Two Bottle Post: Entourage by Two Papas 2019 Grenache Blanc and 2018 Syrah

June 26, 2020 by evebushman

Honestly can’t remember when I first met winemaker Rick Pratt, it could’ve been at Sunset in the Vineyard, benefitting the work of our Assistance League, or one of many events he has poured wine at over the years. Rick has donated wines to many non-profits and some that I’ve been involved with, besides Sunset in the Vineyard, include Garagiste Festival, Wine on the Roof and most recently he was extremely generous with Circle of Hope for Vine 2 Wine, To Go.

After this recent Vine 2 Wine event Rick sent me home with two of his latest wines. I waited less than a week after the event to wrap my palate around these two:

2019 Grenache Blanc

Thompson Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, 12.9% alcohol

Picked September 2019, in stainless six months.

Pratt said this wine drinks more like a Sauvignon Blanc and I could definitely see that. I got aromas of lemon and lime peel, white peach, Mandarin orange and a slight powdery creaminess. In the mouth I got that same bursting citrus fruit, homemade lemonade, fresh green apple, a medium acidity that carried over to a medium finish. We enjoyed this wine before dinner, and due to the Sauv Blanc qualities – the bright citrus and mild acidity – it was a great aperitif.

2018 Syrah

Thompson Vineyard, Alisos Canyon, Santa Barbara County

14.2% alcohol

Rick had advised me to decant the wine for two hours before drinking, and I might’ve gone closer to three. From the nose there was sweet black cherry, plums, blueberry, milk chocolate, white pepper, earth, dried leaves and caramel while the taste delivered a lovely balance of spice, dark fruit, tannin and another medium finish. I did my tasting notes just after I cleansed my palate with a sample of our Bolognese spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. We had the wine just before sitting down to dinner, with dinner and after dinner.

We would definitely like to have both of these wines again. Rick gets great fruit and makes great wine with it. My biggest takeaway is that these wines worked well with and without food, making them accessible to all palates whenever the mood strikes.

I also checked in with Rick during the tasting, and asked him to share his thoughts on the Thompson Vineyard, which he happily supplied, as well as more info on his new Syrah:

Thompson Vineyard sits deep within Alisos Cyn. in northern Santa Barbara County. The canyon runs West to East allowing cool ocean air to flow in over the Solomon Hills, keeping the daytime temperatures mild. As a result, hang times on the fruit are 2-4 weeks longer than your normal SB Rhône Vineyard, fruit is picked no earlier than mid October and often going as long as November 1st. This long hang time, when handled properly, results in wines with big fruit, great balance and neutral acidity. Thompson, along with their neighbor, Sine Qua Non, are among the most sought after grapes in the state. Thompson produces Grenache Blanc, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah and their only non-Rhône, Chardonnay. With the heavy rains this year, the soils received a good cleansing and the 2020 harvest looks again to be a great one. According to Vineyard manager, Jason Grupp, the crop is looking outstanding!

A little info on the Syrah. The Syrah vines were originally smuggled into the country in 1974 from the Hermitage region of France. In 1988 David Thompson purchased cuttings from the original ‘smuggler’. He took those cuttings and just shoved them into the ground. A very risky move, leaving the cuttings susceptible to disease and insects. Luckily the cuttings survived. As a result of this process you get the purest form of expression from the Estrella clone of Syrah.

Meet The Winemaker (From website)

Rick and Teresa

Rick’s interest in wine-making began in the 70’s but it wasn’t until over twelve years ago that his hands-on education began. Thanks to a high-school classmate who was making wine in his garage, a life-long dream would one day be realized. His journey to becoming a garagiste taught him the skills he would one day need to be able to create wines for all to enjoy.

“Along the road I have had the good fortune to experience mentoring from two of the best. I am most grateful to Wes Hagen and Greg Brewer for their support and insight. The fact that our wines have been so well received is due in large part to their guidance.”

Today we are finally able to share our wines with you. A lot of love went into crafting each one and in creating each label. May you enjoy them as much as we did making them!

https://twopapaswines.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.

Gold Medal Wine Club Celebrates Independent Winemakers in their Garagiste Wine Club

June 13, 2020 by evebushman

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – “Gold Medal Wine Club opens up about the Garagiste Wine Club and the ultra-boutique wine-makers they feature each month.”

Gold Medal Wine Club is breaking the mold when it comes to conventional wine selections and is currently the only wine club with a Garagiste-specific niche, featuring two completely unique “Garagiste” wines each month.

Garagiste is a French term used to describe artisan winemakers who handcraft small batches of wine on their own. This is often a passion-filled side project done by some of the top winemakers of critically acclaimed wineries who desire to stray from the ways of big corporations in order to make something completely original and something completely their own.

In a sense, these winemakers are considered the ‘rebels’ of the industry for taking risks, using their own methods and non-standardized techniques to produce their one-of-a-kind wines from a wide array of grape varietals. To strengthen the rarity factor of Garagiste wine, the wine-makers only produce minuscule amounts of each wine making them extremely exclusive.

“Non-traditionalists love the discovery aspect of finding wines made by fellow non-traditionalists! The fact that the original French ‘Garagistes’ used uncommon techniques in addition to terroir to create their wines speaks to that individualism,” remarks Linda Chesterfield, Gold Medal Wine Club co-owner. She adds, “The recipients of these wines get to experience some of the most exciting and under-the-radar wines that are a result of this independent wine-maker movement, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide that for them.”

Gold Medal Wine Club’s Garagiste Wine Club began when the term first started to gain a following in the company’s home state of California. It was created to highlight and celebrate the independent winemaker spirit by embracing the ever-changing landscape of high-quality, small-production wine. The result has been some of the most compelling and authentic wines in the world.

Selecting wines from small-lot winemakers who typically produce less than 1500 cases annually means these wines are virtually impossible to find anywhere in the marketplace. The Garagiste Club features two different bottles of rare and fascinating wine from two different Garagiste wineries every month, most of them from California, but occasionally from Oregon and Washington.

“The majority of these wines are sold to consumers directly from the winery itself and maybe appear on their local restaurants wine lists. It’s very exciting that we get the opportunity to share these small, up-and-coming wineries with our Garagiste Wine Club members” adds Kelsey Chesterfield.

Created in such small quantities, Garagiste wines sell out quickly, so be sure to sign up for the Garagiste Wine Club and start your journey of uncorking some of the most extraordinary and exclusive wines. If you are not interested in signing up for the Garagiste Wine Club, you can still experience these wines by ordering them in the Gold Medal Wine Club online wine store.

Gold Medal Wine Club, located in Santa Barbara, CA is one of the country’s longest running, independent wine clubs, founded in 1992. Gold Medal Wine Club specializes in introducing small, family owned wineries and wines direct-to-consumers all across the United States. Every winery featured is a hands-on, family endeavor producing authentic wines with a true legacy.

Experiences, and More, at Allegretto Vineyard Resort by Ayres

January 24, 2020 by evebushman

What did I know about Allegretto before booking a couple of nights there? I learned that it was voted the #6 resort in Northern California by Conde Nast. And after I posted about it on my Eve’s Wine 101 Facebook group my friends enlightened me more.

What Facebook Friends are Saying

One of the many photos from Allegretto Resort’s Facebook page.

Marleen R.: Never been but did research about going there. Their art pieces are beautiful, and as in the name, also has a music inclination. It’s on my list of hotels to stay in! Usually around my birthday month, as it’s offseason. Don’t forget to go to their restaurant, Cello! Food looks divine there.

Doug M.: Resort sponsors The Garagiste Festival. It’s fantastic. I love staying there! Be sure to walk the grounds.

Debra H.: We love this place, always have a great time! The longer it’s there, the more beautiful the grounds become, it was brand new the first time we stayed.

John D.: Lovely place. Beautiful grounds.

Betty H.: It’s beautiful Luke and I love staying there!

Lilia M.: We stay there all the time when we’re in Paso! Truly the best place to stay in the area. The service is outstanding, beautiful grounds, amazing food from the restaurant and great massages at the spa.

Terry B.: Yes. Love it there. Met Doug Ayers. Photography friendly. There’s a beautiful image at every glance. Also, the Allegretto is pet friendly. Our friends brought their small dog. They had a room on the lower level with “hardwood floors” and a sliding patio door.

Rose C.: We were just there for a NYE party. Beautiful resort.

Steve C.: Been there many times. They really know how to support the local community. The artwork on the site is very impressive.

Michelle T.: I want to go now after reading your post.

Ayres Hotels

“In 2001, the Ayres Hotels brand was launched with the opening of Ayres Hotel Laguna Woods, Ayres Hotel Anaheim, and Ayres Hotel Seal Beach. Between 2001 and 2005, all hotels were transitioned and became Ayres Hotels, a collection of handcrafted boutique hotels with European-inspired décor, living room style lobbies, and a home-like atmosphere.

In 2002, Ayres Hotels was awarded the Orange County Business Journal Family Owned Business Award in the Large Business category. Doug Ayres continued to elevate the brand with the opening of the exquisite Ayres Hotel Manhattan Beach in 2004.” Read more here: https://www.ayreshotels.com/about/history

Winter Getaways in California Wine Country

January 5, 2020 by evebushman

SAN FRANCISCO — When temperatures plummet in other parts of the country, it’s time to warm up to a winter getaway in California wine country. Not only does the Golden State enjoy sunny skies and comparatively mild temperatures year ‘round, California’s distinctive wine regions offer a host of seasonal activities and events, from food festivals to barrel tastings. Here are just some of the activities and events happening in California wine regions this season.

Wine Tasting

For those who prefer hands-on pursuits, many California wineries offer wine-blending workshops, cooking classes that focus on seasonal ingredients and in-depth, educational tastings. See DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com to search for wineries by region, varietals and amenities.

For great wine tasting deals in Napa Valley, pick up the Winter in the Wineries Passport ($60), which includes tastings at 16 Calistoga wineries, or St. Helena’s Little Book of Big Experiences passport ($75), which offers enhanced wine experiences and curated pairings at 15 wineries throughout the season.

Annual Wine & Food Events

Some of California’s best wine and food events happen in the winter months. During California Restaurant Month in January, eateries across the state offer special rates on prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus. Restaurant Week promotions run in various cities throughout the month. This year, Sonoma County extends its Restaurant Week celebration from Feb. 21-March 1.

The Napa Truffle Festival (Jan. 17-20) includes mushroom foraging and truffle cultivation seminars, plus chef-led cooking demonstrations. Crab Feast Mendocino (Jan.24-Feb. 2) features all-you-can-eat crab feeds, a wine competition showcasing local producers and a Crab Cake Cook-off.

Fans of crab and wine enjoy the Mendocino Crab Feast. Photo: Visit Mendocino.

Tour northern Sonoma County during Winter Wineland (Jan. 18-19), when vintners pour samples of new releases and limited-production library selections.

Enjoy special tastings at the Santa Cruz Mountains Passport Celebration Day (Jan. 18), when more than 40 participating wineries throughout the region open their doors to visitors. The Temecula Valley Barrel Tasting Event (Jan. 25-26) offers a self-guided taste and tour to sample barrel and tank wine samples, as well as new releases. The Zinfandel Experience (Jan. 30-Feb. 1) is a three-day wine and food fest in San Francisco that presents wine seminars, an auction and dinner and a grand tasting—all centered around California’s distinctive Zinfandel wine.

The Zinfandel Experience in San Francisco features Zinfandels from all of California’s growing regions.

Sweet treats abound at two February events: the Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend (Feb. 7-9), and the Madera Wine Trail Wine & Chocolate Weekend (Feb. 8-9), held at multiple wineries. The Presidents’ Wine Weekend (Feb. 15-16) in Calaveras County presents wine experiences and special events throughout the weekend in the Gold Rush town of Murphys.

Good times, good friends are part of the Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend.

The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure (Feb. 15) in Sonoma gives tasters access to under-the-radar, micro-production wines from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, the Santa Cruz Mountains and more. Central Coast winemakers show off their blending expertise at BlendFest on the Coast in Paso Robles (Feb. 20-23), a tribute to the region’s rule-breaking wines. This year’s Anderson Valley Winter White Wine Festival (Feb. 22-23) highlights Riesling and other Alsace varietals with seminars, a grand tasting featuring local and international vintners and winery open house events.

Amador County wineries present educational seminars, food pairings and hard-to-find wines at Behind the Cellar Door (March 7). Taste barrel samples and meet the winemakers behind them at the WineRoad Barrel Tasting (March 6-8 and 13-15), a tasting tour of the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River valleys in Sonoma County. Sip some of Mendocino County’s finest wines in shops and galleries throughout Mendocino village while scouting the coastline for giant aquatic mammals at the Mendocino Whale Festival (March 7).

Wintertime Winery Activities

California wineries host special activities and tastings throughout the winter season.

North Coast

Acumen in the Napa Valley now offers Wine and Chocolate Tasting Thursdays through Sundays in partnership with Napa’s Annette’s Chocolates. Learn about chocolate production while sampling three PEAK Cabernet Sauvignons paired with six chocolate selections. Reservations must be made online or by phone 72 hours in advance.

Every Friday through April, Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena hosts a Winter Farmers Market featuring organic produce, beef, honey and other farm-grown goodies.

Head to V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena on Jan. 18 for a Coq Au Vin and Cabernet Pairing in the glow of the winery’s crackling fireplace. Steaming bowls of slow-cooked coq au vin with porcini-parmesan polenta are matched with Napa Valley Cabernets, including older vintages.

On President’s Day Weekend, Black Stallion Winery in Napa is celebrating with a wine and oysters event Feb. 15. No reservations needed.

For more fun winter experiences and events around the state, visit DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com.

Wine Institute is the public policy association of California wineries producing 80 percent of U.S. wine. As the nation’s number one state for wine and food tourism with 3,900 wineries, California attracts 24 million visitors to its wine regions each year.

Garagiste Wine Festival Wins ‘Best of the Fests’, Kicks off 10th Anniversary Year in Sonoma on February 15th

January 1, 2020 by evebushman

PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival, which was just named ‘Best of the Fests’ for 2019 by Fest Forums, is kicking off its 10th anniversary year with its popular Garagiste Northern Exposure event in Sonoma on February 15th, 2020. The Sonoma event offers wine lovers rare access to cutting-edge wines from over 40 micro-production, commercial wineries from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Sierra Foothills, Lodi, Santa Cruz and more.

The Garagiste Festival premiered in 2011 and is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste*’ winemakers. The ‘Best of Fest’ Award from Fest Forums, the country’s leading conference for Event and Festival producers nationwide, recognized The Garagiste Festival for its innovation. Because Garagiste offers wine lovers one-of-a-kind opportunities to taste a range of each year’s most exciting handcrafted small-lot production wines, all under one roof, its four annual festivals in Sonoma, Solvang, Los Angeles and Paso Robles consistently sell out. This is the second national award for the festival which was also named the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

“2020 is a landmark year for Garagiste, and we are so grateful to receive this prestigious award as we head into our 10th anniversary year,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “The Garagiste Festival is the ‘little engine that could’ in a world of bigtime events featuring major stars and corporations, and we know it is all down to the amazing winemakers who pour at our festivals and each year inject freshness, creativity and a renegade spirit into the wine establishment.”

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

“Our mission over the last decade has been to shine a spotlight on small-lot winemakers, who you don’t find in grocery stores or on wine country maps, while supporting the winemakers of the future through our Garagiste Festival Scholarships,” said Garagiste Co-founder Stewart McLennan. “Our intimate and ‘no snobs’ allowed atmosphere has made the Garagiste Festivals unique and memorable, while our winemakers have expanded the horizons and palates of thousands of wine lovers. 2020 will be our best year of festivals ever. Stay tuned!”

Northern Exposure in Sonoma:
The February 15th 2020 Garagiste Festival Northern Exposure will be held at the Sonoma Veterans Building near Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza and features 40 winemakers, one-in-four of which are brand new to the festival, pouring over 100+ wines from 20+ grape varieties. Limited availability VIP Experience tickets celebrate Valentine’s weekend with a Rare and Reserve tasting featuring library, club only and reserve wines; a wine county box lunch from local fave, The Girl & the Fig; a full glass of sparkling Rosé from Garagiste Festival winemaker, Carboniste Modern Sparkling, as well as a themed treat from artisan chocolatiers Fleur Sauvage Chocolates.

Among the 40+ winemakers scheduled to pour at the Sonoma Northern Exposure Festival are:
601 Cellars, Abbot’s Passage, Aesop Wines, Ampere/Pine Mountain Vineyards, Armitage Wines, Benevolent Neglect Wines, Boonville Road Wines, Brombeere Wines, Carboniste Modern Sparkling, Carpenter Wine, Crux Winery, Dane Cellars, DeWitt Vineyard, Enriquez Estate Wines, Fallon Place Wines, Ferguson Family Wines, Fields Family Wines, Frostwatch Vineyard, Greyscale Wines, Jardesca Aperitvo, JonEVino, March Wines, Mastro Scheidt, Montagne Russe Wines, Oceano Wines, Oceans Churning, Old County Cellars, Ondule Wines, Perri Jaye Vineyards, Piezo Winery, Purple Dragon Cellars, Ricci Vineyards, Sosie Wines, Sutro Wine, T. Berkley Wines, Weatherborne Wine Corp. and Zo Wines

2020 Garagiste Festival Dates and Places:
The Garagiste Festival’s 10-year anniversary celebration will continue throughout the year with special events, signature tastings, local chefs, after parties, and rare and reserve nights.

Feb 15 in Sonoma at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall: 126 1st Street W. Sonoma, CA
April 17 & 18 at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall in the heart of Solvang: 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang, CA
July 25 at the historic Glendale Civic Auditorium: 1401 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA
Nov 12 -15 – The 10th Annual Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles includes a series of special events and The Grand Tasting at the Paso Robles Fairgrounds: 2198 Riverside Ave, Paso Robles, CA

For more information and full Garagiste Festival Northern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://californiagaragistes.com/

Tickets are limited for the Sonoma festival and Garagiste Festivals always sell out. To buy tickets, go to:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-garagiste-wine-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-75598187213?aff=website For breaking 10 anniversary celebration festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt athttps://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

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’ producers 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.

Perlis Picks: The Garagiste Festival in Glendale (Part Two)

July 27, 2019 by Michael Perlis

Last week, I wrote about the seminar that Karen and I attended at the latest Garagiste Festival in Glendale. Part 2 is about the other wines we tasted.

The grand tasting featured over 50 wineries from all over California, 23 of which also poured the previous evening at the Rare & Reserve kick-off party – shout out to Fired Up Chef Services for the great BBQ buffet dinner that accompanied this.

Here are the wineries that stood out to us. I’ve also added a few comments in brackets. We didn’t taste everything, so not being marked as a favorite isn’t a sign of disrespect. And in some cases we only tasted at a winery’s table during the Rare and Reserve tasting and if so that is indicated as well.

13^th & Third Wines – Paso Robles

2018 Rose of Grenache

2017 Lily (blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Picpoul)

2015 NMR (blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre)

[Hard to go wrong when the winemaker is Don Burns of Turtle Rock and Saxum.]

Aldina Vineyards – Sonoma

2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Angeleno Wine Co. – Los Angeles

2018 Super Bloom Verdejo, Clay Station

2018 Meadow Rose, Terra Alta

2017 Zanja Madre (Grenache, Tempranillo), Alonso Family Vineyard

2017 Syrah, Alonso Family Vineyard

[As I mentioned in the segment about the seminar and in a previous article, I’m a big fan of what this winery is doing in downtown LA.]

Ascension Cellars – Paso Robles

2015 Ascendance Cab/Merlot [from the R&R tasting]

Bevela Wines – Santa Barbara

2018 White Lotus Grenache Blanc [from the R&R tasting]

Bodega de Edgar – Paso Robles

2015 Gran Reserva Tempranillo [from the R&R tasting]

Byron Blatty Wines – Los Angeles

2016 Evenfall (Tempranillo, Petite Sirah and Merlot)

2015 Ghost Cat (Syrah, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Merlot)

[both from the R&R tasting]

Cavaletti Vineyards – Santa Barbara / Los Angeles

2018 Alicante Bouschet – Barrel Sample

2017 Vigneron Reserve Syrah/Cabernet

2018 The 109 Mile Rose (Tempranillo, Grenache)

2017 Sangiovese

2017 Rancho Baila Sol Field Blend

[So impressed with everything from this winery.]

Deno Wines – Paso Robles

2010 Two Bills Zin-Grenache

2009 Paso Robles GSM

2017 Arneis, El Pomar District

2016 Estate Grenache

2016 Estate GSM

2014 Estate GSM

[These tasted like old school Paso Robles to me. I don’t mean big over-the-top wines. They brought back memories – in a good way – of visiting before things got so crowded. They have a tasting room in Templeton now, which also reminds me of old school Paso.]

DeWitt Vineyard – Sierra Foothills

2016 Estate Syrah

2015 Estate Touriga

2016 Estate Tempranillo

[Really nice, fairly prices wines. Just disappointed their Barbera wasn’t ready!]

Dusty Nabor Wines – Central Coast

2014 Bolt To Wines Grenache

2016 Bolt To Wines Grenache Blanc [the richness of this wine was amazing.]

2017 Syrah – Ballard Canyon AVA

2017 Bolt To Wines Syrah

Ferguson Family Winery – Sierra Foothills

2016 The Phoenix Zinfandel

2016 Boomshakalaka Petite Sirah

Golden Star Vineyards – Central Coast

2015 Tempranillo, Paso Robles

2016 Syrah, Chavez Vineyard, Antelope Valley AVA

[I really am past due for a visit to this high-desert winery.]

Golden Triangle – Paso Robles

2015 Syrah, Willow Creek District

2015 Cab / Syrah, Willow Creek District

[Finally got to taste Garagiste Fesitval co-founder Stewart McLennan’s wines. And the good news is that he is opening a tasting room in Templeton.]

Hoi Polloi Wines – Central Coast

2017 Rose of Grenache, Adelaida District, Paso Robles [consistently Karen’s favorite Rose]

2016 “Blue Velvet” Syrah, Larner Vineyard, Ballard Canyon AVA [a consistently great Syrah from an iconic vineyard]

[From Garagiste Festival co-founder Doug Minnick and his partners; we are lucky to have this tasting room in the Santa Clarita Valley.]

MCV Wines – Paso Robles

2018 Pink Rose

2016 Petite Sirah, Rosewynn Vineyard

2016 1105 Blend

[I’ve been a fan of Matt Villard’s wines for a long time. Some big news coming from this winery so stay tuned.]

Oceans Churning Wines – Sonoma

2014 Chardonnay [from the R&R tasting]

Powicana Farm – Mendocino

2013 Petite Sirah [from the R&R tasting]

Record Family Wines – Paso Robles

2017 Estate Viognier

2017 Estate Grenache Rose

2016 Randy’s Red (Syrah, Grenache)

2016 Reserve Syrah

[The wines are made by Jeff Strekas of ONX, so of course they’re going to be delicious.]

Two Papas Wines – Santa Barbara

2017 Grenache Blanc, Saarloos Vineyard

2017 Grenache, Saarloos Vineyard

2017 Grenache, Thompson Vineyard

2017 Syrah, Thompson Vineyard

[I was eager to taste Santa Clarita local Rick Pratt’s wines and I was totally blown away by the quality.]

Two Shepherds – Sonoma

2018 Picpoul Blanc, Yolo County

2018 Rose of Carignan, Mendocino

2018 “Wiley” Carbonic Carignan, Mendocino

2016 Carigan, Mendocinao

[William Allen continues to make his delicious, convention-defying wines.]

Velvet Bee Wines – Santa Barbara

2018 Queen Bee (Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon) [from the R&R tasting]

Wandermust-Must Wines – Sonoma

2018 Verdelho [from the R&R tasting]

Zanoli Wines – Paso Robles

2017 Mourvedre, Glenrose Vineyard

2016 Syrah, Glenrose Vineyard

Congratulations to co-founders Doug Minnick and Stewart McLennan as well as Lisa Dinsmore (Event/Web Director) and Melanie Webber (Public Relations and Communications) for another great event. Their passion and hard work have really made the Garagiste Festival concept something special. We can’t wait for the next one.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 30 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 President of MCP Financial, which provides outsourced controller services. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or mcpfinancial@aol.com.

Perlis Picks: The Garagiste Festival in Glendale (Part One)

July 20, 2019 by Michael Perlis

Think about one of your favorite wines. What goes into your decision to make it your favorite? Is it the varietal? The region it comes from? The terroir? The year? The label? There may be multiple reasons. I that, at least for me, a big one is passion – the passion of the vintner, winemaker, grower, everyone who worked so hard to get that wine into the bottle for you.

And nothing speaks wine passion more than the Garagiste Festivals. We at Eve’s Wine 101 have a special affinity for them, having reported on the Garagistes from the beginning, including my interview with co-founder Doug Minnick before the very first event in 2011 in Paso Robles, which Karen and I also attended. Focusing on ultra-small (and then therefore ultra-rare) production wineries, the festivals have now expanded to four annual events – Paso Robles, Solvang, Sonoma and (conveniently for locals) Los Angeles.

We’ve definitely attended our share of these over the years. They’ve now had about two dozen events in total and the passion of these winemakers is clear. More so than with a large big-budget winery, the owner/winemaker typically has to handle all or most of the tasks of the winemaking process, sometimes in addition to what their day job might be.

By the way, you may have noticed the word “garagiste” being used a lot more lately; I sure have. The Garagiste Festival doesn’t own the term, it goes back to the originally somewhat derogatory French word for small winemakers. And I can’t say for sure that the increased usage of the term overall is connected to the success of the Garagiste Festivals, although I would tend to think so. After all, they were voted the best wine festival in America. So, if you want to be sure you are supporting the real deal, go to their website and sign up for their newsletters.

Karen and I attended the latest LA event, held at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. In keeping with the LA theme, the Saturday event started with a seminar presented by three LA based wineries working to bring back to LA County an industry that used to dominate the landscape in the days before prohibition and real estate development.

Hosted by Steward McLennan, one of the founders of the Garagiste Festival, the seminar presenters were Patrick Kelley of Cavaletti Vineyards, Jasper Dickson and Amy Luftig Viste of Angeleno Wine Co. and Mark and Jenny Blatty of Byron Blatty Wines. All three wineries get a significant amount of their grapes from Los Angeles County. The Blatty wines are made in the Santa Clarita Valley and Angeleno is in the process of finalizing its tasting room and winery operations in downtown Los Angeles.

Of course, it was a wine seminar, so there was wine.

Each winery poured two wines, in the following order, lightest to heaviest:

Cavaletti Vineyards –

2018 109 Mile Rose (62% Grenache, 38% Tempranillo)

2017 Grenache, Swayze Vineyard

Angeleno Wine Co. –

2017 Zanja Madre (Grenache and Tempranillo)

2017 Syrah, Alonso Family Vineyard

Byron Blatty Wines –

2017 Undertake (60% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 10% Merlot, 5% Syrah)

2016 Pragmatic (90% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot)

For me, the takeaway from these wines is that Los Angeles County is capable of producing a variety of styles of high quality wines. Truly something for everybody.

The winery owners all shared stories of trials and tribulations. Their individual stories varied, but they all included one common component – the challenge of teaching potential customers, retail stores and restaurants about the quality of wine coming from LA County. One might think they are fighting an uphill battle but they appear to be winning it; that takes passion! I expect the LA winery scene to continue to grow and prosper and I know of at least one cult-status winemaker who is planning to set up shop soon – more on this in a future article, hopefully.

Of course, the Garagiste Festival isn’t just about Los Angeles. The grand tasting after the seminar featured over 50 wineries from all over California, 23 of which also poured the previous evening at the Rare & Reserve kick-off party – shout out to Fired Up Chef Services for the great BBQ buffet dinner that accompanied this. More on the wines in Part 2 which will run on this site next Saturday, 7/27.

Garagiste Glendale: “Garagiste Goes Local: The Rebirth of the LA Wine Industry” Seminar and a Shout Out to…?

July 12, 2019 by evebushman

Already aware of LA County wines as have been drinking some for years, some from this seminar, and others, like Golden Star Vineyards and Byron Blatty, due to tasting them at Santa Clarita Valley events. Our class was led by Garagiste co-founder Stewart McLennan and included Patrick Kelley from Cavaletti Vineyard, Jasper Dickson and Amy Luftig Viste from Angeleno Wine Company and Mark and Jenny Blatty from Byron Blatty Wines. (We were also presented with six samples, two from each winery, that we would taste at the close of the discussion.)

Panelists l to r: Patrick Kelley, Cavaletti Vineyards; Amy Luftig Viste and Jasper Dickson, Angeleno Wine Company; Mark and Jenny Blatty, Bryon Blatty Wines.

We started with a bit of a bio from each or the panelists then Stewart asked about challenges, and to share a bit of history of LA winemaking. I’ve grouped together answers to all of theses questions by each panelist:

Patrick Kelley, Cavaletti Vineyard

BIO: Patrick has a BA in biology, attended business school, lived in San Fernando Valley for 10 years, then moved to Ventura where he started making wine “without plans to make wine” his business. Now he’s up to 600 cases and this is his second time at Garagiste.

CHALLENGES: Finding customers that accept LA County Wines is his biggest challenge as its “unknown brands in unknown region.” So events like Garagiste help to get his “wine in front of customers.”

HISTORY: The climate is dry, water is available, but Phylloxera hit the region just like in Napa. The vineyards that did exist, a few thousand in San Pedro, pretty much shut down in the 1960s.

Amy Luftig Viste, Angeleno Wine Company

BIO: Amy has a degree in public health and continues to work in that field. She fell in love with wine, took some courses at UCLA and found herself most interested in winemaking and the Central Coast where she did some interning. Over a few Mimosas with Jasper the two came up with a plan to start their own winery in LA. This was when she “was the happiest she has ever been.”

CHALLENGES: Opening a winery in downtown Los Angeles has been her biggest challenge. But she “goes until someone says they can’t.” Gaining advocates from city government helped.

Jasper Dickson, Angeleno Wine Company

BIO: Jasper boasted no degrees, was a high school dropout and worked at Silverlake Wine for ten years. Over that decade he met many winemakers at the shop and asked many questions. He started making wine in his garage at home. In 2013 he went commercial and in 2015 he had his Mimosa date with Amy.

CHALLENGES: Jasper echoed Amy’s stand on challenges, with the addition of getting lots of bank rejections in the beginning.

HISTORY: There were Spanish missionaries building missions in California as well as planting grapes. In 1859 Californians were drinking two million bottles per year.

Mark Blatty, Byron Blatty Wines

BIO: “There is a common thread,” Mark began, “and it’s that all of us here love to drink wine.” He and Jenny have a background in television production and now they are also “Executive Producers” of their wine. He’s learned that you don’t have to own it all (a winery and the vineyards) to make wine.

CHALLENGES: Consumers have zero experience or a “bad experience” with LA County wines. But when people discover the wines, and enjoy them, he feels a certain sense of pride as an Angeleno. Another challenge: those writing about wine aren’t writing about LA County Wines, so there is no book educating them.

HISTORY: Prohibition changed a lot of things in California, especially removing all of the grape vines to make room to grow citrus instead.

Jenny Blatty, Byron Blatty Wines

BIO: For Jenny it was a “daydream” and she was “obsessed with wine.” That obsession drove her to take classes and start making wines in 2013. Putting out their first vintage in 2014 – most of the grapes they picked themselves and continue to do so. That first vintage produced less than two barrels.

LA County Wine Tasting

2018 Cavaletti 109 Mile Rose, Swayze Vineyard

The Swayze Vineyard is in the Antelope Valley, next to the poppy preserve, and has very little pest presence.

Peach, grapefruit, Meyer lemon, gravel and some acidity.

2017 Cavaletti Grenache, Swayze Vineyard

Barnyard, herbaceous, olives and some tart.

2017 Angeleno Zanja Madre Grenache/Tempranillo, Alonso Family Vineyards

The name Zanja Madre translates to “Mother Ditch.”

Black fruit, spicy, green notes.

2017 Angeleno Syrah, Alonso Family Vineyards 100% Syrah

Plum, grape jam, cherry candy, balanced.

2017 Byron Blatty Undertake, Zinfandel/Petite Sirah, Merlot, Syrah.

The 5% of Syrah is from Paso fruit. This is a common winemaking theme for them: a four varietal blend of four different vineyards. And this wine – Undertake – was a big undertaking…not a nod to an undertaker.

Big, bold, spicy, red to dark fruit.

2016 Byron Blatty Pragmatic, Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

90% Malbec, 22 months in barrel and from seven different vineyards.

A bit softer and brighter fruit than Undertake, with perfumy notes and hints of black pepper.

Shout Out to Upcoming Byron Blatty Wine Dinner at The Old Town Junction on July 25: 5 courses, 5 wines, tax and tip included for $85

“A Taste of Summer” is what they’re officially calling this remarkable collaboration. Here are the details from Eventbrite:

About this Event

Join us for an unforgettable summer evening at the Old Town Junction, on Main Street in downtown Newhall, as we present: “A Taste of Summer” wine dinner, featuring the Los Angeles wines of Byron Blatty! A Taste of Summer will be an unparalleled food and wine experience, combining the highest quality, locally sourced ingredients, cooked to perfection, and expertly paired with world-class wines grown right here in L.A. County.

Our evening will begin with canapés prepared by Chef Daniel Otto, served with a glass of Byron Blatty’s delightful Rosé from the Antelope Valley, followed by a seated, five course dinner, each paired with one of Blatty’s locally grown wines.

Chef Daniel will take you through each amazing dish, with Mark and Jenny Blatty on hand to walk you through their vision for putting Los Angeles back on the map, as one of California’s premiere wine growing regions. Blatty’s winemakers, Steve Lemley and Nate Hasper (of Newhall’s Pulchella) will also present several of these unique wines, and explain what makes them so special.

Tickets are $85 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity, $70 per person for Byron Blatty Wines Club Members. (Members will be sent a promo code for discounted tickets.)

To inquire about Membership options please email: mark@byronblatty.com, or see their website: https://byronblatty.com/membership

Garagiste Glendale: Kick Off Party and Grand Tasting

July 12, 2019 by evebushman

Don’t travel through Glendale often, and never been to the Glendale Civic Auditorium, but I’ve covered numerous Garagiste events in LA held at The Wiltern, Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club and Union Station. Traveled to Paso for the event more than once, beginning with their first fest in 2011. And very happy to see that this event, voted the “Best Wine Festival by USA Today readers, has now reached as far as Sonoma and Doug Minnick (one of the founders) said it was their 24th. There’s a reason for their growth and success. We look forward to Garagiste to catch up with small wineries that have been there from the start, and discovering new ones. Here is what we found in Glendale:

Longtime Garagiste founders and organizers l to r: Doug Minnick, Dave and Lisa Dinsmore.

Starting with the “Kick off Party” night of rare, reserves, pre-releases, barrel samples and club member only wines that included a yummy buffet from Fired Up Chef Services (photos), the next day I had a seminar on the growing group of vintners that make their wines from LA Country grapes and then came the grand tasting (more photos). I grouped the kick off party and grand tasting wines together in the Wineries section below and, due to length, will share the seminar and tasting in a separate article on this website today.

Wineries

I have noted the particular wines from either tasting that I found remarkable. If a winery is not noted it doesn’t mean anything in particular, but most likely I just missed them. Asterisks denote wineries at the LA event for the first time:

13th & Third Wines* (2016 Rhone Red), Adron Wines*, Aldina Vineyards* (2014 Cabernet Sauvignon), Alma Sol Wines, Angeleno Wine Co., Ann Albert Wines, Armitage Wines, Ascension Cellars (2015 Soul Searcher Cabernet/Syrah), Bella Luna Winery, Bevela Wines (2015 Unforeseen Alchemy Red Blend), Bodega de Edgar (2016 Nexo Syrah, 2015 Gran Riserva Tempranillo and 2016 Mis Pasos Cab/Tempranillo/Syrah blend), Brooks Note Wines* (2018 Pinot Blanc, 2017 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and 2014 GSM), Byron Blatty Wines (entire lineup with a special shout out to 2016 “Eventful” blend of Tempranillo/Petite Sirah/Merlot), Cavaletti Vineyards (2017 Alicante Bouschet barrel sample and 2017 Vigneron Reserve Syrah/Cabernet), Changing Patterns, Cholame Vineyard (2014 Estate “130” Syrah and 2016 “The Beautiful One” Petite Sirah), Cloak and Dagger Wines, Copia Vineyards (2017 “The Cure” GSM), DB Cellars* (2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso and 2011 Sete Barbara, Sierra Foothills), DENO Wines (2017 Arneis, 2016 and 2014 GSM, 2010 Two Bills Zin/Grenache, 2009 Paso Ridge GSM), DeWitt Vineyard* (2015 Estate Syrah and 2015 Estate Touriga), Dusty Nabor Wines (love all the wines, special shout out to their 2017 Syrah, Ballard Canyon. Also his wife Karin’s label, Bolt to Wines 2016 Roussanne and 2017 Syrah)), Enriquez Estate Wines* (2015 Muscat, 2013 “Brisa” white blend, 2013 Reserve Pinot Noir and 2013 Reserva Tempranillo), Etnyre, Ferguson Family Winery* (2016 Boomshakalaka Petite Sirah), Frostwatch Vineyard* (2015 Estate Chardonnay and 2016 Ophira Reserve Chardonnay), Gary Kramer Guitar Cellars*, Golden Star Vineyards (Everything as always, big fans of Lee and Helen Williams), Golden Triangle (2015 Cab/Syrah, Willow Creek), Gravel Pit, Greyscale Wines* (2015 Merlot, Oak Knoll Napa), Hoi Polloi Winery (everything, fan of winemakers Behlendorf and Minnick), Kendric Vineyards, Kings Carey Wines*, Kitson Wines (2015 Rafael el Fils Estate Cabernet Sauvignon), Lions Peak Wines* (2012 Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc), LXV Wines (2016 Reserve Cabernet Franc, 2017 “Crimson Jewel” Super Tuscan blend and 2016 “Secret Craving” Bordeaux blend)), Marin’s Vineyard (nice discovery: 2017 Malbec and 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, MCV Wines (2016 Petite Sirah and 2016 “1105” blend), Metrick Wines, Montagne Russe (2015 Dragon’s Back Chardonnay, 2016 Dragon’s Back Pinot Noir, 2016 Alder Springs Syrah), Ocean’s Churning* (another cool discovery: 2014 Chardonnay Los Carneros, 2016 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast and 2014 Heritage Clone 4 Los Carneros), Playground Cellars*, Powicana Farms (2013 Petite Sirah and 2015 Port), Record Family Wines, Republic of Pink, RF Fine Wines* (2015 Arbre Petite Sirah), Rhonedonnee Wines, Say When Wine* (2017 Petit Verdot, 2018 “Stipa” Rose of Mourvedre, 2017 “When” Pinot Noir and 2017 “Rasi” Pinot Noir), Torch Cellars (2018 Tannat/Syrah Rose and 2013 Illumination Red blend), Turiya Wines (Divine Force Cab/Sangio/Petite Sirah), Two Papas Wine* (everything, I’m a fan, 2018 Grenache Blanc was new), Two Shepherds (sorry to have missed this one today), Velvet Bee Wines*, Vino Vargas, Wander-Must Wines* and Zanoli Wines (2016 Syrah).

http://garagistefestival.com/

Vintage Eve Circa 7/2016: Garagiste 2016 Urban Exposure Event Exposed!

June 18, 2019 by evebushman

The mission (of the Garagiste wine festivals) is to support the small guys and girls who don’t have big marketing budgets or the time to get out there and sell their wine. These small-lot wines can be very hard to find. Over 60% of these winemakers don’t have a tasting room…

Jenny Kalina and me at event.

However, on July 9 dozens of these small wineries took center stage and commandeered the full auditorium of the LA Wiltern Theatre for an audience of appreciative wine learners and tasters. (Check them out here in this YouTube slideshow.)

Learning On The Stage:

Understanding Oak Varieties, Tasting the Winemaker’s Spice Rack

What does oak really taste like? French oak, American oak, neutral oak, heavy toast… these are some of the words we hear all the time in the wine world, but what do they really mean? How do you tell the flavor of oak from the flavor of the wine itself?

Ryan Render, representative for French tonnellerie (another word for a cooperage, which is also another word for a barrel maker) Cadus and winemaker at Rendarrio Vineyards, Larner Vineyards winemaker Michael Larner and Garagiste co-founder Stewart McLennan led our class.

Our first flight was the same grape, same year, same winery in three different oak expressions: a Larner 2014 Syrah. The aromas on each were remarkably different to me. With neutral oak (which means the oak barrel had been used four to five times and would no longer impart an oak flavor) the wine had the brightest, reddest fruit. The second wine, aged in French oak and is used the most by Larner, had an incredible amount of spice, which I happen to love in a Syrah, and bluer fruit. The third oak was American and gave off a creamy scent with a lot of blue to black fruit.

(Chatting with a friend after the class who doesn’t reside in California but is a huge fan of the event and flies down for it, she said that she preferred the American oak the best. I asked if she drank much French wine. She said none at all, mostly Paso Robles. So I thought that her preference might have been due to what her palate was used to in her home state and from Paso. Though like Larner there are California wineries using French oak too.)

Our next trio to taste was of another wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, in unoaked (stainless steel only), a medium grain oak barrel and then a tight grain oak barrel. Again I got some interesting notes. In the unoaked wine it was all red fruit (like it had been in the neutral oak we had tasted earlier), the medium grain gave off distinct aromas of a sweet Port wine and blueberry, while the tight grain was all cigar smoke and had what one winemaker called a “tighter” feel on the palate.

Auditorium: Favorites from the “RARE and RESERVE” Tasting Hour

Archium Cellars 2012 “Haven” Grenache, Stolpman Vineyard.

Artisan Uprising 2014 Tempranillo.

Brian Benson Cellars 2013 Mr. Pickled Cabernet Syrah blend.

Caldera Cuvee 2009.

Cholame Vineyard vertical tasting of Bull Pen Tempranillo 2010/2011/2012 with the 2012 being my favorite of the three.

Cloak & Dagger Wines 2013 “The Assassin” Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah blend.

Deno Wines 2010 Two Bill’s Zinfandel Grenache blend.

JP3 Wines (the “JP” formerly of Stanger) 2013 Pinot Noir, Willow Creek.

MCV Wines 2013 Black Petite Sirah blend

Pagter Bros. Winery 2013 Lucky Club Syrah Reserve

Paso Port 2006 Violeta blend of Touriga, Tinta Cao and Souzao.

The Farm Winery 2010 “the Big Game” Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

Vines on the Marycrest 2006 Field Blend, Victor Abascal’s first planting.

Favorites Wineries of the Day are highlighted:

Alma Fria Winery, Alma Sol Winery, Alta Colina, Archium Cellars, Artisan Uprising, Ascension Cellars, Bellissimo Cellars, Bodega De Edgar, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at Brian Benson Cellars, Brophy Clark Cellars, Caldera Cuvee, Caliza Winery, The Central Coast Group Project, Chene Wines, Cholame Vineyards, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Cordon Wines, Coruce Vineyards, Deno Wines, Dreamcote Wines, El Lugar Wines, Golden Triangle, Graef Wines, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at Hoi Polloi Winery, Hoyt Family Vineyards, JP3 Wines, Kaena Wine Co., Kaleidos Winery, Kimmel Vineyards, Larner Vineyard and Winery, Leverage Wines, Marin’s Vineyard, MCV Wines, On Your Left Wines, Pagter Bros. Winery, Per Cazo Cellars/Paso Port, Powell Mountain Cellars, Press Gang Cellars, Prizm Winery, Pulchella Winery, Ranchita Canyon, Rendarrio Vineyards, Rhythm Wines, Ryan Cochrane Wines, Tao Vineyards, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at The Farm Winery, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at Theopolis Vineyards, Tierra y Vino, Tlo Wines, Trail Marker Wine Co., Turiya Wines, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at TW Fermentation Co., Two Shepherds, Vinemark Cellars, Vines on the Marycrest, Weatherborne and West of Temperance.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com