18th as we discuss Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir on <span style="font-weight: bold;">#winechat</span>!! I will come back and see you in July!!<br /><br />I also want to thank my wonderful friends <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thea Dwelle</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jerae Knutson</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sherri Housman</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbara Phillips </span>for being part of this great afternoon! I hope you had as much fun as I did! A special thanks to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Katherine Parker</span>, for bringing <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cartograph Wines </span>to my attention!<br /><br />For more information on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Garagiste Healdsburg</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cartograph </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Stark Wines</span>, please visit the following website: <span style="font-weight: bold;">garagistehbg.com</span>. Follow them on Twitter at <span style="font-weight: bold;">@garagistehbg </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">@cartographwines </span>or visit their Facebook page!<br /><br />But don't just take my word for it! Go visit them! They are located at 439 Healdsburg Avenue.<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-45440578920520852952012-04-01T07:45:00.006-07:002012-04-01T08:25:42.381-07:00Sparkle Up Your Holiday With Domaine Carneros<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6GDoTjaAzWc/T3hrvcVf36I/AAAAAAAABXo/NQcO9pquM_Y/s1600/DC.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6GDoTjaAzWc/T3hrvcVf36I/AAAAAAAABXo/NQcO9pquM_Y/s320/DC.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726445389005971362" border="0" /></a><br />Bubbly...Everyone who knows me, knows how much I love it!! A lot of people save it for special occasions, but not me. I love to sip my bubbles seven days a week. But what about those special occasions like holidays? Easter is coming up and there are plenty of reasons to bring bubbly into the mix!<br /><br />Who's been to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Domaine Carneros</span>? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Domaine Carneros </span>is a gorgeous place, nestled in the hills of Napa Valley's Carneros AVA and one of the first attractions as you enter Napa Valley. The beauty of the chateau alone will take your breath away! I've visited them many times and they make some wonderful sparklers and great still wines. In fact, every time I turn around, they have more new wines in their portfolio! There's nothing I enjoy more than to spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon sipping bubbles outside on their terrace.<br /><br />Last month while I was traveling around Napa Valley, their PR and distribution firm, Kobrand, approached me about sampling some of their sparklers. How could I say no?<br /><br />This winery makes absolutely gorgeous sparkling wine. End of story. I feel like I'm in another world when I'm sipping these. This time I tried a couple of what I call their "flagship" sparklers, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brut Rosé </span>and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2005 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6gVPXBRTgsk/T3huA_bW4NI/AAAAAAAABX0/GPYgveu81so/s1600/DCR.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6gVPXBRTgsk/T3huA_bW4NI/AAAAAAAABX0/GPYgveu81so/s320/DCR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726447889506820306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brut Rosé </span>is an easy one to find in most U.S. markets which is why I decided to share. You should be able to go to a local wine store and find it. (Though you may want to order a case or so for later because it's really delicious!!) A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it's exotic spicy raspberry and strawberry flavors will entice you! This one is an easy choice and for $38 a bottle, it definitely is a value!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TKODgUUJA4o/T3hv1mlYURI/AAAAAAAABYA/2hhIDcuQPR0/s1600/le%2Breve.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TKODgUUJA4o/T3hv1mlYURI/AAAAAAAABYA/2hhIDcuQPR0/s320/le%2Breve.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726449892882665746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">2005 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs </span>is the true star of California! The wine is sparkling but not just because of the bubbles! 99% Chardonnay and 1% Pinot Blanc, this bubbly is guava and lemon cream with a slight hint of toast! Absolutely breathtaking and beautiful! And it should be for $95 a bottle! Definitely try this one sometime! It'll definitely make you happy!<br /><br />For more information on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Domaine Carneros</span>, their wines and visiting the winery, please go to <span style="font-weight: bold;">domainecarneros.com</span>.<br /><br />I want to thank the folks at Kobrand and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Domaine Carneros </span>for sharing these lovely wines with me. I hope everyone out there has a fantastic Easter holiday and hopefully the Easter bunny will bring you lots of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Domaine Carneros </span>bubbly!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-12505386021183937362012-03-25T07:39:00.031-07:002012-03-25T10:16:35.090-07:00Cellarmistress Discovers Some Of Napa Valley's Hidden Gems<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LDA2WihURRc/T28uj78yJwI/AAAAAAAABUs/djl7ehgTARI/s1600/Best%2Bof.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LDA2WihURRc/T28uj78yJwI/AAAAAAAABUs/djl7ehgTARI/s320/Best%2Bof.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723844846334125826" border="0" /></a><br />In December, I was invited to attend <span style="font-weight: bold;">Premiere Napa Valley</span>, a Napa Valley charity event put on for the trade. It would be the most exciting, overwhelming experience I had ever encountered. I attended fifteen events in three days--from winery open houses, to grand tastings by AVA. From a barrel tasting and auction of hundreds of rare wine lots produced just for the event to post auction theme parties. In those three days, I met more important people in the industry than I ever would have on my own. It was absolutely amazing... This post is rather lengthy but I wouldn't be doing it justice if it wasn't.<br /><br />After my invitation arrived and for the following two months, I received countless invitations to wine tasting events and winery open houses all over the valley. It was tough to pick and choose because many of them overlapped and you can't be everywhere at once! One Sunday night, very late in the evening, I received an invitation to attend a gathering of small producers at an event in St. Helena. The event was held at a place called <span style="font-weight: bold;">750 Wines</span>. I admit I'd never heard of the place but the names of the producers enticed me. Why? Because I didn't know who they were. I now consider them <span style="font-weight: bold;">Napa Valley's Hidden Gems</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Arkenstone</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aloft</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Continuum</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Detert</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vineyardist</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">and Tor</span>...Six producers worth their weight in GOLD! If you don't know who these producers are, I am here to educate you! You will want to know them and embrace them. I admit I wish I could mention every producer that was at this event. I ran out of time and didn't make it to each booth. Looking back, I wish I had! Collectors of fine wine, perk up your ears! These are wines you will want in your collection!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uak8kYIqms8/T280XQupGqI/AAAAAAAABU4/l-89b-cojzA/s1600/Arkenstone%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uak8kYIqms8/T280XQupGqI/AAAAAAAABU4/l-89b-cojzA/s320/Arkenstone%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723851225643424418" border="0" /></a><br />The first table I spotted was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Arkenstone Vineyards</span>. I immediately connected with them because of their midwestern roots. Pouring the wines, proprietor <span style="font-weight: bold;">Susan Krausz </span>confided in me she was originally from Minnesota. It's amazing how many midwesterners I've met in Napa. Guess we all want to be in the land of wine and sunshine! Susan and her husband Ron have been transplants since the 80s. Their property, up on Howell Mountain near the town of Angwin, is a work in progress. The wines? Amazing! I sampled the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Obsidian</span>, a Bordeaux blend of Howell Mountain fruit. Dark, rich, huge. Memorable. $120. I need to make an appointment and venture up there to see what they've done with this property. They also make a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc. Unfortunately, the 2009 vintage I sampled is sold out. For more information on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Arkenstone </span>wines and how you can visit them, please check out their website, <span style="font-weight: bold;">arkenstone</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">com</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hwvhABP9jjQ/T284XLfJ_YI/AAAAAAAABVc/4hGtW_3dPSc/s1600/Aloft%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hwvhABP9jjQ/T284XLfJ_YI/AAAAAAAABVc/4hGtW_3dPSc/s320/Aloft%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723855622282804610" border="0" /></a><br />Years ago, I met <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marc Mondavi </span>of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charles Krug </span>winery. He did a tasting here in my home town and mentioned he had been working on a wine project near his Howell Mountain home. I remember mentioning to friends I was hoping to try some of those wines some day! Well, that day finally came but it wasn't until that moment that I made the connection. Marc's wife, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Janice</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mondavi</span>, was pouring <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aloft</span>. The brainchild of Marc and his brother, Peter Jr., <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aloft</span> is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Cold Springs Vineyard, 1660 feet up Howell Mountain, crafted by well-known winemaker, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thomas Rivers Brown</span> and aged 19 months in new French oak. It has a huge backbone making it very ageworthy and the huge flavors (tobacco, chocolate, plum) will make you swoon! $150. To order this wine, please go to their website, <span style="font-weight: bold;">aloftwines.com.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k_5SDaFQn0g/T2874xGmjBI/AAAAAAAABVo/0YXttcoFubE/s1600/Aloft%2B1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k_5SDaFQn0g/T2874xGmjBI/AAAAAAAABVo/0YXttcoFubE/s320/Aloft%2B1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723859497850932242" border="0" /></a><br />Now on to the other Mondavi family. I was pleased to meet <span style="font-weight:bold;">Marcia </span><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mondavi </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Borger </span>(whose father was the great <span style="font-weight: bold;">Robert Mondavi</span>). She, along with her brother Tim and Tim's four children have come up with a gorgeous wine they've named <span style="font-weight:bold;">Continuum</span>. Such an appropriate name for the continuation of their winemaking going forward into the future.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BBPUTg1px6Y/T289nLr9TSI/AAAAAAAABWA/OYUfS9LcCXo/s1600/Continuum%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BBPUTg1px6Y/T289nLr9TSI/AAAAAAAABWA/OYUfS9LcCXo/s320/Continuum%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723861394772544802" border="0" /></a><br />The <span style="font-weight:bold;">2009 </span><span style="font-weight:bold;">Continuum </span>comes from the family's single estate vineyard on Pritchard Hill in the eastern mountains of Napa Valley. It is an elegant and powerful Bordeaux blend. I was pretty moved by this wine. My nose was permanently glued to my glass. The aromas were floral, fruity and chocolatey followed by lush dark berries on the palate. Wow! I'm not sure what the price point is on this wine. In order to purchase it, you have to belong to their mailing list and have a password to sign on to purchase. After a little research, I figured out the average price of this wine was around $150. Correct me if I'm wrong. You can access more information on their website, <span style="font-weight: bold;">www.continuumestate.com</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LVFu9kyBir4/T29AApLSf3I/AAAAAAAABWM/4mhTgvFsgzw/s1600/Continuum%2B1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LVFu9kyBir4/T29AApLSf3I/AAAAAAAABWM/4mhTgvFsgzw/s320/Continuum%2B1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723864031208570738" border="0" /></a><br />On an added note and much to my delight, while attending the barrel tasting and auction a few days later, I had the pleasure of meeting <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tim Mondavi </span>and sampling his special lot of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2010</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Continuum </span>that was being auctioned off that day! Whoever obtained that lot is one lucky person! It too, although extremely young, was just as amazing!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-swE5UmbAYNM/T29BAHZOrbI/AAAAAAAABWY/ANIgiDMt0W8/s1600/Continuum%2B3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-swE5UmbAYNM/T29BAHZOrbI/AAAAAAAABWY/ANIgiDMt0W8/s320/Continuum%2B3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723865121651862962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And now to a very small producer of Cabernet Franc, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Detert Family Vineyards</span>. I don't know about you, but I love Cabernet Franc and when I find a good one (since there aren't too many producers of the real thing alone), I want to shout about it! The Detert family has been in the valley since the 1950s. Primarily they were growers and their fruit was often used in such powerful wines such as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Robert Mondavi</span>'s To Kalon Cabernets and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Opus One</span>. In fact, their vineyard is located in Oakville, just behind the famed To Kalon Vineyard. In the year 2000, they decided to start making their own wines. I met <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tom Garrett</span>, the Detert's grandson and winemaker of the current wines. He was very down to earth and listening to his story spoke volumes to me. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Detert Cabernet Franc </span>was so nice. I smiled as I sampled it. It was smoky, with blackberry, violets and spice. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Detert </span>wines are allocated so you will need to access their website for more information. This wine sells for around $60. <span style="font-weight: bold;">www.detert.com</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYFD1gbr6RQ/T29FymSJjLI/AAAAAAAABWk/0hEXFyLqgyg/s1600/Detert.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYFD1gbr6RQ/T29FymSJjLI/AAAAAAAABWk/0hEXFyLqgyg/s320/Detert.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723870386983636146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The tasting was not crowded so it was easy to lose track of time talking with all the producers. I was having such a wonderful time, I didn't want to leave!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4UDEaukFdyw/T29HILLwE7I/AAAAAAAABWw/qCgrqmxEeoo/s1600/The%2BVineyardist.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4UDEaukFdyw/T29HILLwE7I/AAAAAAAABWw/qCgrqmxEeoo/s320/The%2BVineyardist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723871857177793458" border="0" /></a><br />This next winery took me completely by surprise! They are so new, in fact, that until the last couple weeks, I couldn't find any information on them. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vineyardist </span>is the brainchild of winemaker, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark Herold</span>. We had a great time talking to him. He was very personable and funny! Mark's small production Cabernet Sauvignon is a true discovery!! Mark's story is great! He started out making wine at home, then with the encouragement of a college professor, he went on to make his own wine, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Merus</span>, as well as consulting for other wineries such as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Celani</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Family</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kobalt</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kamen</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 The Vineyardist </span>is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Diamond Mountain. Sold in three packs on their website for $465.00. Mark's wines come highly recommended by many critics. I thought the wine was wonderful! Last I heard he is planning to open a tasting room in downtown Napa. That's exciting. For more information, please access their temporary website, <span style="font-weight: bold;">www.vineyardistwines.com</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXXU0toF9_0/T29JbeaGVlI/AAAAAAAABW8/sUhe6vLD6v8/s1600/Tor%2B1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXXU0toF9_0/T29JbeaGVlI/AAAAAAAABW8/sUhe6vLD6v8/s320/Tor%2B1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723874387779016274" border="0" /></a><br />The last booth I visited was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tor Kenward Famiy Wines</span>. You pretty much had to pry me away from them. It was a great way to spend my last few moments there! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tor Kenward </span>began his wine industry career as a senior executive for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Beringer Vineyards</span>. He worked with them in winemaking and marketing for 27 years before retiring and starting his own label. He was great!! The wines are exquisite! I sampled the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Tor Beckstoffer To Kalon Clone 6</span>. 100% Cabernet sauvignon with floral flavors, licorice and spicy goodness. This wine is available for purchase on their website if you set up an account with them. Average price is around $130. Tor makes many different To Kalon Cabernets. This particular one was one of the smallest production ones I sampled, at only 175 cases made. <span style="font-weight: bold;">www.torwines.com</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HOM5MIlP9_I/T29M58veogI/AAAAAAAABXI/s73XfTCpSLw/s1600/Tor%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HOM5MIlP9_I/T29M58veogI/AAAAAAAABXI/s73XfTCpSLw/s320/Tor%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723878209852711426" border="0" /></a><br />The next day, I had the pleasure of running into Tor again, this time in Oakville at another grand tasting. He was pouring samples of his <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 To Kalon Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon </span>out of a magnum! This wine was more rustic, meaty, woody and toasty! It grabbed me!! These wines are definitely worth seeking out!<br /><br />I've only begun to hit the surface of what is out in Napa Valley! It has become my pet project to discover more and more of what makes this area tick! And I'm enjoying every minute of doing it! I want to thank the Barbour family for inviting me to such a wonderful event, the great producers at the event and to my great friend, Jerae Knutson, who accompanied me and took some of these great photos with her iphone!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-10612946179869434752012-03-18T07:32:00.029-07:002012-03-18T18:05:00.430-07:00An Afternoon At Flora Springs Estate<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-myzhwa_a-q0/T2X4XHO_CjI/AAAAAAAABRI/Rr3mNqkpFjE/s1600/Flora%2B1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-myzhwa_a-q0/T2X4XHO_CjI/AAAAAAAABRI/Rr3mNqkpFjE/s320/Flora%2B1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721251977606662706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My recent voyage to the Napa Valley has produced many milestones for me. One of my goals was to visit wineries I was unfamiliar with. One of the wineries I had always wanted to visit in the past was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flora Springs</span>. With roots firmly planted in the Napa Valley and a rich family-owned history, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flora </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Springs</span> painted a beautiful picture of what I loved most about the valley--the family tradition. A week before my trip, the winery's Director of Hospitality & Social Media, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Margaret Meraz</span>, reached out to me and invited me, along with a small group of my close friends, to a luncheon and tour of the family's estate in St. Helena. I was thrilled! It would be my most memorable event and a turning point in my wine journey. A real "A-HA!" moment!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kjwjg2SBH4Q/T2YKkS8Dn8I/AAAAAAAABTY/agGekQVXqdc/s1600/FSWVlogo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kjwjg2SBH4Q/T2YKkS8Dn8I/AAAAAAAABTY/agGekQVXqdc/s320/FSWVlogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721271995296096194" border="0" /></a><br />The anticipation was killing me as we drove up tiny little Zinfandel Lane towards the breathtaking estate! Once we arrived, we began by gathering outside and our tour host, Travis, poured us all a glass of the most delicious Sauvignon Blanc I've had in a very long time, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Flora Springs "Soliloquy". </span>I couldn't get enough of the melon and citrus and it has definitely become a favorite at a wonderful price! ($20) Travis is a gracious host and his enthusiasm and knowledge of the winery is impeccable! It was one of the most enjoyable tours I'd ever done! As we sipped our "Soliloquy", our chef came out and served us some nice little bites to go with the wine.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ttxB5_VSNc0/T2X5r1tE4hI/AAAAAAAABRU/04C1Uj8MmK8/s1600/shrimp.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ttxB5_VSNc0/T2X5r1tE4hI/AAAAAAAABRU/04C1Uj8MmK8/s320/shrimp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721253433189917202" border="0" /></a><br />As we stood outside, Travis gave us a little bit of history surrounding the estate. I was thrilled to find out that the estate's matriarch, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flora Komes</span>, had just celebrated her 100th birthday back in October! Now that is longevity! (Must be all that fabulous wine!). The winery has been in operation since 1978, founded by Flora's children, John Komes and Julie Garvey. Today, both families are still operating the winery and have painstakingly preserved the heritage and tradition for future generations. Organically-farmed vineyards and traditional winemaking techniques are what this family is all about.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqD6imIwsg0/T2X9AOJd_lI/AAAAAAAABRg/96to_UDPBuo/s1600/tour.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqD6imIwsg0/T2X9AOJd_lI/AAAAAAAABRg/96to_UDPBuo/s320/tour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721257081883721298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As we walked through the caves, I spied something I had never seen before and had to ask. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, years and years ago, some winemakers would ferment white wines in concrete. Flora Springs has some egg-shaped concrete containers they do some fermentation in. I guess this method is making a slow comeback!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_TCFe4Z0a8/T2YLQkaPebI/AAAAAAAABTk/9soKCdhyNWo/s1600/concrete.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_TCFe4Z0a8/T2YLQkaPebI/AAAAAAAABTk/9soKCdhyNWo/s320/concrete.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721272755900348850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We also did a little "workshop" where we sampled red wines macerated in different types of oak, American and French (as shown in the photo below). Interesting to taste the difference, side by side!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Heeyq9-VXw/T2X-Isqs0WI/AAAAAAAABRs/JxZ12JWE7hc/s1600/Travis.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Heeyq9-VXw/T2X-Isqs0WI/AAAAAAAABRs/JxZ12JWE7hc/s320/Travis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721258327026749794" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After our educational and entertaining tour, we sat down for a gorgeous luncheon of baby spinach salad, pork tenderloin with creamy polenta and for dessert, dark chocolate cupcake with blackberry jam--all made on the premises! Each course was served with one of their signature wines: <span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Trilogy </span>and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Rennie Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zp9hX4E926Q/T2X_I9VnW-I/AAAAAAAABR4/Huw9HTdZx_s/s1600/Travis%2Bserving%2Bme.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zp9hX4E926Q/T2X_I9VnW-I/AAAAAAAABR4/Huw9HTdZx_s/s320/Travis%2Bserving%2Bme.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721259431013342178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The three wines we had with the luncheon were perfectly paired! The <span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Barrel Fermented</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chardonnay</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>was creamy with a lovely nutty finish ($35). The <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Trilogy </span>is a flagship meritage blend for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flora Springs</span>. Made up of four Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, it was amazing with the pork tenderloin! ($65)<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RIuGPCaIRyM/T2YBn0ZONpI/AAAAAAAABSc/bP60GJK4iUI/s1600/cupcake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RIuGPCaIRyM/T2YBn0ZONpI/AAAAAAAABSc/bP60GJK4iUI/s320/cupcake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721262160211752594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Rennie Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon </span>was a powerhouse! 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from their St. Helena vineyards and aged 23 months in new French oak. Huge, huge flavors and just a marvel of a wine! I have been extremely impressed with a lot of the valley's 2008 vintage I've sampled so far and this wine was exceptional. I highly recommend it! ($100)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HSsKMGzXvDY/T2YCvPV_-6I/AAAAAAAABSo/4y_rWAzZm8c/s1600/421325_10150585342552779_664932778_9101017_581152025_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HSsKMGzXvDY/T2YCvPV_-6I/AAAAAAAABSo/4y_rWAzZm8c/s320/421325_10150585342552779_664932778_9101017_581152025_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721263387216706466" border="0" /></a><br />I felt like a queen sitting at this table with these remarkable women I call my close friends and I remember thinking, "This is what life should be all about!" Those memorable moments you make sharing great wine and food with your close friends and family! This experience really changed the way I was looking at my life and I realized that day what I wanted to do and how I wanted to spend my life going forward. It was just an exciting afternoon full of joy! We even got a glimpse of the season's first wildfire in Soda Canyon!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--0l7Wvy-7MY/T2YAZ6iHuSI/AAAAAAAABSQ/5WxPQnIujFQ/s1600/fire%2Bin%2Bsoda%2Bcanyon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--0l7Wvy-7MY/T2YAZ6iHuSI/AAAAAAAABSQ/5WxPQnIujFQ/s320/fire%2Bin%2Bsoda%2Bcanyon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721260821829892386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I would like to thank Margaret Meraz for putting on such a beautiful event for us! Your friendship and graciousness is much appreciated and I look forward to many years of friendship to come! You are awesome! Margaret gave us all goody bags on our way out. In addition to some fun information about the winery and some cute logo trinkets along with a book of photos commemorating Flora's life, we each received a bottle of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Flora 1911 Sauvignon Blanc</span>, a special commemorative bottling in honor of Flora Komes' 100th birthday! It is available on their website and at the winery for $25. I can't wait to try it!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_1ou6Umbso/T2YIJJ7_H_I/AAAAAAAABTA/YOroQ5lWh1I/s1600/Flora%2BSauv.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 111px; height: 313px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_1ou6Umbso/T2YIJJ7_H_I/AAAAAAAABTA/YOroQ5lWh1I/s320/Flora%2BSauv.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721269330000158706" border="0" /></a><br />Thanks to the wonderful staff at Flora Springs Estate for your great hospitality and for sharing your history with us on such a great afternoon! I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this day!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MFxqSJlvcwY/T2YGpyDDgnI/AAAAAAAABS0/hwcdTu-e4js/s1600/margaret%2B%2526%2BI.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MFxqSJlvcwY/T2YGpyDDgnI/AAAAAAAABS0/hwcdTu-e4js/s320/margaret%2B%2526%2BI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721267691499782770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flora Springs Estate </span>is open by appointment. They have many tour, tasting and dining options available. (Our tour, tasting and luncheon was put on as a special trade event for us.) To experience them for yourselves, please contact Margaret Meraz at the estate. More information is available on the winery's website: <span style="font-weight: bold;">florasprings.com</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flora Springs </span>also has a tasting room in St. Helena on Hwy 29.<br /><br />I can't wait to come back!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J0oAIsleTB4/T2YIaB3JhjI/AAAAAAAABTM/XY3fwW1seJI/s1600/Estate.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J0oAIsleTB4/T2YIaB3JhjI/AAAAAAAABTM/XY3fwW1seJI/s320/Estate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721269619890161202" border="0" /></a><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-36477554546309826142012-03-11T07:14:00.007-07:002012-03-11T08:16:27.343-07:00Rock Stars & Their Wines, Part One: Geoff Tate Goes "Insania"...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZ7769fLKO8/T1y8aPEAVPI/AAAAAAAABQQ/nnkq_637Hs4/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZ7769fLKO8/T1y8aPEAVPI/AAAAAAAABQQ/nnkq_637Hs4/s320/photo%25281%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718652785759638770" border="0" /></a><br />I have often been fascinated by celebrities who love to dabble in other hobbies once they feel they can finally do this without financial repercussions. As of late, there has been a resurgence of this happening, especially in the wine industry. It seems like everyone wants to make wine. Stars such as Jeff Bridges, Emilio Estevez, Mick Fleetwood, Vince Neil of Motley Crue, Peggy Fleming have all become "winemakers" at some point in their careers. With the announcement a couple weeks ago that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lady Gaga </span>was visiting Napa Valley and Sonoma and was thinking about making her own wine, I decided to delve a little further into this matter.<br /><br />Back in the day, like a lot of other people my age (Oops! Am I giving my age away??), I was into heavy metal music. One of the bands I adored was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Queensryche</span>, a Seattle-based band who was "famous" for churning out these gorgeous, slightly over the top rock opera-style concept albums. Their lead singer, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Geoff Tate</span>, had a captivating, melodic voice that seemed unforgettable. I would immerse myself in their music for hours on end. Fast forward to now and what has happened to them? They've all gone on to do solo projects. One of Geoff's solo projects is wine... Dead silence. Geoff Tate is making wine? Really? Well, sort of..<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SXYKArqqiB4/T1y8GeM843I/AAAAAAAABQE/x_tifW2jZN8/s1600/photo.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SXYKArqqiB4/T1y8GeM843I/AAAAAAAABQE/x_tifW2jZN8/s320/photo.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718652446226310002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Geoff's fascination with wine began during his early days with the band, back in the 80s. While traveling all over the world, he had the chance to try many wines and thus cultivated his palate. He was especially excited by the wines of the Napa Valley which he said blew him away. It wasn't until around 2006, when he began getting serious about possibly making wine. His wife's family in Germany owned a vineyard and they asked Geoff to come do some work there. It was then that he knew what he had to do. After a visit to Walla Walla, Washington and a meeting with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Three Rivers Winery </span>owners, Holly Turner and her husband Andy, Geoff set forth to make his own wine with their help. Now mind you, Geoff is not a winemaker. Rather more like a lab rat who has a say in the production and he gets to do a lot of tasting, blending etcetera. After all, the wine will have his name on it...<br /><br />Geoff's first release was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Insania Red</span>, a Bordeaux-style red blend of the classic Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Washington state's terroir and latitude mimics the Bordeaux region. A 2010 trip across the state of Washington proved to be life-changing for me, opening my eyes up to some of the world's best Bordeaux-style reds with huge cellaring potential and amazing price points! Geoff's wine drew enough attention that he continued production with two more releases.<br /><br />Just a few weeks ago, I found out Geoff was going to be making an appearance at one of my favorite Napa Valley hang-outs: <span style="font-weight: bold;">1313 Main</span>, a sexy little wine bar in downtown Napa. He was doing a solo show in town and decided to stop by and do a bottle signing for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Insania</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Red </span>($38)<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>and a new release, <span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Insania White</span> ($25). I was overjoyed but sad that I could not be there. No matter! My friends at <span style="font-weight: bold;">1313 Main </span>made sure I was taken care of by having Geoff sign a couple bottles for me and gifting them to me! I can't thank them enough!!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8rNUO9yo0-k/T1y9Js0v1PI/AAAAAAAABQc/HCGVcS9M3Eg/s1600/Insania.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8rNUO9yo0-k/T1y9Js0v1PI/AAAAAAAABQc/HCGVcS9M3Eg/s320/Insania.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718653601202558194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have not sampled the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Insania Red yet</span>. As with nearly all the Washington state red wines, I believe it also has good cellaring potential and I decided to leave it in Napa with my private stash of wines as I will be moving there shortly. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Insania White </span>is like nectar of the gods! 62% Semillon 38% Sauvignon Blanc. Perfectly balanced. Ripe with pear and apricot flavors, a slight floral character and just a hint of creaminess. What a beautiful wine! The $25 price point doesn't do it justice at all. It has a much higher perceived value. What happens for me when Semillon is done just right? I get a little explosion that goes off in my head!! It felt so good to feel that again!! With Summer around the corner, this wine is perfect!<br /><br />With that said, I wish <span style="font-weight: bold;">Geoff Tate </span>the best of luck with his wine business! I really feel he's onto something GREAT! He seems to be doing everything correctly.<br /><br />Where can you get bottles of "Insania"? They are available for ordering at <span style="font-weight: bold;">threeriverswinery.com </span>on their online store. (Unfortunately, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Insania Red </span>has been replaced by the 2009 vintage but I truly believe this vintage will be well worth looking into as well.) For photos of the event, please like <span style="font-weight: bold;">1313 Main </span>on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook </span>and check it out!! If you would like to keep tabs on Geoff, his music and Insania, please check out his website, <span style="font-weight: bold;">geofftate.com</span>.<br /><br />I would like to thank <span style="font-weight: bold;">Geoff Tate </span>for signing the two bottles for me and introducing me to such nice wine, my good friend <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jerae Knutson </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">1313 Main </span>for providing the photos and the event. You are the BEST!!!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-64106204729783723762012-01-29T08:37:00.000-08:002012-01-29T18:38:47.468-08:00Cellarmistress Is In Love...With Pine Ridge Vineyards!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-znpeavCuaPw/TyV2OJWaXWI/AAAAAAAABPE/7CneenZRR9A/s1600/388283_10150425429987779_664932778_8547406_501023548_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-znpeavCuaPw/TyV2OJWaXWI/AAAAAAAABPE/7CneenZRR9A/s320/388283_10150425429987779_664932778_8547406_501023548_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703094488534768994" border="0" /></a><br />It's almost February and Valentine's Day is almost here. Cellarmistress is in LOVE!<br /><br />But not with a man...This year it's a wine. And a winery! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pine Ridge Vineyards</span>. When a winery comes along and makes an indelible impression on me, I am ready to shout about it off the roof tops!<br /><br />Back in December, I participated in the first <span style="font-weight: bold;">TasteLive </span>event sponsored by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crimson Wine</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Group</span>, a company who owns several wineries in California and Oregon. The event took place live on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter </span>and with a live <span style="font-weight: bold;">UStream </span>feed in the caves at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pine Ridge Vineyards</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pine</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ridge Vineyards </span>is located in an area of Napa Valley called <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Stags Leap District</span>. It is a beautiful area, on the Silverado Trail, studded by pine trees and gorgeous vineyards. It is also notorious for producing some of the best known Cabernets. All of the Napa Valley AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) would argue they make the best Cabernets, however, I find the ones coming out of this area to be powerful but elegant examples. When I first took on this project, I had no idea what I was in for! Now, I can't wait to visit them in February and taste more of their remarkable wines!<br /><br />Under the expert care of winemaker, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Beaulac </span>(whose illustrious career has taken him to many great wineries such as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Murphy Goode</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Markham Vineyards </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">St. Supery</span>) and his assistant winemaker, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Ledbetter</span>, this winery can do no wrong in my book! The wines are beautiful and there are so many. What I tasted that evening was just the tip of the iceberg. I have a feeling I could spend several days there and still not fully grasp its potential! The winery itself has been around since 1978. Their vineyards span the entire Napa Valley-- 200 acres of vineyards in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Stags Leap</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rutherford</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Carneros</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oakville </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Howell Mountain</span>. Growing grapes in all these AVAs guarantees a wide range of wines all with different flavor profiles and nuances. This allows the winemakers to be like artists and paint a different picture with each wine they create! What a fortunate thing!<br /><br />In order to participate in this event, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crimson Wine Group </span>sent me a box of four of their wines, two whites and two reds. As we sipped through the wines, Michael and Jason would discuss them and interact with our team of bloggers and they seemed to really enjoy this. They were very personable and made the experience easy for us.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MD6_UUz05T0/TyV3lHCS9OI/AAAAAAAABPQ/TTjt1jki1to/s1600/CB.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 90px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MD6_UUz05T0/TyV3lHCS9OI/AAAAAAAABPQ/TTjt1jki1to/s320/CB.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703095982562145506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier</span>---This wine should be a staple in everyone's home. It is an easy-drinking, value driven, more bang for your buck kind of white. You can sip it on the patio in the summer, have a party with your girlfriends, serve it with a simple seafood or chicken meal. Floral, citrus, WOW! For $14. Distributed nationwide, easy to find. Go get some!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qa9HqE1MT-c/TyV4DZVhsTI/AAAAAAAABPc/xK6YHMXdLsY/s1600/Chard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 96px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qa9HqE1MT-c/TyV4DZVhsTI/AAAAAAAABPc/xK6YHMXdLsY/s320/Chard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703096502870716722" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Pine Ridge Vineyards Carneros Dijon Clones Chardonnay</span>--Oh yeah! If ever there was a Chardonnay that took every possible flavor that makes Chardonnay so wonderful, this would be it! Creamy, juicy with bright green apple, lemon and just a hint of nuttiness on the finish. Not huge like some of the Carneros Chardonnays, just nice. $34.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3SsXi87pGwc/TyV4pD07RdI/AAAAAAAABPo/x0w-ACpodfs/s1600/Cab.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 91px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3SsXi87pGwc/TyV4pD07RdI/AAAAAAAABPo/x0w-ACpodfs/s320/Cab.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703097149931865554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Pine Ridge Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon</span>---This wine is the reason why I am in love! From the first amazing sip, I was overwhelmed! As Michael and Jason spoke of this wine, I couldn't pay attention. I remember tweeting, "Pardon me, but I missed everything you just said. I'm too busy drowning in this wonderful wine!" I was speechless! This wine is unbelievable! The cherries and the chocolate and this nutty aroma. It had an incredible nose! I was a goner and still am! Oh! Oh! Oh! I can't wait to get more of this!! $54.<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EN1J0zDQ_tc/TyV5OSgb4II/AAAAAAAABP0/tgWgssZzgug/s1600/SLCab.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 89px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EN1J0zDQ_tc/TyV5OSgb4II/AAAAAAAABP0/tgWgssZzgug/s320/SLCab.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703097789527613570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Pine Ridge Vineyards Stags Leap District Cabernet </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sauvignon</span>--This was my second experience with this wine, having tasted it once before for a live event I did in November for the Napa Valley Film Festival. This is a very age-worthy wine with a huge backbone, lots of complex, dark flavors (coffee and cassis come to mind), and is a winery-only exclusive. Typical expression of Stags Leap AVA Cabernet and great for collectors who want to cellar several to try over the years. $80.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pine Ridge Vineyards </span>is open to the general public daily 10:30-4:30 and is located at 5901 Silverado Trail. They have a wide variety of tasting and touring options. I encourage you to visit this beautiful winery and savor some of these beauties for yourselves. For more information, please visit their website, <span style="font-weight: bold;">pineridgevineyards.com</span>.<br /><br />I would like to thank the team at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crimson Wine Group </span>and winemakers, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Beaulac</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Ledbetter</span>, for sharing such great wines with me! I'll be attending the Stags Leap District Bar & Lounge event at Pine Ridge for Premiere Napa! Can't wait to meet you! See you then!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-189636245913168542012-01-08T14:49:00.001-08:002012-01-09T05:04:13.259-08:00Tudal Family Winery: An Iconic Slice Of Napa Heaven<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0cD9UltVQ6M/TwofB13MOBI/AAAAAAAABNc/JKKp029Fjow/s1600/326223_10150337006207779_664932778_8187208_1457863877_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0cD9UltVQ6M/TwofB13MOBI/AAAAAAAABNc/JKKp029Fjow/s320/326223_10150337006207779_664932778_8187208_1457863877_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695398795262310418" border="0" /></a><br />For most people, a visit to Napa Valley can be overwhelming. There are so many wineries configured in such a small area and the possibilities are endless. There are the larger, well-known producers. There are wineries that look like palaces that I call show places. There are small family-owned wineries. Then there are the tiny, lesser known places hidden on the valley floor. These are the kind of places that will steal your heart and never give it back. They will leave a lasting impression on you.<br /><br />Back in October, I made another trip to Napa Valley to find myself visiting one such place, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tudal</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Family</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winery</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tudal Family Winery </span>is located off the beaten path just past the town of St. Helena, right off Highway 29. If you blink, you will miss it and you won't want to miss it. As a member of the media, I was approached about visiting them by their PR company. They put me up in their guest house for a couple nights and I was given the opportunity to sample the wines, see the property and chat with the owner. Sometimes visiting a smaller winery can be pretty special so I agreed to visit. I can't tell you how glad I am that I did this. For a couple days, I felt I had my own little slice of Napa heaven. My schedule was horrendous that week and each day as I left to go elsewhere, I really didn't want to leave. And as I returned each evening, I happily returned to my little sanctuary... That's how it felt!<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4S9KBt5Vijg/TwortTs3sVI/AAAAAAAABOY/zA5ZjA57aro/s1600/322473_10150337006772779_664932778_8187213_1198415729_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4S9KBt5Vijg/TwortTs3sVI/AAAAAAAABOY/zA5ZjA57aro/s320/322473_10150337006772779_664932778_8187213_1198415729_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695412736145994066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On the first day, owner <span style="font-weight: bold;">John Tudal </span>drove down from Oakland to meet with me. His parents, Alma and the late Arnold Tudal had started the winery in the early seventies after being in the produce business in the bay area for many years. I walked into an old building on the property and immediately saw history begin to unfold around me. The walls of an office covered with memorabilia and photos of visitors and friends of the Tudal family. One famous face was that of Joe DiMaggio, who was a frequent visitor. Nearly forty years later, the property is like a little time capsule with some modern amenities such as the winemaking facility. But John has painstakingly managed to keep the property almost as it was in the early days, restoring an old tractor shed and turning it into a barrel room/tasting facility with tributes to his father on the walls. There's a gorgeous vegetable garden in the middle of the property and another shed-like structure where outdoor tastings are held and one can marvel at all the old empty bottles of wine lining the shelves. It would turn an antique collector green with envy! As I spoke with John, I understood his sense of pride and I saw it in his eyes as he spoke of his family. He wants to preserve history so his kids can carry on the tradition.<br /><br />Later in the morning, I met with General Manager, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doug Eisele </span>who walked me around the property and conducted a tasting for me as well. As I put my things away in the guest house, Doug picked up a book that was on one of the tables. The book was called, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Napa Stories" </span>by famed Napa Valley chef, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Chiarello</span>. Inside the book was photo of Doug's mother. I own the same book so I knew of the Eisele Vineyard and the history behind that as well. So cool! This is what I love about Napa Valley--all the old history that surrounds the place! But fast forward to now and something that is breathing life back into the winery. In 2009, they brought on winemaker <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kirk Venge</span>, a young UC Davis-educated winemaker who is helping to launch their brand into the stratosphere. Kirk is all about quality (if the name sounds familiar, he is the son of winemaker <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nils Venge</span>) and though I have not tasted their older wines, I can tell you that these 2009 vintage wines are going to give other wineries in the area some stiff competition!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VrmJhXfA3j8/TwoniJvi4PI/AAAAAAAABNo/S22ULjM2gXM/s1600/321790_10150332851477779_664932778_8166558_750402891_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VrmJhXfA3j8/TwoniJvi4PI/AAAAAAAABNo/S22ULjM2gXM/s320/321790_10150332851477779_664932778_8166558_750402891_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695408146447786226" border="0" /></a><br />In addition to the tasting, I had also received a box of several of their wines as samples previous to my visit. These are handcrafted wines and a few of them have very nice aging potential. Among some of my favorites were:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc</span>--More of a white Bordeaux-style with white peach and white flowers, lots of citrus and green apple flavors.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Napa-Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon</span>--I loved, loved, loved this wine! 50% of the grapes were sourced from vineyards near Healdsburg in Sonoma County, this is what I call an every day Cabernet. Lush, easy and fun. And a beautiful label designed with the help of my friend Kerry Eddy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon</span>--This wine is dark, deep with concentrated flavors of dark chocolate, mint and cedar. Silky tannins but a strong backbone for aging. I'd love to taste this one again in a few years and see how it evolves.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Clift Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon</span>--Rustic with black cherry, leather, black olive and a very lush, long finish. This single vineyard Cabernet was pretty extraordinary. I was swooning a bit as I sampled it, truly appreciating all the hard labor that went into making it. Really nice!<br /><br />(They also produce a Pinot Noir from the Bacigalupi Vineyard in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. I will be discussing this wine later in the Spring for an event I am hosting on Twitter, April 18th--#winechat.)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KO8QHerfqIs/Two0-Yj5ICI/AAAAAAAABOk/13im1TzOcUg/s1600/492123495.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KO8QHerfqIs/Two0-Yj5ICI/AAAAAAAABOk/13im1TzOcUg/s320/492123495.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695422925112942626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The wines are available at the winery and they do have limited distribution around the US. The winery is appointment only so you will need to call ahead. They are very gracious, friendly and excited to discuss the history of the winery and you'll enjoy the wines very much. If you're a history buff, this is definitely the place for you! Plus the property is absolutely beautiful and like me, you will feel like you are in your own little slice of Napa heaven! A must-visit!<br /><br />For more information, please go to their website, <span style="font-weight: bold;">tudalwinery.com</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tudal Family Winery </span>is located at 1015 Big Tree Lane in St. Helena, CA. For appointments, please call 707-963-3947.<br /><br />I would like to thank <span style="font-weight: bold;">John Tudal</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doug Eisele </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tiffany van Gorder </span>at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Balzac Communications </span>for creating such a wonderful opportunity for me. I enjoyed every minute of being there and cannot wait to visit again soon!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-56037437179407475112011-11-27T07:40:00.001-08:002011-11-27T08:37:20.787-08:00Cellarmistress Does The Napa Valley Film Festival -Part Three: Tasting Napa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x9WQiU3iZAQ/TtJaJFgY2uI/AAAAAAAABNM/sVHOZeVaA0Q/s1600/327734_10150362345077779_664932778_8338996_948314527_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x9WQiU3iZAQ/TtJaJFgY2uI/AAAAAAAABNM/sVHOZeVaA0Q/s320/327734_10150362345077779_664932778_8338996_948314527_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679701192210963170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The final part of the blogger tasting took place on the Saturday evening of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Inaugural Napa</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Valley Film Festival</span>. Samples of the four wines were sent to us by the individual wineries. As much as I had enjoyed the three previous installments of the live blogging, I felt a bit disconnected from this particular session. Perhaps it was because there was a lot of silent time between tasting and the live feed we were following. Quite a bit of shuffling when it came to the order in which we were going to sample these wines also. Not enough time for much Q & A either so my questions went unanswered. Considering how busy the festival was and how anything can go wrong at any given time, I still think they did a great job with what they had to work with. We did try some really nice wines on this installment and I am here to share those with you.<br /><br />The first of these wines was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Saintsbury Lee Vineyard Pinot Noir</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Saintsbury</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vineyard </span>is located in my favorite area of Napa, Los Carneros. Carneros is the scenic (almost majestic as far as I'm concerned) area in the southern end of Napa as you drive in from the bay area. The rolling hills sweep you away. It is just beautiful! (Note to self: pull over sometime if you can and take photos!) Because of its proximity to the San Pablo Bay, it is an ideal area to grow Pinot Noir grapes and thus the only area in the Napa Valley that produces Pinot Noir. Saintsbury has been around for a very long time, and Pinot Noir is their specialty. They produce many. The 2009 Lee Vineyard is a new release (or at least I think it is...I couldn't get my question answered!) and it is young. I think I would've enjoyed it more had I opened it a year from now. It was very tight with dark cherries, cedar and almost a flinty minerality. A lot darker in color than some of the Carneros Pinot Noir I've experienced in the past. But, hey, I am a novice when it comes to Carneros Pinot Noir and I am willing to learn. Bring it on! <span style="font-weight: bold;">www.saintsbury</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">com</span> $45.<br /><br />Next we did the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Pine Ridge Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pine Ridge</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vineyards </span>is one of those wineries whose wines you sometimes see at wine shops around the country but did you know they make a lot of unique, single vineyard wines? This one was huge and powerful with loads of plum, chocolate, coffee, caramel and toasty vanilla on the finish. This wine has a firm tannin backbone making the capacity for aging into the 15-20 year mark. I don't have that much willpower!! This wine contains all five Bordeaux varietals in it: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It's gooood!!! Veteran winemaker, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Beaulac </span>made wines for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Markham Vineyards </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">St</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Supery </span>before landing here. <span style="font-weight: bold;">www.pineridgewinery </span>$80.<br /><br />And now for my two favorites of the evening, offerings from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Swanson Vineyards</span>, located in Rutherford. I first learned of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Swanson Vineyards </span>after seeing my friend Rudy McClain's acclaimed film, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Merlove</span>" several years ago. ("Merlove" is a film about Merlot and its unfortunate demise...) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Swanson Vineyards</span>' winemaker, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Phelps</span>, was interviewed in the film... (On a side note, Rudy says I am the "Mayor of Merlove" on Foursquare because everywhere I go, I meet someone who was in the film! Ha!) I was super excited when I found out Chris was going to be joining us on the feed but alas, he did not...Bummer...Anyhow, the two offerings were the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Swanson Vineyards Pinot Grigio</span> and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Swanson</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vineyards Oakville Merlot</span>. When they came on, the hashtag they used was their Twitter handle, <span style="font-weight: bold;">OhHelloSwanson</span>! I thought that was hilarious but really for this winery it is completely appropriate! One sip of these wines is enough to make you say, "Oh Hello Swanson!!! Where have you been all my life???" The Merlot will make a believer out of the non-believers. People who stopped drinking Merlot because of the movie "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sideways</span>" don't realize what they are missing out on. This wine is a full berry explosion with smooth chocolate and a little bit of anise thrown in the mix. It's heavenly! $38. The Pinot Grigio is lemony, refreshing and commands a lot of salty snacks. $21. Love these wines and recommend them wholeheartedly!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">www.swansonvineyards.com</span><br /><br />Next time you are visiting Napa Valley, please consider visiting these three wineries. All three offer an insider's look into something unique and special.<br /><br />Now that this is all over I am going through some withdrawal symptoms but at the same time, I am looking forward to next year's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Napa Valley Film Festival </span>and also looking forward to attending the festivities in real life after my move out there! Cheers!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-35028730894488926152011-11-20T13:52:00.000-08:002011-11-20T16:54:58.408-08:00Cellarmistress Does The Napa Valley Film Festival--Part Three Continued: Tasting Yountville<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tgb_oSrQj_s/Tsl29OErrZI/AAAAAAAABM8/Fl5UJTNOAnk/s1600/335450_10150362277232779_664932778_8338649_2042564864_o%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tgb_oSrQj_s/Tsl29OErrZI/AAAAAAAABM8/Fl5UJTNOAnk/s320/335450_10150362277232779_664932778_8338649_2042564864_o%25281%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677199599399054738" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Saturday afternoon, we bloggers had the opportunity to taste wines in conjunction with the Yountville Pavilion, <span style="font-weight: bold;">TasteLive</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">CellarPass </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mutineer Magazine</span>. The Yountville tasting was interesting as I was able to sample wines from wineries I'd never visited before. Each winery sent a sample bottle of what we were going to taste. Wineries featured were <span style="font-weight: bold;">John</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anthony Vineyards</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jessup Cellars </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chiarello Family Vineyards</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">John Anthony Vineyards </span>offered up two wines, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon</span> and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc</span>. The winery sources its Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards in the Oak Knoll district of Napa, which is just north of the town of Napa. This wine is 100% Cabernet, nothing else was blended into it. Like a lot of the 2007 vintage in Napa in general, it packed a lot of fruit up front and I was pleasantly surprised that the finish was a lot longer than some I had tried. The $56 price point is well-worth it. This wine would age very nicely. The Sauvignon Blanc, in my opinion, had a much higher perceived value than its price tag of $20 would suggest. It was all citrus and very elegant. And I have to commend their winemaker for sticking to a style that's very typical of Napa Valley. So many Napa producers are starting to shy away from the California style opting for a style that mimics New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and I hate that. I enjoy both styles but the last thing we need is our tried and true California style changing so drastically. After the tasting was over, a fellow blogger brought up the alcohol level of this wine. At over 15%, I agree it is a bit much. But the point is to savor this wine with a meal. It's not a "sit on your patio sipper." There are plenty of other wines out there that fall into that category! <span style="font-weight: bold;">www</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">johnanthonyvineyards</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">com</span><br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Jessup Cellars Juel </span>was interesting! I felt kind of special being one of the first people out here to sample it. The wine won't be released to the public until sometime next Spring! The wine is huge, young, and definitely commands a great meal to go along with it. It is Merlot-based and each year, they change up the blend just a hair. During the tasting, I enjoyed the intense flavors but unfortunately when I went back to it several hours later, the wine had sort of fallen apart. It wasn't nearly as huge and the finish disappeared. Even capped with a rubber stopper with the air pumped out of it. I truly hope that a few more months of bottle aging will prevent this from happening in the future or maybe I received a bad bottle? The winemaker suggested the retail price on this bottle would be somewhere in the $85 range and that's a lot of money to spend on something that may not age well. Let's hope this is not the case because this wine was packing a lot of flavor! <span style="font-weight: bold;">www</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">jessupcellars</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">com</span><br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Chiarello Family Vineyards Roux </span>is an old vine Petite Sirah (from 99 year old vines) and it was my favorite of the tasting! It was hearty, meaty, had a huge backbone and was completely in your face. It rocked!! This was the first of any Chiarello Family wine I'd had proving that not only is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Chiarello </span>a great chef and businessman but he certainly knows a little about wine! If you tasted this wine, you would ask yourselves why more producers don't make a Petite Sirah. I wanted short ribs with this---the short ribs I tasted at Michael's Yountville restaurant, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bottega</span> on my birthday! This wine could age for the next ten years but you wouldn't want to wait that long! The next time you're in Yountville, stop by <span style="font-weight: bold;">NapaStyle</span> and pick up a bottle or if you dine at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bottega</span>, order it by the glass. $46 is pricey for Petite Sirah but guess what? It's worth every penny! <span style="font-weight: bold;">www</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">chiarellovineyards.com</span><br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4086418632121304606.post-30193786705941444522011-11-20T08:24:00.000-08:002011-11-20T09:12:27.521-08:00Cellarmistress Does The Napa Valley Film Festival--Part Three: 11 Wines In 24 Hours!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YN5xgp5pBJI/Tskqt4Mu-fI/AAAAAAAABMw/pVjLFflX6O0/s1600/324287_10150361423732779_664932778_8334777_1230835025_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YN5xgp5pBJI/Tskqt4Mu-fI/AAAAAAAABMw/pVjLFflX6O0/s320/324287_10150361423732779_664932778_8334777_1230835025_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677115772945496562" border="0" /></a><br />What a whirlwind that was!! I literally didn't leave my house for twenty-four hours so I could partake in this little venture! Eleven more wines to savor and sample. Some were great, others good and all in all it was a great time! On Friday afternoon, we bloggers took part in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Taste</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Live </span>tasting in conjunction with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Napa Valley Film Festival</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">CellarPass </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mutineer</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Magazine</span>. This time, we were tasting along with the folks at the St. Helena Pavilion. The tasting featured three wines and a multitude of guests speaking on their behalf.<br /><br />The first of these three was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Ramian Canard Vineyard Merlot</span>. The bottle was sent to me as a sample from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Savour St</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Helena</span>, a tasting room located on Main Street in St. Helena. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Winemaker Brian Graham </span>was on hand to give us feedback on the wine. This wine helped me coin my new signature phrase, "Hello Lover!" in the same fashion that Carrie Bradshaw uses the term when she sees a pair of shoes on "Sex And the City". The moment I took a sip it was like biting into a delicious chocolate covered cherry. Big cherry mid-palate! I was swooning! The winery is located in Calistoga, the most northern end of the Napa Valley and the wines are very small production. For $45, this Merlot would make a non-Merlot lover change their mind. Outside of purchasing the wine at the tasting room, the winery has an allocation list and wine club to choose from. <span style="font-weight: bold;">www</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">ramianestate</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">com</span><br /><br />The next wine was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Clif Family Winery Kit</span>'<span style="font-weight: bold;">s Killer Cab</span>. I recently spent several hours in St. Helena at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Velo Vino </span>tasting room where the Clif Family holds court. What a fun place and what fun, unpretentious wines! (Yes, this is the same Clif Family who does the famous Clif Bars and sells biking and sporting goods!) My friend, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Efrain Barragan </span>who does their media and marketing, was on hand as well as the <span style="font-weight: bold;">winemaker Bruce Regalia</span>. Efrain sent me the bottle for this event and at $38, this wine is definitely a Napa Valley bargain! Tough to find a nicer drinking Cabernet at this price out there! Blackberries and mocha. I encourage everyone to visit this fun little tasting room. It's on the left hand side of HWY 29 as you enter St. Helena. You can't miss it! <span style="font-weight: bold;">www</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">cliffamilywinery</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">com</span><br /><br />The third of the bunch was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Raymond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon</span>. Most people who drink wine have heard of Raymond. They're pretty big out there and widely distributed. This particular wine is their flagship wine, the first of the samples I received from the winery. I've tasted many vintages of this wine and found it to be consistently pleasant to my palate. I also think this wine is a good bargain as well. Recently, the winery went through an overhaul of sorts, a remodel and I simply cannot wait to visit. I have heard wonderful things about the place. I'm looking forward to meeting <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean Charles Boisset</span>, whose company, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boisset Family Estates</span>, oversees the winery. The wine is medium-bodied with a very juicy mid-palate of plums and dark cherries, and a smooth finish. Another $35 value and ready to drink now. If you're in town, visit them in St. Helena. They are located on Zinfandel Lane. <span style="font-weight: bold;">www</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">raymondvineyards</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;">com</span>.<br /><br />Stay tuned as I head south to Yountville for the next installment...I need a breather first!!!<br /><br />"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12100780575810435897noreply@blogger.com0