Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk

Cellarmistress Is In Love...With Pine Ridge Vineyards!

2012-01-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

It's almost February and Valentine's Day is almost here. Cellarmistress is in LOVE!

But not with a man...This year it's a wine. And a winery! Pine Ridge Vineyards. When a winery comes along and makes an indelible impression on me, I am ready to shout about it off the roof tops!

Back in December, I participated in the first TasteLive event sponsored by Crimson Wine Group, a company who owns several wineries in California and Oregon. The event took place live on Twitter and with a live UStream feed in the caves at Pine Ridge Vineyards. Pine Ridge Vineyards is located in an area of Napa Valley called The Stags Leap District. 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!

Under the expert care of winemaker, Michael Beaulac (whose illustrious career has taken him to many great wineries such as Murphy Goode, Markham Vineyards and St. Supery) and his assistant winemaker, Jason Ledbetter, 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 Stags Leap, Rutherford, Carneros, Oakville and Howell Mountain. 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!

In order to participate in this event, the Crimson Wine Group 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.

2010 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier---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!

2009 Pine Ridge Vineyards Carneros Dijon Clones Chardonnay--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.

2008 Pine Ridge Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon---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.

2007 Pine Ridge Vineyards Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon--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.

Pine Ridge Vineyards 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, pineridgevineyards.com.

I would like to thank the team at Crimson Wine Group and winemakers, Michael Beaulac and Jason Ledbetter, 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!

"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.

Tudal Family Winery: An Iconic Slice Of Napa Heaven

2012-01-08T14:49:00.001-08:00

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.

Back in October, I made another trip to Napa Valley to find myself visiting one such place, Tudal FamilyWinery. Tudal Family Winery 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!

On the first day, owner John Tudal 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.

Later in the morning, I met with General Manager, Doug Eisele 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, "Napa Stories" by famed Napa Valley chef, Michael Chiarello. 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 Kirk Venge, 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 Nils Venge) 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!

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:

2010 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc--More of a white Bordeaux-style with white peach and white flowers, lots of citrus and green apple flavors.

2009 Napa-Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon--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!

2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon--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.

2009 Clift Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon--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!

(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.)

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!

For more information, please go to their website, tudalwinery.com. Tudal Family Winery is located at 1015 Big Tree Lane in St. Helena, CA. For appointments, please call 707-963-3947.

I would like to thank John Tudal, Doug Eisele and Tiffany van Gorder at Balzac Communications for creating such a wonderful opportunity for me. I enjoyed every minute of being there and cannot wait to visit again soon!

"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.

Cellarmistress Does The Napa Valley Film Festival -Part Three: Tasting Napa

2011-11-27T07:40:00.001-08:00

The final part of the blogger tasting took place on the Saturday evening of the Inaugural Napa Valley Film Festival. 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.

The first of these wines was the 2009 Saintsbury Lee Vineyard Pinot Noir. Saintsbury Vineyard 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! www.saintsbury.com $45.

Next we did the 2007 Pine Ridge Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon. Pine Ridge Vineyards 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, Michael Beaulac made wines for Markham Vineyards and St. Supery before landing here. www.pineridgewinery $80.

And now for my two favorites of the evening, offerings from Swanson Vineyards, located in Rutherford. I first learned of Swanson Vineyards after seeing my friend Rudy McClain's acclaimed film, "Merlove" several years ago. ("Merlove" is a film about Merlot and its unfortunate demise...) Swanson Vineyards' winemaker, Chris Phelps, 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 2009 Swanson Vineyards Pinot Grigio and the 2007 Swanson Vineyards Oakville Merlot. When they came on, the hashtag they used was their Twitter handle, OhHelloSwanson! 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 "Sideways" 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!
www.swansonvineyards.com

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.

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 Napa Valley Film Festival and also looking forward to attending the festivities in real life after my move out there! Cheers!

"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.

Cellarmistress Does The Napa Valley Film Festival--Part Three Continued: Tasting Yountville

2011-11-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon, we bloggers had the opportunity to taste wines in conjunction with the Yountville Pavilion, TasteLive, CellarPass and Mutineer Magazine. 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 John Anthony Vineyards, Jessup Cellars and Chiarello Family Vineyards!

John Anthony Vineyards offered up two wines, the 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2010 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. 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! www.johnanthonyvineyards.com

The 2009 Jessup Cellars Juel 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! www.jessupcellars.com

The 2008 Chiarello Family Vineyards Roux 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 Michael Chiarello 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, Bottega 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 NapaStyle and pick up a bottle or if you dine at Bottega, order it by the glass. $46 is pricey for Petite Sirah but guess what? It's worth every penny! www.chiarellovineyards.com

"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.

Cellarmistress Does The Napa Valley Film Festival--Part Three: 11 Wines In 24 Hours!

2011-11-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

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 Taste Live tasting in conjunction with the Napa Valley Film Festival, CellarPass and Mutineer Magazine. 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.

The first of these three was the 2008 Ramian Canard Vineyard Merlot. The bottle was sent to me as a sample from Savour St. Helena, a tasting room located on Main Street in St. Helena. Winemaker Brian Graham 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. www.ramianestate.com

The next wine was the 2007 Clif Family Winery Kit's Killer Cab. I recently spent several hours in St. Helena at the Velo Vino 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, Efrain Barragan who does their media and marketing, was on hand as well as the winemaker Bruce Regalia. 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! www.cliffamilywinery.com

The third of the bunch was the 2008 Raymond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. 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 Jean Charles Boisset, whose company, Boisset Family Estates, 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. www.raymondvineyards.com.

Stay tuned as I head south to Yountville for the next installment...I need a breather first!!!

"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.

Cellarmistress Does The Napa Valley Film Festival: Part Two--The Robert Mondavi Gala

2011-11-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Opening night of the Inaugural Napa Valley Film Festival, I was all abuzz getting ready for the first of many tastings of the weekend. 17 wines in 48 hours! Whew, that's a lot when you're doing it all on your own! As a participant in these events, sponsored by TasteLive, CellarPass and Mutineer Magazine, I couldn't wait to get started. Living in the midwest, the first of these events, The Robert Mondavi Gala, started at 8 PM Pacific Time--in other words 10 PM Central Time in my world. But no matter, I was ready to rock this party!! The two wines for this event, the 2009 Robert Mondavi To Kalon Vineyard Reserve Fume Blanc and the 2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were shipped to me as samples from the winery. I popped them open way ahead of time knowing they would be huge!

The Fume Blanc was a surprise. I had tasted the two previous vintages before and was expecting some sort of "pineapple-bomb". What I got instead was a grassy, herbaceous nose, followed by huge fruit--still tropical (no pineapple this time), lots of citrus notes and a creamy finish. At $45 it is pricey for a Fume Blanc but guess what? I'd pay this because it sets a wonderful standard and you won't find another wine out there like this. I promise!

The Reserve Cabernet is made up of fruit mostly from the prized To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. The vineyard is situated behind the winery. Made up of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blended with it, this lush, dense powerhouse is luxury at its finest. If you love your Cabs big and bold with finesse, this one is definitely for you! Dark fruit, blackberries and a ribbon of velvety spice--it's hot. 15.5% A.B.V. But it stands up to the alcohol level. I wish I had another one so I could open it up in a few years and see how it evolves. It's definitely a nice investment at $135.

These wines are available in limited distribution or at www.robertmondavi.com. If you're visiting the Napa Valley, a stop at this winery in Oakville (situated on the left hand side as you travel up Highway 29--you can't miss it!) is a MUST! It's a big piece of Napa Valley history. I visited in 2008 and took a lot of photos. Enjoy!

"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.

Cellarmistress Does The Inaugural Napa Valley Film Festival: Part One--Tasting Calistoga

2011-11-10T18:15:00.001-08:00

I am not actually in Napa Valley at the moment, though I would love to claim that I am! No matter! I was recently invited to participate in some live tasting sessions in conjunction with Taste Live, CellarPass and Mutineer Magazine, as part of the Inaugural Napa Valley Film Festival!

In a rare departure from my usual wordy and lengthy blog posts, I am going to report on my events and tastings here at "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk". The first of these tastings is happening NOW because unfortunately, in real life, I have a non wine-tasting occupation that pays my bills and allows me to visit the beautiful Napa Valley as often as I like. I am unable to partake in this particular tasting in real time, so I am leaving my thoughts and comments here! And boy did I enjoy doing this!!

The three wines I am discussing were sent to me as samples from each participating winery. The first of the three is the Mumm Napa Napa Valley Brut Reserve Rosé, a winery exclusive. (Yes, this means you have to make a pilgrimage to Napa Valley and visit the winery and no you won't be finding this at your local wine shop.) Everyone who knows me knows this about me...I love my bubbles. Especially when they are rosé. I was jumping for joy when I received this bottle. It's a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a delicate coral tint. Their team carefully assembled grapes from 20 vineyards and 30 different blending components and I commend them. It is so tasty!! WOOT!! Cherries, raspberries, cranberries--robust with a lovely long finish! I am so into this!! $36. If you visit them, you need one of these! Go get several!! It's always a party when there's bubbles!!

Now I tried to find information on this next one. Didn't find much, but as I've learned on my latest travels to Napa Valley, some folks just like to be a good secret. They're hidden amongst the valley floor and it takes some doing to find them. When you do, you won't ever let them go again! Tedeschi Family Winery is one of those rare little gems you find hidden away...

They're located in Calistoga, the northern end of Napa Valley. They are an appointment-only winery and Emil Tedeschi handcrafts his wines using everything he knows of his Italian heritage. Awesome. The 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is just that. A little bit rustic, homey, old world style. A little more earthy and less fruit forward like most Napa Cabs. It actually surprised me, pleasantly that is. I couldn't tell you if there's anything else in it other than Cabernet Sauvignon, but the winemaker's heart went into it that's for sure. This is the kind of wine I want to drink in my front yard some day--that is, when my front yard is overlooking a vineyard. That's what it reminds me of. Wine that memories are made of. I'm Italian too. I know what that is all about! $58.

Phew! The next one is the complete opposite... Elegant but racy, and dark dark dark. 2007 Merryvale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. WOW! I really should've popped this one open and decanted it a long time before now because it is a young stallion!! It needs taming. Even open for several hours, it has a ways to go. 99% Cabernet Sauvignon from several vineyards (including Stagecoach) unfined and unfiltered. And 1% Cabernet Franc. This wine commands filet mignon now!! I need another bottle so I can open it five years from now and see how it evolved. This is the stuff Napa Cabs are famous for. I'm sitting here with a grin as huge as Texas on my face! I hope you enjoy this one as much I have! $65.

So there you have it... Have fun and be safe this weekend as you enjoy the films and the wines of the Napa Valley Film Festival! If you're in the Napa Valley anytime soon, please visit these wineries...Cheers!

"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.

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Cellarmistress Tastes Live With Davis Family Vineyards

2011-11-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

I wasn't actually at this location but I had been there before. In September of 2006, as a matter of fact. I was overly excited to visit this little hidden gem in the town of Healdsburg, California. Why you ask? Winemaker Guy Davis makes some extraordinary wines! As a fledgling in-home wine educator, I knew I was onto something special back then. I was pitching some of his "outside" projects to new wine drinkers in Iowa! Fast forward to 2011, I received an e-mail from TasteLive asking me if I wanted to participate in a live tasting event with Davis Family Vineyards. Of course I would! It would be an amazing evening!

Winemaker Guy Davis came into his winemaking through a degree in finance and a penchant for fine French wine. He had tasted and traveled. And he always had a soft spot for the small family wineries. (A man after my own heart!) He ventured into the wine business as a wine buyer, working with these small wineries and eventually making his own first commercial vintage of Zinfandel in 1995. Guy reinforces my belief that when you put your mind to it and find something you are truly passionate about, anything is possible. It is with this philosophy and all the caring that goes into his winemaking that the proof is here. Just try these wines. You will agree.

When the wine samples arrived, I was overjoyed! Like a kid in a candy store! I couldn't wait to get started. However, my day that day was a little crazy. I arrived home from work in the nick of time to get the session started. No time for photos! (I want to thank my good friend Amy Corron Power for providing the photo of that evening's line-up.)

The first bottle to be opened was the 2009 Cuvee Luke (a blend of 49% Roussanne, 37% Marsanne and 14% Viognier from the Sierra Foothills). I knew right away something was amiss. The dreaded cork taint had infected my bottle! With as much wine as I sample, it was bound to happen sometime. Not to worry though. Everyone else enjoyed theirs and their descriptions of the wine: stone fruits, white flowers, aromatic etc. had me wanting to try it. Guy was nice enough to invite me back to the tasting room on my next visit so I cannot wait to do this! $26.

Next came the 2008 Russian River Valley Chardonnay. This luscious, creamy Chardonnay was so rich and gorgeous, it was completely unfair. It was like drinking candy. I liken it to love at first sight. You are literally walking into walls afterwards. None of that cloying butter or oak. Just creamy vanilla and pear. Nutty and toasty on the finish. Pretty close to perfection I think. $36.

The first of the red wines came next. 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Some of my co-tasters thought this wine lacked acidity. I didn't think so. I thought it was well-balanced. I was getting a lot of berries and cinnamon in it and none of that bacon fat funk that gives some Pinot more edge. Very smooth and elegant. $40.

The next wine was the complete opposite. The 2009 Russian River Valley Soul Patch Pinot Noir, a single vineyard wine. This wine was young and rustic and needed a lot more bottle time. Darker in color, more earthy and Burgundian, it had a lot of aging potential. Can't wait to try it again in a couple of years and see how it evolves. It would be a great investment. $42.

So Guy makes a Napa Valley Cab, huh? Interesting. I couldn't find much information about where the grapes come from exactly, but I will tell you it is delicious!! The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon--lots of chocolate flavor in this one. I mean lots! And those smooth dark berry flavors are integrated so nicely right up to the lingering finish. I had a steak with the remainder of it the next day and wow, was it ever a nice pairing! $50.

So does it get any better than this?? Surprisingly yes!! My favorite of the the reds, the 2008 Russian River Valley Guyzer Block Syrah. Yes, I said Syrah. Stop the presses! This Syrah rocked! With Syrah you just never know what you're going to get. It has pretty much lost its lustre in the U.S. and this one could change all of that. No funk, no earth (although it is a little meaty) it's full of huge plum flavor and that's what I like. You will too! This wine is actually co-fermented with a little bit of Viognier--it adds a little extra zing by binding to the color, aroma and flavor of the Syrah. $38.

Please, if you're in Northern California, visit the tasting room in Healdsburg (Sonoma County). They are located at 52 Front Street and are open Thursday through Sunday from 11-4:30 PM.

Davis Family Vineyards' wines may also be purchased on their website at davisfamilyvineyards.com.

I would like to thank Davis Family Vineyards and the team at TasteLive for putting on such an awesome event!

"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.

Discovering Hahn Family Wines

2011-10-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about wine is you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Sometimes, the best things come wrapped in a package of simplicity. Effortless and easy. A no-brainer. Back in April, I attended a wine-related charity event called Vin Nebraska. During the "Grand Tasting" portion of the event, I met a rep from Hahn Family Wines. Her table was full of goodies and as I stood there sampling each one, a light bulb would go off in my head. "What a nice wine!" I kept thinking over and over again. And---much to my surprise? The price points. Most of them were $15 or less. Wow! It threw me for a loop! Later in the year, when the annual #CabernetDay Twitter event was announced, I was approached by a rep for the winery. Would I like to tweet about some different Hahn Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignons for the event! Of course, I would! Because I knew that if I did this, I would be introducing my public to some absolutely awesome values! I said, "Yes!"

Hahn Winery was founded over thirty years ago by Nicolaus "Nicky" Hahn and his wife Gaby. They purchased vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County. Nowadays, as Hahn Family Wines, they produce many labels and are setting a great example for California wine by producing wines from many appellations not just their own. The rep sent me three such wines to tweet about for the event and each one had its own unique character and was very representative of the area it came from.

The first of these was the 2010 Cycles Gladiator Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon. I wasn't sure what to expect and it was a powerhouse! Big fruit, huge punch on the front, smooth finish! Way too easy to enjoy! It commanded a big meal! Just released in August. Believe me, if you blind tasted this, the perceived value would be much much higher. And for $12 (seriously???) a bottle, everyone should keep this wine in their wine rack. Look for it in markets nationwide.

Next was the 2009 Cycles Gladiator California Cabernet Sauvignon. For those of you who like smooth flavors and an even easier drinking-style, this Cabernet is for you. Balanced all the way through, it's cherry and mocha flavors tease you and make you want more! And yes, it won't break your pocketbook. $12 (What????) I know, it's crazy but grab as much as you can!!!

The third Cabernet I sampled was the 2009 Hahn Winery Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon. This one was a little more complex, with dark fruit, a hefty mid-palate and smooth, spicy finish. I seriously fell in love with it. The nose on this one was amazing. I wanted to just sit there and enjoy the aroma. And once again, talk about craziness--the price point on this beautiful wine is $15!! Wow! That's all I can say.

So there you have it...Wonderful wines at a wonderful price. From the gorgeous labels to the quality of these wines, you have to hand it to them. They know what they're doing and they're doing it very well. I highly recommend you seek these beauties out and try them for yourselves. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Maybe soon, Hahn Family Wines, won't be a best kept secret anymore!!

For more information on Hahn Family Wines and their wine portfolio, please visit their website: www.hahnfamilywines.com. I'd like to thank them for sharing these great wines with me and I will continue to sing their praises wherever I go. These guys are definitely a rarity in the industry!!

"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.

Chocolate and...Wine!

2011-09-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love chocolate? I know I do and I probably don't enjoy it enough. I also never knew which kinds of chocolate to pair with wine or that you could and should pair it with wine. Well, the folks at Brix Chocolate provided some samples of their chocolate to me and on one of the cooler evenings recently, I decided to put their chocolate to the test!

I know you are all wondering what the difference is between their chocolate and any other chocolate out there. What makes it so special? There is an interesting story behind this. Brix Chocolate was developed by Dr. Nick Proia, an Ohio physician who met with friends to taste wine on a weekly basis but felt their practice of eating high fat cheeses with the wine defeated the purpose of drinking the wines for health purposes. There are many health benefits to eating chocolate. Chocolate is good for you, most of us already know this. It is full of antioxidants, helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure. When paired with red wines, it gives you a double dose of benefit--good for your heart, good for your mind! After much experimentation, Dr. Proia chose chocolate from Ghana, in its purest form, for its fruity notes and thus Brix Chocolate was born.

I will admit, I was a bit skeptical but I tried to use the same skills that have made me a great wine taster and apply them to the chocolate--with amazing results. It was a tasting I truly enjoyed.

Brix Chocolate is sold in several ways: It comes in block form or in individual packets called "Brix Bites" of which I received samples. They make four kinds. I was able to sample three of the four.

The first was the Brix Milk Chocolate. I'm a sucker for milk chocolate. It's my favorite and I never ever thought about pairing it with wine. But, it does go with wine, very well in fact. I sampled this one with a Rose', as mentioned on the label. The creaminess of the chocolate paired so nicely with the strawberry and pomegranate flavors of the wine. It was like the chocolate softened the wine and made it taste richer! Other varietals it pairs well with is Port, Ice Wine and Pinot Noir/Burgundy.

Next was the Brix Dark Chocolate. I paired mine with a Zinfandel (though it can also be paired with Syrah/Shiraz or Merlot). This version contains 60% cacao and is the perfect compliment to a spicy, fruity red wine. Not too bitter but not too sweet. Still rich enough to hold its own but not overpowering so the fruity flavors of the wine stayed intact. Very nice!

Lastly, I decided to sample the Brix Extra Dark Chocolate on the evening of #CabernetDay with three different Cabernet Sauvignons. With 70% cacao, this is great chocolate to pair with a layered, but sturdy Cabernet! Also pairs nicely with Bordeaux blends and Barolos. I must admit this was my favorite pairing of the three. I would venture to guess this chocolate would even pair well with the spicy, fruity Zinfandel I had tried earlier.

I highly encourage everyone to try these different chocolates and pairings. Not only are they delicious but they're a very healthy way to enjoy some decadence with your wines. For more information on Brix Chocolate and how you can purchase it, please visit their website, brixchocolate.com. You can also follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BrixChocolate.

I'd like to thank Brix Chocolate and my friend Ryan Wycoff for enlightening me with this delicious treat! Cheers and here's to your health everyone!

"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.

Magic In A Little Corner Of Sonoma...

2011-09-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love the most is when I can come out to wine country and spend several hours enjoying wine with great friends and relishing the time spent there. Perhaps one of the most scenic areas of California wine country is in the Sonoma Valley, especially the Valley of the Moon Highway and the rustic country atmosphere of the towns of Glen Ellen and Kenwood. I'd always wanted to venture this area by myself, in my car, and stop at places along the way. I finally got to do this and the first place I went to was Eric Ross Winery to visit my friend Eric Luse, the winery's owner and winemaker.

I had met Eric several years ago at the North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa. I sat at his table for dinner and found out he was originally from Iowa so we struck up a friendship. He is an inspiration to me as his passion for winemaking and photography has brought him to do what he loves the most. I have to tell you, this little winery is so cute! The decor is whimsical--their logo is a rooster so the winery is filled with beautiful artwork depicting roosters. The atmosphere is extremely friendly and the wines...Well, these are beautifully handcrafted wines and this winery is definitely worth seeking out! It is tucked away in a small corner of Sonoma County and to me, it simply radiates magic!

I sampled several wines during my visit, enjoying them along with several other groups of people who stopped in and out during the few hours I spent there.

The first wine I sampled was the 2010 Lodi Bokisch Vineyard Albarino. Yes, Eric makes an Albarino. It's wonderful! I took one with me back to Iowa. Stainless steel fermented, its bright shiny acidity and citrus flavors are the perfect combination for Summer. $25.

Eric makes an amazing Pinot Noir that I cannot say enough great things about. One sip of this wine and you will fall in love. The 2009 Saralee's Vineyard Pinot Noir is pure heaven. Rich, velvety and beautiful. It makes me swoon everytime I think about it! $45.

One of the most interesting wines I sampled was the 2009 Gout de la Vigne, "Taste The Vineyard" Syrah from Alder Springs Vineyard in Mendocino County. A lot of people are skittish about Syrah. This one would make you change your mind. Dark fruits, smoky, smooth finish. I savored it! $45.

With Winter around the corner, I love a good Zinfandel port next to the fireplace. The 2008 Old Vine Zinfandel Port is made from Dry Creek Valley fruit. So chocolately-rich, it's more than a dessert wine. It's an experience! $48.

Eric had a special surprise for me and he let me sample the 2010 Struttin' Red, which hadn't been bottled yet. Here he is posing with the wine and the new artwork. Can't wait for this release. It'll be a nice, easy drinking everyday red wine!

But alas, all great things must come to an end and I needed to make my way to my next venture. Eric showed me a really neat little book titled, "The Wineries In The Heart Of Sonoma Valley." He contributed photographs to the book and it is just a beautiful rendition of a guide to the area. I highly encourage everyone to pick up a copy when you visit and please do visit and experience these wines for yourselves.

Eric Ross Winery is located at 14300 Arnold Drive in Glen Ellen, CA. They are open for tasting Thursday through Monday from 11-5. For more information, please visit their website, ericross.com. For more information on the Sonoma Valley area, please visit heartofsonomavalley.com.

I'd like to thank Eric Luse and his staff for their warm and wonderful hospitality. I'm so glad I visited and will visit again very soon!!

"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.

Do You Soave?

2011-08-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

Gotcha! No, it's a not a dance move...But Soave may just become a way of life. What do I mean? Those who know me well know that I am about 98% devoted to domestic wines because there are so many yet to be discovered in our country. But every so often, I like to stray...Go on vacation. Recently, I went to Italy, figuratively speaking that is. And what I discovered was an absolutely wonderful white wine that I'm hoping will become a staple in my home and in yours. It was worth discovering!

Not long ago, I was approached by a PR firm in New York, offering me samples of this important discovery. I jumped at the chance because I knew nothing about this wine, Soave. How important is this wine in Italy? So important, it even has its own consortium: Soave Corsorzio Tutela--a group that has come together to keep this wine alive and in the eyes of the public. Their mission is to protect the quality of these wines and to promote the area.

Soave is produced in a small area of northeastern Italy. Called the Veneto region, this area was once covered by a tropical sea. Now its terroir is contains rich minerals and saline sediments lending to the fresh and fruit forward flavors of this wine. The native grape of this area is Garganega. Garganega is usually blended with another varietal, Trebbiano di Soave and is stainless steel fermented. The wines produced from these grapes are elegant, rich in flavor and ageworthy. Served cold, this white wine is delicious and pairs with many fresh Summer dishes, including salads, vegetables, white meats such as chicken and pork and seafood.

I was able to sample two of the four types of Soave: Soave DOC and Soave Classico DOC. The first of the two was the 2009 ReMidas, a Soave DOC made up of 100% Garganega. It is made by Cantina di Soave, a cooperative made up of 2,200 winegrowers and farmers. This wine is a wonderful value at around $10 a bottle. It has a beautiful lemony, floral aroma and is full of citrus notes and stone fruit qualities. I found it to be a refreshing change and a great alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.

(I decided to show you the beauty of this region by sharing the above video from YouTube. It is in Italian but if you can disregard the language barrier, you will find a beautiful video. Also I was able to sample one of their wines so now you can see where it came from!)

The Cantina Del Castello Soave Classico DOC was also a crisp, wonderful alternative white. Made of 90% Garganega and 10% Trebbiano di Soave, this wine also had a floral nose but more of a stone fruit and honeysuckle quality, not as citrusy. It was very lovely. Perfect wine to be enjoyed on a hot Summer day! $15.

These wines are definitely worth a good look. Enjoy them anytime of the year! If you are unable to find them in your area, please go to the following website for more information: www.ilsoave.com.

"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.

My Surprise Journey To Alexander Mountain

2011-08-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous story, I spent most of an entire day recently learning all about Kendall Jackson wines. I had visited the Kendall Jackson Wine Center in Fulton, CA and had spent a glorious morning on a media appointment sampling some culinary delights paired with some fantastic wines. It was terrific! But what lie ahead would prove to be one of the most amazing, educational and unforgettable experiences of my very short wine-related career! When I think about that day and the amazing things I was able to see and do, I smile and shake my head and think to myself how fortunate I am to have come this far. Words just simply cannot describe what I was thinking and feeling that day. I wish all of you could do this. If I were to put a list together of the things wine lovers must do before they leave this world, this would be number one!

Following that fantastic food and wine pairing session in the gazebo, I was given a tour of the Culinary and Sensory Gardens on the Kendall Jackson property. What differentiates these gardens from gardens at other wineries? I'm very happy to report there was a reason why I was to do this. I would highly recommend everyone take this tour because you will learn much about why there are certain flavors in wines and how terroir affects how a wine is going to ultimately taste. Some of the plants were edible, so I tried them to see if I could match their flavors in certain wines. It was an interesting experience. The gardens are very peaceful so it's a nice, mind-clearing and calming experience as well.

Following this short but extremely educational garden tour, my gracious host Dale and I climbed into his SUV for what I call the drive of a lifetime! We would head up highway 101 toward Geyserville to visit Stonestreet Winery. Now, mind you, this is the farthest north I have ever been in California. I had never gone to Geyserville, which is northern Sonoma County. You will be driving along the highway, then all of a sudden out of nowhere comes this absolutely breathtaking view of the mountains. I think my jaw dropped! I've seen some beautiful mountain views in Napa Valley before, but never anything like this! I couldn't get a good shot of it through the front window of the truck! I was stunned. To look at this every day would be a sight to behold! So when we finally arrived at the winery, I got a side view instead...

Stonestreet Winery, is located in the Alexander Valley and is beautiful. I didn't have much experience with their wines before. The only thing I did know was that Jess Jackson's middle name was Stonestreet so this winery must have meant a lot to him. We stopped at the winery to pick up some wines to take to our ultimate destination. Dale and I stood outside and he pointed at a ridge toward the top of the mountains and said, "Do you see that little ridge up there? That's where we are going!" Hooo-wee! Talk about an adrenaline rush!! Inside the winery was a scale model of the Alexander Mountain estate and Dale took the time so show me our route and where we were headed next.

Off we went. I did not know what to expect. As we drove along, Dale talked about the history of Alexander Mountain, which is part of the Mayacamas mountain range. He spoke of the seismic activity up there and how many of the roads were unpaved for a reason. All the seismic activity kept the roads broken so they gave up trying to keep them covered. It sounded like a geological nightmare but all of this added to the beauty of the place and the special wines that came from there. We came upon a gated area, which is where the private Jackson property began and we let ourselves in.

I saw some really interesting things up there including "air conditioning" for the grapevines. Yes, even that high up it can get unbearably hot. As we kept driving up the mountain, Dale pointed out different single vineyard areas for which some of the Stonestreet wines are named. One of the vineyards we passed was the Broken Road Vineyard, and I would sample the wonderful Chardonnay from this vineyard later. And as we headed toward our destination point, the road suddenly became unpaved and much narrower! I could feel the fear begin to overtake me. I trusted Dale to get me there. I tried not to let my fear get the best of me! We finally reached our destination, 1800 feet up, a place called Monument Ridge--just myself, Dale, four bottles of wine and a breathtaking view in one of the most beautiful spots on earth--so far away from anything, you could hear a pin drop on the ground! What an awesome feeling that was!

I walked around the area to a little look-out point they had set-up there and started snapping photos. The look on my face was priceless I'm sure! If anyone would appreciate this, it would have been me. I almost started crying.

We unloaded the wines and sat at a picnic table and began tasting them slowly one by one and evaluated them. This is where the experience of visiting the sensory garden came in handy. As we were tasting them, especially one of the reds I will talk about here, there was a reason why I was picking up certain flavors in the wine. It all had to do with the terroir and the plants growing in the area.

We sampled four amazing wines that I would highly recommend to everyone:

2009 Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($35)--rich with pineapple and passion fruit, elegant, fuller mouthfeel than most wines of this varietal. Beautiful wine!

2008 Stonestreet Broken Road Chardonnay ($40)--as we drove up the property, I was able to see the single vineyard this Chardonnay came from. Another very rich, well balanced wine with flavors of fig and pineapple. Very tropical.

2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon ($45)--Wow! Talk about intense! Amazing Cabernet! Currants, plums, cigar box, you name it. Huge fruit packs a giant wallop on the front and the finish never ends!

2006 Legacy ($85)--This beauty is a supermodel! Elegant, velvety, sophisticated Bordeaux-blend. I couldn't get enough of this wine. I would have loved to just sit there all afternoon and sip on this one.

These are amazing wines that everyone should enjoy! What an unforgettable experience! Eventually it was time to go back down the mountain and we took a slightly different route coming down and I was able to see some extraordinary things such as a memorial to Jess Jackson, who passed away recently and one of the homes he and his wife Barbara Banke owned. I have to tell you, I am forever changed by this visit and now that I have seen the wonderful things that this man was able to accomplish and the feeling of "family" that he brought to his company, I will continue to support them and sing their praises. Visiting Monument Ridge is something I will always hold near and dear to my heart.

Once again, I would like to thank Dale Cullins, my wonderful and gracious host, for spending the day showing me all these awesome things. And I would also like to thank my friend, Al Samuelson, for giving me the surprise of my life. I am forever indebted to both of you!

For more information on Stonestreet Winery, please visit stonestreetwines.com. For information on the Kendall Jackson Wine Center and their gardens, visit kj.com.

"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.

Seghesio Family Vineyards: True Superstars!!!

2011-08-08T18:06:00.001-07:00

I've been a huge fan of Seghesio Family Vineyards for awhile now. My love affair with their wines began in 2006, when I bought a bottle of their 2005 Sonoma County Zinfandel in a bargain bin at my local grocery store. When I asked how come it was marked down and was there something wrong with the bottle, the gentleman behind the counter said it was the only bottle they had left and they wouldn't be carrying it any longer. After opening the bottle, I thought to myself, "That store is crazy for no longer carrying this wine! They obviously don't know anything..." A year later, I was at a local wine club event and we were blind tasting wines. I won a corkscrew for accurately tasting the 2006 Sonoma County Zinfandel and guessing who made it and what varietal it was. I thought to myself, "These Seghesios sure have something special going on... This Zinfandel is pretty amazing." At that point, I had been discussing with friends how we should do another wine tasting trip to northern California soon. I really wanted to visit this winery! Fast forward to the Spring of 2008, I attended a local event at a wine shop here and the guest of honor was Peter Seghesio, the CEO of the winery. Listening to Peter talk about his family and his passion for the family's history and the winemaking process really touched me so in the Fall of 2008, I decided to take my group of friends out to Healdsburg, California to visit the winery for the first time.

The Seghesio family pulled all the stops! We had a wonderful time meeting family members, tasting wines and I even had the opportunity to crush some grapes!! Meeting Ted Seghesio, the winemaker (seen below) was a wonderful opportunity and one I shall not soon forget! He just makes amazing wines year after year. I know I sound like I'm gushing when I speak of his talent, but you have to try these wines and see for yourself! You will agree with me. The family's warmth and hospitality was genuine and the experience of visiting them would always remain a fond memory!

Well it's been nearly three long years since that first visit and on my trip to California last month, I decided to pop in to the Seghesio tasting room again and find out what was happening! I had heard and read stories about how the winery had been sold and I wanted to make sure that my worst fears would not be realized. Sometimes a winery sale can be a good thing for all involved. And while I don't know all the details of this particular event, I feel confident that this was the right move for them and the quality of their wines will not change at all. When I arrived on that warm Friday afternoon, I was greeted by my friend Brandye Alexander, who does marketing and social media for the winery. I tasted through some amazing wines that afternoon and I would like to share these wines with you!

Although the Seghesio Family is best known for their killer reds, they also put out three amazing whites using Italian varietals--Fiano, Arneis and Pinot Grigio. I have sampled all three many times and cannot say enough great things about them. The white I sampled at the winery that day was the 2010 Pinot Grigio. This is one of the most elegant whites I've ever sampled. It's a bit more full-bodied and full-flavored than most Pinot Grigios I've tried. I find a lot of them pretty lackluster but this one is tops! Highly recommended! $20.

Wow-za! Talk about a powerful Pinot Noir! The 2009 Costiera Pinot Noir is just that! It's huge, velvety, lush, I could go on... Recently, it received 93 points from Wine Spectator Magazine. I completely understand why. You will fall in love with this wine. I'm pretty speechless. I ended up taking a bottle home with me. I keep staring at it waiting for the perfect moment to open it up...It'll be soon, I'm tellin' ya! (I have no willpower!) $42.

What can I say about this next wine, except that your palate is about to go on a big adventure! This is rugged, earthy, jammy Zinfandel at its finest! The 2009 Rockpile Zinfandel is an amazing creature! You might have to sit down when you drink this because you will definitely be taken aback by its layers of complexity! It is to die for! The price point for this wine, at $38, is crazy. It is the yin to the next wine I tried, which I consider the complete opposite or the yang of this one!

The 2008 Cortina Zinfandel is elegant, sophisticated and the feminine counterpart of the Rockpile Zinfandel. Still bold in its flavor profile but smooth and silky as well. Very beautiful. $36.

When asked if I wanted to sample the 2009 Old Vine Carignane, I jumped at the chance. Not only did I not know that they were making one, but Carignane is one of those blending grapes and it's pretty rare to find a winery that makes one straight up like this. I was very excited! It was nearly perfect! Lots of rich blueberry and raspberry flavor and so smooth! I took one of those home too! $28.

While all of this was going on, Ted Seghesio's dad, Ed Seghesio, was making his rounds around the tasting room, telling stories, getting photographed with pretty ladies (he's definitely fond of the ladies!) and adding to the colorful atmosphere of the tasting room that day! I had a wonderful time meeting him! I highly recommend a visit to this winery anytime. They will make you feel very welcome and happy there! I will always support this winery as they hold a special place in my heart! I wish them the best of luck as they transition into the next chapter of their story. They deserve the best! Please visit them and you will find out why they are truly "SUPERSTARS!"

Seghesio Family Vineyards is open 10-5 daily and is located in Healdsburg, California. For more information on the winery, please visit their website at seghesio.com.

I would like to thank Brandye Alexander, Ed Seghesio and the tasting room staff for the wonderful time I had last month! I'll be seeing you again very soon!

"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.

The Ultimate Food And Wine Pairing

2011-08-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Last month, I had the pleasure of visiting the Kendall Jackson Wine Center in Fulton, California (near Santa Rosa in Sonoma County). I have to say my visit was one of the most interesting, educational and delightful experiences I have ever encountered. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to do it on and the hospitality there was amazing and something I will never forget! My day consisted of a media appointment in which I was able to participate in a magnificent food and wine pairing session, a sensory garden tour and later, a jaunt up to the Jackson Family's Alexander Mountain property called Monument Ridge. In this segment, I will discuss the food and wine pairing session and how I was able to learn to appreciate why certain foods pair best with certain wines! (Oh, and just how tasty and fun these sessions can be!)

Before I even begin, I wanted to say that I would like to congratulate the winery on their wonderful hospitality. I was greeted by many people and they all had smiles on their faces and seemed like they really enjoyed being there. My host, Dale Cullins, who is a wine educator at the winery, was amazing and such a joy to be around all day! After walking around the beautifully landscaped grounds, I made my way into the tasting room and gift shop where I met my host, Dale and we headed outside for the beginning of an amazing food and wine pairing session. (I long for the day when I can come back and do it all over again!! It was amazing!!)

For those of you who have never visited, Kendall Jackson Wine Center offers many types of tastings including several different food and wine pairings--a dessert pairing, a cheese pairing and the one I participated in--what I consider the ultimate food and wine pairing: Seven courses paired with seven wines, called the Reserve Food & Wine Pairing. Normally this offering is $30 per person and scheduled by appointment. Dale and I walked outside and sat at a table situated in a gazebo. Words could not describe how I was feeling. It was just a neat feeling to be sitting there. I had my own private little space and I enjoyed every moment!

Chef Justin Wangler came out with our first two courses, shown above. (The menus do vary from time to time--to showcase the seasons and the freshest ingredients). All I could say was, "Wow!" when I saw the lovely pairings in front of me. On the left was a cornmeal crusted estate heirloom fried green tomato with Delice de la Vallee cheese and breakfast radishes. The wine paired with it was the 2009 Avant Chardonnay ($14), which is a new Chardonnay just making its debut in shops all over the nation. The crunch of the cornmeal, the acidity in the tomato and the mellow flavor of the cheese complimented the bright acidity in the Chardonnay perfectly! I'm not a huge tomato fan (I have an aversion towards seeds...) but I really enjoyed this! And next was something I have not been able to stop thinking about! Chilled corn soup paired with 2008 Jackson Hills Chardonnay ($25). The shooter of soup, a creamy, naturally sweet delight topped with olive oil was heavenly and the texture was a great match for the Chardonnay's buttery, caramelly undertones. Swoon!

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, along came a group of pairings that blew my head off!

I had to be grinning from ear to ear when the chef brought out the three courses shown above. The first was a buckwheat crepe with smoked ham hocks and Bellwether Farms Carmody cheese paired with 2006 Highland Estates Seco Highlands Pinot Noir ($35). This was a great pairing! The smokiness of the ham hocks complimented the dark cherry and spicy flavors of the Pinot Noir. Food and wine can be so harmonious in the correct pairing and as I tasted and learned I came to understand why it's so important to pair the right wine with the right dish. I know you're all staring at the item in the middle there and I was too! I couldn't wait to try it! Sweet tea brined Niman Ranch pork belly slider with Syrah BBQ sauce! The wine, 2006 Highland Estates Alisos Hills Syrah ($35), smokey and rich and beautifully paired with this little sandwich. I was a goner! The third course on the plate was very interesting! Snake River Farms beef & nopales tacos. I guess there is a first time for everything. Nopales are a cactus plant. I had never had cactus before. Didn't know what to expect but I'm here to say it was very tasty! Served in a mole sauce and paired with the 2005 Highland Estates Trace Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon ($70). A big wine to go with a big dish. So the richer the dish, the bigger the wine.

Are we done yet? Nope! Here comes dessert!!!

How could such a small dessert be so satisfying!! It WAS!!! Buttermilk panna cotta with strawberry gelee and an icebox cookie paired with 2008 Late Harvest Riesling ($25). There were edible flowers on top of the dessert and the green leaf shown in the photo is lemon verbena, something I would run across later in the sensory garden. The Tahitian vanilla bean flavor in the panna cotta complimented the rich texture of the wine and the lemon verbena was infused in the strawberries and made for one heavenly experience! And next was something no one should ever miss: Mama Frischkorn's Caramel Corn (soon to be sold in the tasting room!) paired with 2006 Late Harvest Chardonnay ($25)! Isn't the Chinese take-out box such a cute idea? That's because everyone wants this caramel corn to go. Including myself. The wine was very rich and paired well with the buttery caramel flavor of the corn. What a perfect ending!!

As I sat in the sun enjoying these little courses and these great wines, I considered myself blessed to be sitting there. What a happy experience! I highly recommend it to anyone who visits them. It'll be one the best hours or so you ever spend in wine country!

A big thanks to Dale Cullins, my gracious and wonderful host and to Chef Justin Wangler for concocting these fabulous dishes and to the hospitality staff at Kendall Jackson Wine Center for doing what you do best! And I cannot forget to thank my friend, Al Samuelson of Majestic Fine Wines for making this happen for me. You all are the BEST!

Stay tuned for part two of this fabulous day coming very soon!

For more information on the food & wine pairings and on Kendall Jackson wines and the winery, please visit their website, kj.com

"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.

A Big "Salud!" to Ceja Vineyards

2011-07-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

One of my goals on my latest trip to Napa Valley was to meet someone I consider a "powerhouse" in the wine industry. She epitomizes everything I aspire to be. Her warmth and generosity is a million-fold and she is a little "firecracker who moves mountains!" Her name is Amelia Moran Ceja and her amazing story will move you and stay in your heart forever!

Amelia and I had met on Facebook and Twitter. We mutually support each other's endeavors and I tried very hard to get together with her on previous visits but unfortunately, it was not to be. A few weeks ago before I left to go to Napa Valley, she contacted me and asked if I would be interested in stopping by. I was thrilled! We exchanged phone numbers and although we were going to meet at an extremely busy time for her (the morning of the anniversary of the winery), she agreed to meet with me on their Carneros property, which is not normally open to the public. They have a beautiful tasting room in downtown Napa, which is open to the public and Amelia's son, Ariel Ceja, has a nice little restaurant in downtown Napa, Bistro Sabor, where you can go Salsa dancing and eat some wonderful authentic cuisine! I'm going to check out the restaurant the next time I am in town!

Now on to that heart-warming story...Amelia began her life in a tiny village in Mexico. Her father was a migrant worker who came to California to seek a better life for his family. At the tender age of 12, Amelia arrived in Rutherford, California (in the heart of the Napa Valley). She spoke no English. It was in these early years that, as fate would have it, she would meet her future husband, Pedro Ceja. During those years, they picked grapes at the "new" Robert Mondavi Winery and Amelia spoke fondly of Robert, almost as if he were a mentor. Her epiphany was the day she tasted Merlot grapes and noticed the difference between how succulent and wonderful these grapes were compared to ordinary table grapes. This is how she decided to delve into wine.

After graduating from high school with honors, she attended college in southern California where she studied nutrition. But, her interest in wine continued to grow so she continued to work along side her parents in the vineyards. After she and Pedro married in 1980, Amelia's mother spotted a "For Sale" sign on a piece of property in Carneros, on the southern end of Napa Valley. Though Pedro and Amelia could not afford the nearly half-million dollar property, they chose to try and make it work. At that time, there were few vineyards in the area.

After a year of trying to make their dream a reality, they ended up putting the land up for sale only to be rescued by Pedro's brother, Armando Ceja. He had just graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Enology and Viticulture and he helped get them a deal to grow grapes for Domaine Chandon's sparkling wine program. They planted their vineyard in 1986 and have not looked back since!

I ended up meeting many members of the Ceja family that day! Armando Ceja, the winemaker (shown above) and his wife Martha, Amelia's daughter, Dalia (who does the marketing for the winery and is a wonderful person and a real sweetheart!), Amelia's husband, Pedro Ceja and even Amelia's mom, Francisca Moran and Pedro's mom, Juana Ceja!! They were all so generous and treated me like family. Dalia got me started on some wines while we were waiting for Amelia to come back from a shopping trip.

The Ceja family now owns many vineyards, located in the Carneros district of Napa and in Sonoma County and the Sonoma Coast. Their wines are moderately price and will dazzle you! They make many! I was able to sample quite a few of them that day and later that evening when I attended their anniversary fiesta! Just an example of a few that really stood out for me:

2009 Ceja Vineyards Sparkling Brut ($40)--Crisp, clean and vibrant! This perfect Summertime sparkler rivals the best of the best that Napa Valley has to offer when it comes to sparkling wines! 60% Chardonnay/40% Pinot Noir! Citrus Zest and smooth apple flavors. Very enjoyable!

2008 Ceja Vineyards Bella Flor Dry Rose ($22)--Swoon!! This Rose is amazing! Made from 100% Syrah from their Adobe Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. I cannot get enough of this wine! The cherry, strawberry flavors just explode in your mouth and the finish is so smooth! This is the perfect Summertime wine with spicy foods or just for sipping on the deck!

2008 Ceja Vineyards Chardonnay ($34)--Creme Brulee meets Key Lime Pie in a wine glass! Just a lovely Chardonnay with a nice, round, creamy mouthfeel and smooth and balanced finish. Hails from their Carneros vineyards in the region where some of the best Chardonnays come from!

2007 Ceja Vineyards Vino de Casa Red Blend ($20)--A very unusual blend of 40% Pinot Noir/40% Syrah/20% Cabernet Sauvignon, this very tasty, easy drinking red is the perfect every day wine. It's smooth, full of plum, dark cherry and chocolate flavors. At a crazy price that everyone can afford! This should be a staple in everyone's wine rack!

2007 Ceja Vineyards Sonoma Carneros Merlot ($38)--I almost didn't get to try this one as I was running late, but Amelia insisted I try it because she said Carneros Merlot is the BEST. This wine gives me hope that Merlot will make a comeback! Those of us who never stopped drinking it know better! And she's right! This Merlot is scrumptious! Smooth and velvety with a powerhouse of dark cherry flavor!

Amelia went on to discuss the "Fiesta" that the family was holding later that evening and invited me back to Carneros. She said there was "magic" in Carneros and that I would discover this after I visit. She was right and although my day was crazy afterward, I got my second wind and made the trek back to Carneros that evening to partake in the fiesta. Boy! This family knows how to celebrate!! I spent several "magical" hours eating delicious food (this amazing corn on the cob dipped in creme fraiche and cotija cheese and awesome paella!!) I sampled wines, mingled with the guests, met friends, listened to the mariachi band and simply enjoyed my last Napa Valley evening in style!

At the end of the evening, Amelia and Pedro unveiled their plans to build a brand new winery on their Carneros property! It is going to be gorgeous! I wish them the best of luck with it and I hope to be there not only for the grand opening but for many fiestas to come! Salud!

To Amelia and her amazing family, thank you for making me feel like I belong there and for taking me in like family. Your spirit, friendship, drive and love makes the world go around and I am forever blessed to know you. I have truly discovered the "magic" of Carneros!

For more information on Ceja Vineyards, please visit their website at cejavineyards.com. For more information on Bistro Sabor, please visit their website at bistrosabor.com.

"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.

Wine And "Flowers"

2011-07-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I participated in a special "TasteLive" event for Flowers Vineyard and Winery. It was held on the same weekend as the 2012 North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia. For some of us who were not able to attend the conference, this was a great opportunity to sample some amazing wines from an amazing Sonoma Coast winery! I felt pretty special when my carton of samples arrived shortly before the event. For many years, I was always reading how Flowers Winery was named one of the top wineries of the year in Wine & Spirits Magazine. I had always been a fan from afar although I'd never actually sampled any of the wines and who'd have ever thought back in 1999 when I started drinking wine that I would even own a bottle of this wine, let alone a whole slew of samples! Wow... It was at that moment when I saw the bottles, that I knew this event was going to be something to remember and how far I had come in my wine education!

Joining us on this amazing evening via UStream were the winemaker, Jason Jardine and estate director, Christopher Barefoot. The title of the event was "Flowers Winery: Live From The Extreme Sonoma Coast." They were not kidding when they meant "Extreme"!!! Check out this video!

Just to throw a little history at you, Flowers Vineyard and Winery is fairly young, having been founded by Walt and Joan Flowers, two nursery owners from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They purchased land on the Sonoma Coast in 1989 with the dream of combining their love of wine and agriculture. Today, they are the proud owners of a winery whose wines are highly allocated and sought after. One taste of these wines and you will see... Almost all the wines the winery produces are Burgundian in fashion--thus they make some spectacular Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. After watching the video above, who wouldn't want to pick up and move there?

The wine line-up for the evening went as follows:

2009 Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
2008 Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge Chardonnay
2009 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
2008 Flowers Seaview Ridge Pinot Noir
2009 Flowers Perennial Red

I could not wait to get started!!

The 2009 Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay was a dream come true!! Wow! From the moment my lips encountered this wine I was in heaven! It was perfectly balanced. White peaches and citrus with a crisp, minerally finish. Now, I thought the price point wasn't too crazy either. $40. (OK, that wasn't so bad, was it???)

The 2008 Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge Estate Bottled Chardonnay literally made me drool! With beautiful aromas and a huge midpalate of baked apples, butter and toasted nuts, it was creamy yet had balanced acidity and a smooth finish. Another "WOW!" It doesn't get better than this! What a gorgeous wine! $58.

My favorite wine of the night, the 2009 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir--like an angel came down from heaven and dropped it in front of me! Double "WOW!" Blackberries, dark cherries and spicy herbs rounded out this Pinot Noir. So tasty!!! I easily could have consumed it all but I didn't. I saved some for the next day! $45.

The 2008 Flowers Seaview Ridge Estate Bottled Pinot Noir was much heartier! Lots of dark berries, plums, dark cherries, spiciness. Fuller mouthfeel. Velvet finish. I'm smiling as I write this because sometimes I feel so blessed to be sampling wine like this! $68.

And last but not least, a really interesting wine with a blend I had never heard of before.

The 2009 Flowers Perennial which is a blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Pinot Meunier and a splash of Chardonnay. You heard me right. Makes for an interesting wine. It definitely needed some opening up. The first time I tried it, it was not my favorite but when I tried it again the next day, it had evolved and was doing just fine! Definitely worth trying! The wine had kind of a smoky flavor and would definitely pair up nicely with barbecued foods. $38.

I have to say, sampling these wines really opened my eyes to the Sonoma Coast and all the wonderful cool climate wines coming from this AVA. I would definitely be in for exploring this further. Aside from the winemaker and estate director joking that I would be driving some steep mountain terrain to get to the winery. (I don't think they were joking either! Yikes!!) I sort of volunteered to help them during harvest this Fall when I visit in October. Do you think I'll do it? Hmmm...That would remain to be seen. Maybe I'll hire a driver... Do yourselves a favor, check this winery out. A lot of their wine is allocated but they do have some for sale on their website, flowerswinery.com.

Cheers until next time everybody!

"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.

What Do A Cellarmistress And Rutherford Dust Have In Common?

2011-07-24T11:00:00.002-07:00

No, this isn't a riddle. Surely, most of you wine lovers have heard the term, "Rutherford Dust." If not, I am here to provide a quick education. We all know that Cabernet is "King" in the Napa Valley. The most coveted and prestigious terroir for Cabernet, as it would be argued, is the Rutherford AVA, located about half way in between the southern and northern ends of Napa County. They call it "Rutherford Dust."--its unique terroir made up of well-drained soil-gravel, loam and sand along with volcanic deposits and marine sediments. What sets the Rutherford AVA apart is that out of the 3518 acres of grapevines planted, 2484 acres are dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon. That's an astounding 71%! In 2006, on my first ever trip to Napa Valley, I gathered some of this dirt and rocks and put it in a bottle. The bottle sits on a book shelf in my living room and it never meant so much to me as it does at this moment in time. Why, you ask? Everything has come full circle for me, from the moment I set foot in that vineyard and bottled up my dirt to sitting in my living room writing this now.

Awhile back I received an invitation to a prestigious event in Napa Valley, "A Day In The Dust 2011"--A Tasting of 2008 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon And Cabernet Blends---July 13, 2011. The event is held annually at Rubicon Estate (once the historic Inglenook Winery-the oldest bonded winery in Rutherford) and put on by the Rutherford Dust Society. I had read a few blogs regarding this event in the past and wondered if I would ever get a chance to participate in something so invaluable. I finally received my turn and I walked away with an unbelievably memorable experience!

The morning of July 13th came quickly and as I drove north on Hwy 29 and approached Rubicon Estate my heart was pounding! I just couldn't wait to be there! As I walked toward the historic winery, I looked up at the building and was in awe of its beauty!

As soon as I arrived and for the first half hour or so, there was an informal meet and greet with Joel Aiken, of Beaulieu Vineyard, in the entrance way of the winery. After introducing myself, I headed to check out some of the displays including several showing the history of the winery when it was Inglenook (old books, wine bottles and photographs--really neat!). The winery is planning to go back to the historic Inglenook name in the near future. I also checked out the immaculate and beautiful tasting room. But this is not why I was in attendance. I was there to blind taste twenty-two 2008 Rutherford Cabernets and Cabernet blends and I simply could not wait! Joining me was my longtime Facebook friend, Elizabeth Smith, a writer from Virginia.

A small group of us were guided into a beautifully decorated room where tables were set up with our flights of wines. After a brief presentation about the Rutherford Grange building restoration program and the history of the Rutherford Dust Society (something I am very interested in), we all began tasting the wines one by one. We were asked if we wanted a book of information regarding the wines and we all said, "Yes, please!" We tasted in silence.

Some of the wines were incredible. After seeing the notes, I was amazed at how many were yet to be released to the general public. We had a brief discussion on the 2008 growing season and how it affected the winemaking that year. In my opinion, 2008 will be a great year! A lot of great wines will be released if not already. The wines were sampled in two flights of eleven wines each. When asked if there was any rhyme or reason to the order of the wines, we were told that yes, they were chosen specifically to represent the appellation from east to west, in that order. Personally, I found that the farther north and west they went, the more I enjoyed them. Below are the lists of the two flights:

(Not to bore you with all this information, but I feel it's important that you know which wines were sampled.)

Flight One:

Peju Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 900 cases $105 release date 9/14

Monticello Cellars Tietjen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 224 cases $65 release date 10/11

Flora Springs Rutherford Hillside Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 347 cases $100 release date 10/11

Sullivan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve 200 cases $100 release date 4/11

Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 3210 cases $50 release date 1/11

Pedemonte Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 360 cases $26 release date TBD

Frog's Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 1865 (6 pak) $75 release date 10/11

Honig Vineyard & Winery Campbell Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 250 cases $75 release date 6/12

Quintessa Rutherford Cabernet Blend 7820 cases $145 release date 9/11

Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Hozhoni Vineyard Rutherford 200 cases $45 release date Spring 2012

Piña Napa Valley Firehouse Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 237 cases $85 release date 1/10

Flight Two:

Sawyer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 850 cases $49 release date 6/12

Meander Morisoli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 40 cases $125 release date 3/11

Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 8200 cases $115 release date 8/11

Rubicon Estate Rubicon 6675 (6 paks) $200 release date 3/12

St. Clement Vineyards Star Vineyard Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 225 cases $80 release date 11/11

Staglin Family Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2600 cases $185 release date Fall 2011

12C Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III 120 cases $70 release date 8/10

HUNNICUTT Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 125 cases $75 release date Fall 2011

Sojourn Cellars Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon 140 cases $95 release date 2/11

Frank Family Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1780 cases $85 release date 1/12

Hall Wines Exzellenz Sacrashe Vineyard Red Wine 219 cases $165.00 release date 11/11

As I sat and treated my palate to this motherlode of Rutherford Cabs, I couldn't help but feel fortunate and blessed. Although each wine was amazing on its own, some turned out to be more a favorite for me than others. I did enjoy the wines from the second flight more than the first. We were all in agreement as a group on this point. The wines from the western part of the appellation (on the Highway 29 side) were more impressive than the wines from the eastern part of the appellation.

Here were my favorites and why: Flight One

1. Honig Vineyard & Winery Campbell Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
(This wine blew my socks off! Yes! Yes! Yes! I said. Perfect.)

2. Quintessa
(Beautiful wine, smooth throughout, huge flavors)

3. Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
(A complete value--worthy of a higher price point, very approachable now)

Flight Two:

There were so many I liked in fight two, it was tough to make a decision!

1. Meander Morisoli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
(Oh my God, it was as if I'd died and gone to heaven, this wine was so amazing, I was literally speechless!)

2. Sojourn Cellars Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon
(Full bodied, flavorful thoughout and an amazingly long finish)

3. Sawyer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
(The nose was intoxicating and made me say, "Wow!" So nice, so approachable.)

After tasting the twenty-two wines, we had a brief discussion and were commended for actually getting done on time so we could enjoy our lunch. We were lead into a banquet room where vineyard owner Andy Beckstoffer (whom I was dying to meet), Quintessa's winemaker Charles Thomas and Hollywood film producer and owner of Rubicon Estate, Francis Ford Coppola joined us for a wonderful lunch of steak and prawns accompanied by many, many wines so we were able to re-taste a lot of the wines we sampled earlier. I sat down in front of two bottles of white, the 2009 Staglin Family Estate Chardonnay and one of the most delicious Sauvignon Blancs I have ever encountered, the 2009 Fleury Estate Sauvignon Blanc (I would meet their winemaker, Brian Fleury later in the day). Once again, I felt so blessed to be in such wonderful company!

After lunch, we were treated to A Special Grand Tasting For The Trade where I met some wonderful winemakers, winery owners and other trade and media members as well as sampling and re-sampling so many wonderful wines from the Rutherford AVA. Among the people I met were: winemaker Brian Fleury of Fleury Estate Winery, winemaker Kristen Belair of Honig Vineyard & Winery, winemaker David Heitz of Heitz Cellars, Gretchen Lieff, proprietor of Lieff Wines, Winemaker Sara Fowler (I interviewed her for this blog last year via phone and finally was able to meet her face to face!) and proprietor Herta Peju of Peju, Davie Piña , proprietor of Piña Napa Valley,and Charles Sawyer, proprietor of Sawyer Cellars.

The person I wanted to meet the most, winemaker and proprietor of Meander/Conspire, Amy Aiken. Her Cabernet Sauvignon impressed me so much, I couldn't wait to tell her! She was so great and so personable and fun to talk to and I hope to help her get a distribution deal here in the state of Iowa!

As I drove away, the beautiful view reinforced my longing to be in the Napa Valley for the rest of my life. This is where I belong and I will never look back. I feel so fortunate to have spent the day in the company of such great people! I made the decision that day that I would move my life there sooner rather than later. Cheers!

"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.

A Bevy Of Summer Whites...

2011-07-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Phew!!! Honestly, this has to be the HOTTEST Summer on record! What's a wine lover to do??? Well, I have news for you! It's time to pop some corks and enjoy the bounty of Summer whites that are waiting for you! Recently, I received three such wines from Terlato Wines International and they opened my eyes to some terrific values! White wines need not be pricey or rip a hole in your pocketbook to be enjoyed daily. The three I am going to discuss here are the perfect example!

The 2010 13th Edition of Evolution by Sokol Blosser (an Oregon-based winery) is indeed a real treat! A blend of eight grape varietals (Muller-Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner), this wine dances like magic in your glass! 100% stainless steel fermented and perfect for those spicy foods of Summer! I loved it! And that says a lot considering I have an aversion towards sweeter wines. This wine only had a slight residual sweetness to it and its tropical and floral notes just swept me away. A true winner in my eyes and my palate says, "I want more"! $17.

The 2009 Bodega Tamari Torrontes. What can I say about this wine? Bodega Tamari, from Mendoza, Argentina has done a wonderful job with it. Their motto is "Be Passionate". It's the perfect match for me and for anyone who loves a little "cha cha cha" in their wine! Life is about passion. This wine is intensely flavored and beautiful. Once you try it, you will be passionate about it. It is elegant and fruit forward, unlike a lot of other versions of Torrontes that are floral. Don't get me wrong--there are floral notes but this wine screams tropical fruit. An abundance of it. What a lovely thought! $15.

And now we go to France for our next great deal, the 2009 Cotes-Du-Rhone "Belleruche" Blanc from M. Chapoutier. One sip and this lovely white is capable of whisking you away to a far away land in just a matter of moments! It's beautiful! Made with three grape varietals (Grenache, Clairette and Bourboulenc)and will pair up with the lightest of Summer dishes. This makes the perfect wine for patio sipping on a hot day also. And the price point will surprise you. $13. Go get some!

So there you have it! Three wonderful deals on some very nice Summer whites. You can't go wrong with any of these. And they should be very easy to find in your local shops or you can access more information about them on the following websites:

sokolblosser.com
terlatowines.com

Have fun this Summer and do yourselves a favor, seek out these wines! You will thank me!

"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.

The Best Of The Wine Fest Des Moines VIP Lounge Tasting

2011-06-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

Each year in June, Des Moines celebrates wine with its own giant festival, Wine Fest Des Moines, and each year, it just gets better and better! This year, compliments of my friend Al Samuelson representing Jackson Family Wines, I got to wear the VIP lanyard, giving me complete access to the VIP Lounge. (The VIP Lounge can be accessed by anyone who wants to pay an extra fee in addition to the regular ticket price.) This year's lounge was exceptional! The booths alternated between tables of high end wines to some of Des Moines' finest new restaurants and catering companies being represented. (Thanks to Al for providing the pass and allowing me access to such fabulosity! Cheers!)

As, I worked my way from table to table, I marveled at the wonderful wines! Someone said, "Hey, they have a '99 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon at that table over there!" For a moment, I froze in time, thinking back to one of the biggest wine mistakes I had ever made. The '99 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon was Wine Spectator's #5 Wine Of The Year in 2002. At that point in time, I was still not making big splurges for high end wines and I decided to take a leap of faith and have my local wine shop order one for me. At the time, I believe it cost me around $50. I kept it in my wine rack for two years then on New Year's Eve 2004, I decided to open it. I did not decant it or leave it open for very long. It was very tannic and young still and I was extremely disappointed. Luckily, I learned the hard way and since that day and many splurges later, I have learned to treat my high end wines with a little more respect... But back to the tasting, I made my way to the table and they had run out of the wine I so desperately wanted to try!!! But, I did try many great wines that evening and here is a retrospective of what I felt were the best ones there worth seeking out...

2009 Peter Michael Belle Côte Chardonnay---WOW! What an elegant wine!! This wine swept me away. I was mesmerized. So smooth. Beauty in a glass! Estate grown high above Sonoma County's Knights Valley, it was full of creamy peach, nutmeg and citrus. Balanced and nearly perfect. I have no idea what the price point is on this wine as very few of their wines are distributed and most are on an allocation list. I consider myself fortunate to have tasted it.

2009 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Carneros Chardonnay--What a nice Chardonnay! So balanced. Bright with tropical and floral nuances, slightly nutty finish. Not overboard on the vanilla like some Carneros Chardonnays and no butter. This one is partially stainless steel fermented and the remainder is barrel fermented in French Oak. I could get used to this Chardonnay...Shafer Vineyards, located near Yountville in the Napa Valley, is known for putting out high quality, collectible wines. $48.

2008 Blackbird Vineyards Arise Napa Valley Proprietary Red---A relative newcomer to the Napa Valley, Blackbird Vineyards specializes in Pomerol-style red blends which are Merlot-based. Their portfolio features several, all slightly different, and a few of them are finally beginning to make their way around the US on distribution lists. Their grapes come from the Oak Knoll AVA near the southern end of Napa. The blend is 42% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, barrel fermented in both new and seasoned French oak. The blend was earthy and rich--very dark in color, dark fruits, cedar and tobacco. $50.

2008 Turley Old Vine Zinfandel---Oh my!!! I had been warned many a time that sipping a Turley Zinfandel would kill my palate for anything else. High in alcohol, decadent as hell, Turley Zins are what I consider the motherlode of all Zinfandels. This one is raunchy not elegant. One sip and you want to slap the heck out of it! It's meaty and raw!! It's so wreckless it's like wine wearing bondage gear. But it's enticing because you know you want more... Forget everything you ever knew about Zin and take a walk on the wild side. This one is UNFORGETTABLE! $70.

2007 La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon---Ah yes! Now this is what I am talking about! Good ol' Napa Valley mountain wines. Edgy but elegant. So rich it makes you want to sigh! 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot giving it a blackberry, violet toasty flavor. Superb!! $55.

2007 Hartford Court Land's Edge Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir---How great is this wine?? So great I wanted to keep drinking it all night long! Black cherries, spice, coffee. This rich, dark Pinot Noir is like heaven. Balanced, highly-rated, sold out at the winery. This is the stuff that Great Pinot Noir is made of. $45.

2007 Tignanello---Now we're going to take a slight departure and go on vacation to Italy. They make some seriously great wines there. This one, by the Antinori Family of Tuscany, is serious wine. I consider this wine to be one of the four Super-Tuscan wines that should not be missed. A Super-Tuscan wine comes into being due to the strict laws of Italian winemaking. If the wine does not adhere to the blending laws of the DOCG, it becomes a Super-Tuscan. This wine is amazing! 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. It's a food wine, sturdy, meaty, huge with flavor! And it's about $85 a bottle or so depending on where you get it.

So there you a have it! A night full of great food, decadent wines worth seeking out and unforgettable memories... Until next year...

"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.

War Of The Rosés

2011-05-15T11:58:00.001-07:00

Everyone knows I love Rosé. But as much as I love it, I also have a love-hate relationship with it. Why? I live in the midwest, an area of the country that is simply lacking in Rosé. A year and a half ago, I walked into a local grocery store's wine department and was eagerly approached by a young man who wanted to help me find it. He lead me to an aisle full of White Zinfandel. What can I say? I felt bad because he did not know the difference. There wasn't any Rosé, not a single bottle. I made it a point to seek it out, whatever it took. And although I found a few, it was luck of the draw. When I visited Washington state last Summer, I found a virtual mecca of Rosé. The holy grail, the motherlode! Everywhere I went, there were Rosés everywhere! Even on my visits to California, Rosé could be found. My passion for Rosé grew by leaps and bounds. So, now it's Springtime, and nothing screams Rosé than a warm afternoon on the patio! It's time, once again, to seek and find.

Recently, I was asked to be part of a tasting panel for TasteLive as a special event celebrating "International Rosé Day" in conjunction with the "Pink Out" event in San Francisco. I couldn't wait to do this! And though I secretly wished I was sampling many Rosés at the actual event, I was extremely happy to participate virtually... I received Rosé samples from three different countries and started drooling!!! The sight of a bottle of a bottle of Rosé makes my mouth water sometimes!

The 2010 Robert Oatley Rosé Of Sangiovese Mudgee hailed from New South Wales, Australia and was crisp, refreshing and chock full of rhubarb/strawberry flavors. Sangiovese is the grape they make Chianti out of in Italy and now you can have it as a Rosé. Intense and dry with a medium reddish-peach color, it paired well with spicy pork roast. Very enjoyable. $17.

Who doesn't love sparkling wines? I've tried a lot in my day but Brut Rosé is the single reason why I enjoy sipping the bubbles. Gloria Ferrer Winery & Vineyards is located in Sonoma, California. They produce some wonderful sparkling and still wines. This event gave me the opportunity to sample their 2007 Brut Rosé, one of their vintage bottlings (and something I have not been able to find around here...). Part Pinot Noir with a bit of Chardonnay in the mix, it was a mouthful of juicy Jolly Rancher candy with dry, tight bubbles and crisp, flavorful finish. I savored it and enjoyed it tremendously. Perfect for any occasion. The 2006 vintage was priced at $42. Not sure what the 2007 will be as it is not yet available on their website but even at $42, this reasonably priced Rosé sparkler is a must for everyone. I plan to pair it with a lot of sushi and seafood.

Nothing prepared me for this next Rosé. Nothing...I was speechless. I had no idea I would be sampling a wine heralded as "The World's Greatest Rosé".

The 2007 Chateau D'Esclans Garrus. This amazing wine comes from a 19th century manor surrounded by 100 acres of vineyards in the Provence. One sip and you will understand why it is so great. Made from 70% Grenache and 30% Rolle from 80 year old vines, this small-production (250 case) wine is a very light salmon color. Don't let the color fool you. It is pure silk, creamy raspberry and amazing! And it should be. You will pay a pretty penny for this. $105. But you will talk about it for the rest of your life...I know I will!

Make some memories this Summer. Try something new and different. These three wines would be a great place to start. For more information, please check out the following websites:

www.robertoatley.com
www.gloriaferrer.com
www.chateaudesclans.com

Tried some great Rosés lately? I welcome your suggestions and samples as I will be doing some more stories on Rosé throughout the Summer!

"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.

Jordan Winery Wants Your Video Ideas!!!

2011-05-07T07:09:00.001-07:00

A couple days ago, Jordan Winery CEO John Jordan announced a new contest for the winery. It is their very first Viewers' Choice Video Contest. They need your ideas for the next video topic! Ideas can range from winemaking to culinary to viticulture to construction projects to anything having to do with the winery! Ideas can be posted on Jordan Winery's Facebook page or e-mailed to blog@jordanwinery.com.

I am a huge fan and supporter of this winery so of course I sent in my entry!! They do such a wonderful job with their video blog. Who wouldn't want to see their very own topic-inspired video on the winery's blog? Entries will be accepted from now until May 27th! Good luck and I hope to see YOUR video on Jordan Winery's youtube channel very soon!!

Cellarmistress Tastes Live With Rodney Strong Vineyards!

2011-05-01T08:22:00.001-07:00

Yes!!! TasteLive is back for 2011 and what a great way to begin my new season with them by tasting some of Sonoma County's finest with Rodney Strong Vineyards! The event took place on April 12th and was called "Wining, Dining and Spooning with Rodney Strong." In addition to the actual event taking place at the Spoonbar in Healdsburg, California, selected bloggers were chosen to taste and sample out in the field.

Rodney Strong Vineyards is the 13th bonded winery in Sonoma County, founded in 1959. It is committed to quality and earth-friendly, sustainable practices and although they are a large case production winery (250,000+), I believe it is this commitment that makes them special and sets them apart. They truly seem like a small family winery rolled into a big one. I love it! And the wines speak for themselves. I have been drinking Rodney Strong wines for a very long time. They are widely available and if you have yet to try them, go out and get some! You will be pleasantly surprised!

For the event, we bloggers were each sent a set of four wine samples, a very nice media package and a CFL light bulb in conjunction with their "Green Light Pledge". The light bulb emits the same amount of light as a classic incandescent bulb while using 75-80% less electricity, making it more efficient. So I did my part and switched out one bulb as they had asked.

Now on to the wines...These wines were fabulous!!! I truly enjoyed all four of them and would highly recommend them to everyone!

The first wine we sampled was the 2009 Charlotte's Home Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was named for a vineyard that Rodney established in 1971 and named after his wife Charlotte. Being a Sauvignon Blanc fanatic, I enjoyed the mineral and herbaceous nuances in this wine. 90% stainless steel fermented with 10% fermented in French oak. It was crisp, clean, refreshing and would be the perfect accompaniment for light salads and seafood dishes on a hot Summer day! And what a great price! $13.50. It is a steal!

Next was the 2009 Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards Chardonnay. As of late, I've had a tendency to shy away from Chardonnay because the market is just saturated with them. However, this Chardonnay has made me change my mind. When I want a reasonably-priced, beautifully rich one, this is where I will go to find it. I really did not want to stop drinking this one! It was creamy, balanced with some vanilla and spice nuances and a crisp, mineral-laden finish! Very nice. $20. (Yes, I couldn't believe the price point!)

Now on to the reds...First up was the 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. My first thought was to call this wine a powerhouse because it definitely wasn't wimpy that's for sure! However, the more I tried it, the more I realized how elegant it was. It has both a masculine and a feminine side to it. The flavors are huge, powerful, yet the finish was soft and a bit voluptuous! Rasberry, cola, spiciness...A really beautiful but rich wine. I still have so much to learn about Pinot Noir but what I'm learning, I am liking a lot! $40.

And now for the best of the best: 2007 Symmetry Red Meritage from Alexander Valley. Oh my!! This is where they select the best of the best grapes to make a red blend and a lot of thought and care goes into the production of this wine. Once you taste it, you will know why! It is absolutely amazing! I was completely blown away! It is elegance and perfection in a bottle. Silky and rich with medium tannins and a very long finish. It is like a river of dark chocolate, blackberry and spice! $55.

With their wonderful philosophy and commitment to quality, it is for certain that Rodney Strong's legacy will live on for future generations to behold. I hope to see all this for myself as I travel to Sonoma County later this year. I am definitely looking forward to a visit!

Rodney Strong Vineyards is located at 11455 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, California. They are open to the public seven days a week. Rodney Strong wines are widely available in markets all over the US. I encourage you to seek them out! I would like to thank the team at Rodney Strong and at TasteLive for putting on such a wonderful event and for choosing me to participate! See you all very soon!

"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.

Cellarmistress Visits Broman Cellars!!!

2011-03-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love the most about wine blogging is meeting all the special people that make this hobby I have so intriguing and fulfilling! Back in 2009, I posted a story about Broman Cellars. I had met Lisa Broman Augustine on Facebook and we happened to be having dinner at the same winery during the 2009 North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Napa. On my latest trip to Napa, Lisa invited me to visit the Broman Cellars property and do a private tasting in her parents' home near Howell Mountain.

I was a little skittish about driving up Deer Park Road as I come from the flat land of Iowa with absolutely no mountain driving experience. I thought I'd be riding up with her but instead she was (thankfully) a little sneaky and made me follow her up. So I have to thank her for helping me get over my fear of mountain driving--for now!

The picturesque 11.5 acre Broman property is located just below Howell Mountain and the first thing I saw on the property was an old white tower that Lisa said would some day be their tasting room. Cool! (Awhile back, I had read on Facebook that they had to shut down part of the Silverado Trail in order to move their tasting room. I had no idea what that meant until I saw the tower!) The Broman family was very accomodating and it felt really special visiting them. Lisa introduced me her mom, Deborah Russell Broman, a real estate agent and journalist in St. Helena. Deborah is very active in the community and was cooking up treats for an Oscar night benefit being held at a local movie theatre that evening. The house smelled wonderful and we sat in the dining room and held a formal tasting with Lisa's step dad, winemaker Bob Broman.

Bob's story is an interesting one. He has a very long, illustrious history in the business--with stints at Louis Martini, Concannon, Stags Leap and St. Supery. Sitting across the table from him and listening to him speak of his winemaking and the wines, I was just in awe. We sampled wine, laughed and joked and had a wonderful time. He entertained me with stories and photos of his first trip to China. These are the experiences I treasure the most. They really make what I do worthwhile! All of Bob's hard work has paid off and he now produces about 1400 cases of three wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

We sat and slowly sampled all three wines, paired with cheeses that Lisa personally selected for the tasting from the Oxbow Cheese Merchant in Napa. The 2009 Broman Cellars Sauvignon Blanc is hands down one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs ever! Unbelievably flavorful and juicy, this wine is hard to beat! The grapes were sourced from the Beckstoffer Melrose Vineyard in Rutherford. With its fruit-forward style, this wine will be the perfect accompaniment for Summer and I personally cannot wait to be popping open one of these on a patio sometime soon! I'm drooling as I think about it! It's hard to beat this value for $17 a bottle!
397 cases produced.

The 2005 Broman Cellars Syrah was next. You've heard it all before. I'm Syrah-challenged, I rarely keep Syrah in the house and in general, Syrah in Napa Valley is a tough sell. I'm here to say that I seriously have not stopped thinking about this Syrah since I got back from Napa. I liken it to a new love getting under my skin. It is unbelievable! Sourced from vineyards in the Oak Knoll district (known for Syrah) this wine is huge, fiery, smoky and bold! It knocked me off my feet! (Not literally but you understand the point.) Deborah was cooking up some bacon and Bob brought some over to the table to have with the Syrah. Bacon and Syrah--the ultimate powerhouse couple! You must try this amazing wine! $24. 229 cases produced.

Next up was the 2005 Broman Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. When it comes to Napa Valley, Cabernet is king. And there are so many Napa Cabs and styles out there! Bob's Cabernet is exquisite! Sourced from prime Napa Valley vineyards: Beckstoffer Dr. Crane in St. Helena and Beckstoffer Georges III in Rutherford and aged in French oak for 30 months!!! Bold dark berries with a little leathery dust and the finish never ends. Simply a wonderful buy for $48! 626 cases produced.

Broman Cellars wines are available in limited distribution and directly from their website at Bromancellars.com. These wines are a great find and such a deal! I want to thank Lisa for being such a great friend and introducing me to Bob and Deborah. Thank you to Bob and Deborah for graciously hosting me in your home and allowing me to get a feel for what its really like to be a small family producer in Napa Valley. You are all so wonderful! I hope to visit again sometime!

"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.

Cellarmistress Cracks "The Whip" and Other Delights...

2011-03-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Wow! I've done a lot of tasting lately and boy--am I ever ready to be able to just sit outside and enjoy a nice glass of white wine. Spring is coming, my dears, and we must be prepared! Backyard deck time is just around the corner! A couple days ago, I attended the 24th Anniversary Wine Tasting of Ingersoll Wine & Spirits--a local wine shop that puts on some really great events. I was on the hunt for some good white wines that would knock my socks off. Guess what? I found plenty of that! Here are my top three "Best In Show" whites and why you should be sampling these wines on a patio near you!

2009 Murietta's Well "The Whip" (Livermore Valley)--Move over, Conundrum! There's a new kid in town and he's taking over! A sophisticated blend of six varietals (Semillon, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Gewurztraminer and Orange Muscat), this extremely approachable quaffer is so nice! Be careful though...Before you know it, the bottle will be empty! It's extremely addictive with its white peach and butterscotch flavors! $16

2009 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier (Clarksburg)--Pine Ridge Vineyards is located high up in what I believe is one of the most beautiful locations in Napa Valley--the Stags Leap District. This blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier received a 90 point Parker score and is one of the nicest, most easy drinking white wines out there. A great value to be enjoyed over and over!
$14.

2009 Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc---I was just at Honig (located in Rutherford) visiting them a little over a week ago and was in Sauvignon Blanc heaven! So much to my surprise, I was able to once again sample the bottle I brought home (which I am saving for warmer weather). This wine, made by winemaker extraordinaire Kristin Belair, is scrumptious! A melange of lime, mango and grapefruit in a beautiful hologram-style bottle worthy of display. You need to get this wine!! $16.

All of the above wines are available at fine wine shops across the United States or through direct shipping on the following websites:

www.muriettaswell.com
www.pineridgewinery.com
www.honigwine.com

Stay tuned for my "Best In Show" red wine segment later this week! Cheers!

Cellarmistress Does the Pinot Noir Summit!

2011-03-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

As you all probably know, I attended the 9th Annual Pinot Noir Summit in San Francisco on Saturday February 26th. I blind tasted Pinot Noirs from all over, took part in a workshop and savored some really great wines during a sparkling wine tasting and the Grand Tasting of the evening. What a great event! I want to thank all the winemakers and winery representatives who were present for the Grand Tasting! Meeting you was wonderful! Thank you for sharing such spectacular wines with us! And to Barbara Drady--she is a Saint!! This remarkable woman put on one heck of a show this year and has made it her goal to make me love Pinot Noir even more than I did before she brought this event to my attention!! Thank you! Thank you!

The first thing I got to do that day was attend a workshop about the styles of Pinot Noir. There I discovered three wonderful wines and three equally wonderful winemakers who were eager to tell us all about them: Mark Goldberg, winemaker and owner of Windward Vineyard in Paso Robles, Philip Krumal, chef/winemaker/owner of Ascuncion Ridge Inn & Vineyard in Paso Robles and Kerry Damskey, consulting winemaker for TR Elliott Winery in Sonoma. Those of you who didn't attend this session missed out on some fabulosity!!! Everyone knows I love big flavors, but if I came away with anything from this event, it would be that Pinot Noir is delicate and there are so many styles--it's graceful, beautiful and something to really embrace!

The next thing I did was blind taste 32 Pinot Noirs and rank them. Here are my top 15:

15. Firesteed 2006 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $29.99 2146 cases produced

14. Coghlan Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, $47.00 300 cases produced

13. Bianchi Winery 2007 Signature Selection Edna Ranch Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, $24.99 989 cases produced

12. CRU 2008 Appellation Series Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, $35.00 332 cases produced

11. Ampelos Cellars 2007 Lambda Ampelos Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills, $35.00 850 cases produced

10. Pacific Coast Vineyards 2007 Babcock Vineyards Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, $62.50 300 cases produced

9. Tondre 2007 Tondre Grapefield Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $40.00 600 cases produced

8. Tarras Vineyard 2008 The Steppes Vineyard Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand, $29.99 600 cases produced

7. Mueller 2008 Emily’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $44.00 800 cases produced

6. Sequana Vineyards 2008 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, $40.00 1300 cases produced

5. McIntyre vineyards 2008 Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $36.00 390 cases produced

4. Davis Family Vineyards 2008 Horseshoe Bend Pinot Noir, Russian River, $42.00 350 cases prod.

3. SCV 2007 Balistreri Family Vineyard – Freestone View Block Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, $75.00 342 cases produced

2. Steele 2008 Bien Nacido Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, $40.00 200 cases produced

and my #1 favorite!!! Bonneau 2008 Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, $34.00 300 cases produced

Honorable Mentions: Pinot Noirs I loved that weren't in my blind tasting!

Asuncion Ridge Vineyards 2007 Barrel Select Pinot Noir, San Luis Obispo County, $54.00

Graton Ridge Cellars 2008 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $35.00

Gioia 2008 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, $38.00

Windward Vineyard 2008 Barrel Select Gold Windward Vineyard (Estate) Pinot Noir, Paso Robles, CA, $62.00

Handley 2007 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, $30.00

Laetitia 2007 Single Vineyard Les Galets Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley, $60.00

Chamisal Vineyards 2008 Califa Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, $60.00

TR Elliott 2007 Burgonet O’Connell Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Vallley, $40.00

A great time was had by all! I strongly encourage all Pinot lovers to attend this event! 'Til next year!!!

The Jewel of Carneros

2011-03-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

Domaine Carneros is the jewel of Carneros. I have dubbed it this because to drive up to it simply takes your breath away. It is a truly beautiful sight to behold! As you stand in front of it, the staircase leading up to it may look a bit intimidating but it is worth the climb to reach the terrace and sample the wonderful wines that await you inside.

I have visited several times and the gorgeous view and world class wines keep bringing me back. How did this spectacular palace come to be? Domaine Carneros is owned by the renowned Taittinger family of Champagne, France. The winery was founded in 1987 in the Carneros appellation south of the town of Napa--the perfect area for the cultivation of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. The cool climate and proximity to the San Pablo Bay make for the perfect scenario when it comes to making sparkling wines and amazing Pinot Noirs! To date, Domaine Carneros produces a wide variety of well-loved sparkling and still wines. Their portfolio is amazing. As a veteran of many a day of sitting on their terrace tasting sparkling and still samplers, I can’t say enough great things about the place! And its allure keeps me coming back for more!

Recently, I decided to recreate the experience at home, tasting two of their famed wines--the 2006 Estate Brut Cuvee and the 2007 Estate Pinot Noir. I’d been hanging on to the 2006 Estate Brut Cuvee for awhile, having purchased it last year. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this sparkling wine is crisp, simple, beautiful! And if you will notice, it is one of the few American sparkling wines that actually has a vintage year on it. It was bottle aged three years before its release in 2009. And at $26 a bottle, it’s a great representation of the quality this winery offers.

The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir is their “entry-level” Pinot Noir. I received this bottle as a sample and was amazed at the complexity of this wine. Multi-layered with dark cherry, raspberry, cloves, and chocolate. Super silky, smooth finish. At $35, this wine is such a value and really delicious!

I highly recommend spending an afternoon here, sampling different wines on their terrace. It’s romantic, it’s fun, and it’s an unforgettable experience! And if you can't make it in person, Domaine Carneros wines are distributed nationwide and are also available for direct shipping through their website, domainecarneros.com.

Domaine Carneros is located at 1240 Duhig Road in the Carneros region of southern Napa. They are open daily for tastings from 10-6. They also offer tours. Do yourself a big favor: visit them! It's a wonderful addiction!!

"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.

Three Sticks and the Magic of Durell Vineyard

2011-02-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

For the past year and a half, I’ve been a member of a tasting panel participating in a series of live events on Twitter. These events for TasteLive, offer an opportunity for wineries and winemakers to interact live with wine bloggers and share their wines with us. I have been fortunate to participate in three events for a winery named Three Sticks. This winery, based in Sonoma County, produces some phenomenal wines! For three events I particpated in, I received samples of the wines and had opportunity to interact with the Three Sticks team via live feed. I'd like to take this opportunity to share some information regarding this winery and what I learned from my experience!

Three Sticks is the brainchild of proprietor Bill Price. Having worked with such award winning wineries as Kistler, Chateau St. Jean and Kosta Browne in the past, he founded Three Sticks in 2002 with the goal to make world class wines from Durell Vineyard, a small vineyard now considered one of the best in Sonoma County. The land bisects three AVAs (American Viticultural Areas)--Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Elements from all three of these AVAs work together perfectly and in the past years, the rocky soils and cool climate have produced many award-winning wines. The wines coming out of this vineyard are pure magic! To make the wines, Bill hired a winemaker whose familiarity with this vineyard was key--Don Van Staaveren. Don brings twenty five years of experience to the table and is best known for being the mastermind behind Chateau St. Jean’s 1996 Cinq Cepages, which was Wine Spectator Magazine’s 1999 Wine of the Year! His reputation for making top notch wines is unbeatable!

Both these men lead a team (which includes winemaker and enologist, Tracey Bledsoe) dedicated to making the best wines possible. I am here to tell you, these wines are superb! You’ll be hearing a lot more from this winery in the future! They have what it takes to conquer the world!!

The 2008 Three Sticks Durell Chardonnay is wonderful! Typically, Chardonnays made from Durell Vineyard grapes are vibrant and full-bodied! This one is unbeatable! Layered and full of bright fruit with just the right amount of acidity and a long finish. It was difficult for me to put this one down and move on to the next wine during each TasteLive session! $45.

The 2007 Three Sticks Durell Pinot Noir is so rich and powerful! Huge, full-bodied, amazing flavors of dark cherry, raspberry, cinnamon spice, even a little floral quality. Very long, smooth finish. It’s tough to beat this velvety dream! I’ll have some more, thank you! $55.

Three Sticks also makes a Cabernet Sauvignon from their vineyards high up above the Sonoma Valley. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a nice blend of the Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec). Well-structured with huge dark fruit flavors and floral components (violets come to mind) this wine will age nicely if you want to lay it down for a few years. It should retain its flavors very nicely. $65.

All of the wines above are very small production. Less than 300 cases of each were made. Isn’t it time you experienced these for yourselves?

Three Sticks wines are available for purchase in lots of 3,6 or 12 bottles by accessing their online store at threestickswines.com. They also do a limited amount of distribution and are available on restaurant wine lists in the bay area.

I’d like to thank the team at TasteLive and at Three Sticks Winery for sharing such lovely wines with me and allowing me to share the story! Hopefully some day I will be able to visit the Durell Vineyard and see all the magic firsthand! And a big thanks to photographer Michael Wright for taking such beautiful photos and allowing me permission to use them for this story! For more information about TasteLive please check out their website, tastelive.com.

"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.

Saint Laurent Winery: A Washington State Beauty

2011-02-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

Last Summer, while traveling through Washington state for the WBCorBust contest, I had the pleasure of learning about a small, family-owned winery in eastern Washington. The winery was named Saint Laurent Winery and the wines would leave a lasting impression on me. On the second day of the contest, I visited a beautiful place called the Cave B Inn. There I met Sarah Bagdon and Emily Mrachek, two great ladies who work at Saint Laurent! Sarah is the winery's Sales Director and Emily, whose family owns the winery, is their tasting room manager. They introduced me to the wonderful world of Saint Laurent wines and I’m here to tell you, these wines are some of the best that Washington State has to offer!

The winery, located in Malaga, Washington, is so picturesque and immediately I was smitten with what I saw in the photos. The winery produces 4200 cases annually and really epitomizes a small-family winery. When I got back home, I contacted Sarah and she sent me three samples of their wines—the 2009 Riesling, 2006 Syrah and 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines, all under $30.00, are values that simply should not be missed. They have incredible flavors and I can honestly say, they are truly some of the best wines I have ever sampled. The labels on the bottles depict beautiful flowers and everything about the place and its wines evokes a vision of beauty! Their price points are unbelievable. I am so excited to have found this winery!

The 2009 Columbia Valley Riesling is a demi-sec style Riesling (meaning 2.4% residual sugar) with huge tropical and floral flavors and characteristics such as mango and honeysuckle. It was amazingly good and paired well with the spicy Thai food I was dining on. At $12.00, this wine is huge deal and my goodness--I'm really not a sweeter Riesling fan but this Riesling is just dry enough and flavorful that I didn't even notice. Outstanding!

The two reds I sampled come from vineyards located in the Wahluke Slope appellation of Washington. It's a really small strip of land in central Washington, one of the driest and warmest regions, making for intensely flavored wines. I actually got to see the region and it was beautiful--out in the middle of nowhere but really surreal!

The 2006 Wahluke Slope Syrah made me melt! It is simply wonderful! Every drop of it! It had a lush blackberry flavor with a small amount of smokiness. I wanted more more more! My jaw dropped when I saw the price--$22.00. It is worth so much more than that! This wine has helped me inch that much closer to being a Syrah-lover! I’m getting there! This wine received 91 points in Wine Spectator Magazine.

Last but not least, I sampled the 2006Wahluke Slope Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has won many accolades including a 92 point rating in Wine Spectator Magazine. And rightfully so! It has a great backbone, lots of dark berry flavor and a smooth finish. And wait til you hear the price point---$28.00!! This is why Washington state wines are such a well-kept secret! Unbelievable and wonderful! You really need to try this!

I truly hope I can visit the winery someday and see all this splendor for myself! The grounds are beautiful and scenic. It’s almost like a little piece of paradise in Washington!

Saint Laurent wines are available on their on-line store at saintlaurent.net. They also do a small amount of distribution in several states. Please visit their tasting room in Malaga, WA when they open again soon! (They are currently closed for the Winter season) They are located at 4147 Hamlin Road. To schedule a private tasting, please call ahead at 509-888-9463.

Please discover Saint Laurent Winery for yourselves! You will love them!

I want thank Sarah Bagdon and Emily Mrachek for their wonderful hospitality and friendship! See you ladies very soon hopefully!

"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.

Best Kept Secrets...

2011-01-16T07:52:00.001-08:00

I think I may have found two of the best kept secrets in the state of California. Maybe it’s time to let the cat of the bag. Every Tuesday night, I have a ritual so to speak. Around 6 PM Pacific time, I turn on my laptop and go to this website: cellarsofsonoma.com. And for the better part of the next hour, I tune in to a great live broadcast with a bevy of wine information. To watch this broadcast does not cost a thing and I consider it one of the best learning tools out there. If you are a wine lover, wine writer, blogger or even affiliated with the wine industry, you should be watching this broadcast. The experience has proven invaluable. These guys have something really unique and special happening here. So, who are these guys and why should you be watching?

Cellars Of Sonoma is a small, neighborhood wine shop, located in downtown Santa Rosa, California in scenic Railroad Square. But it doesn’t stop there. What sets this place apart from others is the image they are projecting. They are more like a tasting room--featuring wines from various small lot wine producers that many of you have probably never heard of: Amorosa Bella, Bonneau Wines, Bradford Mountain Wines, DuNah Vineyards, Gann Family Cellars, James Family Cellars, Krutz Family Cellars, LaSirena, and TR Elliott Winery. These guys really go the distance to help promote these small producers! Owner Scott Jordan and his staff (including my friend Mike Westerberg) are very passionate and committed to their venture! They offer a wine club, public and private events, music events each week and the best part: on Tuesday nights, you too can be a part of the festivities by tuning in to the live broadcast and participate by asking questions online! It’s that simple! Each week, they feature a new guest: perhaps a winemaker, winery owner, social media phenomenon or even me… Yes, me.

On October 19th, I flew to California and guested as "Cellarmistress" on the live broadcast that evening. This is where I discovered my second best kept secret… Along with myself and my good friend Amanda Hagood, of The Traveling Grape, our special guest was Michael Gann, owner of Gann Family Cellars. I had never heard of Gann Family Cellars but I walked away from my experience knowing that I had discovered yet another great small family winery from Sonoma County! This winery makes top notch wine in many varietals (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, late harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Syrah.) Michael had a family history rooted in the wine industry but didn’t decide to take the plunge until 2001, when he and his wife Gretchen decided to make their dream of owning a winery a reality. The grapes for their wines are sourced in Sonoma County in the Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley. I was able to sample two of their wines while I appeared on the show: the 2005 Alexander Valley Syrah and the 2005 Alexander Valley Petite Sirah. Both were beautiful, full-bodied wines.

The 2005 Alexander Valley Syrah was elegant and concentrated with cornucopia of dark fruit flavors. The finish lingered on forever. As I sat there tasting it, I dreamed of short ribs and polenta. It commanded that type of meal! The wine is available on the website at cellarsofsonoma.com for $38 a bottle. Well worth the price!

The 2005 Alexander Valley Petite Sirah was a monster! Petite Sirah is making a comeback in a big way and this one is the classic example of the excellent wines coming from Gann Family Cellars. I wanted a big, juicy steak with this wine. It had firm tannins and lots of dark fruit. The color was almost an inky blue-black and I knew it spelled trouble!! At $38, this wine is a steal!

(Later that evening, we all went next door to Jacksons for dinner and Scott brought along the Gann Family Cellars Malbec. Though the vintage year escapes me at the present time, I'm here to say that it was fabulous! You just don't find a lot of California producers making Malbec. It would be worth your while to get a bottle of it.)

For more information on Gann Family Cellars, please visit their website at ganncellars.com. It was a real pleasure meeting Michael Gann and getting to sample his wines. You really need to experience these wines for yourselves!!

If you live in the bay area, you owe it to yourselves to visit Cellars Of Sonoma! Scott Jordan, Mike Westerberg and their team are so enthusiastic, you will feel right at home and have a wonderful time. And if you don’t live in the area, tune in every Tuesday at 6 PM Pacific time on their website for a fun, educational experience! These guys put on a great show!!! It won’t be a secret for much longer! Thanks for having me as a guest! It was one of the nicest wine country experiences I've had so far!

"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.

Crazy About Folie à Deux!

2011-01-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, maybe a little crazy... Not long ago, bestowed upon me were a set of wine samples that I easily became "a little nuts" about. Ever heard of Folie à Deux? The surprise hit me like a ton of brix. (Ha Ha--that's a joke! Must be the psychosis...LOL!) A complete surprise because I had seen these wines at the store and on my travels to Napa Valley, I had many a time traveled past the winery, bright and shiny and on the left hand side of HWY 29 as I traveled to other destinations further north. Why did I not stop there ever? Beats me. But I will sometime soon... The wines I sampled represent a wholesome value that is not often seen in these parts: great wines at a low price!

We'll start with my favorite of the three reds I received, the 2008 Napa Valley Merlot. OK, I can see the frown on everyone's faces bringing thoughts of the ever shrinking Merlot section of the wine shops and wine aisles across America! It's still happening out there! No one wants to drink Merlot! Here's the issue though--by not drinking it, the public is missing out on some terrific wines and this one is no exception! One sip and I was totally hooked and I remember thinking, "How much does this cost???" The flavors were huge and rich--ripe raspberries, chocolate and spice. Beautiful long finish. At $18, this wine is a steal and I plan to steal a lot of it!! Yum!!!

The next wine I sampled was the 2008 Amador County Zinfandel. Amador County is best known for its meaty and earthy "in your face" rich reds that are a perfect winter weather accompaniment. This one is a bit lighter than some I've sampled in the past, but the flavors are still there! Brambly blackberry and cinnamon spice with just a hint of earthiness and only 14.5% alcohol. (I'm used to the fruit-bomb style over 15.5% Zins) I loved it! And here's the best part: This one is only $18 too! Another great value!

In the land where Cabernet is king and there is more Cabernet per square mile than people, it would be tough to compete and be recognized. I don't think Folie à Deux necessarily wanted to compete with the big boys out there more than they wanted to create a nice, balanced and food friendly Napa Cab that would be easy on your pocket book. The 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon does this. For $24, it's a wine you could serve at dinner several times a week and know you got your money's worth. Tasty dark fruits meld with smooth tannins and a smooth finish.

(I also received the 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay which I have chosen to save until later in the year when I do a post on different Chardonnays. Currently, I am suffering from white wine palate fatigue of the worst kind so it would not be fair for me to review this wine at the present time...)

So, in a nutshell, I truly believe that Folie à Deux are a great value and that you would be a little "crazy" not to discover them for yourselves.

Folie à Deux wines are distributed nationwide as well as found at their Napa Valley tasting room. The winery is located at 7481 St. Helena Highway in Oakville. They are open daily for tasting or you can schedule an appointment via their website, http://folieadeux.com.

"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.

Happy Holidays To Everyone!!!

2010-12-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays to everyone!!! Yes, that time of year is upon us and I would like to take the time to reflect on this past year and thank all my supporters for making this the best year for me to date! I could not do this without the help of countless friends, wineries, winemakers, media consultants and all of you who believe in me! So I lift my glass and give big cheers to you and hope that 2011 is an even greater year! What can we expect from Cellarmistress? More blogs, more humor, more travel and a lot more passion!!! So please, imbibe responsibly and have a wonderful holiday season! I look forward to entertaining you with many more wine-soaked adventures to follow!!

The Legend That Is...Mondavi

2010-12-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

At some time or another, we as bloggers and wine lovers will come in contact with wine made by Robert Mondavi Winery. The Mondavi family made the pilgrimage from Italy to California as many others had done in their day---their humble story beginning in Lodi, eventually moving down to Napa Valley. Through trial and tribulations , triumph and heartbreak, they created an empire only to watch it splinter away as Robert’s dream winery became a corporately owned company and his children ventured off on their own. When Robert passed away in 2008, we lost a legendary philosopher and he will surely be missed by all of us. Nevertheless, the winery is very much alive and a constant reminder of the legacy that has become a household name. I once was asked if I could have a discussion with anyone in the wine industry, who would it be? I explained that my biggest regret was never having met Robert Mondavi as even a moment in his presence would have been amazing!

Every wine lover who visits Napa Valley must make a stop at this winery. It took me several visits to Napa Valley before I finally stopped there but I’m glad I did. The winery is beautiful, the grounds impeccable and the wines are as great as ever. Under the care of winemaker, Genevieve Janssens, the winery is pumping out powerhouse wines.

Genevieve, educated at the University of Bordeaux, came to Robert Mondavi Winery in the 70s as a lab enologist and became Director of Winemaking in 1997. Her philosophy is a simple one---she is 100% dedicated to quality. She is always looking toward the future and proud to be the torchbearer of Robert Mondavi's vision. I recently got a taste of her philosophy when I received three bottles of wine as samples and am excited to be discussing these wines with you!

The 2008 Fume Blanc Reserve was an amazing wine! I'd never tasted a Fume Blanc so incredibly different in my entire life! Rich and bold tropical flavors of passion fruit and pineapple emcompass this wine. This wine was intense with full mouthfeel and brimming with bright, spicy goodness. A truly beautiful example of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with a bit of barrel fermentation--one of the nicest I have ever encountered. $40.

The 2007 Napa Valley Merlot was an interesting blend of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. I had to decant this one because the moment I opened it up, the aroma coming from the bottle was incredibly rich. It needed decanting! The wine was velvety smooth and a prime example of Napa Valley's "blackbird"--hoping to make a serious comeback!! Wild berry flavors, cassis, just lovely. $23.

The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerhouse example of the 2007 vintage coming out of Napa Valley. Huge, concentrated fruit on the front. Dark plums, licorice, vanilla...Hearty with smooth tannins and a beautiful long finish. I would be curious to try this wine again in a few years to see how it evolves. $28.

And the fun does not stop here. A few days ago, I had the opportunity to taste two more exceptional Mondavi wines at a tasting I attended.

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is a district designate wine--meaning all the grapes used in this wine came from Oakville. Full of dark fruit--dark cherries, blackberries, plums, and coffee flavors. Rich but delicate. By far one of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignons ever!! $45.

The 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was a huge surprise! Although this wine has many years to come, it was drinking nicely now. So earthy and powerful, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and a tiny bit of Cabernet Franc is elegant and worthy of all the high scores it has received recently in the press. I felt very fortunate to be able to try it. $135.00.

As a household name, Robert Mondavi has touched the lives of many as a philosopher, innovator, story teller and lover of life. His legend will be remembered for many generations to come. When visiting Napa Valley, do yourselves a favor and just pop in to the winery. Even if not to sample, but to breathe in the atmosphere and you'll find it's truly magical. You owe yourselves that!!!

Robert Mondavi wines are available nationwide at most wine stores and markets. They can also be purchased on the winery's website, RobertMondavi.com. Robert Mondavi Winery is located on Highway 29 in Oakville. It is open to the public daily from 10-5.

"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.

Tis The Season To Be...Charitable!!

2010-12-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us and all you wine lovers out there will be purchasing wines as gifts for your friends and loved ones. How good would you feel if by doing this, you were giving something back to charity? Recently, I was contacted by the Charity Case Foundation--a non-profit group in Napa Valley, founded in 2008 by Jayson Woodbridge, winemaker with Hundred Acre, Layer Cake and Cherry Pie Wines. He put together a hard-working group of ladies who volunteer their services and helped create wines for a cause. For the past three years, they have painstakingly worked with dozens of vintners in the area. The vintners have donated juice and helped create two very special wines. This kind of team effort will ensure that the community will have long-term support for this cause. This year, all 100% of the net proceeds of the sale of these wines will go to the following Napa-area charities:

The Wolfe Center: A community-based Drug and Alcohol Program for teens and families in Napa County.

Cope Family Center: A support and education center for families in crisis.

Aldea Children and Family Services: A professional mental health and child welfare service provider for Napa and Solano Counties.

Foster Kids Fund (FKF): An all-volunteer, non-profit community organization dedicated to enriching the lives of Napa County children in foster care.

What a great thing these volunteers and vintners are doing! They are giving of themselves and getting a great deal of good in return! What a warm feeling this gives me! I received one bottle of each of the two wines as samples and I have to admit, these wines are pretty special and cost a fraction of what I would value them at!

The 2008 Charity Case Rosé was bursting with fruit! Though they have kept the varietal content under wraps, it doesn’t really matter because the truth is it is delicious and a great find at $12 per bottle! Bursting with ripe cherry and strawberry flavor! 100% fermented in neutral French oak, stock up now for warm weather days coming up in the Spring! Buy some now and share the love!

The latest of the Charity Case wines is the 2009 Charity Case Sauvignon Blanc. Most people are used to the crisp acidity of Sauvignon Blanc, but this one is completely different. It is barrel fermented in new French oak barrels, giving it a creamy, smoky quality with stone fruit and tropical notes. Really beautiful! $12.

This year, a group of Napa vintners has donated 10 tons of Chardonnay to the cause so please stay tuned for new wines in the future! These wines are sold by the case and can be purchased by contacting:

pat_charitycasefoundation@yahoo.com or sheila_charitycasefoundation@yahoo.com

Or you may purchase on-line at the following link:

http://vintagepointcellars.ewinerysolutions.com

To learn more about the Charity Case Foundation and the Napa-area charities it supports, please go to the following website: http://www.charitycasefoundation.org

I think helping the Charity Case Foundation is a wonderful way for any wine lover to give back this season or anytime! Doesn’t that make you feel great???

"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.

For A Breathtaking Experience...

2010-11-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

One of the things I badly wanted to do on my latest trip to Napa Valley was to visit some off-the-beaten path little hideaways. (And yes, as skittish as I am, I was talked into visiting a mountain winery.) So on October 21st, my birthday, I headed to a place approximately 1550 feet above the valley floor--a magical place whose acreage and simplistic beauty just marveled my senses! Perched high above the town of Napa against the slopes of Mt. George lies Kenzo Estate. A lot of you may have never heard of it. It is a fairly new winery, just having celebrated its grand opening this past July. Owned by Kenzo Tsujimoto, the Japanese founder of Capcom, this beautiful 4000 acre property is worth discovering. Years in the making, this winery has something for everyone--world class wines and impeccable hospitality! There are plenty of photo opportunities as the landscape and winery are breathtakingly beautiful!

We arrived that morning and were greeted by our host, who immediately made us feel welcome and brought us pashminas to wear to shield us from the cold mountain winds. We were given a tour of the grounds and the winemaking facilities. From the minimalist Japanese-style architecture and décor, to the beautifully transplanted olive trees outside, to the state of the art tanks and barrel caves, everything was pristine.

Talk about state of the art! The tanks are computerized so if something goes awry, the error can be fixed via phone! Never saw that before at any winery! Mr. Tsujimoto has employed the talents of some of Napa Valley’s powerful heavy-hitters: David Abreu, famed vineyard manager, is responsible for tending the vines. Heidi Barrett, winemaker extraordinaire is making the wines. Thomas Keller, of the famed French Laundry and Bouchon, put together the food pairings. Now that is some star power there! But what about the wines??

For the past several years, the wines being made were made solely for the Japanese market and were being shipped overseas. With the opening of the new winery, the 2007 vintage is available and we did a sit down tasting of the winery’s four wines plus a food pairing of Thomas Keller’s sweet and savory breads. (Normally, there is a cost for this kind of tasting but the cost was waived for me.)

Please note, the thing I loved the most about this experience was the fact that it was relaxed and not rushed and we were able to take our time and just enjoy the moment. This is how it should be.

The first wine we sampled was the 2009 Asatsuyu, a Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc. It was an extremely crisp, citrusy version of this wine with exceptional minerality and underwent a small amount of barrel fermentation. $60.

The three reds they make are all fairly similar as far as which Bordeaux components are used. The difference is in the percentages. All were 2007 vintage.

The “Signature” wine from Kenzo Estate is called Rindo. It was by far my favorite of the three reds. It was a big, fruit-forward California-style red, with a third each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc and just a touch of Petit Verdot. Huge fruit, elegant finish. It will age gracefully for years to come. (If it lasts that long at my house!) $75.

The Murasaki was even more elegant, with the structure changing slightly to feature Merlot as the main component. “More like a Pomerol than a Pauillac” as they would describe it. It was the female to the male counterpart Ai that I will speak of next. Still young in expression, this bottle requires some serious bottle aging. $150.

The Ai was an amazingly powerful wine. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, it will go against all the “Big Boys” in Napa Valley. Tight but well structured, it will come into its own in the coming years. Patience is a welcome virtue in this case and well worth it. $150.

A bottle of the Rindo made its way back to Iowa with me and the experience of visiting Kenzo Estate will live with me forever. I highly recommend visiting them for a unique, off-the-beaten path jaunt you won’t forget.

Kenzo Estate is located at 3200 Monticello Road, high above Napa. They are an appointment only winery and are open 10-4 seven days a week. They feature three different kinds of tastings so please check with the host regarding your options. Tastings are priced from $30-60 per person. For more information, please visit their website at kenzoestate.com.

"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.

Oh Oh Oh...ORTMAN!!!

2010-11-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

This past Winter, while participating in a Taste Live Syrah event on Twitter, I was introduced to Ortman Family Vineyards. Located in Paso Robles, California (near the central coast), the Ortman family brings nearly forty years of experience to their handcrafted wines. At the winemaking helm are Chuck Ortman and his son Matt. Chuck began his career in Napa Valley, working as a “cellar rat” for Heitz Cellars, moving on to such illustrious wineries as Shafer, Far Niente and Cain. Wine Spectator magazine has dubbed him "Mr. Chardonnay" as he's made award-winning Chardonnay for other wineries. When he finally decided to strike out on his own, he moved south--founding Meridian Vineyards--what I call a “Central Coast Staple” that can be found in many households across America. There is no time like the present and Chuck , along with his son Matt, are now dedicated to bringing the BEST of what the central coast appellations ( such as Edna Valley and Santa Rita Hills) showcase to a wine-hungry public with their own private label, Ortman Family Vineyards.

These days, there are a lot of wines on the market. Competition is fierce. If you stick to what you do best, you’ll find a way to appease everyone. Even those who want great wines but at a value price point!

Enter the Ortman Family O2 label. These wines are elegant, food-friendly, and easy on your pocketbook. Perfect for everyday drinking but also work for special occasions.

I had my first chance to sample one of them back in June when I attended the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. Matt Ortman and his wife Lisa participated in the conference's red wine speed-blogging event and introduced the 2008 O2 Series Sangiovese to us. I remember really being excited about this wine. In my opinion, there are too few Sangiovese producers on the west coast and when a great example of this wine catches my attention, it is a rare treat indeed! When I was approached to start writing about central coast wineries recently, I was pretty excited to receive the entire inaugural line of O2 Series wines from the Ortmans to sample.

The inaugural line has three wines:

The 2009 O2 Series Central Coast Chardonnay was a deal at $18! Zingy with lime zest and stone fruits and nice minerality on the finish, it sang in my glass as I paired it up with a light shrimp dish. Suffice it to say one could also drink it alone. It's that delicious! Well done!

The 2008 O2 Series Paso Robles Sangiovese rocked my world! So soft and lush with hints of raspberries and cinnamon. A nice tribute to the spirit of Tuscany, this wine is the perfect accompaniment to any Italian meal! Salute! $20.

The 2007 O2 Series SLO County Cuvee Eddy is a Rhone-varietal blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre with a bit of Petite Sirah thrown in. Dark fruits, dark spice and a little bit of that "funky" edge that makes Rhone varietals so great and sought after. This would be a great wine to pair with meat dishes including Winter stews. And with Winter well on its way, this is a good $20 investment!

Ortman Family O2 Series wines are available on their website at ortmanwines.com. Their tasting room is open to the public daily and is located in Paso Robles, California at 1317 Park Street. They would love to have you come visit them! I'll be looking forward to seeing if they add any other wines to this line in the future!

Please seek out these wines! I truly believe they are a great representation of this region's bounty at a fraction of the cost!

"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.

Cellarmistress Does The Glampire Ball!!!

2010-11-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned in previous posts, Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. It gives me the opportunity to be someone I’m not for a small fraction of time. Another person who names Halloween as their favorite holiday is John Jordan, CEO of Jordan Winery. Jordan Winery is located in the beautiful Alexander Valley (Healdsburg, California). A few years ago, John began throwing these lavishly-themed private Halloween parties for friends at his family's mansion-style winery. Eventually, the parties got bigger and now they’ve become a way for him to thank the hundreds of wine industry members (media, press, wholesalers, retailers etc.) who help spread the word about Jordan wines.

At the beginning of September, I received my invitation to this year’s party. A box arrived in the mail and in the box was a wooden coffin with the word “Glampire” etched on it covered with a chain bracelet and heart on it. Upon opening the coffin, I found a cross-shaped flash drive and a scrolled paper invitation. I had planned to be out in wine country that same week so after playing the flash drive and seeing all the creepy things that were about to happen, I gladly sent my RSVP to the winery!!! (The invitation can be seen below. However, those of us who were invited received a different version of the one shown below. The wording on our video is altered below since the party was not open to the public. The winery posted this video on YouTube as a Halloween tribute…)

After putting much thought in to my costume, I decided to attend as “Miss Guided”, the beauty pageant princess who gets murdered. After all, the invitation did say “Blood Required.” I couldn’t wait to go! It was certainly going to be a highlight during what I am now calling one of the BEST WEEKS OF MY LIFE!

I thought October 23rd would never get here! The full moon rose over Sonoma County and the pouring rain and the somewhat treacherous drive on the mountain roads from St. Helena to Healdsburg made the beginning of our evening unbelievably creepy and awesome!!! I felt like I was in a horror film! Thanks to our GPS, my friend Amanda Hagood and I finally arrived at the gate to check in. We drove past the perfect hedges up a windy path to the parking lot and the first thing I spotted was the word “Glampire” in red lettering blazing off the side of the winery! How cool!!!

All I can say is a lot of thought, preparation and lavish detail was put into this production! It was absolutely amazing and once we got inside, we were greeted by friends and party-goers alike and lots of libations such as J Rosé sparkling wine (J Vineyards & Winery is owned by John's sister Judy) , martinis concocted just for this event (Loved the "Glam-tini!!!"), Jordan Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, oysters, caviar and all kinds of appetizing hors d‘oeuvres!

The almosphere was a beautiful mixture of red and black costumes, fog, cigars, beautiful but creepy décor (yes, there was even a casket you could climb into!) and the wine casks and barrels held surprises at every turn…

We ate, drank, danced and networked and had an amazing time!!! John Jordan and his mother Sally walked around greeting and mingling with the guests! (John told me his mother was from Iowa so I thought that was kind of interesting…) A great time was had by all who attended!!!

I want to thank my good friend Lisa Mattson, Communications Director for Jordan Winery and John Jordan for inviting me to such a lavish and wonderful event! I hope you both had as great of a time as I did! It was truly an awesome event and a great way for me to celebrate my birthday in wine country! I really can’t wait to see Jordan Winery during the day and am looking forward to coming back in a few months! See you then!

Jordan Winery is located at 1474 Alexander Valley Road in Healdsburg, California. Appointments are required. Please check out their website at jordanwinery.com for more details, videos and photos.

"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.

An Anomaly In Napa Valley

2010-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

In Napa Valley, tucked away on the valley floor of St. Helena, is an “anomaly”. I love it when I find a story that is out of the ordinary. Sort of like when fate takes you for a nice little ride to the unexpected. Sometimes these tucked away, off the beaten path little gems turn out to be the most special. Such is the story of Anomaly Vineyards, a small family producer of ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon. I recently had the pleasure of visiting this little winery on a day when the harvest “crush” was in full swing and the aroma of crushed grapes sang through the air. (This aroma is unlike any other and there’s only one word to describe it--”beautiful”.)

In the 90s, Steve and Linda Goldfarb, a working couple at their own law firm in Berkeley, had a revelation. Tired of their four hour daily commute, they decided to pack it up and move. While searching for new digs, they fell in love with a small, serene property in St. Helena. The property came complete with six rows of vines, which at first, they weren’t sure what they would do with. Eventually, they decided to pick the fruit by hand and make a little wine for themselves, using a manual on home winemaking they had purchased. That first year, after experiencing how difficult it was to do it all, they almost gave up. But their friends made them stick it out! It was worth it because their friends were pretty impressed with the new wine. Word got around quickly in the community. (The power of "word of mouth" goes a long way!) They had struck a goldmine! As more vineyard land became available nearby they made more of an investment and now thirteen years later, they are a full-fledged winery complete with a beautiful stone Tuscan-style winery building adjacent to their home.

With the help of their son, Seth, a full-time winery employee who left his job in Los Angeles and moved his family up to St. Helena, the Goldfarbs make an award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon that would convert any wine lover into a serious Cabernet lover! At the helm is their winemaker, Mark Porembski. With previous experience with Behrens & Hitchcock /Erna Schein and Charnu, he brings years of expertise to the fold. He and his wife, Jennifer Williams (who makes wine for Spottswoode) also make their own Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah under the Zeitgeist Cellars label. The wines he creates for Anomaly are pure heaven!

Seth greeted us (myself and my friend Amanda Hagood from The Traveling Grape) and took some serious time out of his busy schedule to show us around, walking us through the vineyards, allowing us to do some punchdowns of grapes already in the fermentation process.

After getting some "hands-on" experience, we ultimately ended up in the winery barrel room for a side by side tasting of their 2006 and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. The room was dimly lit with barrels all around and sculptures of the family mascot, their beloved shepherd dog, Indee, who passed away in 1999. On the table were two glasses for each of us plus bread and Tuscan olive oil (from a relative’s olive trees in Cortona, Italy)

I truly enjoyed doing a side by side comparison of the two vintages, 2006 and 2007. The difference between the two is like night and day.

The 2006 was a joy! Elegant and refined with a graceful flow of dark fruits, pepper and almost a violet quality. The finish was extraordinarily velvety and smooth. This wine had a perfect balance and I just adored it. I believe it will continue to age beautifully for many years to come! (96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot) 888 cases. $85.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage in the Napa Valley and it is being touted as the “Vintage Of The Decade”. I’m here to explain that if you like your Cabernets packing a huge wallop of fruit on the front then this vintage is definitely for you!

The 2007 vintage of Anomaly is still elegant despite having big fruit front and center. It is so unbelievably rich and powerful. I would say it is the more aggressive male counterpart to the 2006 version. The starting line-up of flavors is similar although on a much grander scale. It’s difficult to describe other than if there were such a thing as a wine version of “umami”, it would seem like the perfect description. The flavors just get bigger and bigger. The velvety finish is still there but in my opinion, the huge flavors overpower the finish and you tend to forget the wine’s ending, at least for now. I think in time, once this vintage has had a chance to relax a little, the true essence of what it is about will be more visible. Only time will tell… (91%Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot) 886 cases. $85.

Large format bottles are also available.

In addition to wine, the winery sells cold pressed extra virgin olive oil from Cortona (Tuscany), pressed from over 1200 olive trees on a relative’s property there. The oil is delicious and sells out very quickly. Sold in 375 ml bottles for $30, it can’t be beat!

Anomaly Vineyards wines are in very limited distribution here in the U.S. The best way to obtain them is by ordering them from their website at anomaly-vineyards.com. They currently have a mailing list and are active in social media through Twitter (@anomalywine) and you can follow them on their winery page on Facebook. If you are interested in visiting them, please contact Amanda Hagood with The Traveling Grape to have her set up a special itinerary for your wine country trip!! Her travel planning website is thetravelinggrape.com.

I’d like to thank Seth Goldfarb for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with us. He made my birthday extra special and I was very surprised to be gifted a bottle of the 2006 Anomaly Cabernet Sauvignon by him for my birthday! What a special treat! I also want to thank my friend Amanda Hagood for helping me to discover this special place! Anomaly Vineyards and their wonderful hospitality will always remain near and dear to my heart!

"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.

Petroni Vineyards: A Rare Sonoma Beauty

2010-10-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

One of the best things I can do as a writer is help bring new discoveries to my public. When a small family-owned winery is brought to my attention, I simply cannot wait to share the story! This past week I was turned on to something pretty special and I am so excited to be sharing this story with all of you!

800 feet up in the Mayacamas Mountain range on the Sonoma County side lies a 37 acre parcel of land just below the famed Monte Rosso Vineyard. It’s hidden away so the instructions on how to get there can be a little tricky. In fact, it says “Call Us If You Get Lost!”. The journey up to this winery will be worth it as the beauty and the breathtaking views will enlighten you! Now that’s what I love. A little hidden gem waiting to be discovered! Since 1992, this beauty has been the home of Petroni Vineyards. Owned by Italian-born San Francisco Restauranteur, Lorenzo Petroni (owner of the famed North Beach Restaurant) and his wife Maria Elena, this winery and Tuscan-style estate is the home of some very special, small-production ultra-premium varietal wines and certified organic olive oils. The winery produces some very diverse varietals such as Brunello and that fact makes it pretty unique. Their first wines were produced in 1998 and recently, the wines have been handcrafted by New Zealand winemaker, Martin Mackenzie (of the famed iconic and organic Stonyridge Vineyard). His passion and dedication truly shine through in the three wines I was sent to sample this past week. I feel truly fortunate and their story has touched me in a big way!

I was completely blown away by the delicious and rich 2009 Rosato Di Sonoma! I blind tasted it without looking at any notes and immediately detected the spicy, full-blown cherry character of Sangiovese! The rich ruby color was so vibrant in my glass! I couldn’t wait to have some more! This wine (50% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah) was refreshing and so fruity-spicy. The perfect Rosé for Autumn! Made using the “saignee” method (where they literally bleed the vats for color and flavor) I spoke about in a previous post and aged four months in stainless steel, this is a must-try for everyone! And get this, the $12 price tag is an eye-opener, that's for sure!!

The 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay comes from their estate vineyard at Trinity Ranch, which lies on the Sonoma/Napa county line. In a way, this is a cool-climate Chardonnay because of the high elevation of the vineyard allows for a longer ripening period for the grapes and the flavors develop nicely while retaining acidity. A pleasant, light to medium-bodied chardonnay with many citrus and rich tropical notes and just a hint of nutty vanilla on the finish. I enjoyed this wine with a light meal and it was perfect! Aged ten months in new and used French Oak. $30.

The third wine I sampled was the 2005 Poggio Alla Pietra Brunello Di Sonoma. I had never had a Brunello before. Brunello is a red varietal mostly made in Italy so to find someone making this wine in California was exciting! I didn’t know what to expect. After sampling it, I would consider this wine their flagship. Coming from their Poggio Alla Pietra estate vineyard, this wine was rich and earthy with notes of cigar box, cedar, anise and deep, dark cherry flavors all wrapped up in an intense little package! This wine is complex and could definitely be put away and aged for several years to see how it evolves. Wow! Pretty amazing and this particular vintage will be released to the general public in November. I was able to sample it early and I felt pretty lucky. It retails for $60 however the winery is taking pre-orders at a special price of $39 per bottle so you will definitely want to consider this investment! The 2005 vintage will be a classic and not to be missed!

Seriously, folks! I’m a little star-struck by this gorgeous winery and left with a huge desire to visit! I think it’s a rare find! I certainly want to thank my friend Ryan Wycoff, who is their Director of Sales and Marketing! I never would have found it if it weren’t for him. The winery has limited distribution in several states so the easiest way to access their wines is on-line or at the winery. Petroni Vineyards offers tastings by appointment only, daily from 10-4. For more information, please check out their website at petronivineyards.com. They are located at 990 Cavedale Road between the towns of Sonoma and Glen Ellen. It will be an interesting journey getting there but Petroni Vineyards is a must-visit for anyone wanting an off the beaten path experience in Sonoma wine country!

"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.

It's The Most "Zin-Ful" Time Of The Year!

2010-09-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

There is one time of the year when one can put on a costume and disguise oneself, be somebody else and not be embarrassed or in trouble for doing it. HALLOWEEN. The most ghoulish and devilish time of the year! It’s fast approaching…Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock! Halloween has become a huge business. This time a year, at least in my neck of the woods, temporary Halloween shops pop up in strip malls everywhere. Of course, being that Halloween is my favorite holiday, I am just as crazed as all those people trying to scramble to get the right costume. As I peruse these shops to find a costume this year, the one thing I know is I’ll never have to disguise is my love of Zinfandel. (Wouldn’t it be fun to find a costume where I could dress up as a bottle of Zin? How awesome would that be? Sure would make for a good conversation piece!)

In 2009, while attending the Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa, I was given the opportunity to chat and rub elbows with the best of the best. At a poolside tasting at our hotel, I met Harry Wetzel, whose family owns and operates Alexander Valley Vineyards, near Healdsburg in Sonoma County. Starting off their family winery in the 1970s, the Wetzels have been a staple in Northern Sonoma County and have an outstanding history and reputation for quality and delicious wines. Harry and I had been online “friends” on Facebook so naturally, I was excited to meet him! I sampled several of his family’s wines and became an instant fan. When I got back home, I began to look around town for some of them.

I remembered that around Halloween time one year, I ran across a boxed set of three of their wines. “The Wicked Weekend” package, they called it. What a “Treat” this was going to be. Three of Alexander Valley Vineyards’ Zinfandels, with gorgeously wicked labels in a seductive little package--guaranteed Halloween fun! However, for me, it was not to be. I didn’t purchase the box at the time. Then in 2007, a friend of mine had one and was going to throw the packaging away. I asked her if I could have the box. She probably thought I was crazy! But instead, I was being crafty. I went out earlier this year and purchased three newer vintages of the wines and stored them in the box. My goal was to let them age a little. Right! That didn’t happen. Harry posted a tweet-up event memo on Facebook recently. It was a contest between Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Zinfandels. I didn’t open them at that time either. But boy, it got me thinking. So a couple weeks ago, slowly but surely, I made my way through all three wines! And guess what??? They’re going to turn everyone into a Zin Lover--even YOU!

While I am unsure if the winery is still selling these as a set of three with the box (those vintages were from 2005), newer vintages have been released since so have some fun with it! OK, let’s get started, shall we?

Here is the line-up: A Zin for each night of the weekend!!!

2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards Temptation Zin -A great starter Zinfandel , it tempts you with rich dark fruit, lingering spiciness and a smooth finish! For $12, no one should pass up this best buy!!

2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards Sin Zin- This is more than likely the wine most people would be familiar with. I can honestly say this is the first bottle of their wines I had ever sampled and boy--what can I say? It is delicious! This one is dark, smooth, full of raspberry and pepper flavor--spicy as heck and so decadent!! (I even picked up a Sin Zin fake tattoo once. Maybe I’ll wear it for Halloween! )I’ve definitely become a fan of this wine. It should be a staple in every Zin lover’s wine collection.$20

So what could be even more decadent that what I’ve just mentioned??? The third of this line--2006 Alexander Valley Redemption Zin. Ah, this one’s a beauty! So smooth and elegant. All the turmoil and spicy heat of the previous two mellow into a velvety mélange of blackberry goodness with just a hint of spiciness on the finish. So nice…Drink this and “All Your Zins will Be Redeemed!” $21

Isn’t it time you discovered these beauties for yourselves? Alexander Valley Vineyards is located in the beautiful Alexander Valley region near Healdsburg, California. The winery has a tasting room and welcomes you to stop by for tastings.Their website, avvwine.com, is a great place to get more information. Their wines are also served in fine restaurants and distributed nationwide for easy access. Serve these award-winning wines at your Halloween party this year or anytime you feel like having a good Zin fest and you'll have a happy crowd! You can also find them on Twitter at @avvwinery and on Facebook.

From one Zin-lover to the next, have a Happy and Zin-ful Halloween!!!
"Clink-Clink" and Cheers to Everyone!

"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.

Cellarmistress Gets Ripped Off!!!

2010-09-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

This post is going to be a little out of the ordinary for me. About a week ago, my rosy little blogger world got a swift kick in the pants--a reality check, a shock to the system! I found out I was an internet victim and thankfully I have friends who cared enough to inform me and help me. My good friend, Amy Corron Power, co-author (along with her husband Joe) of one of my favorite wine blogs, "Another Wine Blog" and an attorney in Houston, posted a blog story about people who steal other people's blog content for profit. She was nice enough to mention that in her quest to uncover her stolen blog content, she also found some of mine. There were several of us who had our content scraped and/or autoblogged on to a "fake" wine blog site created for profit by someone else.

Autoblogged. Stolen. Scraped. I was livid! The more I searched, the more I discovered. Every blog post I had authored between the beginning of March and the end of August--27 posts to be exact, showed up on this site. It wouldn't have been so bad if they'd have given me some credit. This would have been the proper thing to do. (I have a disclaimer stating that yes, you can use my content, but you have to notify me in writing. Not difficult or demanding. You just send me an e-mail and I respond. It's that simple!) Each post stated it was written by Grace. That's it--no last name, no link back to my original site, no other information. It appeared as if I (or anyone named Grace) had written each story specifically for them. And to add to my frustration--each one of my posts had a plethora of Google Adsense ads attached to it. These idiots were making money off of me! No, I was the idiot. At least I felt like it for not noticing sooner! (FYI, I personally do not have any Google Adsense ads on my blog site.)

Now, I'm not a technical person and I'm not exactly understanding how these people managed to steal my content. Did they steal it through my RSS feed? Cut and paste? Whatever. I'm learning. And I am fighting back! Thanks to people who care, I received screen shots of my work on their site and Google listings of my work on their site as well. I contacted the culprits personally with a "Cease And Desist" letter. They removed all but one of my posts the same day (that may have been an oversight on their part). They're not out of the woods though. Not by a long shot. I am getting ready to file a DMCA report with Google and have contacted the website's host. DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act--a United States Copyright Law which covers intellectual property in the digital world. I feel mine was violated and there are penalties for infringing on this via the internet. (I have chosen not to list the website in question so to not draw anymore attention to them or their ads. However, if you feel you need to know, please send me a direct message on Facebook or Twitter and I will tell you where to look.)

So what happens now? Well, it's a waiting game. Who knows if this site will ever be shut down, but until it is, I will constantly be monitoring it. I have to. Ultimately, I'd like to see it shut down and I'd like to see Google get their money back from these thieves. I did notice they have added some more unsuspecting folks' stuff to their site. Guess they have to keep making money somehow. I had a chat recently with my best friend/internet guru and she gave me some great ideas. I will probably never be able to fully stop people from ripping me off like that, after all, there's always someone who thinks the internet is a free-for-all. Going forward, however, I will be putting a short bio/disclaimer at the end of every post. Titled, "You Saw It Here First", it will always give me credit for my posts regardless of where they may end up. I apologize for having to be repetitious like that but I have to do it.

Do yourselves a small favor every once in awhile. If you care about your blog and its content, Google yourself. See if anyone is stealing your stuff. Don't let them do that to you. I've learned a lot from this experience. We wine bloggers stick together and we support each other. We're a community of friends and we don't want to see our friends get hurt. I want to thank Amy and all the other friends who came to my aid and helped me last week. My desire to be a great wine blogger is stronger than ever and this is experience is hopefully just a speed bump. Cheers!

"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.

Thinking Pink: A Rosé Exposé

2010-08-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

It’s summertime and summertime begs for patio time with a nice, big refreshing glass of…pink…What???? No, I’m not crazy! I don’t mean for you to rush to the store to buy the first pink wine you see. (Chances are the first pink wine you’ll see in the grocery store aisle and is called White Zinfandel, a sweet wine that earned popularity in the 70s in Napa Valley. And it kind of just never went away. There are people out there that really like it and that’s fine. Nothing wrong with that, however, I am going to move away from this.) Today’s lesson is to teach you that there is more to “pink wine” than the obvious. Case in point--I have recently learned that there are Rosé wines made from nearly every red grape varietal. I’m so glad I've been introduced to the fabulous world of Rosé wines. I really can’t get enough of them!

There's a huge misconception about Rosé. Once people realize how wrong they were about it, it will be enough to make them, no pun intended, BLUSH! Many just assume it is sweet so they stay away. But the reality of it is that the hgher alcohol levels (13%+) make for a flavorful dry wine and the perfect accompanyment for your outdoor sipping needs. Awhile back, I posted a poll on Facebook's WineBeagles application. I asked if anyone was up for sipping Rosé this Summer. Most said "No! EW! I'm not drinking that!" They had no clue. So I did my research. I found many that offer something for everyone. A crisp cool Summer drink for even the most picky of red wine lovers.

What is Rosé and how is it made? There are three ways to make Rosé. The first would be to crush the red grapes and have the juice come in contact with the red skins for a relatively short period of time. The skin of red wine grapes contain all color and tannin. The longer the juice has contact with the skins, the darker and richer the color of the wine will be. This method is used primarily when the main purpose is to make Rose’ wine only.

The second method is called “Saignee” which literally means to bleed the vats. Sometimes during red wine production, a winemaker will remove some of the pink juice in an effort to make a more intensely colored and flavored red wine. The pink juice is fermented separately to make Rosé.

There is a third way to make Rosé, though it is uncommon. It involves blending red and white finished wines to create a pink wine. And no, there is no such thing as adding red food coloring to a white wine to make pink as someone pointed out once in a wine class I attended. This isn’t Kool-Aid, people!

After many months of searching, sampling and taste testing all kinds of Rosé, I came up with a list of fine examples! To the winemakers who created these wines, you should be proud. These, in my opinion, represent some of the BEST Rosé wines available right now!

The 2008 Corazon Napa Valley Rosé was recently sent to me by the winemaker herself, Cathy Corison. Cathy is a Napa Valley key player and legendary producer of Cabernet Sauvignon. Her winery, Corison Winery, is located in St. Helena right on Highway 29. I was pleasantly surprised to see how light in color this wine was. Light in color but definitely not light in flavor. This wine, bottled only weeks ago, has tremendous potential. At the moment it tastes like a cranberry-plum Jolly Rancher if there ever was such a flavor. The finish lingers on and on and it’s just amazing. I want to be sitting on a patio in Napa Valley sipping on this! Let this wine sweep you away too! It‘s a keeper! $24.

The next one is the 2009 Dry Creek Vineyard Petite Zin. Recently I had the pleasure of hanging out with friends Kim Stare-Wallace, whose family owns Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Vineyard in Healdsburg and Bill Smart, the winery’s marketing coordinator. We were in Washington and I was going on and on about Rosé, so they gifted me their latest and greatest addition to their line. What a great addition! I could seriously drink this wine forever! Imagine a watermelon-rhubarb mix with a peppery kick. Bone dry and fabulous! (and yes, it may be made of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah but it is not a White Zinfandel!) And for $17, I hope it comes to a store near you--and me!!!

Next is the 2008 Dusted Valley Ramblin’ Rosé. Awhile back I did a nice post on Dusted Valley, Wine Press Northwest’s Winery of the Year for 2010. During the WBCorBust trip, I spent my last evening tasting wines at a private party held at Basel Cellars in Walla Walla. There I met Dusted Valley co-owner/winemaker Chad Johnson and I managed to sample an entire line-up of his wines including 2008 Ramblin’ Rosé--a Rosé of Mourvedre. Yep, you are hearing it right… I am enamored with this wine! Deep plummy flavors and a slightly spicy kick. This wine was fabuloso! Alas, I have to wait until the next vintage to get more as this one is a popular one for them and they cannot ship to me during the Summer months!

Next, we’re on to the state of Oregon, where Pinot Noir is KING and where the most sophisticated of wine lovers will find great Rosé made of Pinot Noir! I recently attended a local wine club and the evening’s theme was wines of the Willamette Valley. I was pleasantly surprised to find the 2009 Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé to be a wonderful value at $13! Light pink with just a touch of cranberry, cinnamon and watermelon flavors--it was a near perfect balance of a refreshing warm weather quaffer coupled with the sophistication of an Oregon Pinot Noir. Mighty tasty!

Who knew they made a Rosé of Malbec? They do in Argentina! A couple nights ago, I participated in a TasteLive event on Twitter. The event featured Argentinian white wines and the token Rosé . I had received them as samples and I was bursting at the seams with joy when I opened the box and I saw the 2009 Crios Rosé Of Malbec!! A $12 value worth every penny! It was the darkest in color of all the ones I had tried having been created through the “Saignee” method. This was like drinking a glass of rich, flavorful red wine only cool, crisp and refreshing. Winemaker Susana Balbo treats all her wines as if they were her children. She truly knows the secret to making a great Rosé. I want more of this wine, please!

Last but not least, I'd like to mention one more wine I feel deserves merit. Unfortunately, for the time being, it is sold out. The 2008 Selene Wines Napa Valley Rosé . I am anxiously awaiting the next vintage because it is really tasty! I was so excited when a sample of this wine showed up at my house! I knew it was going to be great! It is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes by Mia Klein, a Napa Valley winemaker who has generated a lot of media buzz the past few years. Best known for her Cabernets and Merlots, she has made a really wonderful Rose’ worth seeking out. Loads of fruit (pomegranate comes to mind) and tropical undertones! $20.

For more information on these and other wines from the wineries featured in this blog post, please check out their websites:

www.corison.com
www.drycreekvineyard.com
www.dustedvalley.com
www.elkcove.com
www.selenewines.com

Please note: I was unable to find a winery website for Crios. You may be able to learn more at www.winesofargentina.org

So please go ahead...Don't be afraid! Enjoy the remaining days of Summer with a crisp, refreshing Rosé! You'll be happy you did! Cheers!

WBC or Bust Day One: The Seattle Winemakers Dinner

2010-08-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

Our first official evening in Seattle was spent on Pier 70 at the famous Waterfront Seafood Grill. It was so beautiful outside that evening and I soaked in every second of being near the Puget Sound, watching the boats and the sunset. What a great place!! In the midst of all this awaited a fabulous five course dinner with three to four wines per course and some winemakers along to speak about their wines. The host wineries were Sparkman Cellars, Nota Bene Cellars, Cadence Winery, Andrew Will Winery, Fall Line Winery, OS Winery and Sleight Of Hand Cellars...

When we first arrived, we were encouraged to grab a glass of wine and enjoy the view outside. It was gorgeous and I just relaxed and let my mind float away…all the while sampling my first wine of the evening, 2009 Sleight of Hand Cellars The Magician’s Assistant--a Rose’ of Cabernet Franc.

I strolled around outside enjoying the view and enjoying this wine. I’d never had a Cab Franc Rose' before. Delicious! I have heard from the winemaker himself, Trey Busch, that the winery, located in Walla Walla, is about sold out! Get it while you can!($19).

Then it was time to bring on the fabulous wines and food! What a treat it was!!!!!

The first course of this fabulous tasting dinner was a small plate with a roasted snail with a lemon garlic butter sauce. I sat there staring at my plate and thinking, “Oh my God! I’m gonna eat a snail!“ They were meaty but rich and the acidity of the two corresponding wines, 2009 OS Winery Champoux Vineyard Riesling ($20) and the 2008 Sparkman Cellars Lumiere Chardonnay ($25 and sold out) did them well! Here’s a small bit of history on these two wineries…

O.S. Winery stands for Owen & Sullivan. The winery was founded in 1997 by winemaker Bill Owen, who attended our dinner and Seattle-area banker and wine-lover, Rob Sullivan. Their winery, located in Seattle, is known for its “Opulent and Voluptuous Reds”. Indeed, as we would find out later in the evening.

Sparkman Cellars is a small family-owned winery. Chris Sparkman, the winemaker, is also the general manager of the Waterfront Seafood Grill. He and his wife make handcrafted, traditional wines that are very popular with local wine-lovers. This was the first time I had tried their wines and I have to say I was very impressed! I hope I get the chance to visit their winery some day!

The second course was a seared sea scallop atop a bed of wilted spinach in a red wine butter sauce. Three wines accompanied this dish: 2007 Andrew Will Two Blondes Yakima Valley Red ($50), 2008 OS Winery Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc($35) and 2006 Fall Line Winery Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($28). Now, I had never thought to pair up scallops with reds but this pairing really worked!

What can I say about Fall Line Winery? Their story is inspiration for anyone wanting to take a hobby and turn it into a career. Winery owner Tim Sorenson and his wife Nancy Rivenburgh are college professors and together they have made their dream of owning a winery a reality. They have chosen to keep their day jobs in addition to making wine! Tim has educated himself in wine at UC Davis and is working to further his education. The winery is located in the South Seattle neighborhood of Georgetown for those of you who would like to visit. I really enjoyed their wines.

Another seafood pairing that worked with reds was our third course--Columbia River Sturgeon with braised fennel, watercress coulis, shallot and bacon relish. This was paired with three big red wines: 2006 Fall Line Winery Artz Red Mountain($30), 2007 Cadence Bel Canto Cara Mia Vineyard (a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, $55) and 2007 Nota Bene Una Notte Columbia Valley($32). Heaven!

Cadence Winery is owned by a couple of Washington transplants, Caye McNutt (originally from Texas) and her husband, Benjamin Smith (who is from Ohio). Ben, a former Boeing employee, and Caye strive to make the best Bordeaux-style blends from Washington’s best vineyards. Their wines are top notch and it shows! The two we sampled at this dinner were spectacular! These wines are highly rated and definitely worth seeking out!

I could have stopped right there but course four was upon me: An Angus Beef short rib with red wine sauce, horseradish and French fries! This course just couldn’t have been anymore decadent and the big reds they chose to pair with it were over the top!!! The 2006 Nota Bene Syrah($30), 2007 Cadence Tapteil Vineyard Red Mountain (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, $45) and the 2008 Sparkman Cellars Darkness Syrah Yakima Valley ($48) were all exceptional red wines. I can honestly say the Darkness Syrah is by far one of the best Syrahs I encountered in Washington. Wow! I really enjoyed the Nota Bene Syrah as well! (Remember, I am Syrah-challenged! That’s changing quickly however…)

Nota Bene Cellars is truly a family affair! Owner/winemaker Tim Narby started out at Boeing as a systems analyst. He joined the Boeing employees wine and beer making club and quickly moved up the ranks becoming their vice-president. He and his wife, Carol Bryant, an attorney, decided to venture out on their own, and now that their kids are old enough to join the ranks, everyone in the family plays a role in the winery’s everyday operations--even their dog and cat! Their wines are a terrific buy for their price points!

We had some fabulous wines that evening as you can see. But the wine that stole my heart was the 2007 Andrew Will Ciel Du Cheval! ($65) This Bordeaux-style blend was paired with the meat course. Having just sampled the 2006 vintage recently, it was my favorite and everywhere I went that week, Andrew Will wines were by my side. I was so excited to find out that Andrew Will’s assistant winemaker, David Oldham, was in attendance at our dinner! Meeting him made the evening really special for me! He and winery owner, Chris Camarda, make some really special wines at their Vashon Island winery and they are not to be missed! David was funny, very personable and as you can see from the video above (shot by the WBCorBust crew), he was having a whacky and wonderful time! Chris and David source their grapes from different vineyards in Washington state. The Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard, where this wine's grapes come from, is located in Benton City, Washington in the Red Mountain AVA and I was so fortunate to be able to visit the vineyard later in the week and meet the vineyard's owner Jim Holmes! Some of Washington state's most expensive and sought after red wines come from this AVA and their ageability is just amazing! They're a great investment!

I was still drinking these wines when the dessert course arrived--a panna cotta with bing cherry, star anise, black pepper and chocolate. Simply wonderful!

Alas, the day finally had to come to an end and I was, pardon the pun, “Sleepless In Seattle” as I pondered about my wonderful experiences that day. Surely there was more to come, but a little piece of my heart remained in Seattle as we headed east towards the Cascades, Yakima and Walla Walla. This was just the beginning of a new love affair I'm having with Washington state wines! Stay tuned for more of my escapades in the coming weeks!

My thanks again to Cuvee Corner Blog's Bill Eyer and Tom Plant of Wineormous for some of these fabulous photos! I should take you both on all my wine country trips!

For more information on the wineries and the restaurant, please see the following websites:

www.waterfrontpier70.com
www.andrewwill.com
www.cadencewinery.com
www.sparkmancellars.com
www.notabenecellars.com
www.oswinery.com
www.falllinewinery.com
www.sofhcellars.com

WBC or BUST Day One: Making More Great Memories in Washington State

2010-08-07T08:52:00.001-07:00

This week, I am doing something a bit different than my usual posting. I will be posting two back to back. How come? Because the first day of our WBCorBust adventure was so incredible that the afternoon and evening segments needed their own posts to give them justice. I love it when I get these bursts of creative energy and I need to act upon them! I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I enjoyed being a part of them.

After a wonderful morning of touring and tasting in Woodinville, we made our way into The Barking Frog restaurant for lunch. This was no ordinary lunch but a dazzling three-course menu by Chef Bobby Moore and accompanied by three wines poured by DeLille Cellars’ owner/partner Jay Soloff.

DeLille Cellars, housed in a gorgeous French Chateau-style winery, was founded in 1992. They produce exceptional and highly rated wines with an emphasis on Bordeaux and Rhone varietals. Jay was one of the most genuine and approachable people I met that week and his passion for teaching us all about his wines and where they came from really stood out. His excitement about being a part of our event was infectious and I couldn't wait to sample the wines and get to know more about them! Check out this video below, filmed by my friend, Bill Eyer of Cuvee Corner Blog at our Woodinville producers tasting earlier that day...

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Our first course was the restaurant’s signature appetizer--Grand Marnier Prawns with mixed organic greens and a lemongrass vinaigrette. Jay poured his 2009 Doyenne Rose’ Yakima Valley--a tasty and refreshing Rhone-blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault.$24.

For the second course, we were given a choice of chicken or seafood and I, of course, chose the seafood. Washington has some of the best seafood in the world so it was a natural choice for me. The entrée of seared sea scallops was accompanied by asparagus risotto, baby spinach, pancetta, Cipollini onion and a carrot reduction. It was magnificent! The wine, 2008 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc Columbia Valley was a white Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. $34. A very classy pairing. (We would sample this wine again during the “White Wine Speed Blogging” session in Walla Walla later in the week!)

The dessert course was amazing! A dark chocolate coffee ganache with a milk chocolate cremieux and salted caramel. It was so beautiful resembling a work of art! I could’ve seriously run away with that dessert! It was paired up with the 2007 Doyenne Signature Syrah. $37. The plum and raspberry -pepper flavors melded with the chocolate and made for a sinfully rich experience!

I could have used a nap after lunch but our chariot awaited to take us back to Seattle for a tour of the Pike Brewing Company. The Pike Brewing Company, located in the heart of Seattle, was a busy brew pub with whimsical decor. I don’t usually drink a lot of beer. However, I was game because every so often, I crave one so I used the hour or so we were there to sample a few of the beers and relax in the moment. The tour was a lot of fun but since I am not swell-schooled on beers, so I will let you imagine what it was like visiting through photos. "I Like Pike" is their motto and I think we all felt that way when we exited...

My thanks to friends Bill Eyer of Cuvee Corner Blog and Tom Plant of Wineormous for use of some of their photos and video. You guys are the BEST!

For more information on DeLille Cellars, The Barking Frog Restaurant and Pike Brewery, please visit their websites:

www.delillecellars.com
www.willowslodge.com
www.pikebrewing.com

Following the tour, we made our way back to the Renaissance Hotel to check in and relax for a very short time because what awaited us was a magical, wonderful evening on Pier 70. Stay tuned for part two!!

A Chat With Winemaker Kent Rasmussen...

2010-08-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

Interviewing people, especially people I admire such as winemakers and grape growers, has always been a difficult thing for me. As I forge ahead in the blogosphere, I am going to be interviewing people more and more. As frightened as I am at the prospect, the thing I love the most about it is what comes after I've listened to a winemaker talk about their labor of love. It's such an awe-inspiring feeling!! And it makes me wonder why I was ever frightened in the first place! Recently, I was given the opportunity to interview Napa Valley winemaker, Kent Rasmussen of Kent Rasmussen Winery--a little goldmine of a winery that sits on the Silverado Trail. I was nervous, but excited because giving the small family winemakers all the exposure I can is what it is all about! He was great to speak with and made me feel completely at ease!

My chat with Kent lasted around 50 minutes and during this time, he painted a beautiful and realistic picture of what life as a Napa Valley winemaker can be like. I've recently found that there are so many interesting reasons why people get into winemaking and I'd like to put them all together in a book--one of my many future projects! Winemakers come from all walks of life and when I first approached the subject, Kent hesitated, stating that his story was not glamorous by any means. No matter! I still wanted to hear it and what he mentioned was really interesting.

Kent Rasmussen didn’t come from a winemaking family like some did and he wasn’t a wealthy venture capitalist who decided to get into winemaking. Kent had been working as a librarian at UC Berkeley and was somewhat of a home winemaking hobbyist. I recently met an old aquaintance of his, Washington state winemaker, Katy Perry of Tildio Winery. When I spoke of the winemakers I had talked to, she mentioned she had worked with Kent in the early days and he had specialized in African Studies, not the usual tale you'd expect to hear. One day Kent looked out the window and decided he just couldn’t spend his life working indoors anymore. The idea of making wine appealed to him, having had a bit of the home winemaking experience. He decided to go back to school for some viticulture and enology education . What followed was work at Robert Mondavi Winery but Kent was interested in venturing out on his own.

This was still in the late 70s when the price of land was still reasonable. Kent and his wife Celia (pictured above) decided to forge ahead and slowly but surely they began making their own wine. In the beginning, they planted a few acres of Pinot Noir in Carneros, the southern end of Napa Valley--where the cool climate is ideal for this grape. They also purchased Chardonnay grapes from others. Kent's work ethic was a prime example of how working slow but steady leads to success. Their wines became well-received over the years and what they have now are award winning wines and a piece of Napa Valley history.

I have to say, I have been very impressed with Kent’s wines. The sample package I received contained the 2007 Carneros Chardonnay, 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir and the 2007 Esoterica Petite Sirah. The Chardonnay was sampled for a live event I participated in a few months back on Twitter. One of the most interesting Chardonnays I’ve ever encountered, the 2007 Carneros Chardonnay was multi-layered… Each layer would meld into something surprisingly new. It was vibrant and exciting with full-bodied richness. Tropical fruits, vanilla, spice and a long, lingering finish. But not buttery-oaky or over the top. It was about as great as a Chardonnay could be! Borderline grand! A truly unique experience. (I could go on and on...) Kent said the formula for this Chardonnay happened by accident. One year he had barrel sampled the wine too soon, then forgot about it for a bit longer than normal. Sounds like a winning formula to me! I’m sold. I am pretty sure you will be too! $29.

Now, mind you, I am just getting into Pinot Noir and having sampled so many different ones, it's tough for me to choose one style I love over another. The Carneros region of Napa Valley is known for it's cool climate and the perfect place to grow Pinot Noir grapes. The 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir is enjoyable with subtle raspberry and cranberries that flow into dark chocolate mocha and cinnamon spice flavors. One sip and you recognize where it comes from. It has a dry, spicy finish and is the perfect food wine. Kent has been making Pinot Noir for over 25 years so I would guess this has to be his flagship. It is truly "Purely Poetic Pinot Noir" as they would put it! $40.

The third wine I sampled, the 2007 Esoterica Chavez-Leeds Vineyard Petite Sirah is classic!It recently won a huge accolade from Wine Enthusiast Magazine---94 points! The Esoterica label is Kent’s side project--his “fun” label-the “thrill of discovery” as he puts it. Every year he releases something fun and different using the label. This Petite Sirah is fabulous! It’s dark, tannic, and bold! Yet it is also well-balanced so it can stand up to some heavy duty dishes and still pair well with a simple grilled meat! This wine has been dubbed "The Petite Sirah for Cabernet Lovers". Rightfully so as it is majestic and magnificent! Don't miss out on this fabulous find! $40.

In addition to the Kent Rasmussen and Esoterica labels, Kent has a companion label named after his wife, Celia Ramsay. You may recognize the wines with the Ramsay label as they are distributed nationwide. They are food -friendly, easy drinking wines and can be found in many restaurants and wine shops.

I am planning a little jaunt over to Napa Valley this coming October and I am planning on a stop at Kent Rasmussen Winery. You will find they are truly a gem not to be missed. The winery is located at 1001 Silverado Trail S. in St. Helena, CA. Open daily from 11 AM to 4 PM. I’m excited to visit! If you can't make it out to visit them, here is some important information on how to get some of these great wines: Some of the wines are distributed in certain states, but the best way to get them is to contact the winery directly. Please contact Michelle Hunt at (707) 963-5667 or e-mail her directly at michelle@kentrasmussenwinery.com.

I’d like to thank Michelle for arranging this opportunity and turning me on to such a great story! It was a pleasure speaking with Kent and I know he will continue to keep making a name for the winery for many years to come. My thanks to Kent for taking time out of his busy schedule to chat with me! Hope to see you all in October!!

Passaggio Wines Does It Again!

2010-07-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I introduced you all to a good friend of mine, Cynthia Cosco--winemaker and lab assistant at Crushpad, San Francisco's famous custom crush facility. Well, a lot has happened since then! Crushpad is now a reality in Napa Valley, having moved their crush facility to a location on the Silverado Trail--complete with a vineyard. And as for Cindy, she's still with them and still making her own wine and yes, folks, she has done it again! Cindy is on a roll, having just released not one but two excellent wines I feel everyone should know about! There's a big buzz out there about her wines and I have a feeling the buzz is about to get bigger!

I recently received samples of the new releases. The first release is the 2009 Passaggio Wines New Generation Unoaked Chardonnay. Last year, I went on and on about how refreshing the 2008 release was and how I'd learned to embrace unoaked Chardonnay because of Cindy! Well, I am here to say that the 2009 was such a lovely surprise and the flavors this time are even bigger! So tropical and absolutely wonderful. Bursting with pineapple and guava goodness. She really has her finger on top of a formula I hope keeps evolving because it is truly wonderful! This wine is $16 a bottle. Worth every penny!

This year, she decided to surprise us with a new wine as well. The 2009 Passaggio Wines New Generation Pinot Grigio is a breath of fresh air! I'm not a big fan of Pinot Grigio. I tend to find them boring and uninspiring. This one is completely different. I enjoyed it from the first sip. Lemons, pears, crisp, refreshing! Way more flavorful than the traditional Pinot Grigios coming out of Italy. Just superb! $14.

With wines this nice and flavorful, Cindy's star is definitely on the rise! I hope to see many more wines being created in the coming years. Perhaps a Rosé or how about a Riesling? Maybe she'll even venture into making red wines! The possibilities would be endless! Let's hope so! So, where can you get these great wines? They are available through her website at passaggiowines.com. She also has them available at Crushpad if you were to pop in and visit. I know I'm a bit late in saying this but she does have a "Summertime Special" going on for the month of July! Save 20% when you purchase six or more bottles of Passaggio Wines. Now that's a deal!

Cellarmistress Does Woodinville Part Two: The Grand Tasting

2010-07-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Upon leaving Chateau Ste. Michelle, our group of bloggers was whisked away across the road to the Willows Lodge, home of the famous restaurant, The Barking Frog. As we walked through the building, I spotted a sign reading “Private Event Wa. Wine Bloggers. Thank You For Joining Us!” At that moment, I felt pretty special! In the courtyard stood many eagerly awaiting winemakers and winery representatives from wineries right there in Woodinville! This tasting would take awhile and in the interest of time, I’m going to discuss a few of the producers. You all know how long-winded I am! I’d be writing a novel if I mentioned every single detail! Anyway, I was like a kid in a candy store! What do I try first? Who do I meet first? Everyone began disbursing to the different tables and guess what?

I spotted vintner Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery. I approached with caution because I didn’t want to seem too eager but who was I kidding? I knew that Bob had a huge history in the Washington wine industry--that he’d worked for Ste. Michelle back when it was Stimson Lane, that his wines were worshipped by many faithful followers, that he had a MW (Master Of Wine) as a title and that his winery’s mailing list had been closed for quite some time. If my trip had ended right there, I’d have had no regrets, after all Bob Betz was legendary! Who would regret sampling two of his finest wines---one of them yet to be released to the general public??? Not I! So I sauntered over and introduced myself! He was as charming and pleasant as could be as his daughter, Carmen, poured me a sample of 2008 Syrah La Côte Patriarche (Est. retail $55, 215 cases, to be released October 2010). I remember thinking, “Wow!” this is going to be the benchmark for everything else I try this week! Sourced from Yakima Valley’s Red Willow Vineyard (the oldest Syrah planting in the state), this wine was velvety with bursts of dark fruit and a very long, lingering finish! And yet to be released! How fortunate could I get? The next wine I sampled was the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Familie. ($60 retail, 815 cases-sourced mostly from Ciel Du Cheval, Klipsun and Kiona Vineyard on Red Mountain). Very big, dense fruit with mineral qualities, a bit tight but would open up nicely with decanting or aging, Now that was an experience and I still had several more tables to visit!

The next person I met was Darren DesVoigne of DesVoigne Cellars. I had never heard of them before but the labels on their bottles caught my eye. They had beautiful artwork of jazz musicians on them. I went back to white wines and started off with his 2009 Menina Flor Columbia Valley Viognier/Roussanne. That’s an interesting varietal combination I’d never run across before! I wanted to run away with the bottle! It was unbelievably creamy with a melange of citrus! And for only $20 and 136 cases produced, I’m sure it would sell out quickly!

Next up was owner/winemaker Steve Snyder of Hollywood Hill Vineyards. The sun was beating down on me so I asked to sample a white. One thing you need to know about me is I am crazy about Roussanne. It’s just not a wine I can find a lot of and coming to Washington was the best thing because it opened my eyes to some of the best Roussannes out there! Hollywood Hill makes a fine one, 2009 Horse Heaven Hills Roussanne. ($24, 70 cases produced). Guess I was lucky to sample it because production is so small! Full-bodied and lush with ripe pineapple flavor. Just scrumptious!

At the recommendation of my friend, wine blogger Bill Eyer, I ventured over to the Baer Winery table where I met Lisa Baer, representing her family. Her table featured two reds, 2007 Ursa and 2007 Arctos. Washington has a lot of best kept secrets. Here’s one of them! These two Bordeaux blends are amazing! My first thought was that the price points would be very high and I almost hesitated to ask. I was stunned to find out the 2007 Ursa ($35, 997 cases produced) and the 2007 Arctos ($41, 267 cases produced) were so moderately priced. Good Lord! Beautiful wines at an incredible price! Highly recommended!

distefano and Sparkman Cellars shared a table. Though I will talk about Sparkman Cellars in a later post, I did want to mention that distefano was named 2008 Winery Of The Year by Wine Press Northwest and 2009 Best Winery by people’s choice 425 Magazine. The 2005 Sogno (which means dream, in Italian) was my favorite at this table. Yet another great value , this wine was 98% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was very spicy, with cloves, mint, eucalyptus and blue fruit. Another jaw dropping moment occurred when I saw the price point, $32 (550 cases produced).

Finally, we move on to dessert. Dessert wine, that is. My friends, Mike and Kate Sharadin of Northwest Totem Cellars made a fine fine dessert wine, the 2007 Elerding Vineyard Late Harvest Viognier! ($27) Slightly sweet, with honeysuckle notes and so smooth. I was loving this wine and Mike came up behind me and handed me a bottle to take back to Iowa! I want to thank him for doing this because it’s a beautiful wine and I can’t wait to share it with my family and friends!

Alas, the tasting had to come to an end and we were directed into the Barking Frog restaurant where DeLille Cellars owner/partner Jay Soloff was waiting to pour us some more of his wines with lunch. Stay tuned for my next post featuring Jay and his wonderful wines and the awesome cuisine of Chef Bobby Moore! If you are interested in getting to know these wineries better, all of them have tasting rooms in Woodinville, Washington, which is a suburb of Seattle.

You may access more information on their respective websites below:

betzfamilywinery.com
desvoignecellars.com
hollywoodhillvineyards.com
baerwinery.com
distefanowinery.com
sparkmancellars.com
nwtotemcellars.com
willowslodge.com

My thanks to Bill Eyer for providing the photo of Darren DesVoigne and the distefano and Hollywood Hill Vineyards wines! I also wanted to thank Marcus Pape for all the hard work he put into bringing this all together! And--I want to say how excited I was that I finally got to meet three of my good Twitter friends: Margot (@writeforwine), Shona (@shona425) and Bean (@winebeerwa)!!!

Cellarmistress Does Woodinville Part One: Chateau Ste. Michelle

2010-07-06T18:29:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm back from Washington state! Most of you have probably figured this out from my never ending tweets--screaming how thrilled I was to be there! So, how was it anyway? Well, it all started on the evening of June 22nd, when I departed my humble abode for the thrill of the Pacific Northwest. A flight that was late, a run through the airport (again), a second flight that was a rollercoaster ride (sat next to some people from W. Virginia-their first flight-thought they were going to scream bloody murder!) and a long wait at the airport for my hotel shuttle...But, I finally made it, sleepy-eyed and dead to the world at 1 AM (which was really 3 AM my time!). Four hours later, my wake-up call rudely awakened me and I stumbled into the bathroom to make coffee, only I forgot to put the actual coffee pot under the coffee maker and made a complete mess all over the floor! Could it get any worse? I made it downstairs, woke up, ate breakfast and soon I was off my airport shuttle and in the lobby at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Seattle, waiting to begin my big journey-- for WBCorBust to begin! I sure hoped so!

After a few formal introductions, myself and my fellow WBCorBust winners, climbed aboard our bus and took off for Woodinville!!! First stop--a tour and private food and wine pairing at Chateau Ste. Michelle!

Most people are familiar with this winery in some way or another. (If not, I am not sure where you've been hiding all these years!) I have to be up front and say that I was not sure what to expect with this visit. I knew they were famous for their Riesling. (I did a post about this awhile back) But that's all I knew. This was a large-production winery and its parent company, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, owned many wineries including Snoqualmie, Columbia Crest, Spring Valley Vineyard, Northstar Winery and Col Solare (along with a few others in Oregon and California) The winery also owned 3500 acres of land in the Columbia Valley and made many, many wines. What was I in for? I'd never visited a winery this large before.

My mind was put completely at ease when we were joined by Lynda Eller, Director of Communications for the winery and winemaker Wendy Stuckey, who oversees the production of white wine. Both were very personable and informative as they led us on a tour of the production facility. As they walked us through the facility, I noticed large billboard displays showing their vineyards, wines and special joint projects lining the walls. Down below and through safety glass, one could watch wine being bottled. The moment I was there, they were bottling Chardonnay. We walked downstairs to the stainless steel tanks and I witnessed cold fermentation, with frost on the outside of the tanks! I had never seen this before. The barrel room was absolutely huge, with row after endless row of oak barrels. The smell of those barrels was just intoxicating! I loved it!

We went outside for a moment, then back inside into another room where they had set up the private tasting for our group. The room was intimate and there were tables lined with white linens and many tasting glasses set-up on each table. Each person had their own little private menu printed on paper and each glass was set on on a labeled tasting chart, so you'd be able to tell the wines apart. We all took our seats and Wendy introduced us to the winery's culinary director, John Sarich. This winery knows how to pull all the stops! What commenced was an amazing marriage of beautiful food paired with elegant wines and made for a memorable morning!

We began with our first plate, which had Indian Spiced Prawns with Tomato Chutney, Sesame Seared Halibut with an Orange-basil Thai Curry, Coconut Rice and Citrus Salad, and some Currywurst. The three appetizers were paired very nicely with three Rieslings: the 2008 Eroica Riesling from Columbia Valley (a project between the winery and famed German winemaker, Dr. Ernst Loosen-$24), 2009 Dry Riesling from Columbia Valley ($9) and 2009 Cold Creek Vineyard Riesling from Columbia Valley ($15). I have to say Riesling is one of those wines I've always overlooked and don't drink much of. However, this tasting has saved me! These plates, paired up with these wines, have succeeded in making me a Riesling fan for good! Wendy talked about the wines while John explained the pairings and the thought behind them. (later on at the Wine Bloggers Conference, we all received a copy of John's book, "Chef In The Vineyard"--a gorgeous book with many recipes and photos! I'm excited to start cooking!) Before moving on to the next plate, we were given the opportunity to barrel taste a sample of the 2009 Eroica, which still had a ways to go but showed promise. I will attempt to pair up all my spicy dishes with Riesling going forward and see how they fare! All three of the above Rieslings are available through the winery and in most U.S. markets.

Next up, we all received a second plate which featured Roast Duck with Cherry Merlot Sauce, a Sweet Potato Cake and Manchego Cheese. This plate would pair up with Merlot. There's nothing to fear about the Merlot from Chateau Ste. Michelle! The flavors are huge-lots of dark chocolate, spicy cherries! We had 2007 Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot from Horse Heaven Hills ($22), 2006 Cold Creek Vineyard Merlot ($28) and a very special wine, their 2006 Artist Series Meritage (which contained Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot-$50).

After much swooning, I embraced what was next, dessert! Basque cookies with Rasberries were paired up with the 2005 Ethos Late Harvest White Riesling from Horse Heaven Hills ($35) It was liquid heaven! So rich and sweet-tasted almost like honey!

I have to say, in retrospect, it couldn't have been anymore perfect! I came home from Washington with a whole new respect for this brand and its wines and people! I am really looking forward to getting to know them better! After a perfect morning, we were whisked off to another tasting in Woodinville but got to enjoy some of the Ste. Michelle wine portfolio again later in the week at the Wine Bloggers' Conference in Walla Walla. There's a lot more to this adventure so please stay tuned in the coming weeks for a lot more excitement! I'd like to thank my two WBCorBust co-horts in crime, Bill Eyer (who took the wine photo) and Tom Plant (who took the food photos) for allowing me to use their photos which were better than mine! Cheers to everyone!

WBC10 and WBCorBust Here I Come!!!

2010-06-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! The 2010 North American Wine Bloggers Conference will be taking place later this week in Walla Walla, Washington. I recently read an article stating that the state of Washington would love more wine lovers to visit and that they could use a boost for their wine industry. Well, I'm here to say that Walla Walla and the state of Washington had better watch out! They're not going to know what hit them! Talk about a boost! Three hundred wine lovers, writers, winemakers, media consultants etcetera will be descending upon this small town in southeastern Washington. They will be writing, blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, and broadcasting everything wine! After this week, everyone will know where Walla Walla, Washington is and that there are so many excellent wines coming from there and other parts of the state! It's going to be amazing and one of the biggest things to happen for the wine industry there! I am so happy and proud to be a part of this event!

On New Year's Eve, I made a conscious decision to be one of the three hundred. Attending last year's conference was an amazing and priceless experience. The people I met, the friendships I made and the things I got to see...I never could have done this on my own. Now the time is finally here, six months of waiting finally over! And I get to do this again as a newbie. I've never been to Washington and I can't wait to go.

During the interim, I entered a contest called WBCorBust. The contest, sponsored by WineChatr and the Washington Wine Commission (along with a multitude of other great sponsors), began as a way for non-Washington bloggers to showcase the industry there and create excitement. I chose to do it because I wanted to learn more about the area and its wines. I had some great help from Washington winemakers Chris Camarda of Andrew Will, Charles Smith of Charles Smith Wines and K Vintners, Don Phelps of Hard Row To Hoe and Dave Merfield of Northstar Winery. They made some amazing wines and I am grateful to them for sharing their passion with me! At the beginning of May, I found out I actually won! I was so stoked! This was icing on the cake for what was already going to be an amazing journey! Along with eleven other winners, I get to ride across the state of Washington in style! Below are some of the highlights and events we will be partaking in:

WBCorBust:

Food and wine pairing and tour at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville

Woodinville Grand Tasting at Willows Lodge

Lunch at the Barking Frog

Palate Refresher & Brewery tour at Pike Brewing Company

Seattle Winemakers Dinner at Waterfront Seafood Grill

Brunch & Wine Tasting at the Cave B Inn in Quincy

Vineyard visit & farm-sponsored vineyard lunch among the vines
at DuBrul Vineyard in Sunnyside

Yakima Valley Grand Tasting at Prosser's Vintners Village

Walla Walla Vintners Pizza Social (wood-fired pizza!!!)

Walla Walla B&B Experience

WBC10:

Wine Tasting and Meet The Sponsors

Taco Truck Tasting Lunch with famed Walla Walla Taco Trucks

Keynote speech by Steve Heimoff of Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Blog Awards Presentation

Breakout Sessions (great stuff--all three days)

Live Wine Blogging (this is so much fun--like speed blogging)

Pre-dinner reception and dinner with Ste. Michelle Estates

After hours Walla Walla walkabout (visiting the Walla Walla tasting rooms!)

Visits and lunch at local wineries and vineyards

More Live Wine Blogging

Pre-dinner reception and dinner with the Washington Wine Commission

Keynote speech with Writer Lettie Teague

After hours reception with Wines Of Spain

Food and Wine Pairing and lunch with Food Network Chef Jeffrey Saad

Post conference excursion to Red Mountain AVA

Visits to Col Solare, Hedges, Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard and Terra Blanca

Red Mountain AVA Grand Tasting

Outdoor dinner at Sunset at Terra Blanca

Phew! This will be some week! And let me tell you, my liver will be hating me and my eyes will be thanking me. But best of all, a piece of my heart will undoubtedly remain in Washington forever. To all my friends (old, new and friends to be), I raise my glass--a toast to what will be one of the best weeks of our lives! I'm ready! Bring it on!

Cellarmistress Tastes Live From The Livermore Valley!

2010-06-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past six months, I've had the rare opportunity to sample many wines from a winery I consider a great California staple. Wente Vineyards. When most people think of California wines, they think of Napa or Sonoma or the Central Coast. Wente Vineyards calls the Livermore Valley their home. I asked around and a lot of people were dumbfounded when I mentioned the area so I am here to shed some light on this mystery...

The Livermore Valley is located 30 miles east of San Francisco, inland but off the bay. This area is ideal for grape growing because it gets the morning fog and cool air from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in warm days and cool nights. This climate coupled with the gravelly soils of the area were exactly what C.H. Wente had in mind when he started the winery 125 years ago. Five generations of family winemakers have been consistently making award-winning wines ever since.

I have had the opportunity to taste from all the different tiers of wines the Wente family has to offer. From the most simple to the most complex, these wines offer something for everyone. After participating in two of their TasteLive events on Twitter in recent months in addition to receiving sample kits from the winery, I found it very difficult to narrow down my favorites as they were all exceptionally good wines. The TasteLive events helped me learn more about the current and fifth generation winemaker, Karl Wente. He is a master at blending his wines. This makes for complex and interesting wines. There is always a surprise element--perhaps a varietal you didn't expect in the blend. He kept me guessing and on my toes with his blends! I believe he truly enjoys crafting his wines this way!

The first Wente Vineyards wine I ever had was in 2004 at a little seafood restaurant in Newport Beach, California. It was a Chardonnay and I drank it out of a plastic cup! It was good even out of plastic! That said a lot. I knew it was special. Wente Vineyards makes many Chardonnays. I was fortunate enough to sample two of them and at under $20 for either one, they are exceptional.

The first of the two Chardonnays is the 2008 Morning Fog Chardonnay. Karl sources most of the grapes for this one in the Livermore area but also adds grapes sourced from the Arroyo Seco area near Monterey. (The family owns vineyards there as well.) This one is very clean with just a simple touch of oak and nice stone fruit flavors, and cinnamon spice with a kiss of vanilla. What did Karl blend with this one? Gewürztraminer? For real. I always complain when winemakers do that because when done frivolously, it takes away from the true flavor of the Chardonnay grape. Karl does it in such a subtle way, you wouldn't even know it! Now that's the true mark of a master! $12.95 a bottle! (Yes, really!)

The 2008 Riva Ranch Arroyo Seco Chardonnay. I just can't get enough! Honestly, if you love butterscotch, caramel, vanilla and tropical flavors in your Chardonnay, this one is definitely for you (and me, obviously!). This one comes from the "Heritage Block" tier of their wines with most of the grapes sourced from their Monterey-area vineyard. Barrel aged and medium bodied with huge flavors. So--what did Karl blend with this one? Well, he added a very tiny fraction of Gewürztraminer but also about 4% Pinot Blanc. What does that do? It adds brightness to this wine! It is just lovely. $19.95 (yes, very nice and very affordable!)

Who loves Cabernet Sauvignon? The Wente family proves that great Cabs do not necessarily have to come from Napa Valley. Here are a couple that really surprised me!

Because sometimes you just want to be able to open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and pour yourself a glass without having to decant, Karl has made the 2007 Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. Blended with tiny amounts of Petite Sirah, Merlot, Barbera and Petit Verdot, it is simple yet offers some great flavors such as dark berries and vanilla. Completely approachable with soft tannins. And at an affordable price of $14.95, it should be sitting in everyone's wine rack for everyday drinking!

The 2007 Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon is a Cabernet-lover's dream come true. Especially if you like a bold, spicy, fruit-forward Cabernet. This one is redolent with juicy, jammy blackberry and dark cherry flavors, lots of spice and vanilla oak. Blended with Petit Sirah and Petit Verdot. A complete steal for $24.95! Stands up to the best prime steak and will rival some of those Napa Cabernets out there!

And finally we come to something very rare. They call me Syrah-challenged. This one broke me!

I was given the opportunity to sample a wine club only exclusive. I'm unsure of the price point on this one but I would venture to guess it is somewhere in the vicinity of $45.00 a bottle. The 2007 Nth Degree Syrah. This is very much done in a Rhone style. Meaty, full-bodied and funky! Lots of dark berries, chocolate and savory spice. Funky in a good way though. Not one to be sampled alone, it must be accompanied by a good meal. If you are ever able to sample this wine, you will find it very complex and enjoyable. Blended along with Petit Sirah, Mourvedre and Cabernet Franc, it is a bold, "in your face" wine that could definitely be cellared for awhile!

Does all of this sound great to you? It does to me, which is why I want to visit them some day! The property is beautiful and they make so many different and interesting wines. Please visit them sometime if you get the chance. They are located in Livermore at 5050 Arroyo Rd. They are open daily and to the public, available for private events and there is even a restaurant on the premises.
Wines can be purchased at the winery, on their website at wentevineyards.com or some of the wines are distributed nationwide.

I would like to thank the folks at Wente Vineyards for allowing me to experience their wines and I'll hopefully be seeing them sometime soon!