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Garagiste Wine Festival Returns to Solvang: February 25th and 26th

February 1, 2022 by evebushman

SOLVANG, CALIF. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival returns to Solvang February 25th and 26th, 2022, offering rare access to the best small-production winemakers from the Santa Barbara County area. Tickets are currently on sale here.

‘Southern Exposure,’ which follows on the heels of a sold-out Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles last November, will again be held at Solvang’s historic Mission-style Veterans’ Memorial Hall. The event features a wide diversity of grape varieties vinified into over 150 different wines and unique blends, offering wine lovers one-of-a-kind opportunities to taste a range of the year’s most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines all under one roof.

“We are thrilled to return to Solvang after a three year absence. While the pandemic may have prevented us from gathering, it did not prevent these extraordinary winemakers from crafting their fantastic wines, and we cannot wait to showcase them next month in-person to our very appreciative and enthusiastic attendees,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Douglas Minnick.

The Garagiste Festival, which premiered in Paso Robles in 2011, is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste*’ winemakers, and was named “Best of the Fests” by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US by USA Today. It expanded to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2013 to highlight the wines of Santa Barbara County and surrounding AVAs, as well as small production wineries from across California. It has been a consistent sell-out ever since.

This year’s Garagiste Festival ‘Southern Exposure’ includes its Friday night signature “No Repeats, Rare & Reserve” event, and Saturday’s Grand Tasting, which includes a Silent Auction filled with first-rate wine packages that benefit The Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“Solvang has always been a very welcoming place for our attendees, and the stunningly beautiful surrounding area is fertile ground for some of the Central Coast’s most exciting winemakers,” continued Minnick. “The atmosphere at Southern Exposure is always lively, fun, and relaxed — true to our no-snobs allowed tradition, and the perfect way to make new wine discoveries, all while taking the time to fully savor and appreciate these fabulous wines.”

Minnick noted that in an effort to promote a more open flow and greater social distancing within the venue, for this year, there will be no VIP Seminar as in the past, with that space used to include as many wineries as possible, while still giving everyone safe and ample space to share their wines.

THE GARAGISTE FESTIVAL SOUTHERN EXPOSURE 2022 LINE UP (all events held at Veteran’s Memorial Hall)

No Repeats Rare & Reserve Tasting, Friday February 25th — 6:30-9:00pm

This intimate event with winemakers showcases limited samples of Reserve, Club Only, Library and Pre-Release bottles, as well as some barrel samples A taco buffet is included from Ibarra Catering & Eatery.

The Main Event – The Grand Tasting – Saturday, February 26th – 2:00 – 5:00pm

The festival’s Grand Tasting showcases 30 local winemakers. Complimentary cheese and charcuterie, as well as food samples from local artisan vendors will be included; but, for bigger appetites, The Ibarra Catering Truck will be on hand to provide bigger bites for purchase.

Early Access tickets are also available, providing one and a half hours of unlimited access prior to the main event from 12:30-2:00pm.

The non-profit Garagiste Festival supports the Garagiste Festival Scholarships at the Wine and Viticulture Department at Cal Poly University San Luis Obispo.

The 30+ winemakers scheduled to pour at the Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure include:

Ann Albert Wines, Bolt To Wines, Camins 2 Dreams*, Cavaletti Vineyards, Crazy Woman Cellars*, Dana V. Wines, Demeter Family Cellars, Diablo Paso, DreamCote Wines, Dusty Nabor Wines, El Lugar Wines, Entourage Wines, Familia Hicks, Imagine Wines, Kendric Vineyards, Lions Peak Winery, Marin’s Vineyard, MCV Wines, Montemar Winery, Purple Dragon Cellars, Quench & Temper, RF Fine Wines, Seagrape Wine Co,, Seven Oxen Estate Wines, Silver Wines, Steinbeck Vineyards, Sweetzer Cellars, and Sycamore Ranch Winery.
*New to the festival.

Covid Update: The Garagiste Festival has adapted its protocols to foster a safe environment that will not detract from the festival’s signature attendee camaraderie and one-on-one interaction with the winemakers (winemakers, not tasting room personnel, always pour at The Garagiste Festival). This includes using more space and greater table distancing, as well as adherence to the current county mandates. For more information and updates on festival Covid protocols, click here.

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.my805tix.com/e/garagiste-solvang

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include:

Visit SYV, Glenn Burdette, G3, ETS Laboratories, The Hamlet Inn, Farm Credit West, Laffort USA, Bank of Marin, Digital Dogma, The Hamlet Inn, mWEBB Communications, and WIVI.

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

*Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: auction, ava, Barrel, blend, California, charity, festival, food, garagiste, grape, library wines, Reserve, Santa Barbara, solvang, u.s., usa today, variety, wine education, wine fest, wine festival, winemakers

The Texas Whiskey Festival and Remington Family Distillers are excited to release a bourbon barrel aged Caffe Del Fuego

January 27, 2022 by evebushman

AUSTIN, TEXAS (PRWEB) – The Texas Whiskey Festival and Remington Family Distillers are excited to announce the release of the Ironroot Republic Distilling bourbon barrel-aged Caffe Del Fuego collaboration.

Tejas, the Spanish spelling of the ancient Caddo word for “friend” or “ally,” is a collaboration between the festival and various Texas distillers to create unique offerings that showcase their methods and character. Each bottling will be a limited release available only through the respective distiller.

The Ironroot Republic Distilling bourbon-barrel-aged Caffe Del Fuego is the second release in the Tejas collaboration series. Caffe Del Fuego is coffee liquor done right. “As lifelong whiskey drinkers we have always loved how it pairs with our product. That’s why we were super excited by this project. By aging Caffe Del Fuego for a year in Ironroot bourbon barrels we were able to create a special release that really captures the best of two great spirits. Our rich coffee taste, their smooth, smoky accents, and the deep caramel and vanilla flavors from both come together into something truly noteworthy. I can’t wait for our fans to have the opportunity to enjoy this,” said Mark Remington Koelsch, President and Founder of Remington Family Distillers.

The bottling totaled just under 500 – 750ml bottles. It will be available…exclusively through the tasting room at Remington Family Distillers. “I love that three companies came together to create this fantastic product,” says Jake Clements, Co-Founder of the Texas Whiskey Festival.

“The collaboration is still going; the empty barrels are now back at Ironroot for the second part of our collaboration.”

Tejas came to embody the character of the weathered and resilient settlers who saw the wide-open west as their destiny. This series pays homage to their intrepid resolve by bringing together our favorite Texas distilleries in a spirit of friendship that exemplifies the pride we take in proclaiming, “We are Tejas!”

For more information about the Texas Whiskey Festival visit http://www.txwhiskeyfest.com and for more information about Remington Family Distillers visit https://www.rfdistillers.com.

About the Texas Whiskey Festival
The mission of the festival is simple: To help promote and enhance the brands of the many great distilleries throughout Texas. Along with promotion, we want to educate whiskey lovers about the many top-of-the-line whiskeys being produced in our great state – and we’re doing it all while having fun, drinking great whiskey, and building memorable experiences. As an organization, we know that Texas has some of the best distilleries and whiskeys in the world. The Texas Whiskey Festival is an opportunity to showcase that. For more information, please visit https://txwhiskeyfest.com.

About Remington Family Distillers
Founded by cousins Peter Knight Remington and Mark Remington Koelsch in 2014. Located in Austin, TX, Remington Family Distillers with a passion for superior quality spirits, Remington Family Distillers is the culmination of a whole bunch of paperwork hoops to jump through and a desire to create and produce premium liquor with you in mind.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: aged, Barrel, bourbon, coffee, distiller, festival, flavor, liquor, smoke, texas, vanilla, whiskey

Perlises Pick: Monochrome

January 22, 2022 by Michael Perlis

After months of no winery visits, we finally got out and about. But, something about us had changed. While we still love red wine A LOT, we have been drinking mostly whites during our stay at home and espousing our newfound “healthier diet and lighter wine to go with it” lifestyle to anyone who will listen.

It was now time to put our money where are our mouths are.

Meet Monochrome.

We first tasted Monochrome at the 2018 Garagiste Festival in Santa Monica. At that time, Michael wrote: I’m just going to say it: “It takes balls to make only white wine in red wine country. Since I was focusing primarily on reds I almost skipped it. Fortunately, Karen insisted I try the wines.

As usual…um, always…she was right. Especially loved the 2016 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Marsanne as well as the 2016 blend of Marsanne and Chardonnay. They are pouring in Paso’s Tin City now and I highly recommend you check them out. We intend to.”

Three years later [!], we finally did.

If there was any doubt, Michael comments above were meant as a compliment, not an insult. Paso Robles is known for its big red wines and many (but certainly not all) of the white wines have the reputation of being viewed as an afterthought for that member of a tasting group that just “doesn’t like reds.”

Dave McGee is changing that, one wine-drinker at a time. He founded Monochrome in 2016 after a rich and varied career in industries such as radar design, stealth technology and neuroradiology. He completed the online UC Davis winemaking program and helped with the winemaking at Villa Creek and Alta Colina before making the jump to starting his winery, focusing entirely on white wine.

Taking a contrarian approach to the rest of the region, Dave and consulting winemaker Riley Hubbard focus on making only “white wines with depth, layers and complexity…” Sourcing grapes from Santa Barbara County on the south to Santa Cruz on the north (the three-hour-by-truck rule), they break each variety into small batches and use different fermentation and aging techniques for each, resulting in wines that really live up to the expression of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

Some notes on the wines we tasted:

2019 “Neither Here Nor There” is a blend of 56% Chenin Blanc from Jurassic Park Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley and 44% Sauvignon Blanc from the McGinley Vineyard in Happy Canyon. We picked up lemon notes and long finish. This wine has a really solid backbone.

2018 “Analog In A Digital Age” is 74% Marsanne from Camp 4 Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, 17% Chenin Blanc from G2 Vineyard in the Willow Creek district of Paso Robles and 9% Viognier from Shokrian Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. The wine spent nine months in amphora. There was a really nice minerality on the finish.

2018 “Sense Of Out Of Place” – this blend of 53% Sauvignon Blanc from McGinley Vineyard and 47% Chardonnay from Donnachadh Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills has a medium to long finish and pretty citrus/tangerine notes on the nose.

2018 “Wall Of Sound” is 68% Roussanne from Zaca Mesa Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley and 32% Viognier from Shokrian Vineyard. This is a very rich classic Rhone blend.

2017 “Blasphemy” is an unusual blend of 80% Chardonnay from Donnachadh Vineyard and 20% Chenin Blanc from Jurassic Park Vineyard. It has a rich golden corn color, and is bright and rich, with a perceived sweetness [as it is 100% dry].

2019 “X-3” – the blend is 49% Roussanne from Zaca Mesa Vineyard, 37% Viognier from Plum Orchard Tree Lane Vineyard in Paso’s Templeton Gap and 14% Grenache Blanc from the G2 Vineyard. Some of this classic Rhone blend goes through the “death and resurrection” method wherein the juice is hyper oxidized and then allowed to come back to life. The wine has a very full mouth feel with citrus lemon notes and a medium to long finish

2020 “Barrel Distortion” – 94% Albarino from Plum Orchard Lane Vineyard, 6% Gewurtzraminer from Paraiso Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands. Very bright with smooth buttery notes.

You may have noticed an overriding theme here. These are serious, complex wines. A lot of thought and care went into making them and the approach to drinking them should follow suit. Monochrome is raising the bar for what white wines can be. Check them out in Paso Robles’s Tin City.

Monochrome

www.monochromewines.com

3075 Blue Rock Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Filed Under: Michael Perlis Tagged With: aging, amphora, Barrel, blend, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, color, fermentation, finish, garagiste, Gewurztraminer, happy canyon, marsanne, mineral, nose, Paso Robles, Rhone, Roussanne, Santa Barbara, santa lucia highlands, santa monica, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Ynez, Sauvignon Blanc, tasting notes, templeton, tin city, UC Davis, variety, Viognier, white wine, willow creek, winemaker, winemaking, winery

New Deal Distillery’s Old Tom Gin wins Best of the Northwest

January 13, 2022 by evebushman

PORTLAND, ORE. (PRWEB) – New Deal Distillery’s Old Tom Gin wins Platinum in Sip Magazine’s 2021 Best of Northwest Barrel Aged Gin category. Distilled with over 20 botanicals and barrel-rested in French oak, this amber colored gin bridges Portland’s craft distilling scene and Oregon’s winemaking tradition.

New Deal’s founder, head distiller, and self-proclaimed “young Tom”, Tom Burkleaux tinkered and experimented with this gin recipe for years before finally making it a part of New Deal’s permanent line of spirits this past May. Embracing their proximity to the Willamette Valley, this final rendition of Old Tom Gin is aged in Oregon wine barrels and slightly sweetened in the traditional style, creating a warm, toasty, and highly sippable spirit. Burkleaux explains that “while Old Tom is not a new style of gin, it is a style that’s continually evolving. Old Tom is a large and diverse category that has historically encompassed both barrel aged and sweetened gins, and we set out to combine the two.”

So, why is it called Old Tom Gin? In 18th century England, before London Dry Gin stole the show, Old Tom was the gin of choice. It was so popular that several prohibitive laws were enacted to curb its consumption but this only drove the gin scene underground. Since gin was nearly outlawed, pubs secretly selling this ‘mothers ruin’ would alert interested parties to its availability by putting a wooden plaque of a tomcat outside their building. After a coin was deposited through a slot in the wall, the bartender would slyly pour a shot through a pipe out to the patron. Some say it’s this reference to the old tomcat plaque that gives Old Tom Gin its name. However, like much of the history of spirits and cocktails, the exact answers are not known. There are other theories, some having to do with a tomcat falling into a vat of gin or an older distiller named Tom.

What is known for sure is that aging a spirit in wooden barrels affects its overall flavor profile — the gin can take on barrel characteristics like vanilla, clove, oak and smoke. For this reason, Old Tom Gin is often popular with whiskey fans as the gin takes on some of the same notes of barrel aged whiskey and can be enjoyed similarly when served on ice or simply sipped neat. Curious to try this fascinating (and award winning) spirit? New Deal’s Old Tom Gin can now be shipped right to your door in 40+ states: https://shop.newdealdistillery.com/product/new-deal-old-tom-gin/

More about New Deal Distillery:
New Deal Distillery has been making high quality, craft-distilled spirits, inspired by the DIY culture of Portland, Oregon since 2004. All of their artisan spirits are made in small batches with Bull Run water and natural and organic ingredients, sourced locally whenever possible. For more information visit newdealdistillery.com or email info@newdealdistillery.com.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: aged, award, Barrel, bartender, botanicals, cocktails, craft, distiller, distillery, flavor, French oak, gin, natural, Oregon, organic, platinum, recipe, smoke, spirits, sweet, vanilla, whiskey

The Texas Whiskey Festival Collaborates with Modisett and Sons Distillery on a Brandy Finished Single Malt

January 9, 2022 by evebushman

AUSTIN, TEXAS (PRWEB) – The Texas Whiskey Festival and Modisett & Sons announce the release of a collaboration whiskey, Single Malt finished in used brandy barrels.

Tejas, the Spanish spelling of the ancient Caddo word for “friend” or “ally”, is a collaboration between the festival and various Texas distillers to create unique offerings that showcase their methods and character. Each bottling will be a limited release available only through the respective distiller.

Tom Roy from Modisett & Sons is a 18 month old single malt aged one year in used barrels, then finished six months in used brandy barrels. Named after the dad in the father son duo this single malt uses a unique barley called Golden Vienna Pilsner that is packed with incredible flavor. The brandy barrels are former homes to an orange muscat brandy from Andalusia Whiskey Co. The combination creates a flavor profile best described as orange creamsicle pie.

“I love the history of this project,” said Texas Whiskey Festival Co-Founds and creative director for the Tejas series Jake Clements. “Before the barrels aged the brandy they held the first ever Bottled in Bond Whiskey released in Texas.”

This is a limited release available in 375ml bottles. It will be available exclusively through Modisett & Sons tasting room. “It was incredible to see how the flavors changed in a short amount of time,” said Modisett & Sons Co-Founder Tom Roy Modisett. “It created flavors I fell in love with.”

Tejas came to embody the character of the weathered and resilient settlers who saw the wide-open west as their destiny. This series pays homage to their intrepid resolve by bringing together our favorite Texas distilleries in a spirit of friendship that exemplifies the pride we take in proclaiming, “We are Tejas!”

For more information about the Texas Whiskey Festival visit http://www.txwhiskeyfest.com and for more information about Modisett & Sons visit http://www.modisettandsons.com

About the Texas Whiskey Festival
The mission of the festival is simple: To help promote and enhance the brands of the many great distilleries throughout Texas. Along with promotion, we want to educate whiskey lovers about the many top-of-the-line whiskeys being produced in our great state – and we’re doing it all while having fun, drinking great whiskey, and building memorable experiences. As an organization, we know that Texas has some of the best distilleries and whiskeys in the world. The Texas Whiskey Festival is an opportunity to showcase that. For more information, please visit https://txwhiskeyfest.com.

About Modisett & Sons
What started as a father and son bucket list golf trip to the Old Course at St. Andrews ignited a passion and love for scotch. Modisett & Sons strives to bring the classic qualities of scotch to Texas by following traditional Scottish distillation methods. In order to ensure the highest quality we utilize Scottish copper pot stills and premium malted barley. Being aged in second run American Oak barrels in the capricious Texas climate sets Modisett & Sons apart from all other Single Malt Whiskies.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: Barrel, brandy, distill, festival, flavor, fruit, muscat, single malt, tasting room, texas, whiskey

Perlises Pick: Caliza Winery

December 18, 2021 by Michael Perlis

When we decided it was time to visit wine country again, selecting the region was pretty easy. Paso Robles has long been a favorite of ours, going back to the 1980s[!]. Deciding who to visit was a little tougher – there are a lot of people who we consider friends in Paso and many of the wineries are on our “favorites” list. In addition, there are many new wineries that deserve attention.

One thing that was certain was that we needed to visit Carl Bowker at Caliza Winery. The one and only time that we did visit Caliza must have been soon after they opened the tasting room in 2008 – Pam and Carl Bowker had started making wine commercially with the 2006 vintage, but didn’t make their first wines available until late 2008. [We had actually tried to plan a visit in 2018 but couldn’t coordinate schedules.] Since that one time, we had relied on tasting Carl’s efforts at various events, such as Rhone Rangers and the Garagiste Festivals and they were always outstanding. But with no events happening in the last year and a half, visiting became a must.

Upon our arrival at the winery at the end of Anderson Road in the Willow Creek District AVA, Carl gave us a 4-wheel tour of the hillside vineyard adjacent to the tasting room. Carl explained that while the Caliza property is 60 acres, only 28 of those acres are planted. The expected Rhone varieties are there [Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Viognier, Mourvedre / Mataro], along with some Primitivo, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo and Tannat. Limestone and slate dominate the soil in this area [Caliza means “limestone” in Spanish]. The qualities of the soil and the climate of the Templeton Gap are what make this AVA so unique and enables Caliza and neighbors such as L’Aventure and Booker to make such great wines, as do other wineries that source fruit from the area.

And great wines they are. Sitting outside with Carl and tasting through the lineup reminded us of how much we enjoy his wines:

2020 “Pink” Rosé – One of the more complex rosés we’ve had, with a rich, strong finish and notes of white peach; a very bright blend of Grenache and Mourvedre.

2019 Viognier – This delicious 100% Viognier was concrete egg fermented. We noted ripe melon fruit with a dry, medium finish, and a full mouthfeel.

2019 Kissin Cousins – the 2020 vintage is already sold out but fortunately Carl has some of the 2019 left of this blend (48% Viognier, 30% Grenache Blanc, 22% Roussanne) that is always one of our favorites. Fermented in a combination of neutral and new oak and stainless steel (depending on the varietal) this wine had a solid mid- palate, clean stone fruit, and white flowers on the nose.

2019 Sidekick – another tasty white blend, this one 80% Roussanne and 20% Viognier. Barrel aged with a rich golden color, and notes of fresh straw and chalk, this is a serious food wine.

2018 Azimuth –the first of four outstanding reds that we tasted, this one is a blend of 50% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache and 20% Syrah. Huge fruit, notes of cherry, complex but balanced.

2017 Cohort – 58% Petite Sirah, 28% Syrah, 14% Mourvedre. This one was held back a year so the Petite could integrate, which it certainly did in this superb inky blend.

2018 Syrah – no nickname needed for this delicious 100% Syrah. It was fresh, bright, big and rich.

2018 Companion – the only wine that contains some non-estate fruit, this blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Syrah created a terrific symbiotic pairing.

The accompanying cheese board from Paso favorite Vivant Fine Cheese with pairings selected specifically for the wines tasted just added to the experience, as did the great vineyard view from the patio.

As we were leaving, Carl mentioned that he had another important writer stopping in after us…from The Wine Advocate. Now that is impressive, but equally so is how Carl considered us to be important too. It goes to show you that he and the rest of the Caliza staff treats everyone with the same importance no matter who you are.

We Perlises don’t give number ratings, but we thought we’d share these with you from hugely respected critic, Jeb Dunnuck [as per the Caliza website]:

2018 Azimuth            95 points

2018 Companion      95 points

2018 Syrah               95 points

2017 Cohort              94 points

In your visits to Paso Robles wine country, you might be tempted to not go all the way to the end of Anderson Road. We really think you should because, if you don’t, you’ll be missing out on some great wines and wonderful down-to-earth people.

Caliza Winery

www.calizawinery.com

2570 Anderson Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Filed Under: Michael Perlis Tagged With: ava, Barrel, cheese, color, fermentation, food pairing, fruit, garagiste, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Jeb dunnuck, limestone, Mourvedre, mouthfeel, Oak, palate, Paso Robles, petaluma gap, Petite Sirah, primitivo, Rhone, rhone rangers, Rose, Roussanne, scores, soil, stainless steel, Syrah, Tannat, tasting room, Tempranillo, varietal, vineyard, vintage, Viognier, wine pairing, wineries

Five Prestigious Napa Valley Mountain AVAs, One Extraordinary 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

October 26, 2021 by evebushman

What happens when the highest quality fruit from Napa Valley’s 5 prestigious mountain AVAs are blended together? You get 1 extra special and unique Cabernet Sauvignon! “The Five Peaks of Napa Valley” 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from The Vice Wines is finally ready to make its debut. 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, “The Five Peaks of Napa Valley” – ($150.00 / 2 x 750ml bottle set)

Napa Valley produces 4% of California’s wine, and only 5% percent of Napa’s wine production comes from mountain fruit harvested from 5 prestigious AVAs: Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder, Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, and Spring Mountain District.

In 2018, an outstanding vintage, The Vice founder/winemaker Malek Amrani harvested grapes from each of these 5 uniquely different mountain AVAs and set out to craft an extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon. Each small batch was aged in select New French Oak barrels for 22 months, blended and barrel rested for a further 2 months and aged in the bottle for 12 months.

A powerful young Cab. Dark, ripe, intense and deeply concentrated. Even with an additional year of bottle aging in our cellar, this one is years from peaking. Leather, game meat, hickory and licorice are currently wrestling one another, backed with waves of blackberry, fig, boysenberry and black currant. The massively tannic mid-palate shows the strength to age. The back half kicks in with apple wood, dark cacao and cedar that linger into a lengthy finish. – Malek Amrani, The Vice Founder/Winemaker

Open and decant it to enjoy now, age it for years to come, or wrap it up for the holidays—the silk-printed gold bottle alone makes it gift-worthy.

The ABV is 15.00%. 384 cases were produced. All wines by The Vice are low in sulfites, made with sustainable farming and winemaking practices and are certified vegan.

About The Vice Wine

The Vice is a Napa Valley luxury wine brand made in small batches. Each batch is crafted from single grape varietals sourced from hand selected vineyards that best express the grape varietal and the region that it comes from. The Vice is a result of passionate labor, sustainable farming, a long expertise of the wine industry and a current understanding of the consumer’s wine trend. The Vice is about as personal of a brand as it gets. Everything is done by the founders. We drive the truck to get our fruit, we crush, bottle, label; we do everything by hand when possible. We design the labels, work the market, and sell the wine. We believe that the best wines in the world aren’t the most expensive ones. We thrive at providing the best quality wine at the best value. For more information visit thevice.com and follow on @thevicewine.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: abv, aged, aroma, ava, Barrel, blend, cabernet sauvignon, California, case, cellar, farming, flavor, French oak, harvest, howell mountain, length, Napa Valley, palate, sulfite, sustainable, tannins, tasting notes, vegan, vintage, winemaker, winemaking

2019’s Craft Producer of the Year Kentucky Peerless Unveils Double Oak Bourbon

October 16, 2021 by evebushman

LOUISVILLE, KY. (PRWEB) – Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company announces the release of their newest whiskey, Peerless Double Oak Bourbon.

This expression was born out of necessity, not marketing tactics. Peerless Double Oak Bourbon will be available in Kentucky, California, Illinois, Florida and New York.

Kentucky Peerless started crafting Double Oak whiskies with the original intention of rescuing whiskey from a leaky barrel, losing too much quantity to Angel’s share. When a barrel has a leak that cannot be repaired, the whiskey is transferred into a new charred oak barrel to continue its journey.

By exposing the whiskey to a second barrel, the whiskey develops unparalleled complexity as well as a heavy mouthfeel.

The Single Barrel Double Oak whiskies offered in the past at Kentucky Peerless have received overwhelmingly positive feedback, which has led to this release. Master Distiller Caleb Kilburn said: “With the amazing response to our very limited Double Oak program to date, we have decided to improve the quality and accessibility of the product. Where in the past we would leave things up to chance, we are now intentionally curating barrels to become Double Oak.”

Kilburn shares that the tasting notes reflect the characteristics of both barrels, and the dedicated tasting team is looking for prominent grain, fruit and herbaceous characteristics. Kilburn writes the tasting notes, including spicy oak, cinnamon, honey and leather as the more pronounced elements.

Find out more at kentuckypeerless.com or visit the distillery at 120 N. 10th Street in downtown Louisville. The distillery is open for tours and tastings by reservation Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
The Peerless family’s very first bourbon went into a barrel in 1889. They have since revived the craft in their own state-of-the-art distillery in the Bourbon District, where they use the finest ingredients. The Peerless family believes that patience builds character and fine Bourbon and Rye can never be rushed. All under one roof, the select Kentucky Peerless grains are milled, cooked, fermented, double-distilled and barreled as Bourbon and Rye.

2017 Awards
Tricor Braun’s Spirits Division Package of the Year
Small Batch Rye named Top 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of the Year by Whisky Advocate Magazine

2018 Awards
Small Batch Rye named Top 5 Best American Whiskey in Forbes magazine

2019 Awards
“Craft Producer of the Year” for the Americas by Whisky Magazine
“Global Craft Producer of the Year” by Whisky Magazine

2020 Awards
Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon named “Best Kentucky Bourbon” by World Whiskies Awards
Peerless Small Batch Kentucky Straight Rye awarded Category Gold for Rye 12 Years and
Under by Whisky Magazine
Master Distiller Caleb Kilburn was a finalist for best distiller by Whisky Magazine
Peerless was among the 12 final nominees for best distillery tour by Whisky Magazine

2021 Awards
Small Batch Bourbon received 92 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine
Small Batch Rye received 93 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine

For more information, visit kentuckypeerless.com
Contact: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company
120 North 10th Street, Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 566-4999
Contact@KentuckyPeerless.com
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Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: award, Barrel, bourbon, California, craft, distill, distiller, fermentation, fruit, gold medal, kentucky, mouthfeel, Oak, rye, tasting, tasting notes, whiskey, whisky, wine enthusiast

Learning, Tasting and Joining: Vegas Drammers!

October 15, 2021 by evebushman

As we have been in Las Vegas a lot more these days I sought out all kinds of food and drinking establishments. Through my “research” I found the global Drammers club founded by Charlie Prince and their newly established Las Vegas Chapter run by Bob Brown. Eddie and I attended our first meeting at a strip location where we had more than enough brown and clear spirits to warrant a second meeting. Below is the second invitation to join the club, with liquor descriptions by Prince, shared with his permission and in italics are my notes:

Vegas Drammers!

We wanted to make sure everyone had seen that our next Drammers Las Vegas tasting will be Sunday, September 26th at 6:30pm.  We’re coming hot off visits to both Scotland/Europe and to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, so we’ve got a bunch of fun bottles in tow that you’re unlikely to get another chance to try!  Drumroll please…

  • Very Old St Nick – Curia – Kentucky Bourbon Fest Exclusive. We’ll be coming to Seattle straight from the Kentucky Bourbon Fest, and we’ve got some fun bottles in tow to share. The team at Preservation (behind Very Old St Nick and Rare Perfection) released this bottle exclusively at the fest. It’s a bourbon bottled at 47.6% abv, and since it was released under the Very Olde St. Nick line, you know it’s not a young whiskey. I’ll try to find out more before we get there, but this is definitely a one-off-shot to pick this up. This was the first whiskey we tasted and was an immediate favorite for many of us. Charlie, along with his notes above, shared that this distiller was making wood-heavy bourbons before vodka took over in the U.S. The flavor was very popular in Japan before becoming well-liked again in the U.S. Aromas included sweet roasted and buttered corn, suede and no burn on the palate.

    Flavors like suede, toffee, corn nuts, creamy and smooth. Charlie said it had cherry cordial flavor and another bourbon lover noted fig.

  • Bardstown Bourbon Co. – Distillery Collection – Triple Stave Finish.  Released to coincide with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, this special release was only available at the distillery when we picked it up a few days ago and is almost certainly now sold out. It is a blend of straight whiskies finished with oak staves.  54.% abv. I asked Charlie about this bourbon, as I knew one of my favorite Napa wineries – Phifer Pavitt – collaborated on a bourbon with them. He said they do a lot of collaborations, using a barrel that held Phifer Pavitt Napa Cabernet Sauvignon being one of them. He hadn’t had the Phifer Pavitt collaboration but he had plenty of others, and that the distillery is “huge…well financed…(and) shockingly big like an Olympic swimming pool.” The one we tasted wasn’t a collaboration but instead they had incorporated a “Triple Stave Finish” instead. On the nose there was that cream, white pepper and a lot of vanilla bean and toasted oak. A new friend said she noted maple syrup and waffles, that we all had to agree with. That same maple syrup over waffles was also apparent in the taste with some burn, vanilla, walnut and Charlie noted sweet marmalade.
  • 2 Expressions of Buzzard’s Roost Rye.  Bourbon Bistro was arguably the first major whiskey bar in Louisville, a game changer that was way ahead of its time, and today it is rightly celebrated as one of the powerhouse drivers of bourbon culture in Kentucky.  So it was particularly exciting to learn on our recent trip that they have launched their own line of whiskies – Buzzard’s Roost!  We’ll be trying two of them this evening — a straight rye in a peated barrel (!), bottled at a delicious 52.5% abv (batch 1), and a barrel strength, also bottled at 52.5% abv (batch 2).  These releases were limited to 800 and 1100 bottles respectively.  We’ve tasted them, and we’re really excited about them. Charlie told a story about the Bourbon Bistro – a game-changing bar in Louisville with a secret menu of prohibition era whisky. Of course he got his hands on that menu, and spent about $1,000 that night enjoying drams from it. These ryes are a launch of their own whisky line. First came the barrel strength. My new whisky pal immediately noted that it was almost like a tawny port, I agreed. Aromas reminded me of sweet frozen vanilla custard, hazelnuts, a wood sauna; with flavors of sweet Kettle corn, caramel corn and a hint of banana. Next we sampled the rye finished in a peated smoked barrel – something none of us had heard of before. Peat bogs were not used, instead the rye was aged in a peated smoked barrel, giving it a more subtle peat flavor. Reminded me a bit of the Ardbeg An Oa. I noted salted nuts and smooth white chocolate on the nose; with a drop of water it became a very easy sipper, maybe a gateway for those new to peated whisky, lots of nuts and others noted flavors of gingerbread and that the peat in the nose came out after tasting it.
  • Mlody Ziemniak 2020 and The Barell Spirits Whiskey finished in a Pear Brandy Cask at 59.9$ abv, a Drammers Club pick. Whisky enthusiasts tend to be respectful of all other spirits categories except one — vodka. But these bottles might change your mind. The logic goes that by definition, the spirit needs to be tasteless and odorless, so what’s there to be proud of? The culprit here is that vodka is by definition distilled up to at least 96% alcohol, thereby eliminating a lot of the potential flavors. But what if you took the same distillate, and only distilled it once, stopping at 60% abv? And what if Poland’s most prestigious craft vodka distillery made a point to do it in a special limited edition series to highlight flavor differences among potato varietals? That’s exactly what Chopin did, and we were so blown away by the results, we flew to the distillery in Poland to do an event live with the founder, where our US members tried samples and voted to pick an exclusive batch for our club. That batch hasn’t arrived yet, but in the meantime, we’ve secured the very limited 2019 and 2020 special editions (From Eve: The 2019 was unavailable for this tasting) released under their “Mlody Ziemniak” (or “young potato”) line. These bottles can only be found in Poland currently, and in our opinion, they’re a game changer. Very anxious to cleanse my palate with a vodka, one where we could possibly taste the base potato spirit. Most of us didn’t care for this one much. On the Barell Spirits Whiskey Pear finish Charlie said that they make about 100 different weird finishes and this unaged version was finished in a pear brandy cask. Aromas reminded Eddie of bubble gum, while I noted dried berries, a boxload of Harry and David pears, flamed orange peel and fruitcake; with flavors of Triscuit crackers, hay, spam, Umami, and another person noted distinct “burnt popcorn”. This was not a favorite of the group. 
  • Glenkinchie Distillery-Only Cask Strength Handfill. Diageo put a lot of money into revamping the visitor center at this Lowlands distillery just outside Edinburgh, and it opened in the middle of Covid, so that so far, they haven’t been able to welcome many visitors.  If you haven’t heard of this distillery, it’s no surprise — over 90% of what they distill goes into the Johnnie Walker blends, so very little has been released under the “Glenkinchie” brand in the US, and of that virtually none of it is at cask strength, making this distillery only handfill bottle a particularly rare treat. Distilled in 2009, bottled in 2021, so approximately 11 years matured. I tried a small sip at the distillery, which was amazing, but otherwise haven’t really had a chance to try this yet.  55.2% Charlie said this was possibly 12 years old, hard to find, he picked up about 30 bottles just for his clubs. This was not the favorite in the line-up, but nothing wrong with it. While Charlie got notes of red apple cider, I noted toast, both sweet and spice notes, and a softness on the palate after adding some water.
  • Lagavulin Feis Ile Bottling 2020. About 10 of us had made plans to attend Feis Ile in 2020, and but for Covid, we just might have done it. If we had, the only way we would have had a shot at getting this bottle would have been if we’d camped out overnight at the distillery for Lagavulin’s big day. Instead, with the fest taking place virtually, we were able to pick up a bottle in their gift shop a couple weeks ago for us to taste! Bottle 1,924 of 6,000 bottles, it’s a vatting of 20yo refill and PX/Oloroso seasoned hogsheads personally selected by (then) distillery manager Colin Gordon and bottled at cask strength. Charlie said that before Covid maybe up to 3,000 people could score two bottles each of this whisky. This is a 13 year old. Found cream, grass, mushroom and umami notes on the nose, others also noted an earthy quality. The taste reminded me of olive brine and white pepper, another drammer noted Spanish olives.

That’s our lineup! And you never know with us, we might show up with a bonus surprise or two.  We hope you can join us.

We’ll also provide yummy pizza as usual. A huge thank you to our Las Vegas chapter head Bob Brown for organizing!

Of course, we’re only getting started here in Las Vegas, and looking to continue to grow our chapter, so if you know anyone you think might be a good fit for the club, please feel free to invite them to join us…

Cheers,

Charlie Prince

President, Drammers Club

www.drammers.com

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: abv, Barrel, bourbon, cask, Drammers, europe, festival, kentucky, las vegas, Napa, Phifer Pavitt, rye, scotland, single malt whisky, spirits, u.s., vodka, whiskey

Watershed Distillery® Releases Highly Anticipated Batch 002 of Barrel Strength Bourbon Finished in Apple Brandy Casks

September 28, 2021 by evebushman

COLUMBUS, Ohio, /PRNewswire/ — Watershed Distillery announces its most mature spirit to date—a highly limited barrel strength bourbon—released on Saturday, September 18, at the distillery with limited allocation in Ohio retail agencies and select markets across the U.S. to follow. The highly anticipated 2021 Watershed Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch 002 follows the release of Batch 001 in September 2020 for the distillery’s 10-year anniversary, which sold out in under three hours.

 

Created from some of the last remaining barrels of Watershed Distillery’s original five grain mash bill of corn, wheat, rye, barley, and spelt—an ancient grain grown primarily in Ohio and nod to the distillery’s craft roots—Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch 002 was created from copper pot-distilled bourbon aged four years in virgin char #4 White Oak barrels and finished for 34-45 months in Watershed’s own Ohio apple brandy casks. Bottled without chill filtration at 120.8 proof, this rare and complex spirit was created from barrels 100% distilled, aged, and bottled on-site, and represents the oldest bourbon ever released by Watershed Distillery.

“When selecting the barrels for this batch of our Barrel Strength Bourbon, our Barrel Master Anne Dimmick and I set out to highlight the true depth and complexity of the bourbon we make at Watershed Distillery,” shares Head Distiller Aaron Harris. “We are always looking for that ‘magic’ in a barrel—a rich and bold bourbon with balanced sweetness that truly stands apart from the rest, and we think Batch 002 captures that perfectly.”

Watershed is releasing just 3,060 bottles of this highly anticipated limited offering to seven markets—Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New York and Michigan. Suggested retail price is $89.99. Tasting notes for Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch 002 are as follows:

  • Appearance: Deep Amber
  • Aroma: Dark brown sugar caramel, roasted oak and rich vanilla
  • Flavor: The palate brings with it a full-bodied rich viscosity, with complex notes of fig, peripheral spice, and a touch of black cherry and toasted nuttiness
  • Finish: Robust and balanced with lingering complexity
  • Age: 6-8 years
  • Proof: 120.8

Watershed Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch 002 was released to the public at Watershed Distillery (1145 Chesapeake Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43212) on Saturday, September 18, before making its way—in small quantities—to select retail outlets in Ohio and to Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Lexington, New York City and Tampa.

To celebrate this limited release, Watershed Distillery hosted a special preview dinner, “The Evolution of Character,” on Thursday, September 16. This event featured a curated menu by Executive Chef Jack Moore, and allowed attendees to experience the special journey this particular bourbon took from grain to glass. All dinner participants had the opportunity to purchase up to two bottles of Watershed Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch 002 in advance of the public release on Saturday, September 18.

This limited release is the latest offering in Watershed’s premium family of aged spirits. This summer, the distillery moved to a fully-aged stated bourbon portfolio with the launch of Watershed Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon and the relaunch of their flagship Watershed Distillery Bourbon as a 4-6 year blend of three bourbons. For more information on Watershed Distillery, its spirits or to purchase a ticket to the “Evolution of Character dinner,” please visit www.watersheddistillery.com.

ABOUT WATERSHED DISTILLERY
Watershed Distillery is the largest independent Ohio distillery and producer of award-winning craft bourbons, gins, vodka and a variety of specialty spirits. Founded in 2010 by Greg Lehman, Watershed Distillery was inspired by the vision of creating great spirits and shared experiences that bring people together. Watershed Distillery offers seasonal curated events, daily tours and tasting experiences, and is home to Watershed Kitchen and Bar—consistently named one of the top restaurants and cocktail bars in Columbus. Find Watershed online at http://www.watersheddistillery.com or @watershedistillery.

Please drink responsibly. 60% Alc/Vol. © 2021 Watershed Distillery, Columbus, Ohio.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: aged, alcohol, aroma, balance, Barrel, bourbon, brandy, cask, chef, craft, dinner, distiller, distillery, finish, flavor, menu, proof, rye, spirits, sweet, tasting notes, u.s., whiskey dinner

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Eve Bushman, owner Eve’s Wine 101 and Eve Bushman Consulting.

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