This summer, I will be doing a lot [...]]]>

Those of us who great up in the 80s will appreciate Morty’s summer camp trip on the lake at the end of the summer, Wudy da Wabbit’s run through the woods, and Tripper & Roxanne’s canoeing as they sang Let’s Walla Walla down by the mango tree.

This summer, I will be doing a lot of Walla-ing, and this is just a sneak peak at one of the wineries.  L’ecole No. 41. resides in a 1915 schoolhouse, just outside of Walla Walla.  The first wine I am sampling from them is the 2006 Perigree, a Bordeaux blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc.  The name has an interesting history as Perigee is the point at which the moon is closet to the earth.  the winery uses this name to express their wish to be close tot he earth, and to reflect the earthy character of the wine.

When I first opened the wine, I got a lot of dark blue and black fruit, including black cherry, blackberry and fig.  Then the power went out.  Suffice it to say, I couldn’t continue my tasting notes, and I did continue drinking.  This was a very pleasant wine, with lots of fruit adn medium body.  I rather enjoyed it but I’m not sure about the $49 price tag.    I look forward to getting to know more of their wines, as they sent me a large selection of current releases.

While my summer camp beared no resembleance to camp North Star, we did sing.  Just not in canoes.  And I was a CIT for one summer, but they CERTAINLY had more fun than I; thank you to L’ecole no. 41 for the tasty treat i enjoyed while plunged in to darkness.  No thanks to PG&E for the darkness.

First, [...]]]>

See that little logo to the right?  Notice the CLIF name and image?  That’s right, those crazy people that essentially created the energy bar are back and they are in bottle!  I was so excited when I recieved these wines, because several blogger friends had already had the opportunity to sample them and were raving.

First, a little back story.  The Clif Bar Company began in 1992 for the passion of Gary Erickson & Kit Crawford, who were striving to create nutritious, organic foods & drinks.  I personally love Luna Bars, and spent many a breakfast in my car with a very large coffee and a bar as I battled traffic down to Silly Cone Valley in years past.  From this passion for food, a natural progression was made to a passion for wine in 1997 when Gary & Kit bought a farmstead in Napa where they could raise animals, and maybe plant a few vines.  Fast forward to 2010 (or 2009 if I were more effective at timely drinking) and we have Clif Family Winery & Farm.

I love the message that the Clif Familyprojects, one of balance and joie de vivre, as we are reminded to slow it down and enjoy life.  Their goal, and one very close to my heart, is to create unique, regionally specific wine and foods that use careful management of the land, including organic growing techniques.  on the farm, locally gorwn foods and the support of family farms raises turkey and chickens as well as fruits and vegetables.  There are some historic 85 year old olive trees on the farm, and recently more were planted.  Soon, we will have delicious extra virgin olive oil to pair with theh wines!  The farm runs 100% on bio-diesel, and all of the produce is 100% organic, with a CCOF certification.

While the wine is currently not made from estate fruit, the future plan is to be 100% organically sourced fruit from the Farm.  Meanwhile, the wine is made from sourced fruit by Sarah Gott, who rose to fame at Joseph Phelps and Quintessa, before starting her own label with her husband, Joel Gott.  Being  a rockstar winemaker has its perks, and she is now a consulting winemaker at several NapaValley wineries.

The first wine i am trying from Clif Family is the 2006 Gary’s Improv Syrah.  On the nose I found black pepper, blue and black berries.  In the mouth, the rich aromas are followed by a juicy mouthful of ripe plums, dark red fruit, and currants followed by bittersweet chocolate and espresso.  It’s medium body is a refreshing style of syrah, in the French tradition, as it is not a big meat grinder, but rather a juicy, nicely balanced, food friendly wine.  On the finish, there is a touch of black licorice, and just a hint of smoked meat.  This is a great syrah for dinner and at $35 I suggest you go find some.  that is a BUY in my book.  Like now.

These wines were graciously provided by Clif Family Winery.  Clif Bars were not included, but how does one pair energy bars with wine anyway?  Although there’s a thought.

We all know about the Judgement at Paris.  But have you heard about the Judgement on Silverado Trail?  A few weeks ago, we sat, we tasted, and we judged.

Please, watch [...]]]>

Recently, I was invited to take part in a very important and prestigious wine judging event.  Fortunately, my trusty sidekick was availablet o capture this moment on video!

We all know about the Judgement at Paris.  But have you heard about the Judgement on Silverado Trail?  A few weeks ago, we sat, we tasted, and we judged.

Please, watch  and judge for yourself!

And oh.  Drink Judd’s Hill and watch The Enormous Wine Show!

And buy a copy of Merlove, which shall be reviewed right here, very soon!

Episode 9 – Judd’s Enormous Wine Show: The Master Cut from Rod Bentner on Vimeo.

Ok so Dry Creek is a region, but I wanted to be sure that everyone knew about passport.  Technically, it’s also a wine, so I’ll also tell you about Dry Lands Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

First, the Passport to Dry Creek is coming up in April.  46 wineries open their doors wide, and showcase their best wines [...]]]>

Ok so Dry Creek is a region, but I wanted to be sure that everyone knew about passport.  Technically, it’s also a wine, so I’ll also tell you about Dry Lands Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

First, the Passport to Dry Creek is coming up in April.  46 wineries open their doors wide, and showcase their best wines and hospitality.  Passport is a unique event, since there are limited ticket sales, and all of the wineries have amazing themes, food, and wines to share.  There will be themes galore including Alice in Wonderland, Western, Mardi Gras, Circus, and Belly Dancing. Most wineries feature live entertainment!

Tickets for the weekend are $120, and Sunday only tickets are $70.  While it seems spendy, the exclusivity of the event coupled with the small wineries that are open just fro the event make for an amazing weekend.  I went last year, and was delighted by the event.  this is a great alternative to the larger Wine Road events, as it is more limited and there are fewer crowds.  I hope I’ll see you there!

Next up is the 2009 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand.  We are having a touch of false spring here in the Bay Area, and it’s nice to have a crisp white to put me in the mood.  The wine smells of gooseberries and 7-up, and has ripe citrus flavors, and lime zest.  There is a touch of New Zealand grassiness, but it is very subtle.  I am really enjoying this wine, and at $16-19, it’s a great priced summer sipper.  I hope you go out and enjoy this as well!  STRONG BUY

I love Dry Creek, and I would pay any amount of money to enjoy my time there.  The wine however, was graciously provided by my friends at Benson Marketing.  Thanks!

So, when Vino Finder recently contacted me and asked [...]]]>

If you’re like me, you have a lot of wine in the cellar. Maybe it’s organized, maybe it’s a mess. I’m a bit of both, with racks of wine mostly organized by varital, but also with stacks of wine in boxes all around the cellar.

So, when Vino Finder recently contacted me and asked me if I’d liket o check out a sample of their winetags, I was – at first – not sure what to expect. Then the box came, and when I saw what was inside, I was very excited.  The Vino Finder tags are ultra thin wood, which has been laminated. They are so thin that they are very flexible, and really aer like a thick piece of paper. The coolest part about these tags is that because of the laminate, you can use dry erase markers to write on them, and reuse them over and over again. Further more, you can order them in several wood finishes to match your cellar, and they can be customized with your cellar name.  There are several style to choose from, including some with spaces for vintage, varietal, and producer.

The good folks at vino Finder even sent me customized examples for Luscious Lushes, and now I think i might have to order more!

I hope you will take advantae of this offer, and join me in San Rafael in two weeks for [...]]]>

Passion for pinot that is.  As a judge for the 8th Annual Pinot Noir Summit, on Feburary 27th, I am able to offer you my dear readers a 20% discount off of the ticket price. click me

I hope you will take advantae of this offer, and join me in San Rafael in two weeks for a day of Pinot Passion!

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