Vintage Eve Circa 5/2014: Six out of 661 Questions for Wine 661

September 19, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

To keep myself busy while caring for my injured-yet-again spouse, satisfied more by angry single malt Scotch than the doctor prescribed Vicodin, I called Tanya Green, the new owner of Wine 661 to find out what new things they are offering the SCV wine drinking public, myself copiously included.

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Okay Tanya, I have been to this location before, when it was Wine Savor and now as Wine 661. Jeff Jacobson, chair of the SCV Wine Classic, suggested that I talk to you as he holds you in high regard as the new owner. Want to tell West Ranch Beacon readers what your wine story is?

My “wine story” is pretty simple…I love wine so I bought a wine bar, but my passion for wine began by going tasting. I love listening to the experts explain how the grapes were grown and fermented; why I’ll taste certain things because of the composition of the soil, that fruit grown on mountain tops develops thicker skins because of its proximity to the sun and therefore has more character than thin-skinned grapes.

I also have a strange fascination/respect for grapes that are difficult to grow, so those are the wines I’m most interested in. Everything about wine fascinates me from the farming of the grapes to the finished product, which makes owning a wine bar, like being a kid in a candy shop! I love it!

I understand you are serving beers as well as wine; what are some of your customer’s favorites from both?

To me, it was important to be able to carry something other than wine just in case a “beer guy” was dragged in by his wife. That’s why I spent months tasting beer from all over the world to put together, what I think, is the best beer list in town.

I carry rare, hard-to-get beers and artisan ales from Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Oregon, Santa Barbara and Maine. Each of my beers has won some sort of award from “Best Hefeweizen” to “Best Beer in the World.”

Schonramer Gold, for example, is a German Pilsner that won “Best Beer in the World” for 13 straight years and had to be removed from the contest to allow another beer the opportunity to win. I’m proud to carry a beer that good, and, I personally have grown to love beer as much, if not more, than wine.

My personal favorite is a cork-finished 750ml bottle of Belgian Farmhouse Ale called Saison Dupont. It’s gold and hoppy and has lots of personality. I pride myself on carrying beers that no one else carries and in most cases, beers that no one’s even heard of.

This may be off-putting to Coors Light lovers but I don’t mind. I want adventurous drinkers in here. Those that know what they like but can get excited to try something new. Nothing excites me more than transforming a Coors Light drinker into a beer snob!

What’s new now that you’ve taken over?

Wine 661 was a great spot long before I took it over. The ambience is comfortable and cozy and in my opinion, the best in the Valley, but I can’t take credit for that.

What I can take credit for, is a great appetizer list; including some amazing gourmet cheeses from all over the world (my fave is the five-year aged Gouda and the Spanish Blue cheese) as well as artisanal meats from near and far.

I’ve also changed the beer and wine lists and am proud of both. I promise to always rotate my beer and wine inventory so that my regulars never get bored and to carry both inexpensive as well as high-end beer and wines.

Tell readers what’s on your menu and any specials:

The most popular items on my menu are my cheese and chocolate flights. For the “Cheese Flight,” I’ve paired three red wines with gourmet cheeses that compliment them. Cave-aged blue cheese is paired with a phenomenal Merlot. The semi-hard, Manchego from Spain is paired with a complex and delicious Tempranillo and finally a 5 year aged Gouda is paired with a California Zinfandel. The “Chocolate Flight” is the same idea; three reds paired with three different E.Guittard chocolates with different cocoa contents. I think of it as delicious and fun.

Your employee Kirsten is a delight. She poured us some very different water to go with our wine, what’s that about?

The water at Wine 661 has taken on a life of its own. I’ve always loved spa water infused with various fruits (the combinations are endless) so I take filtered tap water and infuse it with cucumber and lemon. It’s refreshing and different and people freak out over it. I serve it chilled in a frosted 750 ml wine bottle over ice. I recently had a customer visit a resort in Hawaii where similar water was served by the pool. When she tried theirs, she told the pool-side waitress that ‘while it was good, it wasn’t as good as the water at Wine 661.’

Tell us what your customers can expect as far as service?

I don’t think anyone can possibly care about their guests as much as the owner so I try to be here six days per week to ensure that everyone who walks through the door has a good experience. I like to have a good time and not take myself too seriously, and I think the service here reflects that. We’re pretty down to earth so people will always feel comfortable and at ease. We get to know our guests and over time we become like family with many of our regulars. I try to remember everyone’s name although I usually find it easier to remember their wine preference. The service here is personal and nowhere near stuffy. There is a certain sophistication that comes with serving and selling wine but this is a casual environment meant for a having a great time and good laugh!

Well, now that now that your palate is whetted by the wine, beer and water at Wine 661, in the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Now…go!

Halter Ranch’s Lucas Pope: The First Vineyard Manager Named to Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40

September 18, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Paso Robles, Calif. – Halter Ranch Vineyard in Paso Robles, is proud to announce that its Vineyard Manager, Lucas Pope, has been named to Wine Enthusiast’s coveted 40 Under 40 List in the upcoming October 2017 issue. Pope is first vineyard manager to ever make the list.

“I couldn’t be more pleased that the work — that our entire team at Halter has quietly been doing for years — is being recognized by the editors at Wine Enthusiast,” says Pope, 35.

The 40 Under 40 list is normally made up of winemakers, sommeliers, and wine media influencers. Pope was named to the list for his, and Winemaker Kevin Sass’s groundbreaking and innovative work in helping Halter Ranch beat back Red Blotch, a slow-progressing disease that over time can destroy grapevines, which is running rampant in Calfornia. Not only has Pope helped lead Halter’s efforts, he has been proactive in consulting and sharing his best practices with other wineries throughout California, notes Wine Enthusiast.

“Not only has Lucas and Kevin (Sass) helped guard our vineyards, we’ve also managed to keep improving markedly Halter’s wine quality, with every vintage, while doing it,” says Skylar Stuck, Halter Ranch’s general manager. “It all begins in the vineyard, and this award honors the creative work we’ve been doing there.”

About Halter Ranch Vineyard
Halter Ranch Vineyard, a historic property on the west side of Paso Robles, draws on both innovation and rich tradition in crafting world-class wines. Located in the heart of California’s Central Coast, the winery specializes in estate-grown Bordeaux and Rhône Valley varietals and blends. It has earned California’s prestigious SIP certification (Sustainability in Practice) for its environmentally responsible viticulture and winemaking practices. Their primary wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, CDP (a Rhône style blend), Grenache Blanc, Rosé and the Estate Reserve, Ancestor (Bordeaux-style blend). To learn more about the winery and vineyard, please visit www.halterranch.com.

The Landing Resort and Spa in Lake Tahoe Named a Top 10

September 14, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

South Lake Tahoe, California (PRWEB) – Unparalleled views and a chic setting are among the many appealing attributes cited by Oyster when the popular “hotel tell-all” website recently named The Landing Resort & Spa in South Lake Tahoe, California, to its roster of the 10 Best Lakeside Hotels in the U.S.

In its best lakeside hotels list, Oyster refers to The Landing – Lake Tahoe’s only five-star boutique lakeside resort – as “a handsome option for those seeking easy water access and amazing landscape views,” and praises such amenities as the patio fire pits with lake views and free beach access. In addition, Oyster – known as the world’s most comprehensive reviewer of hotels – writes of The Landing that “the real treat here, though, is how the hotel wholeheartedly embraces its lakeside setting.”

This is the second time this year that Oyster has chosen to showcase The Landing, following closely on the heels of its naming the luxury getaway to an exclusive roster of the Best Hotels in California and Best Luxury Hotels in the United States. The site, which also gives the resort its highest “5-pearl” rating, explains its process: “We’ve scoured the hundreds of lakeside hotels that we’ve visited to come up with a list of the 10 best we’ve found so far.”

“We are delighted and humbled to receive such meaningful and favorable feedback,” says Henri Birmele, General Manager of The Landing. “Each day, we strive to offer our guests a welcoming and pampering experience that goes above and beyond in catering to their every need, and it is rewarding to have those efforts recognized.”

Since opening in 2013, the Landing has repeatedly been honored as a year-round dream destination. Situated adjacent to Lakeside Beach and within easy walking distance to the marina, this premier resort proves that it indeed “embraces its lakeside setting” by offering an abundance of amenities and an endless array of nearby activities for guests to enjoy. In summer, guests can golf, hike and bike, as well as boat or kayak, fish, wakeboard, waterski and paddle board. Popular and picturesque Emerald Bay, just 15 miles down the road, also offers the full range of water sports.

In addition, The Landing’s proximity mere blocks from Heavenly Village and the gondola to Heavenly Mountain Resort means winter fun, too – including skiing and snowboarding (alpine and cross-country), snowmobiling, dogsledding and sleigh rides, along with many of the same lake-based activities offered in the summer.

Guests can then return to their lavishly and individually decorated rooms, referred to by Oyster as “sumptuous, colorful, and tasteful,” each one cozy yet spacious and sporting stone-lined gas fireplaces and private balconies, most with lake and mountain views. Or it might be time to relax with a signature treatment in the inviting full-service spa, followed by a Mediterranean-influenced repast at Jimmy’s, the elegant and comfortable on-site restaurant. This romantic space – recently lauded as a South Lake Tahoe Best Hotel Restaurant and Best Fine Dining on the South Shore in Tahoe Quarterly – serves three meals daily and is a top spot for cocktails around those outdoor deck fire pits, with their views of the lake and its backdrop of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains.

In addition to the recognition from Oyster, in 2016 The Landing Resort was ranked #1 in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards for Top Northern California Hotels. The Landing also has been the recipient of four TravelWeekly Gold Magellan Awards, as well as the Luxury Travel Guide’s Luxury Resort and Spa of the Year 2016 and Haute Grandeur’s Best Resort Spa – North America.

About The Landing Resort & Spa
The Landing Resort & Spa offers award-winning contemporary European room design with stone fireplaces, ultra-luxurious bathrooms and spectacular lake views. Amenities include Jimmy’s Restaurant, providing gourmet dining, and the Spa at The Landing’s full menu of treatment options. Walking distance to the nightlife, dining and shopping of South Lake Tahoe and just blocks from Heavenly Gondola and Village Center, The Landing provides complimentary transportation locally and bicycles for cruising around town. One of only two U.S. hotels on TripAdvisor’s list of 10 top lakeside hotels worldwide, The Landing opened in December 2013 and has received accolades from media including The New York Times, SKI magazine, Robb Report and USA Today. For additional information and reservations contact 855.700.5263 or visit http://www.thelandingtahoe.com.

Napa Valley Resort Hosts “Events Worth Traveling For” September Series

September 10, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Napa, Calif. – The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, California, is proud to announce a special series of events this September. The events are designed to give guests, Napa Valley residents and others visiting the area a taste of Napa as they savor, recharge and reinvent themselves while learning about wine, cooking and more. The series features top wineries, breweries, tequila and even a Cajun favorite, crawfish. A complete calendar of events is available at MeritageResort.com/Events.

“When planning this special event series, we wanted to create experiences that spoke to the complete Napa lifestyle, which not only includes amazing cuisine, wine and vineyards but also great beers and fine tequilas.” said Frederic Najem, director of food and beverage, The Meritage Resort. “There is also a playful element within the Napa spirit, which is why we added a Cajun style crawfish boil to the series.”

September 16: Masters Dinner with Don Julio Tequila – Siena Patio
Celebrate Mexican Independence Day with us during a fabulous Masters Tequila Dinner with Don Julio, hosted by Greg Bierwirth, a Don Julio brand ambassador. 21 and over only. $85 per person.

September 22: Signature Masters Winemaker Dinner with Staglin Family Vineyard and Musical Concert – Meritage Resort Vineyard Deck
“Listen to the vines – they will tell you what to do” is a piece of advice that the Staglin Family has not forgotten since it was told to them in 1992 by famed enologist Andre Tchelistcheff. This very special winemaker dinner will help benefit the One Mind Institute, a Staglin Family non-profit organization. Throughout the evening, we will have musical guests performing to provide added entertainment between courses and while learning about the beautiful history and winemaking style of the Staglin family from Shari Staglin. 21 and over only. $349 per person.

September 23: Napa Valley Goes Cajun – Crawfish Boil – Oakville Terrace at The Meritage Resort
For one day, we will bring New Orleans to the Napa Valley with an amazing Crawfish Boil and beer from Napa Palisades Saloon. You won’t want to miss this casual event as crawfish, sweet corn, andouille sausage, and jambalaya are served in this Cajun style feast while listening to the sounds of the Bayou. Reservations include all you can eat Crawfish and beers from Napa Palisades Saloon. A cash bar will also be available for wine and cocktails. 21 and over only. $60 per person.

September 29: Masters Dinner with Newton Vineyard, Napa Valley – Siena Patio
Newton’s “Nature by Design” philosophy is present throughout the winemaking process. During our dinner with winemaker, estate director, and the grandson of a legendary innovator in the Australian wine industry, Robert Mann, we will taste through four recent vintages while learning about the history, majesty and brilliance of Newton Vineyard’s refined and unfiltered varietals. 21 and over only. $100 per person.

September 19, 24, 29: Cooking Classes by The Meritage Resort – Vineyard Terrace at The Meritage Resort
Learn from The Meritage Resort’s culinary team during three cooking classes throughout September. Each class will teach different skills in the kitchen and focus on providing the skills needed to create and plate a beautiful and tasty meal. Classes will focus on pasta, desserts and seafood. Price $50 pp, per class, $125 for all three classes

Complete information and reservations available online at meritageresort.com/events. Prices range from $50 to $349 per person inclusive of gratuity and taxes. All events are open to the public.

About The Meritage Resort and Spa
Acres of sun-soaked hillside vineyards. Beautiful accommodations paired with luxurious amenities. Award-winning cuisine celebrating the finest of Napa Valley’s bounty. Indulgent spa treatments in the serenity of an underground Estate Cave. The Meritage Resort and Spa perfectly blends world-class luxury with exceptional hospitality to bring you the ultimate Napa Valley resort experience. We Are Napa. MeritageResort.com, (888) 608-6442.

Vintage Eve Circa 2/14: Eve Reviews The New California Wine by Jon Bonné

September 5, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Nearly 300 pages of continuing education, that’s how I saw this book. I took diligent notes through to page 180 (below) of key items that I thought would be of interest to wine 101ers.

Jon Bonne, photo – KCET

The second section of the book, however, was very subjective as Bonné covered many popular California grape varietals, and growing areas, and then made suggestions – The Three-Bottle Tour being the narrowest view and his choice of Top Producers getting a paragraph or two. How can you narrow down the best Cabernets of California to three bottles or 8 wineries? Even with the addition of a “More Notable Wines” section, we only got eleven more Cabs.

So, are you going to stick to 19 wineries for your California Cabs? I think not. This was the theme throughout and all I could imagine were the thousands of hard working winemakers shaking their heads in disgust…and wondering how they will ever get their wine tasted. I, dear reader, plan to do my part and keep tasting. Some of Bonné’s suggestions, some of yours, and some that I happen to come across on my own. I urge you to do the same.

Notes from Bonné for Wine 101ers

Bigger isn’t always better. (I’ve had many high-octane California wines and am happy to see a return to less alcohol with good flavor and tannin structure.)

Terroir does matter. You can’t just plant any grape anywhere. California winemakers are learning by doing.

In the section “Searching for The New California” Bonné gives a respectful nod to winemakers off the beaten path of wineries we normally visit.

Readers will get a wealth of wine history – from prohibition, the Judgment of Paris, growers morphing into winemakers, phylloxera, current winemaking practices, through to Bonné’s list of current cult winemakers.

Find new ways to discover wine with destinations like the Lompoc Wine Ghetto for the Garagiste/Garage winemaker.

Wineries that are making more than one label so that people can enjoy both “table” wines as well as special occasion wines.

Comprehensive sections on each grape growing region, and what’s special about each, makes you feel as if you have seen the terrain yourself.

Color photographs throughout, though having them all captioned may have been more helpful.

Praise for THE NEW CALIFORNIA WINE:

“The New California Wine delivers some of the most insightful wine writing you’ll read anywhere. This is the real skinny on cutting-edge California wine from somebody who’s on the ground, knows his stuff, and could care less about offending the Establishment.”

– Matt Kramer, author and columnist for Wine Spectator

“An impeccably timed, beautifully written book chronicling a profound generational shift in California winemaking. Required reading for any sommelier, retailer, or consumer who’s left California behind for other pastures – it’s time to come home!”

– David Lynch, owner/wine director of St. Vincent Tavern and Wine Merchant and author of Vino Italiano

The New California Wine is the untold story of the California wine industry: the young, innovative producers who are rewriting the rules of contemporary winemaking; their quest to express the uniqueness of California terroir; and the continuing battle to move the state away from the overly-technocratic practices of its recent past. In this comprehensive guide to the new generation of must-know wines and vintners, Jon Bonné writes from the front lines of the California wine revolution, where he has access to the stories, philosophies, and techniques of top producers.

Well-Connected Author: As the wine editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon has won a regional following in the Bay Area as well as national recognition as one of the most important voices in the wine community. He is very active on Twitter and has nearly 14,000 followers.

Winning Book Formula: The New California Wine will do for California what Vino Italiano did for Italian wines: rid the industry of its overly-commercialized image and introduce the public to the avant-garde winemakers who are making compelling–and better–wines. The New California Wine includes evocative, full-color photography, giving it the same visual appeal as the top-selling Secrets of the Sommeliers.

Featuring discussions on more than 600 wines and detailed maps of growing regions and vineyards, The New California Wine is a necessary addition to any wine lover’s bookshelf. Part narrative, part authoritative purchasing reference, it is the story of the winemakers who have changed the very face of California’s wine industry.

Jon Bonné is the wine editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and covers wine and spirits throughout California and around the world. Previously Bonné was lifestyle editor and wine columnist for MSNBC.com and wine columnist for Seattle magazine, and has written for such publications as Decanter, Saveur, and Food & Wine. His work in food and wine journalism has earned awards from the James Beard Foundation and the Association of Food Journalists. Follow him on Twitter @jbonne.

The New California Wine, Jon Bonné. $35.00 paper over board • 304 pages • 50 full-color photographs • 7 7/16 x 9 inches. ISBN 978-1-60774-300-2 • On-Sale Date: November 5, 2013

Release of New eBook, Italian Wine Unplugged: Grape by Grape

September 4, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

New York, NY (PRWEB) – A new ebook that unpacks the biodiversity of Italian wine and its grapes has just been released online on Amazon in its beta version. Italian Wine Unplugged: Grape by Grape offers a concise yet comprehensive cultural and scientific introduction to Italian wine and its hundreds of native grapes in a visually compelling layout.

Compiled by a team of Italian wine experts and educators, the ebook analyzes over 430 Italian native grape varieties in accessible and easy-to-remember entries. Designed to offer the contemporary wine lover a new reading experience, it includes an extensive visual apparatus featuring grape variety flash-cards, mind maps, photographs of grape bunches, and maps of Italian wine appellations. The ebook provides introductory chapters that offer essential historical, cultural, geographical and scientific information necessary to understand the richness and complexity of Italian grapes and their wines. It is also a schematic reference tool that will help readers and students of Italian wine find order in the seemingly chaotic world of Italian grape varieties.

With 591 officially recognized indigenous grape varieties and more being discovered, Italy has more native grapes in its national territory than any other country in the world. Bernard Burtschy, wine expert and author at Le Figaro Vin, emphasizes how the ebook achieves the important goal of teaching about native Italian grapes. “The corollary of the return in force of the diversity in Italian native grapes is the learning of these varieties. All these grape varieties, we will have to tame them, understand them, love them, make others love them. The ebook fulfils a huge and crucial task.” Similarly, Adam Teeter, co-founder of Vine Pair, stresses the importance of continuing to communicate Italian wine and its biodiversity: “Italy is one of the most fascinating wine countries in the world, but many people, including top wine professionals, are still confused about the plethora of indigenous grapes that make Italian wine so special. Italian Wine Unplugged: Grape by Grape finally brings these grapes into the light in a way everyone can understand.”

The mastermind behind Italian Wine Unplugged is Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International. Kim has engaged a team of experienced authors and Italian wine educators coordinated by Ian D’Agata, Scientific Director of the Vinitaly International Academy and author of the award-winning treatise Native Wine Grapes of Italy (Univ. of California Press, 2014 and winner of the 2015 Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Award as Book of the Year). Kim and D’Agata’s dream team includes Geralyn Brostrom, co-founder and education director at Italian Wine Central in Napa, California; Lingzi He, wine educator and journalist based in France and Hong Kong; Michaela Morris, wine writer, educator, and presenter based in Vancouver, Canada. Brostrom, He, and Morris have distinguished themselves within the Vinitaly International Academy exam, earning VIA’s highest certification title, “Italian Wine Expert,” attesting to their profound knowledge of Italian wine and its grape varieties. Some of the ebook’s sections have also been curated by Michele Longo, Italian wine writer, sommelier, and experienced judge for wine competitions. JC Viens, Deputy Editor of Spirito di Vino Asia and WSET Educator, contributed the mind maps in the final section. The Italian Wine Podcast host and wine writer Monty Waldin wrote the preface to the ebook. All contributors met and worked together thanks to the educational work of the Vinitaly International Academy, the international institution and community committed to explaining, divulging, and broadcasting the science and culture of Italian wine around the world.

The ebook is aimed at wine lovers and professionals all over the world who would like to begin discovering Italian wine and Italian grape varieties. The ebook will also be used as a course book for the entry-level Italian Wine Maestro course, a new course soon-to-be organized by the Vinitaly International Academy.

The ebook version released on Amazon is a pilot version designed to elicit feedback from the international Italian wine community, with the aim of publishing a definitive digital version and a paperback version by the end of 2017. Stevie Kim comments on the collaborative spirit underpinning the project, stating, “In the collaborative and convivial spirit of the Vinitaly International Academy that has brought together the contributors, the publication of Italian Wine Unplugged in beta version first also aims to foster connections and intellectual exchange to improve its content.”

About Italian Wine Unplugged:

Written for both wine lovers and wine professionals, Italian Wine Unplugged: Grape by Grape is a concise yet comprehensive cultural and scientific introduction to Italian wine and its hundreds of native grape varieties. The ebook analyzes over 430 native Italian grape varieties in accessible and easy-to-read entries. It also features color-coded grape variety flash cards and an extensive visual apparatus with mind maps, photographs of grape bunches, and maps of Italian wine appellations. Available on Amazon in beta version.

Perlis Picks – Stillman Wines

September 2, 2017 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but most of the time it seems that vintage doesn’t matter with California wines. Yes, there are slight variations but the overall high quality grapes and good winemaking tend to result in great wine every year.

The deal goes down with Stillman in the La Quinta parking lot — photo by Mike Ortiz

2011 has seemed to be an exception. As I work my way through the wines we have from this vintage, I’ve found fewer wines than usual to get excited about. Not that they aren’t there, but it was the kind of year that separated the good from the great and resulted in my canceling some club memberships that I was borderline about.

That being said, there are still some wonderful wines from 2011. The 2011 J Dusi Zinfandel, which I originally had concerns over, has turned into a wonderful wine. And the wines from faves like Bedrock, Carlisle and Turley definitely met my expectations.

But the wine of the vintage for me was the 2011 Colossus Syrah from Stillman Wines. Fortunately, I happened to buy several bottles of this wine, and it continues to amaze everyone I share it with. No one believes the 16.5% alcohol on the bottle or that it comes from Paso Robles. The wine is just gulp-ably delicious. Sadly, I think we finally finished our last bottle of this wine.

I’m not sure what I can write about Stillman Brown [or Swilly Idle as he is sometimes known]. He makes great wines, most of them for other people. Those relationships, while not huge secrets, are also really not widely publicized and I will respect that.

So, when Karen and I met with Stillman at [REDACTED] winery and tasted through some barrel samples, I’ll tell you they were excellent but that’s about all I can tell you.

You’re in luck though. The wines Stillman makes for others he also makes for his own label [and others too], with a stylistic tweak here and there. The best way to get your hands [lips] on those is to sign up for his email list. You’ll get some entertaining emails and an opportunity to buy some delicious well-priced wines.

Here are some excerpts from some of his emails…

“Friends, family, fans and stalkers, this ZEPPELIN ATTACK WARNING is not from the Royal Flying Corps – which rather sounds like Elvis after he popped too many pills – but is instead notification of the imminent launch of one of the most unique, intense, and succulent wines we’ve made. (Succulent is not usually applied to the dominant variety here, but Tannat’s reputation for biting tannins is largely a product of the idiosyncratic fermentation regimes of its homeland in southwestern France and its often slavish mimicry in the New World, as well the similarity of the words themselves.)…”

Here’s another…

“Behold the multitasking mystery here: the title of the painting [referencing the wine label with the title The Effect Of Wine On The Human Spirit] is also the name of the wine, and the multivintage declaration doubles as the alcohol approximation. As complex as an intoxicated argument between Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein: lightly roasted ripe Nantucket cranberry and Cohabitation Canyon (Fruita, UT) cherry and mulberry, and spicy pink peppercorn and spearmint…”

And just one more…

“Ladies, gentlemen and fruit flies, I know that releasing a white wine in the icy dead of winter may seem odd, but it is not: by the time warmer weather comes there might not be any left to ship; it’s popular around here. The 2016 Red Zeppelin Vermentino sports an awesome new label, but there are no other changes excepting the addition of 9% Viognier from the same block; it’s much more like the ’15 than the ’14. The acidity is relatively high, the alcohol a mere 13.4%, but it’s not a ‘light’ wine: it has all the characteristic spice of the variety, but far more flavor and mouthfeel due to the low yields at the Hill of Graceland.”

Some wines are the Stillman Wines label, others are Zeppelin Wines. Regardless, Stillman’s wines are worth seeking out.

Send him an email at stillmanb@aol.com.

Stillman is much more than a pretty face in a gold suit and perfect pedicure. He’s been my go-to for technical questions, parking lot purchases and visits to wineries-under-construction. I want to find out more of his bio but he’s already told me if I reveal too much he’d have to ki….

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

Vintage Eve Circa 2/14: What’s New in the California Wine World

August 29, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

What’s New in the California Wine World: Chatting with Tom Silberkleit, award-winning editor and publisher for Wine House Press in Sonoma. www.Californiafinewineries.com. His books have been featured in USA Today, People, and on Good Morning America.

Let me start by saying it takes a LOT to convert me from wine to vodka…no that isn’t right…to convert me from reading a book open in my hands to reading from an electronic device. I love the smell of print and I want to touch the photographs. All that has changed now and it’s changed over one book: The California Directory of Fine Wineries, Central Coast edition, published by Tom Silberkleit.

In a “snapshot” (Photographer Robert Holmes does outstanding work!) this is how Tom converted me…over a hot pastrami sandwich at Art’s Deli in Studio City with no wine added at all:

Electronic Version

My first impression when Tom turned his iPad, aka tablet, around to show me his new eBook, the photos just pop when they are viewed on a digital device. Tom said, “On tablet screens these images are just beautiful” and “they are even crisper on the newest iPad and the Kindle Fire.”

So with the brand-spanking new Central Coast edition we started by looking over the contents page; here you would just click on the chapter you want to read and it’s brought up instantaneously. (Note: It will be a slightly different viewing experience for each type of device/reader. These ebooks are optimized for use on Kindles, iPads, Nooks, Androids, and other tablets and e-readers. They can be used on all breeds of smartphones too, although, for some, the experience may not be ideal due to the smaller screens.)

No fake virtual page turning noise.

The sidebar section that lists details such as websites, address, tasting fees, hours, annual production, nearby attractions, what varietals they serve, etc. – is bigger on a tablet than in the book. And if that’s not big enough, like any computer, you can increase the font. Can’t do that with a hardback.

Winery email addresses in the book are hyperlinked, even for androids and iPhones. So if you see an email address you can just click on it and WHAM off your email goes.

Website addresses for wineries are hyperlinked too. Very convenient, Tom said, when you are suffering with a “Hangover from the night before and just want to press a button, LOL.”

Readers can highlight text – in several color choices – if you want to remember a certain passage.

Use the search capability to find out, say, which wineries in the book make a Zinfandel or who has a cafe. Then a list pops up and gives you choices to click on. Way better than doing a random search on the Internet. Tom said it “Sifts out choice spots to visit.”

And, like some email programs, you can highlight a word you are not familiar with and pull up a dictionary.

There are these swell colored bookmarks to save a page.

The winery maps are downloadable so you can print them out.

Tom said if you are “passionate about your tablet” you will love this.

As far as any other wine books now available as eBooks, I don’t believe that they usually come with photographs – but these have hundreds!

If you have the hardcover editions of the directory, the ebooks will follow the same page-for-page format. Tom said that their branding for the series is important so the overall design for the electronic books is the same as the original hardcover editions.

There is a “Back to” field on lower left of every page that will take you back to the page you were on last so browsing is uber-easy.

It took eight months to develop. As this ebook is fully functional it is not simply a series of PDF files. Each version required some rather specific coding to conform to the various e-readers and tablets on the market.

This eBook is interactive…which is kind of fun!

People also like the eBooks because the pricing is great. You can get this one on-line from the Amazon Kindle Store, iTunes, or Barnes and Noble. Remember, it’s optimized and designed primarily for tablets. However, Tom said, “The retail hardcover books are pretty darn good too!”

The California Directory of Fine Wineries Central Coast edition has been the number one best selling Santa Barbara travel book on Amazon – off and on as of November!

The California Directory of Fine Wineries, 6^th edition for Napa/Sonoma/Mendocino is now available on-line in ebook format too!

Also in Hardback

The wineries selected to highlight in these books are not based on Tom’s own palate alone but the combined palates of several people: respected winemakers, fine wine sellers, and his stable of writers.

Tom looks for what he loves and what others might love. Beautiful destinations, delicious wines, good hospitality and more. He visits a winery the first time by “standing at back of tasting room and watching” to see how staff members interact with the customers.

Added to the back of the Central Coast book, in both the eBook and the hardcover, is a new index by varietal. (Suits my moodiness for different types of wines!)

The Introduction section is great for wine 101ers. The Central Coast edition has a couple of new essays: Modern Stoppers is one; and another is called the Food and Wine Connection that discusses the farm to fresh, farmers market and BBQs so prevalent in the Central Coast.

About 50 percent of the listings are new with each new edition; with several landmark wineries that are always going to be strong anchor points.

The books will tell you who requires an appointment for a tasting or tour.

I found several wineries that are new for me and I would now like to visit, especially in Sonoma and Mendocino.

The directories are simply about the top quality wineries and great destinations. To which Tom concluded, “OMG I love all of these places.”

Tickets Now on Sale for 14th Annual Classic

August 27, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

San Diego, CA (August 2017) – The San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival^® launches ticket sales for its 14^th annual culinary classic held November 12-19, 2017. Featuring over 40 citywide tasting experiences, Southern California’s largest food and wine festival is set to welcome thousands of eager epicurean enthusiasts to America’s Finest City.

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An international showcase of the world’s premier wines and spirits, chefs and culinary personalities, and gourmet foods, the annual wine and food festival showcases San Diego’s vibrant culinary community through cooking classes, chef dinners, expeditions and multiple tasting events. The Festival’s legendary Grand Tasting on Saturday, November 18 features over 200 wineries, breweries and spirits from around the world, and 70 of San Diego’s best restaurants.

The weeklong food and wine festival, raises funds for Fast Forward Futures and awards culinary, enology, and hospitality scholarships to San Diego County students and professionals seeking to further their careers in these disciplines. To date, the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival has raised over $350,000 in scholarship funds.

The San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival^®offers several ways for epicurean enthusiasts to indulge in the most decadent culinary experience of the year, including all inclusive tickets packages that offer overall savings, and feature hotel accommodations as well as admission to a selection of the food and wine festival’s premier events. Discounted accommodations are available at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Hotel reservations and ticket packages can be reserved by calling, 877.385.9595.

To preview the schedule of events and featured celebrities, visit the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival^®at www.sandiegowineclassic.com.

SAN DIEGO BAY WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL^®

The 14^th Annual San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival^®is an international showcase of the world’s premier wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities, and gourmet foods. Held November 12-19, 2017, the event benefits culinary arts and enology scholarships awarded by Fast Forward Futures. Over 200 wineries, breweries, and spirit companies and 60 of San Diego’s top fine-dining restaurants will participate in the 2017 Festival. For more information visit www.sandiegowineclassic.com. Produced by World of Wine Events and Fast Forward. For more information call 619-312-1212.

buzzbox™ Wins Platinum and Gold from 2017 International SIP Awards

August 24, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Palm Desert, California (PRWEB) – buzzbox™ beverages, inc., the first eco-friendly beverage manufacturing company that creates ready-to-drink premium cocktails, received three award recognitions from the 2017 Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards. The buzzbox™ Classic Cosmo™ and Cuban Mojito™ cocktails won Platinum, and the Perfect Margarita™ cocktail won Gold in the Pre-Mixed Cocktails (RTD) category.

The 2017 SIP Awards, held in Newport Beach, California in May, was its largest blind tasting competition to date with over 670 spirit brands competing for the awards based on merits of taste, aroma and finish by unbiased consumers. Judges are carefully vetted to guarantee reliable results, and were presented with undiluted and chilled spirit samples in unmarked glasses.

“We’re honored to be recognized by the prestigious SIP Awards for our premium, all-natural ready-to-drink cocktails,” said Rod Vandenbos, founder and CEO of buzzbox™ “All three cocktails that we entered were awarded, and we received three out of the 10 awards in the pre-mixed cocktail category. This is not only a testament to our convenient, single-serve premium beverages, but to our top-quality flavor as well.”

Headquartered in Palm Desert, California, buzzbox™ creates single-serve cocktails in recyclable, eco-friendly packaging with no preservatives or artificial flavors. Vegan Friendly, Kosher, Gluten Free and Non-GMO, buzzbox™ cocktails are the world’s first and finest eco-friendly cocktails. The proprietary packaging allows for its beverages to be poured over ice or consumed directly from the box with an attached straw, making it the first “complete drink experience” in a green and energy efficient package.

buzzbox™ is now in the running for the 2018 Consumer’s Choice Award (CCA), which is presented to brands that demonstrate the ultimate quality to consumers year after year.

Over the last two years, buzzbox™ has won awards in the ready-to-drink (RTD) category from Craft Spirt Awards, Micro Liquor Spirit Awards, LA International Spirits Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

buzzbox™ released its eight (8) premium cocktails in the summer of 2016, which included the Perfect Margarita, Classic Greyhound, Long Island Cocktail, Extreme Coconut Cocktail, the Classic Cosmo, Cuban Mojito, Bloody Mary and Whiskey Lemonade. To purchase buzzbox cocktails visit: http://www.buzzbox.com to find the nearest retail or online store.

About buzzbox™ beverages, inc.
buzzbox™ was founded in 2013 by Rod Vandenbos. The first-of-its-kind beverage manufacturing company creates premium, single-serve, ready-to-drink cocktails in recyclable, eco-friendly and energy efficient packaging. buzzbox cocktails are handcrafted premium drinks, made with only natural ingredients. There are no preservatives or artificial flavors. buzzbox cocktails are produced in aseptic packaging, giving products a shelf life of over 18 months. buzzbox™ is headquartered in Palm Desert, California. For more information or to become a distributor, visit http://www.buzzbox.com.

About the SIP Awards
The SIP Awards provides a unique judging competition for spirit brands to gain exposure, feedback, and recognition from unbiased consumers. As the only blind tasting competition of its kind, the SIP Awards offer a fair platform for top brands to showcase their products to their most discerning audience. To learn more about the SIP Awards beverage competition, venue partnerships, or for a complete list of 2017 winners, visit https://sipawards.com/.