Michael Perlis
Michael Perlis Discovers: Proulx Wines
Proulx Wines www.proulxwines.com The last thing Greer at Silver Horse Winery said to us the previous day as we were leaving was to be sure to visit her family’s winery, Proulx, when we were on the Westside of Paso Robles. So, as we were leaving Westberg Cellars, which is on the Westside, that is where…
Michael Perlis Discovers: Westberg Cellars
Westberg Cellars www.westbergwine.com One of the last wines we tasted at the Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival earlier this year was the Estate Zinfandel from Westberg Cellars. Admittedly, I was unfamiliar with this winery, but their Zin tasted darn good. But, it was near the end of the tasting and at that point everything was tasting…
Michael Perlis Visits: Tassajara
Tassajara www.tassajaracellars.com Rounding out our visit to Silver Horse was tasting the wines of Tassajara Cellars. Tassajara is the name of the tallest mountain in the Santa Lucia range, which separates Paso Robles and the Pacific Ocean. Winemaker/owner Craig Reed, who used to be the winemaker for the Martin & Weyrich and York Mountain wineries,…
Michael Perlis’s First Crush
First Crush http://firstcrushwinemaking.com/ First Crush’s full name is First Crush Winemaking Experience, and First Crush does in fact offer a variety of different experiences. They provide programs for picking, crushing and eventually bottling your own wine, vineyard tours, blending seminars, all the way through complete winemaking education. There are lots of choices depending how deeply…
Michael Perlis Visits: Silver Horse Winery
Silver Horse Winery http://www.silverhorse.com Awhile back, we attended a tasting at the Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles put on by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. One of the highlights of this tasting for me was Silver Horse Winery, which is located in San Miguel. This is essentially Northeast of Paso Robles, and is sometimes…
Michael Perlis Reports: Tobin James Cellars
For some reason, when I mention Tobin James to certain wine people [snobs?], they turn up their noses. Why? I’m not really sure. Is it because Tobin makes wines for a wide range of wine lovers, at lots of price points? Or is it because people have fun in his tasting room? Or is it…
Michael Perlis Reviews: Rhone Rangers Tasting at the Vibiana
Rhone Rangers [www.rhonerangers.org] is an organization devoted to the promotion of the Rhone varietals produced by U.S. wineries, most of which are based in California. There are actually 22 of these varieties, but some of the best known ones are: White: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne Red: Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah Annually, the organization takes its…
Michael Perlis Report: 32nd Annual Picnic Des Chefs by the Club Culinaire of French Cuisine
The Club Culinaire of French Cuisine [http://www.clubculinaire.us] is a non-profit organization of chefs, wine purveyors and other hospitality professionals. The Club organizes events to support the Concern Foundation, the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Hope Program and the M.E.G. Foundation in India. One of the annual events is the Picnic Des Chefs which brings together various…
Michael Perlis: Chablis Food + Wine hosts Summers Estate Wines (Photos by Heidi Wiedeman)
When I think of Summers Estate Wines (www.summerswinery.com), I immediately think of the red wine Charbono. The origins of Charbono are a little unclear. It is often thought of as an Italian varietal. The name Charbono certainly sounds Italian. But testing by famed grape geneticist Carole Meredith proved that the grape known as Charbono in…