Solvang Stomp: 2nd Annual Wine Harvest Street Festival Set for Saturday, 10/19/19

July 24, 2019 by evebushman

Solvang, California, USA –Tracy Farhad, Executive Director of the Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau, has announced the return of Solvang Stomp, a Wine Harvest Street Festival. The second annual event will be happening on Saturday, October 19, 2019, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in downtown Solvang on First Street (between Mission Drive/Hwy 246 & Copenhagen Drive) and the adjacent Solvang Park.

Solvang Stomp guests will have the opportunity to stomp grapes in vats barefoot, sip tastes from dozens of area wineries, dance to a live band, drink pink in the “I Love Rosé Lounge” and be able to purchase food inside the festival area from popular area eateries as well as participate in the “Lucy & Ricky Ricardo Look-a-Like Contest based on Lucille Ball’s famous grape stomp episode on her TV show. All “Solvang Stompers” will receive a souvenir logo wine glass and foot towel plus a ticket to win wine-related prizes.

Daniel Lahr, Solvang CVB’s Special Program Manager shared, “Solvang is surrounded by world-class vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms. October is harvest time which means it’s a festive time to taste new wine and stomp some grapes.”

Farhad remarked, “Our inaugural 2018 event attracted 500 guests with 46% staying in a Solvang hotel, 60% purchasing wine or beer, and an impressive 75% shopped and dined locally according to our after-event survey. Solvang CVB is proud to present this event to celebrate our local wine heritage.”

Solvang Stomp general admission from 2:00-5:00 p.m. is $75 per person and VIP Stompers (limited to 250 guests) features early admission at 1:00 p.m. and private VIP area for $125 per person. Guests must be ages 21 years and beyond. Advance ticket purchases are highly recommended online at www.solvangusa.com/STOMP

The second annual Solvang Grape Stomp is presented by the Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau with event production by Cultivate Events. For more information about lodging, dining, wine tasting and attractions year-round in Solvang, visit www.SolvangUSA.com

VGS Chateau Potelle repeats as the highest bid barrel lot for the second consecutive year at the 39th Annual Auction Napa Valley

July 7, 2019 by evebushman

The record-setting wine, Fourmeaux 2017, sold for $85,250 or $710 per bottle (and $8525 per case). The auction was held at Louis M. Martini Winery.

The Bordeaux-style red wine is named after VGS Chateau Potelle proprietor Jean-Noel Fourmeaux. Fourmeaux, who hails from France, founded the winery in 1980 and has been overseeing the production of small-batch, Bordeaux-style wines since then.

“Art is evolutionary, winemaking is, too,” he said when asked about the winning barrel-auction price. “These wines bear my name. They are what I have learned during my life and what I have become. They represent maturity and wisdom, and as well as presence and dimension. [They are] a culmination of my decades-old love affair with wine and life.”

The Fourmeaux 2017 is a highly concentrated, rich, and not overly tannic wine from grapes grown atop Mount Veeder at an elevation of about 2,000 feet. VGS Chateau Potelle produced only 170 cases—10 of which were accounted for in the winning barrel. The wine itself was aged for 20 months in new French oak, and it comprises a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (97 percent), and Malbec (3 percent). The wine is made from the only grapes they were able to harvest on Mount Veeder in 2017 because of the wildfires.

Fourmeaux 2017 was crafted by Kale Anderson, the youngest American winemaker ever awarded a perfect 100 points by wine critic Robert Parker.

“The 2017 vintage was very challenging,” said Anderson. “To achieve a wine of this quality is really humbling and I’m grateful it was so well received.”

To say this wine appealed is an understatement; the impressive price surpassed the second highest barrel lot by $38,250.

The high bidders on the Fourmeaux wine were Bruce and Jennifer Adams from Louisiana. Bruce Adams said he was delighted to play a small part in such an important event. “To contribute to the continued success of the Fourmeaux luxury brand is a pleasure and it serves a great cause, not to mention the wine is really spectacular.”

This year marked the 39^th annual Auction Napa Valley. Following the conclusion of the event proceeds from the live auction, barrel auction and e-auction will be distributed to support 28 Napa County charities in children’s education and community health. The 2019 event is expected to raise $12 million

As for Fourmeaux 2017, it will be available by allocation only from VGS Chateau Potelle. For more information about the wine or to request an allocation, please visit www.vgschateaupotelle.com.

Meeting with Winemaker Zak Miller, and All Things Domaine Carneros

June 21, 2019 by evebushman

Love invites to wine and dine with winemakers, and this one was right up there with the best:

Hi Eve,

A day trip to Napa and a leap of faith led Zak Miller, winemaker at Domaine Carneros, on a journey from field research in forestry science to the vineyards of California, Chile and New Zealand to learn all he could about winemaking. And another leap, joining Domaine Carneros over a decade ago, saw his deep respect and fascination for the Pinot Noir grape blossom into a surprising love affair with chardonnay working alongside Eileen Crane, Founding Winemaker and “America’s Doyenne of Sparkling Wine.” As winemaker at Domaine Carneros, Zak oversees the day to day operations of sparkling winemaking.

On behalf of Zak…we’d like to extend an invitation to join him for an intimate dinner of award-winning, estate Carneros sparkling and still wines…at Avra Beverly Hills.

Winemaker Zak Miller

The Meeting

Tucked in the back of the swanky Avra Beverly Hills restaurant, Zak Miller sat alone at a table for five waiting for four ladies of the pen, the wine pen, to arrive. Though the restaurant was a bit high-status, along with Miller’s pedigree, Miller was not. Affable, friendly and open from the moment he stood to say hello to the end of our time together, roughly two hours, I came away armed with plenty of info to share from our “bubbly” time together. (If you just want to see more photos, go here.)

I had received a large file of past and current press releases from the winery and I have abbreviated some of that below. Before that I will share what we talked about and my notes on both the still and sparkling wines we sampled. This is what I learned from Miller firsthand, we absorbed more (in more ways than one – lol) during the tasting:

This is Miller’s 12^th harvest with Domaine Carneros. He had experience winemaking for Saintsbury in Napa, as well as wineries in New Zealand and Chile.

The winery is striving to be 100% Estate Vineyards, they currently have 400 acres. They have long relationships with growers in Carneros for some of their fruit.

It takes roughly 10 years from harvest to release for each vintage.

The “Chateau” in Carneros is a replica of Champagne Taittinger official residence, the Chateau de la Marquetterie. Taittinger founded Domaine Carneros in 1987.

They use up to 13 Chardonnay clones in the sparkling wines.

The Tasting

2012 Le Reve Blanc de Blancs

2012 was a big harvest according to Miller. The bottle, the only one with embossing and a different all over shape, will be hard to find except in fine restaurants. A little over $100 a bottle and made with 100% estate grown Chardonnay. I got aromas of crisp yellow delicious apple, Brie cheese, rye toast and a mild salinity. In the mouth I got that same bright apple, pear, pink grapefruit and plenty of citrus. $115 a bottle.

2015 Brut Cuvee

This wine – 51% Chardonnay, 47% Pinot Noir and 2% Pinot Gris – spent 36 months in barrel. Notes of white peach, cream, white pepper and green grass on the nose with fresh fruit cocktail and hard red apple candy on the palate. $36 a bottle.

2016 Estate Pinot Noir

They make about 12 thousand bottles of Pinot Noir per year. This vintage used 15 of their 16 Pinot Noir clones, all estate. Loved the aroma of black cherry, stems and must as well as the flavor of both red and dark cherry, black currant and toasted oak. Well balanced fruit and tannin. After twenty minutes the wine further improved and showed more of that dark fruit I liked. Nicely done for only about $30 a bottle for a Napa Pinot.

Cuvee de la Pompadour

This blend of 59% Pinot Noir and 41% Chardonnay had only been macerated with the skins on for a few days before draining off. Miller wanted the color but not the tannins from the Pinot. He felt that a heavy Pinot influence makes the sparkling “bastardized.” Yellow cling peaches, raspberries, golden raisins and a hint of flint greeted me on the nose, followed by raspberry, red cherry and just a tad of cheddar. $42 a bottle.

From Domaine Carneros (Abbreviated)

Some history: Founded in the Carneros appellation of Northern California by the Champagne Taittinger family, Domaine Carneros is a small grower producer of ultra-premium Carneros Sparkling wines and limited production Pinot Noirs. Thirty years after the winery’s inaugural harvest, Domaine Carneros has become the benchmark for California Sparkling wine, reflecting both the individuality of the Carneros’ terroir and the craftsmanship of its French legacy.

The Chateau: Completed in 1989, the 18th century château-style building was architecturally inspired by the historic Château de la Marquetterie owned by Champagne Taittinger in the Champagne region of France. Situated atop a knoll and overlooking endless rolling vineyards, the elegant property is an iconic Northern California landmark. The château houses the winery’s facilities as well as beautiful salons for visitors and wine club members.

The summer of 2018 marks the completion of the highly-anticipated and beautifully-designed Jardin d’Hiver – a conservatory-style addition to the north terrace of the renowned Domaine Carneros château, which will allow guests to immerse themselves in the beauty of Carneros and surrounding vineyards while being shielded from the weather.

Winemaker Zak Miller: It was his first harvest in Napa Valley at Saintsbury Vineyards that gave him a deep respect and fascination for the ever challenging Pinot Noir grape. Eager to continue learning, he traveled to New Zealand and Chile to hone his craft. Returning to northern California wine country in 2008, Miller joined Domaine Carneros with the goal of continuing to evolve his skill with pinot noir working closely with TJ Evans and his still wine program at the chateau. Or so he thought.

Working alongside Founding Winemaker, Eileen Crane, opened to Miller a new realm of possibility in winemaking – sparkling wines – and he hasn’t looked back since. Through Crane and the Domaine Carneros team, he developed a deep appreciation for the versatility of both pinot noir and chardonnay in sparkling winemaking and the great skill required to craft beautifully balanced, elegant yet complex wines. And through his work as a sparkling winemaker, he grew to love a variety he admittedly didn’t gravitate toward originally – chardonnay – which provides the base for what he feels is its finest expression (and a personal favorite), Blanc de Blancs.

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.

Tasting 2018 Provence Rose Estates with Winemaker Alexis Cornu

March 15, 2019 by evebushman

It was a lovely day to taste Rose…that was and still is my opening as it sounds so good. But on the day of this particular tasting the skies had opened up as they have recently in LA and tried to ruin my day with about two inches of rain. The event, set for the Peninsula Hotel’s Roof Garden Terrace was moved to a private suite. Turned out to be much more intimate.

L to R: fellow writers Cori Solomon, Andy Harris and winemaker Alexis Cornu

We were to taste the latest 2018 vintages from two of the most popular Provence rosé estates in France, my tasting notes are in italics following notes from the winery:

Inspiration Rosé is produced at the storied Château de Berne and authentically captures the Provençal spirit with its classic profile and referential square bottle shape. 70% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 10% Syrah. I got notes of peach, hard candy and flowers on the nose and also sea minerality and low acid in the mouth.

Romance Rosé launches this year as the newest addition to the Berne portfolio with a more affordable price point for those looking to explore the category. Previously name Emotion, the new Romance has aromas of rose petal, jasmine flower and saline, with the addition of white peach and a low acidity on the palate.

Chateau de Berne Estates is much more than just a rose. This is a hand crafted wine created from grapes specially selected by our winemaker from a unique vineyard block in the heart of the Berne estate, which is home to some of its oldest vines. Predominantly Grenache, the wine had a lovely balance with steeliness, peach, green kiwi and a gentle mouthfeel. A note on the square bottle shape: Cornu said that they had to redesign the bottling line to manage the unique shape.

UP Rosé, from the newly renovated Ultimate Provence estate, represents the bold, innovative nature of the region with its spicy blend and statement bottle. The UP stands for Ultimate Provence label, not Berne but 30 minutes away, and about 20 minutes from St. Tropez. Cornu explained that this area had more sandstone instead of limestone. I got that same floral notes as well as a more perfumy aroma with a bit of the sea. Cornu added that he enjoyed the wine with sushi and sashimi.

Chateau des Bertrands is located in the French commune of Cannet-des-Maures, at the heart of the Plaine des Maures nature reserve. Historically the crown jewel of Cotes de Provence, it offers exceptional wines thanks to an original geology and patient human effort. With more Cinsault than the previous mostly Grenache wines this one had what Cornu called “light, elegant and fine.” I noted a lovely pear in sweetened juice on the nose as well as minerality (wet pebbles) and saline.

Meeting with the winemaker for the estates, Alexis Cornu, proved to be an additional benefit. From Cornu I learned:

Breezy and surrounded by pines, Château de Berne is the number one destination winery in Provence, France.

Some of the names of the wines are different in France.

Cornu thinks about how the grapes may grow; whether it be under late ripening, sunny, warm or windy conditions, he finds that these conditions allow for “more finesse and freshness.”

Berne is one of four estates Cornu makes wine for. He feels that his wines in Provence are “always fresh with a nice texture on the palate.”

Berne thinks that like Champagne, in the next 20 years wine drinkers will notice a sense of place when drinking their “fresh and dry” Rose wines.

Harvest can occur at night, when workers will have had no sleep.

The old vines region produces a dry Rose not common to some wine drinkers. Especially those expecting sweetness in a pink wine.

The vineyards are working towards being 100% organic, they started the process in 2018. The wines already use less sulfites than before.

Four wines per estate recently obtained Gold Medals from a prestigious French competition: the Le Concours General Agricole.

Perlis Picks: Idlewild

December 8, 2018 by Michael Perlis

It is hard to talk about wine in Sonoma County without the name Bilbro coming up.

I’ve written more than once about Jake Bilbro and the outstanding wines that he is making at Limerick Lane.

Did you know that two other Bilbro brothers also make wine? One of them is Scot, who is carrying on the tradition of father Chris at Marietta Cellars [more on him in a future article].

And then there is Sam. Sam actually hadn’t planned on making wine. He essentially grew up at Marietta Cellars but the thought of making what Sonoma County is known for like the Rhones and Zins that Marietta Cellars and Limerick Lane make or the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which also tend to dominate the region apparently didn’t appeal to him. He had planned to do something else with his life.

Yet, we found ourselves in an industrial center north of Healdsburg in Geyserville, trying to track Sam down and find out what had changed. We circled around the center for a while, seeing other winemakers doing their thing, but couldn’t find Sam. I finally gave in to my natural disinclination to ask for directions and called him. He promptly flagged us down from the very back of the center where he shares space with a few other small wineries.

It was the middle of harvest and the winery was busy with workers as well as incoming grapes. We didn’t want to be in the way or take up too much of Sam’s time [we had actually pulled him away from his lunch] but we did chat for a little while about what he was doing.

The big question, of course, was what made him decide to go into winemaking after having decided that he wasn’t going to? The answer was Nebbiolo. One day, tasting an authentic version of this wine, Sam’s passion for Italian varietals was triggered, specifically those from Piedmont, and from that day forward he knew he wanted to make them. So Idlewild was born.

Piedmontese grapes such as Arneis and Cortese – for white wines—and Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo for reds are sourced from Mendocino County and turned into wine at that Geyserville industrial park. Until recently they could only be obtained via the winery’s mailing list or at a few restaurants. That’s changed though as Sam recently opened a tasting room for Idlewild just off the Healdsburg town square.

We knew that Sam needed to get back to work and we wanted to taste the wine and not only those just-picked Barbera grapes, delicious as they were. So we left Sam to his duties and headed down to that new tasting room.

Idlewild makes three “entry level” [for lack of a better term] blends: The Bee (white), The Flower (rose) and The Bird (red), as well as single-varietal bottlings of Arneis, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cortese and Dolcetto. In the tasting room we got to taste the latest releases of the single-varietals as well as the rose. [Please note that we’ve tasted prior vintages of the white blend as well as we had purchased some as part of Idlewild’s fundraising efforts relating to the 2017 fires – all three Bilbro wineries participated in these efforts.]

I really like wines that are delicious and fun to drink [Who doesn’t, right? Duh.] I also really like wines that get your attention and require some contemplation. These wines do both, which doesn’t always happen. All of these wines are very tasty, well made wines with complex attributes. My two favorites were the Cortese and the Barbera. The Cortese is Sam’s version of an Orange wine [i.e. fermented on the skins]. I am a fan of Orange wines but I’ve found that some of them taste like, well, a mistake. Not this wine. It has just enough added complexity from the skin contact to make it an all-around winner. And the Barbera is just a great mouthful of berries and figs.

This is a great winery to check out, especially if you are interested in experiencing some out-of-the-ordinary California wines. Or, if you just like really good ones.

Idlewild Wines
132 Plaza St
Healdsburg, CA 95448

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.

Paso: Le Cuvier Winery and Time With John Munch in His Cellar

December 7, 2018 by evebushman

In all of my 10 years writing about wine and spirits you would think that nothing surprises me anymore. Not the case when I met winemaker John Munch at Le Cuvier Winery. Not only did I learn a bit about some of his unique winemaking techniques, I also was treated to three hours in his cellar to taste library wines, and then time in the tasting room where every wine is paired with a creation by their chef. Going home with the latest releases my mind boggles, do I have now or do I cellar for a decade or more in true Munch Style and enjoy well into retirement. You read, you decide:

Le Cuvier’s John Munch explaining is style of winemaking.

Winemaking

Once you drive the windy hill road up to the property and park your car you will be able to take in a tremendous view. Munch greeted us in the parking lot, interrupting us from our gaze and we meandered over to the winery crush pad. I knew I’d be back out there soon enough and could snap photos to my heart’s content. We were about to see where the work that mattered takes place.

Munch had already explained that he was handing over the full time winemaking responsibility to Clay Selkirk, but we knew that Munch’s fingerprint was on everything. Munch had been making wine in Paso for years, beginning with Adelaida Vineyards and then for Estrella. The winery had originally been built by Munch as a spec house, started in 1978 and not completed until 2008. Le Cuvier Winery opened in 1983.

The vineyards are all dry farmed and head pruned, no inoculations or sulfites are used and no fining agents. They harvest premium grapes from limestone and calcareous sources. The current harvest ran from September 4 through the 24th.

Munch paraphrased Harold McGee, from his book On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, “Wine in the glass did not come from grapes, it’s all yeast and metabolism of the grape.” Munch added that by not using yeast and sulfites he hasn’t experienced a bad vintage. “It has little to do with winemaking so (just) let grapes do what they will.”

On barrels Munch believes that each barrel has the potential to take off in “its own personality.” He loses some to evaporation when in barrel for two years. NO NEW OAK is the mantra at Le Cuvier and has been for a long time, ever since Munch was visited by Jacques Perrin, of Chateau de Beaucastel, and was told to stop using new oak. In one year Munch switched new for old, and now you can “taste the vineyard and not the oak.” Some of the barrels date back to the 1980s and the new wine made in them “still tastes great.”

Munch explained that every bottle produced is sold at the winery, 90% to club members and 10% to walk in guests. They make 12 to 15 different wines per year, and they always hold back a few cases.

The Cellar

I knew that Munch had a cellar of library wines, that much is true, as in our email exchange in making our appointment he wrote, “We have a library containing 7000 plus bottles going back to my first vintage in 1981, so we could taste a few older wines in addition to touring & tasting our current release wines. Please let me know your specific wine interest, & also how much time you want to spend with us.”

I had written back an overly exuberant reply, pretty much stating I would spend as much time as he had and drink whatever he wanted to try. Still not wholly aware I entered his cellar only to find cases of wines lining both sides of a hall, then at the end a room lined with more cases, and a large banquet table set up with cheese, charcuterie, olives, crackers and of course several wine glasses and decanters. Being the gracious host Munch asked about our interests again, and being the appreciative writer I stuck to my answer, whatever he wanted to open…but we do sometimes prefer Bordeaux and Zins… Munch perused his clip board, flipped back and forth, and we began:

1992 Chardonnay

Either his notes or his memory served him as Munch said the wine was made from Westside vineyards, again with no sulfites, no fining and it had been fermented on the skins. (Without new oak I gathered that the skin contact would indeed contribute to color.)

The wine was honey-colored with a bouquet of bruised apple, incense, honeysuckle, with just a hint of mown grass and celery, with the same flavors on the mouth. Little to no acid made it very round to me, and the flavors lingered in my mouth, and then in memory. Munch thought there was a bit of cork taint, but I thought that blew off in a few minutes. It would be the wine he and I both returned to later in the tasting. Munch commented, “An old Cabernet and an old Chardonnay have more in common”, which made me think that I definitely want to lay down some Chard, preferably his, in my cellar.

1999 Zinfandel

With the color of dark burgundy to espresso, the bouquet included raspberry, pepper, deep, rich fruit and florals, layers of spice, forest floor and earthiness. The taste reminded me of a vintage port, very balanced and nicely spiced. Munch commented, “Picking out raisins is no what Zin is all about.” And I for one was glad those raisins stayed in the mix.

NV Pentimento

This red wine is made in the Solera method with several different vintages to create the whole. What we knew was that it was bottled in 2011, all wines were close to 15 – 16 years old (vintages ranged from 1998 to 2008) , varietals may have included old to newer Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. And as Munch said, it was a way to get rid of any excess by creating a blend.

A nice purple color with a huge bouquet that included dark, fresh berries and earthy. The flavors were very fresh, reminiscent of a fine cognac, dark fruit and chocolate.

2011 Signature Series

With 90% Malbec and 10% Cabernet from a vineyard that had been dry farmed. The color was a dark purple, I noted aromas of all dark fruit and flavors that included that same dark fruit, balanced with pepper and a lovely long finish.

I was experiencing a bit of palate fatigue here as I hadn’t noticed the pour out bucket, nor was Munch using one so it was my excuse to drink to my pleasure, so my notes on this wine is lacking. I drank quite a bit of water and rested a bit before I went upstairs for the food paired tasting that was on the schedule next. Munch said he was going off for a nap…I was a little jealous, but not for too long…

Wine and Food Paired Tasting

Before leaving us in the tasting room Munch shared this reasoning for why they serve food with their wines, we “create a ‘shadow’ of what they could be” for when you take them home and pair yourself. Recipes for all of the chef’s pairings are also available online.

2014 Chrysos paired with winter squash soup with pepitas.

75% Viognier, 25% Roussanne, skin contact, honey in color and aroma along with rich and ripe fruit: Meyer lemon, peach and kiwi. The pairing mellowed the acid in the wine quite pleasantly.

2014 Grenache (Devil’s Gate Wine Works) paired with duck breast on endive with pomegranate seeds & reduction.

Four years in barrel, I found the wine very aromatic with flavors of tart red cherry as well as dark berry. Again the pairing lowered the acid and also brought out more layers in the wine.

2015 Littoral paired with cheddar, chive and black pepper gougere.

I was told that this wine is normally Cab Franc, however this vintage was 42% Petit Verdot, 30% Cab Franc and the remaining percentages were taken up by Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. When swirling the glass we were asked to note the “stained glass” appearance that was due to dry farming. The wine had spent three years in neutral oak for aging. The color was bright and charming, and the nose held red to black fruit and pepper – all in balance. The flavor proved to be fresh and dark too, again with a nice balance of red and black fruit, followed by a welcome heat. The food pairing softened the acid and opened up the fruit even more.

NV Pentimento paired with mushroom polenta with goat cheese and wine reduction.

The 2018 release of the Pentimento using the Solera style where some of the wines contributing over 21 years of aging. The breakdown is 61% from previous years, 20% of 2015 Petit Verdot and the remaining percentage is 2015 Cab Franc. The name Pentimento is based on Lillian Hellman’s biography of the same name, referencing the past influencing the present. Black cherry titillates your nose while the flavor is very rich and layered, made brighter by the pairing.

2015 Zinfandel paired with candied rosemary mixed nuts.

Again we have a dry farmed grape, that gave aromas of dark fruit, chocolate and a slight dark vegetation. On the mouth we got that same dark fruit and chocolate as well as a hint of a sweet finish.

Stay tuned to Le Cuvier Winery this upcoming February 2019 for a new release, the L’Enfant de Papel, aka The Pope’s child, a GSM blend that is sure to wow like all the others on its own and in a pairing.

Le Cuvier Winery

http://www.lcwine.com/

To see the photo grids from all of our Paso winery visits from this trip click this.

Paso Robles Award Winning Estate Winery Holds Second Annual Harvest Dinner

November 22, 2018 by evebushman

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – Paso Robles award winning estate winery, Allegretto Vineyards and Wines, held the second annual Harvest Dinner on October 19, 2018. This was an opportunity for the community to help the winery celebrate its harvest and meet the winemaker, Allen Kinne.

Photo: Allegretto Vineyards and Wines Facebook page

The evening began with hors d’euvres at sunset and concluded with live music under the stars on the Piazza Magica. Executive Chef Justin Picard prepared a culinary experience as the highlight of the evening. In celebration of the harvest, Allegretto poured their award-winning small lot, single vineyard and Allegretto estate wines.

The combined talents of winemaker Kinne and Chef Picard promised a magical evening of excellent wine, food, and good company.

Alan Kinne has been working with Allegretto Vineyards owner, Douglas Ayers, for the past six harvests, guiding the hand-picking harvest from all of the Allegretto vineyards and producing Allegretto’s award-winning Paso Robles estate wines. Kinne was the original winemaker at Horton Vineyards and helped launch Chrysalis Vineyards, both in Virginia, until leaving for Paso Robles in 1999. His winemaking career started in 1977 with Tabor Hill Winery in Michigan. Since then his career has taken him from Michigan to Virginia, to Paso Robles and Oregon and back to Paso Robles. Kinne is widely credited for introducing the Albariño grape to the Central Coast after planting the vines in Virginia in 1996.

Chef Justin Picard is the executive chef for Allegretto resort’s farm-to-table Mediterranean-inspired Cello Ristorante and Bar. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Picard has worked in some of the most renowned kitchens in San Francisco and Aspen. His extensive career has led to opportunities overseas, two guest appearances at the James Beard House in New York, and participation in some of the nation’s most celebrated food and wine events.

The turnout for the evening was greater than expected and set the stage for future winemaker dinners and events. All of the wines poured during the evening are available from the Allegretto Vineyards tasting room.

The wine menu at the Allegretto Vineyard and Wines tasting room include flights presenting estate white and rosé wines, and estate Malbec, Tannat, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Four different flights of award-winning wine are available. A special tasting room food menu from Allegretto Resort’s Cello Ristorante & Bar can be enjoyed with a bottle of wine in the family-friendly courtyard.

Allegretto Vineyard & Wines
2700 Buena Vista Dr., #101
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 369-2526

Robert Hall Winery hosts “The Fishing Pig” harvest celebration

September 30, 2018 by evebushman

Paso Robles, Calif. – Mark your calendars for a harvest land and sea celebration at Robert Hall Winery. Winemaker Don Brady is hosting “The Fishing Pig” party savoring the indulgence between the bounty of Central Coast’s briny seafood, luscious pork goodness and fruit-forward Paso Robles wines.

On October 20^th, from 5:00pm until 8:30pm, “The Fishing Pig” celebration will feature locals’ favorite purveyor of fresh seafood, Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant in Morro Bay. Tognazzini’s will be providing an array of freshly caught seafood including oysters, shrimp, crab cakes, as well as smoked ribs, pork tacos, pulled pork sliders, and sausages.

Guests will also be treated to a vast array Robert Hall’s award-winning wines at specialty tasting bars, have the opportunity to do a barrel tasting with Brady and participate in a blending session, all while enjoying fantastic food. There will be a raffle prize to win a Double Magnum of Robert Hall wines. The party also features live music from Central Coast favorite and Grammy Award winner, Louie Ortega.

“With ‘The Fishing Pig’ event, wine lovers get an opportunity to enjoy a truly special fish, seafood and pig barbecue in a timeless setting,” said Brady. “We will have our latest Robert Hall selections and a few favorites available to sip on the terrace, overlook the vineyards, cut loose and have some fun.”

Tickets are available now on the Robert Hall website, and are $75 for members and $95 for nonmembers.

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About Robert Hall Winery

Robert Hall Winery is known for wines that enhance the great moments of life and encourage the spontaneity of the unexpected. Winemaker Don Brady sources fruit from all 11 Paso Robles AVAs ensuring the best quality wine from the best quality fruit. Guests love the casual and comfortable tasting room, picnicking under the large oak trees and cooling down with a tour of the wine cavern. Become part of the family at roberthallwinery.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

Learning, Tasting and Lunching: The Planeta MasterGlass With Alessio Planeta

September 28, 2018 by evebushman

The last time I met with Alessio Planeta and tasted through his wines was in 2015. So I was overdue for a new tasting, and this time it would include a lesson, a luncheon and a wine glass made especially for the wines!

Anthony Dias Blue (Tasting Panel Magazine), me, Piero Selvaggio (Valentino’s Santa Monica) and Alessio Planeta.

The Mouth-Watering Invite

I’d like to invite you to join us for a special “MasterGlass” experience hosted by Alessio Planeta, co-owner/lead winemaker for Sicily’s Planeta winery…Alessio will take us through a formal tasting of various expressions of Nero d’Avola from four different regions/terroirs across Sicily: Noto, Menfi, Vittoria and Capo Milazzo. Italian fine dining legend Piero Selvaggio will provide insight…“MasterGlass” comes in to play because the tasting will be conducted using glasses designed by Riedel specifically for Planeta and Nero d’Avola. The tasting will include a vertical of Planeta’s top Nero d’Avola, Santa Cecilia: 2013, 2007, 2005.

The Lesson

Alessio – along with Piero – had joined together to share what Alessio called the “Sicily of the present and the past.” Alessio began by telling his audience that to fully immerse themselves in the culture of Sicily he highly recommended the book, Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey. (From Amazon: Inspired by a deep passion for wine, an Italian heritage, and a desire for a land somewhat wilder than his home in southern France, Robert V. Camuto set out to explore Sicily s emerging wine scene. What he discovered during more than a year of traveling the region, however, was far more than a fascinating wine frontier.)

We also learned:

The wine grape Nero d’Avola is comparable to other grapes grown in other regions of the world, for example Sangiovese from Tuscany.

Harvest is a 3-month process in Sicily.

Planeta Winery prefers to keep alcohol levels to 13.4% or 13.5%, as high “alcohol is not for long aging.”

In the four areas where they have vineyards, each has a different culture as well as a different terroir influenced by both soil and sea.

Piero added:

There were no wines from Sicily when he opened Valentino’s Santa Monica over four decades ago.

There were two Italys – and when he immigrated people automatically assumed he had mafia affiliations.

With Planeta’s rise beginning 20 years ago there is a new Sicily and development on the Island.

“Tuscany is out – and Sicily is now the place to be” for wines.

The Tasting – aromas and flavors separate by ;

Cerasuola di Vittoria 2015

Cerasuola di Vittoria DOCG

Crushed red cherries, mushroom, stems, rich minerality, green peppercorn; light, bright cherry and strawberry.

Dorilli 2015

Cerasuola di Vittoria CLASSICO DOCG

Cherry liqueur, red fruit, layered spice, pleasant aromatics; red fruit again, nicely balanced with the spice and a medium finish.

Mamertino 2015

Mamertino DOC

A great nose filled with blueberry, milk chocolate, sweet port and dust; rich red to blue fruit, dry and dusty finish.

Santa Cecilia 2013

Noto DOC

Black fruit, black pepper, stewed mushroom, Bolognese sauce, perfumy; very dry, dark fruit, oak and tannins.

Santa Cecilia 2007 – MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE IN THE TASTING

IGT Sicilia

Dried blue fruit, crushed leaves, liqueur and Port qualities, rich soil; big, bold, dry dark fruit and pepper.

Santa Cecilia 2005

IGT Sicilia

Incense, forest floor, red-blue-black fruit; rich, layered fruit and spice.

Details on all of the wines can be found here: https://planeta.it/en/wine/

ZD Wines Celebrates 50 Years of Family Winemaking

September 2, 2018 by evebushman

NAPA, Calif. (PRWEB) – ZD Wines has announced that the 2018 harvest will mark 50 years of winemaking for this Napa Valley family. Founded in 1969 by Norman and Rosa Lee deLeuze, ZD Wines is committed to producing world-class wines, farming organically and providing first-class hospitality, all while supporting many charitable efforts.

Today, the second and third generations of the deLeuze family carry on the family legacy, producing wines from their certified organic vineyards in Rutherford and Carneros, as well as organic vineyards in Napa, Santa Barbara, Monterey and Sonoma. With innovative winemaking practices, they produce wines of quality, consistency and style.

“Our parents, Norman and Rosa Lee deLeuze, were dedicated to producing the highest quality wines and strived to raise the bar of excellence across the board,” said their son, Brett deLeuze, President of ZD Wines. “As we head into our 50th harvest, we are honored to carry on their vision and winemaking traditions.”

ZD Wines is known for three core varietals including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. They also produce two small production whimsical wines, named “Rosa Lee” and this fall they will release their first-ever sparkling wine to commemorate their 50-year anniversary. This fall ZD will also release their 20th Bottling of Abacus, ZD’s pinnacle and innovative solera style wine that is a blend of every vintage of their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon dating back to 1992.

The deLeuze family has a rich history of embracing an ecologically sensitive approach to all aspects of their operation. With a focus on producing world-class wines, ZD’s certified organic vineyards promote biodiversity using the best technologies of the day, as well as time honored farming methods. The winery and vineyards use solar energy, bio fuels, composting, cover cropping, recycling, water conservation, electric vehicles, and more, to conserve and enhance our planet. ZD Wines is certified by CCOF, Fish Friendly Farming, Napa Green Winery, and California Certified Sustainable Winegrowing.

“Our father believed that great wines are made from healthy vines grown in rich, living soils,” said Robert deLeuze, CEO of ZD Wines. “We are dedicated to taking care of our planet and our community. It’s at the core of who we are as a family and who we are as a business.”

The deLeuze family is also dedicated to giving back. Their annual fundraising events include Crush Challenge and ZD’s Summer Wine Celebration. A strong emphasis is placed on the Napa Valley Boys & Girls Club Teen Center as the beneficiary of these events, as well as The deLeuze Family Charitable Foundation that benefits research to find a non-toxic cure for Lymphoma (Founder, Norman deLeuze succumbed to this disease in 2007). Each week, the deLeuze family and ZD team deliver healthy snacks to the Napa Valley Boys & Girls Club Teen Center. The deLeuze family also provides an annual $500 grant to each employee to gift to local charities of their choosing, and each year they participate in charity events around the country.

To mark their 50th anniversary, ZD Wines is hosting two Napa Valley events on Saturday, September 8. The first event is an exclusive wine tasting and harvest lunch hosted at ZD’s Rutherford estate winery. That event will be followed that evening with the “ZD’s 50th Anniversary Bash” taking place at CIA at Copia in downtown Napa where ZD will host a silent auction for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa. More information can be found here.

About ZD Wines
ZD Wines is owned and operated by the deLeuze family who is dedicated to producing world-class wines, farming organically and giving back to the community. The winery is located in the Rutherford region of the Napa Valley. Their hospitality center offers sweeping valley views of premium Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and the Mayacamas mountain range to the west. The deLeuze family produces wines from their certified organic Napa Valley vineyards in Rutherford and Carneros, as well as organic vineyards in Napa, Santa Barbara, Monterey and Sonoma. With innovative winemaking practices, they produce wines of quality, consistency and style. ZD Wines is currently celebrating 50 years of winemaking and can be found online at ZDWines.com and @ZDWines on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.