California

Sparkling Stars on a budget

It’s that time of the month again! Time for Wine Blogging Wednesday, when a particular theme is used to inspire bloggers to post on a single subject all over the blogging world.

This month, in honor of Valentine’s Day (hurl), Tim Elliot of WineCast asks us to think about sparkling wines on a budget. In this case, budget means anything under US$25. Well I can do that! There are literally dozens of sparkling wines from all over the world that match this price point. I am spoiled living here int he Bay Area, as I have access to many local wineries – at least 10 sparkling houses among them, as well as excellent retail locations that offer wines of all types and cost levels.

Sparkling wine is used to celebrate all around the world. Sparkling wine is known for toasting at weddings, or romantic dinners. Well, I’m having none of it I tell you! Sparkling wine is for every day! It’s for potato chips and picnics. Why save something so delightful for a few times a year? With a few budget selections, you can make it an everyday wine.

I have been hard at work … um…researching this for you. What did I discover? There are so many to choose from, it’s difficult to walk down the wine isle at the grocery store and not find an excellent wine under US$25. For my picks, I am going to go for three

specific wines:

1. A house “genertic” from Trader Joes. TJ’s has realy upped the game from Two Buck Chuck. Trader Joe’s North Coast NV Sparkling Wine. For $10, you really can’t go wrong. TJ’s has been consistantly improving thier house labels over the years; this wine is no exception. It was very well balanced, and had a roundness of body that I particularly enjoy. Lots of pear, Asian pear, and apple flaors, with a touch of brioche. This north coast fruit is 60% Chard, 40% Pinot Noir, from somewhere in the vast North Coast catch all AVA. It’s hard to tell where it’s really from,but given the cooler growing climate up there, it’s prime for bubby.

This will make a frequent appearance at my house!

2. A favorite of mine, is the Roederer Estate NV. Typically under $20, and often much lower (like at Safeway, when it’s on sale for $16.99) this is an outstanding example of a domestic sparkler, and one I never get tired of. Roederer Estate, located in the cooler climate of Anderson Valley, is the US arm of the French house Louis Roederer. Surprisingly, the NV is a low alcohol wine, so yes, at 12% ABV by all means! Drink more! I love the bright green apple, pear, and creamy flavors in this wine. Bight with citrus, it tastes like it cost a lot more than it does.

For a splurge, try the L’hermitage!

3. A surprise guest appearance of a NEw Zealand sparkling wine, Quartz Reef Method Traditionalle NV, from Central Otago. Quartz Reef is known as “The House of Pinot Noir”, and this bubbly kicked off our #nzwineday celebration wonderfully. A slightly fuller bodied bubbly, there was wonderful stone fruit and lemon curd. At $22 (JJ Buckley) this is another one to seek out if you can find it locally. I haven’t had much sparkling wine from New Zealand and was really pleased with this. I plan to harass my friends at JJ Buckley to ensure I can get some of this!

Other honorable mentions:

Mumm - the value tier of wine is generally ~$15 at retail and there are several good picks.
Gruett – an oddball hailing from New Mexico, actually offers a great Rose and Brut.
Gloria Ferrer – The Brut and Carneros Cuvee are personal faves, and are best enjoyed from tehir terrace in Carneros!

Happy Sparking Wine Blogging Wednesday! And remember, bubbles are for every day, a celebration, a consolation, or just because. Why hide them away when they are so affordable?

There were many more wines that I tried, and some of them are still in my fridge. Never fear, I will post about them all, just over time as I continue my…research! I have tasted sparklers from South Africa, Burgundy, and Spain and I vow to continue my quest as long as my champagne stopper keeps working!

Happy drinking!

Sometimes, smaller is better

Feb 13th, 2012

by winebratsf.

2 comments

Often times, people have the assumption that larger is better; whether it’s in wine, packages of snacks at Costco, or houses with more bedrooms than people in the town where I went to boarding school, the message is bigger is better. Even in wine, the message can be bigger is better; while not referring to size, it often shows up in large production labels, that assume that releasing 10,000 cases means they are successful. It also shows up stylistically, when wines become Fraken-fied, with additives and strange concoctions of science much more than art.

My choice, therefore, is to spend as much money as I can on supporting smaller, local producers who not only need to cash more, but have more creativity and stylistic control than – dare I say it – that label with the Kangaroo on it down the street.

Luckily for me, I was invited to the Micro Winery Open House at Inspiration Custom Crush in Santa Rosa recently. Here, several smaller wineries - including Inspiration, were pouring their wares. I have a few highlights from the event and a shamless plug for a fellow blogger turned winemaker who is doing some great things with Rhone varitals.

First up, Wesley Ashley Wines‘ Intelligent Design Cuvee Blanc is a Rhône style

blend of Vioginer, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc from Santa Barbara. The Viognier adds a nice aromatic note, while the Roussanne gives a crisp acidity that would be perfect for a summer sipper. We all know by now, that I love a good Grenache Blanc, and the 20% addition to this blend rounds out the white and gives it a solid body. This is no wimpy wine! Classic flavors of nectarine and apricot show up under the floral notes of the viognier.

Also from Wesley Ashely, the 2009 Intellivent Design Cuvee is another classic Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. The Grenache, which is 75% of the blend, shows off its strawberry spice, with the Syrah adding some great backbone.

YOu can find Wesley Ashely Wines at the winery by appointment, The Wine Mine in Oakland, and several restaurants around the bay area.

This is a winery to watch!

Keeping on the Rhône theme, next up we meet the Two Shepherds. William Allen, a fellow wine blogger over at Simple Hedonisms, and partner Michelle Berger launched Two Shepherds wine to focus on Rhône style wines from California with distinction.

So far so good I’d say! It takes extreme talent and guts to start a winery, particularly if you’re day job is in sales, as William’s is. Having known him for a few years now, I have seen first hand the sheer tenacity that it takes to launch a brand, learn about the chemistry of winemaking, the ins and outs of running a business and also trying to pay the bills. Kudos to a successful launch!

I was one of the lucky few to taste the delicious Grenache Blanc, which is sadly sold out now – but it was a great example of a Rhône white, that balances out acidity with the creamy subtle sweetness. Some GBs can be either too acidic (I’ve had a few from Spain) or too full bodied which implies sweetness. The Two Shepherds balances those two, with a nice minerality, white peach, lemon lime flavors, followed by a flinty finish. I am eagerly waiting for more of this to be bottled so I can nab some for the cellar!

Also from Two Shepherds, the MRV is a classic white Rhône blend, comprised of Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier. I enjoyed a bottle of this last night with Butternut squash Lasagna, and the creamy body of the MR balanced the sweetness of the Butternet perfectly. The Addition of the viogner adds a touch of honeysuckle.

There are two red offerings from Two Shepherds, the GSM, and the SM (Syrah/Mourvedre). The GSM blend is a bit different than your average southern Rhone, or for that matter, Paso Robles Rhone blend, as the Grenache in this blend adds acidity and flavors to develop that are unique to the area. The lighter style blends perfectly with the fuller bodied Syrah and Mourvedre, to create a masterpiece of bright red berry, spice box, and a lingering flavor that I personally can only describe as Grenache.

This wine isn’t technically released, but it will be soon and I suggest buying a bottle and letting it sleep for a bit. If not, give it some air before you sip and swirl.

The Syrah/Mourvedre blend uses the same Syrah from Russian River, and is blended equally with Mourvedre. The SM is slightly fuller bodied than the GSM, as you don’t have the higher acid in the Grenache to lighten the load. It is also delicious and would be fantastic with roast chicken, a burger, or cassoulet.

You can find Two Shepherds wines at the winery by appointment, and via mail order, but also at K&L Wine Merchants, Wicked Wines in HBG, and several restaurants in the Bay Area including The Girl & Fig, Spoonbar, and Toast Wine Lounge. Click here for details.

The moral of this story? Seek out those small producers. They work in small lots, and can be more creative than people making large amounts of wine. Have fun discovering them. The custom crush / coop tasting room is more and more popular, as it allows smaller brands to showcase their wines while sharing costs for capital expenditures.

Now, I don’t harbor any fantasies of being able to be a chemist and make my own wine, but it sure is fun to live vicariously! I’ve picked up some of the pieces of the puzzle on the way, and while I don’t think I could go it on my own, I do lust after a barrel or two of Pinot Noir in my future.

Some of my other favorite coop tasting rooms:

Winery Collective – San Francisco
The Wine Yard – Santa Rosa
The urban wineries of Coffey Lane (that’s my own name) – The NPA, Carol Shelton, Vinify Winery Collective & Custom Crush, Inspiration Custom Crush, all located in the same complex as the micro wineries featured in this post.

Explore your town! There are Urban wineries in San Francisco such as Dogpatch Wineworks and Bluxome Street. Oakland and Alameda have an urban explosion.

Support your local winemaker! You won’t be sorry!

Be an Inspiration!

Jan 26th, 2012

by winebratsf.

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An on the same day as NZ Wine Day, if you’re in the Santa Rosa area, make sure you stop by the Open House for a new Micro Winery co-op tasting room. The industrial complex at Coffey Lane currently houses several wineries, and has become a go to destination for urban wine tasting in the North Bay.

Inspiration Vineyards has long been a friend and personal favorite of this blogger, and now, they are located in their own custom crush and tasting room space at 3360 Coffey Lane, Suite E, in Santa Rosa, Six small wineries will be featured here, and having tasted two of them before, you won’t be sorry.

These wineries don’t have public tasting rooms, so this is a unique opportunity to to TRY & BUY wines from seven uniquely different wineries, each with their own winemaker present to tell you their stories and introduce you to their wines. Experience the small lot, artisinal wines from:

Colagrossi Wines - offering a white Rhone blend
Inspiration Vineyards where A little Inspiration makes every day a celebration.
Little Red Vineyard featuring a REDiculous blend of Cab Sauv and Syrah.
Premonition Cellars - pinot noir, need I say more?
Simple Math Cellars - Pi, MC2, 1+2 – it all adds up!
Two Shepherds - Unique Rhone Wines that Express Their Sense of Place
Wesley Ashley Wines - Wine with a soul

If you buy your tickets now, they include $15 Wine & Food Credit! That means you’re really only paying $5 to attend this fun tasting. Upon check-in at the door, you’ll receive $10 back in wine bucks, redeemable on the day of the event at ALL seven wineries. Additionally, by registering in advance on Eventbrite, you’ll receive another $5 back in wine & food bucks that you can redeem for either wine or food from Ultra Crepes.

I am a huge man of the micro winery movement, and I hope you will join us for this event. While you’re in the area, stop by The NPA or head over a few blocks to the Wine Yard!

Advance Tickets are available HERE. Get them while they last!

Red, ruby, Garnet!

Jan 11th, 2012

by winebratsf.

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Garnet: -A semi precious mineral gemstone, often mistaken for a ruby.

-A middle English word meaning dark red.

-A wine producer that specializes in Pinot Nor from Carneros.

Recently, I was tretaed to a dinner featuring the wines of Garnet, hosted by winemaker Alison Crowe.

Once a lower brow brand of large California fighting varietal house Saintsbury, Garnet was sold to the grape supplier Silverado Winegrowers in 2011.

With over 11,000 acres of California vineyards, Silverado has been a longtime supplier of premium grapes to several brands. With the purchase of Garnet, they now focus on production of higher-end wines.

Creating wines that retail between $11 – $30, you can bet there is something in there for everyone. I was delighted by the quality of the lower price point Monterey Pinot Noir, which typically can be a bit off putting to me. I just don’t personally care for the Monterey terroir in my pinot.

While most Garnet wines are sold at restaurants, they recently announced a partnership with Safeway to sell the Monterey pinot in stores, which means you can get a inexpensive wine for a steal. The Garnet label has been around since 1983; in the mid nineties, the production swelled to 15,000 cases, which, while I don’t know for sure, probably lead to some degredation in quality.

Alison cut her winemaking teeth at Chalone, one one of the great family houses in Central California (ok that’s another story). From there, she move don to work with Randall Graham, and really honed her style with some of the world’s best renegade wine makers. Now, she has the opportunity to build a brand in to one of Carneros’ finest. It is her goal to ensure that each wine is a true expression of the terroir, and by selecting specific sights in the vineyard portfolio for each bottle, she can do this.

Before dinner, we were greeted by the 2010 Sonoma Coast Chardonany. Now, you know that I’m not the world’s biggest chard lover but this was a nice departure from the overly cloying, butter bombs that are typical of the region. Filled with bright lemon and citrus, there was a lemon curd sprinkled with nutmeg hiding in there. I loved the brightness with a hidden agenda. The fruit is 75% Carneros and 25% Green Valley (Russian River). It’s my personal opinion that the Green Valley fog brings an acidity and zip to this wine that you wouldn’t otherwise find in a Carneros chard. The other quality that has promise in this is that it is 100% stainless steel fermented and is just kissed by oak barrels when the wine is finished, so you get very little of the oaky butter bomb effect. For $15, this is a great wine for your white wine sipping ladies on the porch. A-

The 2009 Monterey Pinot was a sleeper hit. As I mentioned, I don’t care for the flavor profiles I often find in Monterey Pinot. There is an oddness in there, and something that doesn’t sit well with me, in the form of green sticks and odd leaves. But this example has dusty dried cherries and strawberries, and while it was a bit tight at first, opened up to white pepper with a lot of floral influence. Again for $15 it’s a crowd pleaser. Solid B.

The 2010 Carneros Pinot was, as is expected, big and jammy with bright raspberry. I personally thought it was a little hot, and bold but silky. Even though it was big and jammy, the body was lighter, which was somewhat surprising for a Carneros wine. There was a lot of darker fruit hiding in there. Not my fave. C+

My personal favorite glass was the 2010 Rodgers Creek Pinot. This single vineyard designate is the only wine that is finished with cork and showed Earthy mellow mushroom, bark, sarsaparilla and spicy gingerbread. In a way it reminded me of a Coca Cola cake (it’s a southern thing). The foggy terrain of Rodgers Creek gives this a stunning baking spice palate that I just love. I couldn’t quite believe that this was only $30, and it definitely gets n A in my book.

The moral of this story is that it pays to dig a bit under those big brands. They often hide premium wines under their hats that you might not otherwise approach. Since I prefer to dig under the vines for smaller, less well known wines, I am appreciative to find a larger production winery that is focusing on quality, even when quantity makes the bankers happy.

Thanks to Alison and Laura from The Barn Group for a lovely evening!

Mumm’s the word!

Jan 4th, 2012

by winebratsf.

3 comments

It was a cool crisp morning here in Northern California, when I got up entirely too early for a Saturday. After my first 10 cups of coffee, I was somewhat alive, so I packed myself up in to my trusty German wine mobile, and headed up to the Silverado Trail for a 10am breakfast tour of Mumm Napa Valley.

As fate would have it, the roads were clear (mostly) of traffic, save a few particularly slow tourists, and I got to Napa in record time. As we gathered at the gates of Mumm, eagerly hoping they would open the door, the fog just started to back off the valley and we could see the winter vineyards layed out before us.

Finally, at last! The doors openeed and our assorted posse of bloggers was greeted by the Mumm assistant Winemaker Tammy Lotz and self appointed cruise directory Mitch Davis with a morning glass of Deveaux Ranch.

But first, who was Monsieur Deveaux? Mumm Napa was started as a joint venture between G.H. Mumm, the French Champagne House, and Seagram & Sons. As luck would have it, it has changed hands, and now is owned by the same parent company (Pernod Ricard) as G.H. Mumm, so there is a sense of continuity and quality that carries through.

Guy (that’s Gee by the way, not Guy as in Guy Smiley) founded the Napa operation, and he was convinced that the Silverado Trail location would be a perfect balance of foggy, cool nights and hot long days; these conditions are idea for sparkling wine’s dance of acid and ripe fruit. Having a location in the New World also allows Mumm Napa to play beyond the constraints of the rather strict Champagne region bylaws – adding Pinot Gris to the blend for example, and to play with the best wines from the best regions.

So, here we are, on a chilly Saturday morning, glass of rather delectable 2006 Deveaux Ranch in our hands. This sparkler is a perfect representation of Mumm Napa, since it blends 58% Pinot Noir, 28% Chardonnay, 9% Pinot Meunier and 5% Pinot Gris, something that you might see in a Cremant, but never in a Champagne. This is a perfect start to the day with green apple, pear, and tropical flavors with a crisp acidity. For something different, you should RUN out and grab this wine. Yes, you’ll need to go to the winery, but who doesn’t want to sit on the terrace and sip bubbles? ‘Nuff said. This is a winery exclusive wine, but it’s worth a trip. It’s what I opened on New Year’s Day and it was simply stunning – well worth the $36.

As we meandered through the production facility, we stopped to try our hands at blending the 2011 Chard & Pinot, to create the different blends that Mumm creates. While they were still base wines, you can easily see how the high acid and low sugar content in the base wine creates a beautiful acid in the finished sparkler. I wouldn’t recommend drinking them however, as still wines, if you value the enamel on your teeth. I liken this exercise to tasting 70 New Zealand sav blancs in an afternoon; after a while your tongue is furry!

Winding our way through a rotating art gallery, next we were served the 2008 Pinot Meunier. While this is a common varietal in Champagne, it is often difficult to find in a domestic sparkler. This delightful wine is only crafted in exceptional vintages and evokes classic Champagne to me, with yeasty toast, and warm bread. This wine is aged 29 months sur lie, which really develop the flavor. If you are looking for something different, check it out! I love a 100% Petite Meunier, and this is a classic offering. Go for it! $36

As we gazed at Ansel Adams as well as rotating local artists, we worked our way back to the tasting salon, we were greeted by no less than 8 samples of sparkling wine. Whoo! Now this is what I call a Saturday! Winemaker Ludo Dervin, himself from Champagne entertained us with a pyramid of bubbles. Starting with the least expensive, but in no way inferior, wines of Brut Prestige, Brut Rose, and Cuvee M, we worked up to the Blanc de Blanc and Brut Reserve before the top of the line DVX. But, we were also surprised with a special bottling of the Santana Brut, a special join effort with the musician and, another treat, the Brut Reserve Rose.

While I enjoy the more commonplace offerings (aka found everywhere) of the Brut Prestige, Brut Rose, and Cuvee M, I have to admit they are somewhat boring to my spoiled taste buds. That said, at approximately $15 a bottle here in CA you really can’t beat that price.

More interesting to me were the Blanc de Blanc (made entirely of Chardonnay grapes) and the Brut Reserve for their clean, crisp flavor profile and toasty back notes.

Finally, at the top of the food chain, we tasted the DVX. The DVX isn’t made every year, and the first vintage was 1990. I used to love this wine, but it wasn’t really hitting the spot for me on this particular day. I remember when I was a young wineaux and a member of the club here at Mumm that this was my favorite, but it was either the weather or the flavor profile that just wans’t working for me today.

Finally, back to taste the Santana. This one of a kind wine was first created in 1999 as a partnership with the musician and Mumm Napa, with the proceeds going to the Milagro Foundation. Right! Drinking for charity is always something on my agenda! Made with with a pinch more dosage than the Brut Reserve, this wine had wonderful stone fruit, brioche and green apple flavors that I just adored. It’s a splurge, but well worth it in my opinion at $45.

The Brut Reserve Rosé, which is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, is also a special wine made with 5% of the Pinot Noir being a super ripe Carneros component that is blended back in to the base wine. The result is that you get crisp bright red fruit, but ti’s much drier than the Brut Rosé. This is a wallet friendly $22 and should absolutely be examined, for…research purposes.

And remember, you can add fizz to a oaky buttery chard, but you’ld have a disgusting fruit punch! (Thanks to Ludo for this slightly parapharased quote to protect the innocent). Making sparkling wine is an art form. You can truly screw it up or you can make magic.

I’ve come to find that I really enjoy a drier style of sparlking these days. Over the years, as my knowledge has increased, my taste has changed. A fairly natural progression, I moved from sweet whites and roses to much drier and, I suppose, Austere sytle. That said, all of these wines are delicious, and you really should teaste them for yourslef. If you appreciate a slightly sweeter or fruity edge, try the Brut Prestige, Rose, and Cuvee M. These are alle excellent values and should be tasted at your own pace.

Thanks to the team at Mumm for entertaining us! You can discover Mumm Napa for yourselves on the Silverado Trail. They are open from 10am every day of the week, with the first tour (no tasting), or the Tour & Tastings starting at 11. If you prefer, you can relax in one of two tasting areas as well, overlooking the valley just below.

Something in the way you Rhone

Nov 29th, 2011

by winebratsf.

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Attracts me like, no other lady!

True story. I am slightly addicted to Rhone wines, particularly Rhone reds. I’ve been on a Monastrell/Mouvedre/Mataro kick lately, but my first love really is Grenache. Of the 22 Rhone varietals, these are my go to babies. Luckily for me, I’ve been having fantastic luck lately at Whole Foods (not to mention The Spanish Table) at finding some great wine at even better prices.

But really, this post is about the mother of all Rhone gatherings: Hospices du Rhône . The annual Rhône celebration in Paso Robles will be celebrating her 20th anniversary next year!

April 26th through 28th, Rhône lovers and producers from all over the world will converge on the Paso Robles Fairgrounds. Over the last 20 years, HdR has hosted diverse personalities, from Charles Smith (aka AC/DC with Grower Bubbles) to Australian producers, to heritage growers from Châteauneuf-du-Pape

This year, HdR is pleased to announce that there will be an exclusive Conversations with Châteauneuf-du-Pape event, led by author Harry Karis, vigneron Philippe Cambie and Sommelier Kelly McAuliffe. After the seminar, which is sure to sell out well in advance, dinner will be served at Bisto Laurentin. These limited tickets are available a la carte at www.hospicedurhone.org. Sadly the dinner is sold out at this time.

This year, the seminars will focus on highlighting the last 20 years of Hospice-Du-Châteauneuf producers who have been center stage. I am especially looking forward to Why Spain (continues to) Rock – which will focus on what is happening today in Priorat and beyond.

Another fantastic seminar will highlight Walla Walla once again, with The Return of the Bionic Frog (say wha?), where Christophe Baron of Cayuse will make his debut at HdR.

On Saturday, France will be showcased with A Collective Quest, highlighting Les Vins de Vienne.

Finally, the seminars round out the day with Research, Revelations and the Art of Being Different. Here, Chester Osbourn of Australia’s d’Arenderg will explore how recent studies in geology and sub regions have changed his winemaking and growing practices since his last HdR appearance in 1999.

Phew! But that’s not all kids. Like a Ginsu knife commercial, the weekend is jam packed with more tastings.

The Rhône Rendezvous is back, where over 100 producers from near and far will share their Rhône wines from large-format bottles. To complement this BIG evening of BIG bottles highly-acclaimed chefs from Blackberry Farm in Tennessee will serve up a taste of the South in a BIG way.

But before that you need sustinance, right? If you’re not entirely dead by this point, don’t forget to participate in the Rosé Lunch, which is always a treat. This year, our friends from The Girl & Fig will fill us up with deliciousness once again! Remember the pot de creme from years past? Um yeah. MORE PLEASE! I had to taste all three flavors, and I almost left with some in my purse. The rosés for this delecitble feast will be provided by the attending producers, which is a departure (and a welcome one for variety’s sake).

If you are sufficiently recovered from Friday and still have steam after the final two seminars, the Saturday Grand Tasting will feature over 130 winemakers pouring tastes from around the globe. It has been said that to duplicate this tasting, one would need a passport, many weeks off work and thousands of airline miles to taste the variety of wines showcased at the Grand Tasting. Many producers who poured at the Rhône Rendezvous will also pour here but they will be featuring different wines.

On Saturday, the Live Auction wil lleave you tingling as lots of sought after wine are hard won and wine washes down the lunch provided by Guadalupe.

If you’re still upright at the end of the day, the Farewell BBQ promises a lot of beer, dancing, and casino action to wrap up your weekend.

After that, you can explore the other wines that Paso has to offer on Sunday! Or if you’re like me, sleep in, eat a lot of carbs (and bacon naturally) and then head back home with a belly full of delish Rhône and a weekend of memories.

A full weekend pass (highly recomended) is $795 but now is the time to save up! It’s so worth it. You can also opt to purchase events a la carte, but by the time you add up a couple of seminars ($155 each) and tasting events ($100-125 each), lunch and dinner, you might as well get the pass.

Hope to see you there! This year promises to be bigger and better, so if you do only one Rhône event, do this one!

Happy Zinsgiving!

Nov 22nd, 2011

by winebratsf.

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What’s more American than apple pie you ask? Well, Zinfandel of course! Long rumored to be the oldest vitus vinifera varietal cultivated in the US, zin has become America’s Heritage Grape. More than that, zin really is…California!

Ravenswood Winery is one of the oldest zin houses in the area, starting in 1976 when legendary vintner Joel Peterson began his adventure in Sonoma Valley. Now, Joel has handed over the day to day operation of the winery to a larger interest, and while he isn’t making all of the wine anymore, he is able to focus on some very special wines at Ravenswood – the single vineyard series. I’m so happy that these wines exist because they are everything that the mass produced zinfandel is not. While the lower end Vintners Blend series is a passable BBQ wine, and great for any occasion, I would say that my tastes have graduated to the complex and distinct Single Vineyard Designates. I have had occasion to taste these with Joel, and it’s always a treat.

This time, I am preparing for Thanksgiving with two of these wines: 2008 Dickerson and 2008 Teldeschi Single Vineyards Designates.
The Dickerson is 100% zin from Napa Valley, and this big baby is aged for 20 months in 30% new French Oak. This wine has none of the Dry Creek brambly-ness, and is restrained and full of smokey meat, allspice, and pepper. This wine really is still a baby, with strong tannins. There is a lot of minerality in the backbone ,and it’s a great wine with a lot of complexity. There is a ton of licorice in there. This one needs to open up for a bit. It falls a bit flat for me, but I am waiting for it to open up.

Next up, the Teldschi is from Dry Creek Valley, but is blended with 20% Petite Sirah, 3% Carignange, and 2% Alicante Bouchet. It is a classic Italian field blend, and brings back images of the old wines of Asti and the home brewed red blends of Gallo in the old days. There are a lot of blackberry notes in here, with bittersweet chocolate. What I appreciate with this wine is that it has black and blue fruit without it being brambly and overdone. All three components are fermented separately and then blended to produce the final result. I am getting a strong espresso note in here, and the 31% new French oak comes out in toasty notes. The smokey finish lends itself to fig cake as well. There is a great lingering tasted of cracked pepper as well. Teldeschi is opening up slowly, very slowly, to espresso and blackberry notes, very dense and chewy

After a day, the Teldeschi has become a bit bitter. The Dickerson, however, has opened up very nicely, and I am getting more fruit, with smoke, meat and anise on the finish

The ruling? The Teldeschi is a fun wine that adds a littl extra to the traditional Dry Creek experience. You probably want to decant this for about an hour. The Dickerson on the other hand, is tight and closed off when first opening. For this Napa Valley zin, more time in a decanter will server you well. I would leave this open for at least 3 horus to get the full benefit o fhte wine. At first taste last night, I didn’t care for the Dickerson and was a bit dissapointed; however, this proves the point of my post on aeration – time in an open bottle or decanter can vastly change a wine.

Enjoy!

Drinking for a cause!

Nov 15th, 2011

by winebratsf.

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It’s that time of the year again! Yep, Holiday in Carneros is this weekend, when 20 wineries throw thier doors open and celebrate the season with wine and food pairings!

Featured wineries this weekend include:

Tin Barn
Adastra,
Anaba Wines
Bonneau Wines
Ceja Vineyards
Cline Cellars
Enkidu Wine
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
Homewood Winery
Jacuzzi Family Vineyards
Keating Wines
Larson Family Winery
McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery
Meadowcroft Wines
Parmelee-Hill Wines & Vineyards
Robledo Family Winery
Schug Carneros Estate
Talisman Wines
Tin Barn Vineyards
Ty Caton Vineyards

Tickets are $39 for the weekend, and include a souvineer glass. You can purchase them in advance HERE or on the spot. Proceeds from this event benefit scholarships for both Santa Rosa Jr. College, as well as Napa Valley College.

This year, there is a special additoin to this event. Tin Barn Vineyards, which is located in the Eighth Street East wine garage district, will be hosting an art exhibition to benefit a local veteran’s recovery program.

Thanks Any / Way: A Photographic Exploration of Gratitude will be on display during the Holiday in Carneros weekend, Saturday and Sunday, November 19th & 20th from 10am – 4pm. On Saturday, a Thanksgiving Feast will be served as you gaze at 25 images from both professional and emerging photogrphaers. Proceeds from art sales will go to The Pathway HOme, a local facility that assits veterans with Post Tramatic Stress Syndrome.

There is also a section of the exhibit featuring work by the veterans who have been helped by The Pathway Home, which offers therapeutic photography as a part of it’s treatment program.

Can’t make it to the event? Don’t worry! The images will be on display and up for auction at Bidding for Good, as well as on and on display at Tin Barn Vineyards during tasting room hours through the end of the year.

Hopping along

Nov 8th, 2011

by winebratsf.

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Ah the lazy days of summer seem long gone this week, as the cold weather settles in. Warm hazy days made room for crisp, clear winter days. Somehow, fall managed to escape us this year. On one of those last balmy weekends, I headed up to Hopland to do a little winetasting. Hopland is about 1 1/2 hours north of San Francisco, past Healdsburg and over the next set of hills in to Mendocino County.

There are about a dozen wineries in the town of Hopland itself, with many more just outside the tiny town limits. Having a main street that is 90% wine tasting rooms has its benefits! Park the car once, and stroll down the street experiencing the local wine.

I started my weekend off at Rack & Riddle, a custom crush sparkling wine house, that also produces its own label sparkling and still wines. I skipped right to the sparkling table, and enjoyed three different sparkling wines. I really like what they do here, and I wasn’t spitting ANY of these wines! If you get the chance, stop by and say hi. It’s worth it!

Next up, I headed in to town and started off at Cesar Toxqui Cellars. It was a bit hard to taste big reds on a day that was over 80, but my favorites here were definitely the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir (because I’m a pinot freak) and the Heirloom. Heirloom is a luscious blend that is primarily Bordeaux varietals, with a dash of Hopland zin thrown in. You’ll see a theme about that zin soon, as I start to explore the Coro series of wines.

Across the street from Toxqui, there are 6 tasting rooms in a row. Rough! First, McFadden Vineyards where my fellow blogger and tasting room mad scientist John was holding court. The mastermind behind the blogger tour of Hopland, John introduced me to Hopland’s crown jewels, the whites. Pouring two Rieslings, the current release, which was fresh and full of stone fruit, it was the antithesis of the library selection 2006 Riesling which was all petrol and spice. This is a classic Riesling, and an exceptional wine. For a little fun, McFadden also produces a sparkling, which is a great way to have a picnic on the porch!

Right next to McFadden are McNab Ridge Winery and Weibel Family Vineyards. I didn’t get to pop in there on Saturday because the crowd was a bit…crazy, but I will tell you that at dinner, the McNab Ridge Coro stole my heart.

What is this Coro I keep talking about you ask? Coro Mendocinio is a wine project that incorporates the best of Mendocino County wine, with a distinct voice by each winery. In Italian, Coro means chorus, and these wines reflect the collaborative sprit of Mendocino winemakers. Each participating winery has their own version, and I was fortunate to be in Hopland the weekend when most of the current vintages were open.

Coro Mendocino is made exclusively from Mendocino Country fruit, and must adhere to a particular standard. Since Zinfandel is such an important grape in Mendocino, each Coro blend must contain at least 40% but no more than 70% Zinfandel. To further complicate matters, the next largest percentage cannot be more than 5% of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Sangiovese, Grenache, Dolcetto, Charbono, Barbera, or Primitivo. Phew! But wait, there is also a free for all blending varietal, since you can add up to 10% of whatever the heck you want to. Well, as long as they are wine grapes. You can see all the details here if you are so inclined.

The fun in Coro is that you have what is essentially the same building block, twisted and turned to build any number of Lego castles. The only limitation is your imagination. My favorite happened to be the McNab Ridge we had at dinner, but I also enjoyed the Weibel, as well as several vintages that were also being poured at McNab on Saturday. Unfortunately, it was so hot outside that the wines suffered, so I hope to get a chance to taste them again in a better setting.

Up the road about a mile Jeriko Estate offers an interesting mix of wines. I’ve had several wines from them before, and on this day, the Sangiovese was tasting beautifully. They also have a sparkling, and it’s a great place to end up.

Hopland is well worth a visit! The white wines stood out on this warm summer weekend, but I will certainly return to taste the reds now that the weather has cooled off. If you go, you can stay in Ukiah, about 20 minutes north, or Cloverdale, about 30 minutes south. I will certainly go back up there now that the weather is cooler.

Thank you to Destination Hopland for the hospitality! I look forward to experiencing more soon!

Bubbles bring me Joy!

Nov 7th, 2011

by winebratsf.

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It’s a terrible thing, be able to enjoy sparkling wines whenever I want to. I personally love bubbles with potato chips, hamburgers, and at the ballpark, but that’s just me. I’m a firm believe that wine (especailly sparkling wine) is made to celebrate life, and not just life’s special occasions!

In celebration of my life and my friends, Iwas ~~invited~~ crashed dinner with friends, including the venerable Chuck Hayward of JJ Buckley Wine, his Girl Friday Paige (also of JJ Buckley) and my sistah from anotha motha, as well as Joy Sterling, CEO of Iron Horse Vineyards, the far western Sonoma County bubble house.

Iron Horse was founded by Audrey and Barry Sterling in 1976, in a quiet corner of Green Valley, in the lush rolling hills of Green Valley. This western Sonoma area is in the rainy side of town, and it’s a perfect place to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. So off they went, to grow grapes for still wine.

But why would a vineyard, known for creating delicious Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, make the leap to sparkling? It’s not exactly easy. The answer is easy - necessity is the mother of invention. In 1980, the first vintage of sparkling wine was made when there was an excess of still wine. Since 1985, Iron Horse sparkling wine has been served in the White House continuously. Not too shabby for a creative solution to a common problem.

Audrey and Barry passed on the Iron Horse legacy to their children, Joy and Laurence. Joy, educated in paris and at Yale (yeah, she’s a smart cookie that one), is the face of Iron Horse and the CEO. Her brother Laurence and his wife Terry live on property and he is the Director of Operations.

I was lucky enough to meet Joy through Paige several years ago, and it’s so much fun to drink with her! But that’s enough about that. Never one to say no to a glass of stars, we ran through all (oh yes all) of the current releases at dinner.

2006 Ocean Reserve is a special bottling that was created in partnership with National Geogrraphic to help raise funds to protect marine areas. This 100% Chardonnay is aged for 4+ years and has a briny flavor that actually does taste like the ocean. There is a seaweed taste in there, with a creamy limestone and bitter lemon note that tastes of oysters and burnt toast. So very interesting!

2006 Classic Vintage Brut is fresh and bright, and has a classic (no pun intended) flavor of freshly baked bread. There is a ton of fresh lemon and bright crisp citrus as well. With 68% Pinot Noir, it’s a great example of a Green Valley wine.

The 2007 Wedding Cuvee has a lot more color than in most years. The gorgeous strawberry and raspberry notes had a fresh floral feeling, with rose petals and cream. Delicious! This is probably my favorite Iron Horse sparkling wine.

The 2006 Brut Rose is a gorgeous deep salmon blush color. With Blood orange and oom on the nose and almost a bit of tomato, this purpose made rose has a rich flavor that brings some thing different to the table.

The 2006 Russian Cuvee is another classic, with buttered popcorn flavors springled with fresh yeast. It is slightly sweeter than the others and has delcious stonefruit falvors . This is my other favorite! Starting it’s life as the same base wine as the Classic Vintage Brut, the Russian is given a richer dosage (more sugar). This makes the Russian more opulent, and fitting for any Czar. It’s got a touch of sweetness, and was created for the Reagan-Gorbachev summit at the end of the Cold War. Pretty cool!

Iron Horse Vineyards is located on Ross Station Road, just outside of Sebastopol in western Sonoma County. If you go, make sure you you bring your four wheel drive and mud boots in the winter, and a hat int he summer! Sitting on the top of a hill above the vineyards in the valley, you will be able to sip wine among the apple trees, in the outdoor tasting bar. There is no table serviec here, just pure fun!

California

Sparkling Stars on a budget

Sometimes, smaller is better

Be an Inspiration!

Red, ruby, Garnet!

Mumm’s the word!

Something in the way you Rhone

Happy Zinsgiving!

Drinking for a cause!

Hopping along

Bubbles bring me Joy!

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