Eve's Wine 101

Perlises Pick: Comstock Wines

by

We recently had a bottle of the 2016 Comstock Rockpile Petite Sirah along with a few other wines. Petite Sirah is well known for often being dark, brooding, and taking a long time to come around to peak drinkability. This was just the opposite. It was bright, lively and downright elegant. It was the wine of that evening by far.

Elegance is a good way to describe Comstock winery itself – not hoity-toity snooty elegance, but comfortable modern elegance. The facility itself, completed in 2015, is a testament to modern wine country architecture. We first visited the property in 2014 when construction had barely started.

The last time we visited Comstock, our final email exchange with GM Kelly Comstock Ferris was that we needed to visit more often. Well, it took a little over two years, but we made it back. Hosted during our visit by Comstock’s Wine Club Manager Madeline Fuss, we were impressed by her wine knowledge as well as her skills in describing the wines in entertaining fashion. We learned later that Madeline has her WSET II credential and is working on her WSET III.

Madeline poured us a couple of glasses of the Comstock 2018 Blanc de Blanc Sparkling wine and invited us to stroll around a little and to let her know when we were ready for our seated, outdoor tasting. As we checked out the vineyard and the rest of the beautiful property, we enjoyed this 100% Chardonnay from the Dry Creek Valley AVA, picking up citrus notes and pleasant light and airy bubbles.

Here are our notes for the rest of the wines we tasted:

2020 Sauvignon Blanc – 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Dry Creek Valley AVA, this was aged in a combination of neutral oak, concrete egg and stainless steel. Lemon and cantaloupe notes with a whisper of oak on the finish.

2017 Chardonnay – 100% Chardonnay from the Sangiacomo Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast AVA’s Petulama Gap.  This wine underwent 40% malolactic fermentation and saw a touch of new French oak.  It was buttery and creamy, like French brioche and had a medium to long finish.  Gold Medal at 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Competition.

2018 Grenache – made from grapes sourced from the Bennett Valley AVA.  Ripe berry fruit and spice notes with a solid finish. 

2018 Zinfandel – Old Vine – from 122 year old Estate vines in the Dry Creek Valley AVA. Dried fruit component with raisin and fig notes, and hints of mocha and cocoa. 

2019 Zinfandel – Old Vine – from 117 year old vines in the Russian River Valley AVA.  The vineyard is owned by Comstock’s winemaker Chris Russi and is listed with the Historical Vineyard Society.  Luscious cherry, cranberry and plum notes, along with a touch of white pepper and clove. Well-rounded with a long, lingering finish.

2017 Merlot – Dry Creek Valley AVA. Deep garnet color with vanilla undertones and a medium finish. Double Gold Medal at 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Competition. 

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon – from the warm valley floor of the Alexander Valley AVA this wine saw 45% New French Oak. A tinge of espresso and elegant, smooth tannins. 

2018 Syrah – 94% Syrah, 6% Viognier, Bennett Valley AVA. Dark berry and ripe, stone fruit notes combine with a long, lush finish.

We did have a chance to catch up a little with Comstock’s GM, Kelly Comstock Ferris. She said things have been very busy at the winery. They have a lot of food-pairing tasting options thanks to the expertise of Estate Chef Jude Affronti. Events include, among others, an old-fashioned Easter egg hunt as well as full multi-course dining affairs. Their Sip & Mandala Dot Painting classes on recycled Comstock wine bottles are hugely popular with locals and visitors alike; look closely at pictures of a recent one on Comstock’s Facebook page and you’ll see the Queen of Zinfandel herself, Carol Shelton!

Kelly also told us that they have teamed up with Inspirato, a luxury travel club, which opens up Comstock’s rental house and winery to a whole other group of travelers looking for wonderful experiences.

If you are looking for a wonderful wine experience, please be sure to check out Comstock Wines the next time you are in the Dry Creek area. Their wines and hospitality are always exceptional.

Comstock Wines

www.comstockwines.com

1290 Dry Creek Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448

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.

Bucket List: Chateauneuf du Pape, Part One Domaine Pegau

by

What’s on your Bucket List? While a normal person wants to check off going to Mars, driving a racecar or meeting a president, wine writers have lists that almost always include visiting wineries in far off places. Having Shiraz in Australia, Tempranillo in Spain, Chianti Classico in Italy and Malbec in Argentina are on our lists, but top of the list for me has always been France. I had two days in Bordeaux years ago and a week in the Garda DOC in Italy that just wet my whistle for more, so when a small group of wine writers was being put together, to visit Chateauneuf du Pape for arguably the best Rhone wines in the world, I poised my pencil over my list and made a huge mark – YES, please, take me!

Quick travel tips: Bottles are priced much less at the source, even with shipping costs; we saved in buying a case to have sent home. If you can’t get winery appointments, or don’t have the time, we found several tasting rooms in town – as well as several places for meals. None of us in our party spoke fluent French, and though it would have helped, we were fine communicating in English. You can drive your own car, on the right side of the street, but there are many roundabouts, toll roads and narrow roadways.

Domaine Pegau

Our first day in France began with a sunrise at our friend’s Villa in Monoblet. From there we traveled 90 minutes for a tour and tasting at Chateau (wines from the Cote du Rhone area) and Domaine (Chateauneuf du Pape area in Rhone) from Pegau. We have a few Domaine Pegau wines in our cellar and really looked forward to visiting the real deal.

From our host we learned that there are five towns in Chateauneuf du Pape that produced 95% red and 5% white wine grapes. They use 13 grape varieties and any given bottle only has to use one grape. Pegau – properly pronounced as “Pay-Go” – uses all 13, including blending white with red grapes. For their Cote du Rhone property Pegau makes 44% red wine and one Rose wine.

We learned that they are an old school winery, as far as winemaking techniques. When finished wine is ordered only then is a bottling truck ordered and labels created. (There are different laws for different labeling around the world, so that is the reason they have to wait to print the labels.)

Only old oak is used for aging and some barrels are 90 years old. Stainless steel tanks are only used for their white wines; some high-end whites also spend time in wood barrels and concrete eggs. They do no de-stem any of the wines, which for me meant that the terroir would show earthiness and tannins.

Now, onto the tasting! We sampled two Chateau Pegau Vallee du Rhone and two Domaine Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape, a white and red in each category, aged between 2019 and 2021. My personal preference on these leaned more toward the Chateauneuf du Pape wines and of particular note was the 2019 Cuvee Reservee that used all 13 Rhone grapes and 80% of that was Grenache. These wines were priced between 10 and 45 euros – which is pretty close to the same in American dollars.

Instagram: @Domaine_Du_Pegau

Website: https://pegau.com/

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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.

Darom By Yatir

by

Yatir Winery Launches a New Independent Brand That Comes Straight from The Israeli Desert Wine Region
New York, NY/Israel – If Israel is “the land of milk and honey,” the Negev (desert) region should rightly be called “the land of milk, honey, and wine.” Many people don’t know that wine grapes were grown in the southern region by Nabatean tribes as early as the second century BCE. Unlike other regions of the country, the Negev’s climate and conditions have always made cultivation a particular challenge.

Today, however, the Negev region is a famously intriguing location for the production of unique, superb wines, and the new DAROM wine brand showcases the Israeli desert wine region in all its glory. DAROM wines are created from quality grape varieties grown in selected vineyards in the south of Israel, where intense desert conditions result in unique and distinctive blends.

DAROM is a new brand from the renowned Yatir Winery, developed by its respected and talented winemaker Eran Goldwasser. He has been producing award winning and coveted wines for Yatir for more than 20 years.  DAROM holds its own, with distinct flavors, characterized by refreshing, accessible grapes based on beloved and familiar varieties from select vineyards in the south. These vineyards enjoy a dry, cold desert climate at night, which creates a unique terroir. Growing and cultivation conditions are perfect for the grape varieties from which Darom wines are produced.

Darom by YATIR addresses wine consumers who want to invest in affordable quality wines, and who enjoy wine on a frequent basis—not just on special occasions—and are open to exploring new and exciting varietals.

The Darom LOGO represents the anemone flower that blooms in the Negev and covers a significantly wide area, with a beautiful red blossom from mid-January to the end of February, as the red anemones’ blossoms are at their peak during this period.

“The south is an integral part of the history of the Jewish people and their connection to vineyards there have bloomed and flourished in the region since the dawn of history. It is a wonderful natural habitat in terms of climate and soil, and many high-quality local varieties can be cultivated here. We are proud to lead Israel’s southern wine trend with the Yatir, and now with the new Darom brand,” says Yacov Ben Dor, CEO of Yatir Winery.

The launch of the Darom by YATIR is a milestone. After Yatir boutique wines of the south were launched 20 years ago, the brand grew into a coveted line of wines in Israel, with international recognition as well. Ben Dor describes Darom as the “younger brother” of Yatir.

Winemaker Eran Goldwasser of Yatir Winery says, “DAROM by YATIR’s wines are connected to the dynamic history of the soil, and the unpretentiousness accompanying them is felt in every sip. The tasting notes offer a lighter character, with fresh fruit flavors.

Harvest in southern vineyards began in the second week of August and ended at the end of September. According to Goldwasser, “The season was preceded by a cold winter with average rainfall for the region, except for March, which was unusually cold and rainy. Spring was intense—a combination of cold and frequent spells—and the summer was pleasant without extreme heat waves. The ripening was continuous and flawless.”

In the first stage of the launch, DAROM will include a series of boutique wines including three wines:

DAROM WHITE 2021:

This is a dry white wine derived from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the vineyards in Mitzpe Ramon and Ramat Arad located in the southern desert of the Negev. The wine was fermented in stainless steel vats and matured for 4 months in concrete vats.

It’s an elegant white wine whose distinct fruit flavors are cool and fresh. The wine displays a bright, golden color, and possesses fruity, fresh, and juicy flavors, with slightly herbaceous aromas.. Darom White is a wine with a distinct presence that pairs well with food but can also stand on its own, serving as an aperitif.

Alcohol percentage is 12%. To enjoy the wine to the maximum, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature of 10ᴼ-12ᴼC (50ᴼ-54ᴼF).

DAROM ROSÉ 2021:

This dry rosé wine is produced from 34% Grenache, 33% Zinfandel, and 33% Red Muscat grapes from vineyards in the southern Judean Hills and Ramat Arad. The wine was fermented and matured in stainless steel vats for 4 months.

The result is an elegant rosé whose distinct fruit flavors maintain tasty freshness. It has a bright pink color with fruity, fresh, balanced, and slightly tart flavors. The wine presents refreshing aromas of strawberries and rose blossoms.

Darom Rosé 2021 merges wonderfully with a variety of Mediterranean cuisines, a combination that creates a real celebration for the palate. It is suitable for serving as an aperitif and is a perfect accompaniment to Mediterranean-style first course dishes.

Alcohol percentage is 11.5%. To enjoy the wine to the maximum it is recommended to serve it at a temperature of 8-10 degrees 8ᴼ-10ᴼC (46ᴼ-50ᴼF).

DAROM RED 2020

This dry red wine produced from 61% Shiraz, 20% Zinfandel, 12% Marselan, and 7% Grenache grapes grown in regions of the south and the southern Judean Hills.

The varieties were gently fermented for a short period, mostly in stainless steel vats as well as concrete and large open wood containers. The wines were then aged in concrete and large wooden vats (foudres) for a further 9 months. It is expected to continue to mature well in the bottle over the next decade. With its distinct garnet color, blackberry, plum, and pepper aromas, and juicy ripe fruit flavors, this medium-bodied wine displays fruity and balanced acidity with rounded tannins and a long finish. It makes a perfect accompaniment to light meat dishes and Mediterranean cuisine.

Alcohol percentage is 14% Alcohol. To enjoy the wine to the maximum it is recommended to serve it at a temperature of 8-10 degrees 8ᴼ-10ᴼC (46ᴼ-50ᴼF).

Ten Year Challenge…With Wine and Spirits

by

My husband Eddie has painstakingly categorized our photos by year on our cell phones, so I recently looked at photos from ten years ago to see if any were worth posting alongside a photo taken recently, for the latest #10YearChallenge on social media. As you can guess, most of my photos back then were of wine, so I thought I would take a look back at what I was drinking then.
online pharmacy https://www.3-dmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/jpg/cymbalta.html no prescription drugstore

(I also searched my name, 2011 and photos on Facebook to add to my wine blast from the past.
online pharmacy https://www.3-dmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/jpg/lasix.html no prescription drugstore

) This is what I wanted to share:

Contributing Editor Michael Perlis, Eve and then contributor Rusty Sly at All Corked Up in 2011.

From Napa

Meeting with winemaker Gerard Zanzonico in the stunning caves at Del Dotto for maybe the first time, wine tasting at 10 am in the private room for club members at Mondavi, having a seated tasting on an expansive patio with incredible views at Joseph Phelps, an underground tour and tasting in the caves at Schramsberg, meeting with the most gracious host/owner Suzanne Phifer Pavitt at Phifer Pavitt, an evening tasting at the downtown Napa PureCru tasting bar with winemaker Mitch Consentino.

From Paso

Blending wine at TH Estate with winemaker and owner Terry Hoage, visiting Cass for the first time, a mind-blowing multi-course Earth Day dinner at Justin, visiting with the now shuttered Edward Sellers, winery tour and tasting with Lawrence Lohr of J Lohr, discovering that Whalebone really does have whale bones around the property and Calcareous has calcareous rock in their vineyards, time spent with the one and only Gary Eberle, tasting wines, spirits and having dinner at Opolo, seeing Sculpterra for the first time, the dry farming at Minassian Young, Niner when it first opened, the first concrete eggs were at Villa Creek, meeting and tasting incredible wines with Janell Dusi at J Dusi, tasting Nuggucciet Cellars made by a local newspaper man and Mystic Hills Vineyard lovingly owned by local friends.

Jamaica

Though not known for wine we were well taken care of on a trip to Jamaica ten years ago with French Champagne, Appleton rum blended drinks and icy cold Red Stripe Beer.

Events
The annual Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux tasting is always not only huge but amazing, and since I love Rhone wines the Rhone Rangers can’t be missed, local have Vine 2 Wine with lots of local support, Garagiste Festival offered drinkers events in LA as well as Paso, Pinot Days up in the Skirball Center, Paso’s Earth Day Food and Wine fest was new, and long-time favorite LA Wine Fest with Yoshi Murakami doing sake classes and Chris Uhde teaching about scotch.

Special Dining

Fontanafredda Barolo at Spago Beverly Hills with fellow wine writers, Martinis at Blue Mermaid Chowder House and Bar in San Francisco on vacation, wine and cheese at Wine 661 for locals, A Taste of Monterey Wine Tasting when I visited Eddie there for Naval Postgraduate School, Iron Horse sparkling that came complements of Bourbon Steak in San Francisco for our wedding anniversary dinner.

Places that no longer exist today

Wine bar/restaurant/wine storage facility – and even live music – at All Corked Up as loved by many, the two brothers that opened Artisan Paso Robles that was a favorite for locals and visitors alike, Chef Daniel Otto was first discovered at the Oaks Grille at TPC, Chef Jason Park at Maru Sushi when it was local on Town Center Drive and many times over drinking wine at Valencia Wine Company with owner Guy Lelarge and also attending all of the wine dinners and events he organized at local restaurants.

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.