Eve's Wine 101

Breckenridge Wine Classic, Held in the Heart of the Rockies, Returns this September

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GOLDEN, Colo.  – The Breckenridge Wine Classic tickets are now on sale for the September 15-17 festival. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the Breckenridge Wine Classic is a three-day festival anchored by the two-day Grand Tasting in addition to unique seminars such as a guided hike and pairing with master winemakers, wine dinners planned by world-class sommeliers, and more than 100 wineries, breweries, distilleries, and epicurean purveyors at this ultimate food, wine and sensory experience.

“The Breckenridge Wine Classic is the accessible wine festival with world-class offerings nestled in the mountains that we always wanted to see,” said Breckenridge Wine Classic Festival Events and Marketing Director Kristen Horpedahl. “With pricing starting at $75, it’s an affordable, yet highly desirable destination, for a weekend getaway with friends, bachelorette party, couples’ trip and more.”

The 2022 Breckenridge Wine Classic, celebrating its eighth year, includes:

  • The Grand Tasting, Friday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 17: The Classic’s Grand Tasting features an impressive selection of hundreds of domestic and international wines, plus premium craft beer and spirits. In an effort to provide a truly intimate tasting experience for patrons, there will be two sessions of the Grand Tasting. Both sessions feature the same beverages and samples.

  • Pairings & Seminars, all weekend: Ticketed seminars play into a variety of interests and activities. You could take a hike with a winemaker followed by a paired lunch; learn the basics of wine pairing at home; or taste why the wine glass really does make all the difference.

  • Wine dinners, Thursday, Sept. 15: Expertly curated wine dinners and paired lunches will be held at local top dining restaurants across Breckenridge with Master Sommeliers and winemakers.

“Whether you are a full-fledged foodie or an emerging gourmand, you are sure to find more than one event to whet your appetite at the wine classic,” said Slater. “There is something for everyone – from tastings next to a Rocky Mountain backdrop, to deeply educational seminars and luncheons, to outdoor adventures with food and wine influences, there are tastes and temptations at every turn.”

More details regarding the seminars and events will be released closer to the festival. Volunteer applications will open in June.

Sunset Magazine Partners with Wine Access to Launch the Sunset Wine Club

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NAPA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Wine Access, the premier online destination for expertly curated wines, has partnered with Sunset Magazine, the premier resource for achieving the ultimate Western lifestyle, to launch the Sunset Wine Club. The Sunset Wine Club will provide members with wines that represent the poetry and history of California, Oregon and Washington, each hand-selected to perfectly pair with recipes from Sunset Magazine’s latest issue, which hit newsstands February 1.

“The Sunset Wine Club is aligned with our mission to connect people and place through wine through a direct integration with the renowned content and recipes Sunset Magazine produces,” explains Wine Access CXO AJ Resnick. “Every wine is hand-selected to shine alongside each issue’s recipes, and features exclusive tasting notes and guided virtual tastings with our Chief Wine Officer Vanessa Conlin, MW and Sunset Magazine Editor-in-Chief Hugh Garvey.”

“The Sunset Wine Club is the culmination of a longtime dream of ours,” states Sunset Magazine Editor-in-Chief Hugh Garvey. “We seek out the best of the West to share with our readers and we are excited to partner with an expert retailer like Wine Access, who understands both our mission and our audience. These wines have been expertly curated to amplify our regionally authentic, original recipes, so with every bottle you open and sip you take, you are not only receiving a wine shipment, but partaking firsthand in the story of the wine in the West.”

The Sunset Wine Club includes six bottles of wine which will be delivered four times a year. Each shipment is priced at $120 (shipping included) and corresponds with the Sunset Magazine “Perfect Pairing” sidebar in each issue. For more information, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/sunset.

About Wine Access
Founded in 1996, Wine Access is the leading online direct-to-consumer wine platform offering the world’s most coveted wines. As one of the earliest adopters of ecommerce and DTC offerings in the digital wine space, Wine Access curates high quality wines from every wine region around the globe, creating more accessible ways to enjoy wine that extend beyond the bottle. Wine Access’ Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, and team of industry experts taste over 20,000 wines a year, offering only those that exceed the expectations defined by their prices. Through Wine Access’ network of family-owned, legendary winemakers, and coveted marquees, customers have access to an inspiring curation of unique and often unattainable wines. To build a deeper understanding and connection to each bottle, every shipment includes original tasting notes, flavor profiles, pairing recommendations, and compelling original stories that capture the authentic personality, passion, and philosophy of the producer. Wine Access also offers a Wine Club membership that unlocks access to rare and highly coveted wine selections from every major wine-growing region around the globe four times a year. In 2021, Wine Access was named the official wine provider of the MICHELIN Guide. To find out more, visit https://www.wineaccess.com/.

Carter Creek Winery Racks Up 12 Awards at TXIWC

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JOHNSON CITY, Texas – Carter Creek Winery, located in the heart of Texas Hill Country and owned by the Carter Family, accepted 12 awards at one of the largest wine competitions in Texas – the 5th Annual Texas International Wine Competition (TXIWC). The mission of this yearly competition is to highlight Texas as a prominent viticulture and wine-making region while also raising funds for charitable donations for local community organizations.

Entries from six countries and over 11 U.S. states were blind tasted and judged by panels of three or more industry qualified judges – master sommeliers, masters of wine, certified wine educators, enologists, wine writers, professors, beverage directors, buyers and other influencers – all chosen for their vast experience and well-trained palates.

“We are most pleased that 12 of our Texas High Plains wines from Carter Creek Family Winery won distinguished recognition at TXIWC and especially proud our Plateau Red was awarded Best of Class Texas Red,” said Jeff Carter, president of Carter Hospitality, operating company of Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa. “We too, like the organizers of this competition, are passionate about bringing recognition to Texas viticulture and supporting local community causes,” Carter added.

Veteran master winemaker Jon McPherson, who oversees production of Carter Creek’s award-winning wines, points out the winery’s vineyards in Texas Hill Country produce varietals that are especially unique because of the combination of an extremely warm growing season and an early harvest delivering softer, earth driven wines. McPherson likes to talk about the qualities of Best of Class Texas Red winner, Plateau Red, which is a blend of tempranillo, grenache, touriga nacional and tinta cao, showing a very exotic fruit aroma of spiced black cherries and raspberries. He says that Plateau Red is a rich, full-bodied wine due to 18 months of barrel aging and pleases the palate with bold lingering fruit flavors.

The 12 Carter Creek Winery, Texas High Plains award winners include the Best of Class Texas Red, one double gold, two gold and eight silver medals. Award winning wines include:

  • Best of Class Texas Red Wine Blend: Plateau Red, 2016
  • Double Gold Red Wine Blend: Maverick, 2018
  • Gold Medal White Wine Blend: Gloriosa, 2017
  • Gold Medal Red Wine Blend: Maverick, 2017
  • Silver Medal Sparkling White: Brut, NV
  • Silver Medal Dessert, Port: Dominum Tinto, NV
  • Silver Medal Other Flavored Grape Wine: Sangria, NV
  • Silver Medal Sparkling Fruit: Sparkling Peach, NV
  • Silver Medal Red: Tempranillo, 2016
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Plateau White, 2017
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Viognier Roussanne, 2017
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Viognier Roussanne, 2018

Producing award-winning wines since 2016, Carter Creek Winery’s production facilities are in Johnson City along Old Hwy 290 in Texas Hill Country, complementing Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa. Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa features 78 luxury villas, tasting rooms, a restaurant, its own onsite microbrewery creating small batch craft beers and an outdoor event center. It is a counterpart to Temecula, California’s award-winning South Coast Winery Resort & Spa and Carter Estate Winery and Resort.

 About Carter Hospitality Group

Established in 2011, Carter Hospitality Group, LLC. is a family-owned hospitality company with four hotels and resorts as well as three wineries across the United States. Based in Orange County, California, the company manages and owns a portfolio of luxury properties including South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Temecula, California; Carter Estate Winery and Resort, Temecula California; and Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa, Texas Hill Country. Carter Hospitality Group additionally serves as the owner-franchisee for Red Lion Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista South, Orlando Florida. For more information, visit www.carterhospitality.com.

Really Good Boxed Wine Announces Master Sommelier Endorsement With Its National Launch

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HEALDSBURG, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Really Good Boxed Wine, the new direct-to-consumer wine brand whose mission is to elevate the quality of boxed wines, announces the release of its 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from a Certified Sustainable in Practice (SIP) vineyard in Paso Robles.

“Andy Myers, the first Master Sommelier to become affiliated with a boxed wine.”

This is the brand’s first broadly available release after two limited releases of a 2020 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, each time selling out in a few days. Really Good Boxed Wine is available as either a one-time purchase or as a monthly subscription.

The launch of the latest varietal comes with an endorsement from Andy Myers, the first Master Sommelier to become affiliated with a boxed wine. He found his love of wine while working at the three Michelin Star Inn at Little Washington and never looked back, later spending almost a decade as the beverage director for Chef José Andrés ThinkFoodGroup.

The Master Sommelier diploma is the highest distinction a professional can attain in fine wine and beverage service. There are only 269 Master Sommeliers worldwide, including 172 in the United States, with many sommeliers dedicating their lives to achieve this elusive designation.

“Boxed wine has gotten a bad rap from wine drinkers who perceive it as being inferior,” said Myers. “But since most of today’s wines don’t need to be aged in a bottle, it makes sense to take high-end wines like those offered by Really Good Boxed Wine and create better and more sustainable packaging, without inhibiting the drinking experience. I was thoroughly impressed with all of the wines Really Good Boxed Wine is releasing, and am excited to be part of their journey.”

Really Good Boxed Wine’s founder Jake Whitman concurs with Myers’ mission to revamp the image of boxed wine while helping to address the wine industry’s carbon emissions due to bottle manufacturing.

“Really Good Boxed Wine’s goal is to create the best boxed wine in the United States, and we’re beyond thrilled that Andy loved our wine enough to endorse it after trying it,” said Whitman. “Far from mass-produced, commercially farmed grapes, our wine is directly sourced from respected vineyards and award-winning winemakers. I believe boxed wines are one of the clearest ways to help reduce the carbon impact of packaging in our industry, and our hope is Andy’s incredible palate and Master Sommelier credentials will help educate consumers on the quality of our wine.”

Whitman followed, “Our team of sommeliers and industry experts tasted more than 50 options to find the perfect wine for our January release, ultimately landing on our new 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. We can’t wait to share it with the world.”

Each 3 Liter box of Really Good Boxed Wine, the equivalent of four bottles of wine, sells for $65, or $16.25 per bottle. Wines of this caliber typically retail for a minimum of to per bottle.

Consumers enjoy up to a 60% savings versus comparable premium wine bottles, since packaging costs and shipping are significantly lower.

Really Good Boxed Wine’s next varietals include a 2021 Pinot Noir Rosé from the Russian River Valley in February, followed by a 2021 Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma County in March. For more information, visit https://www.reallygoodboxedwine.com.

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About Really Good Boxed Wine:
Really Good Boxed Wine combats the misconception that high-quality wine can’t be put in a box. They partner with world-class vineyards and award-winning winemakers to make ultra-premium wine, put it in the boxed wine format, and sell it direct-to-consumer through http://www.reallygoodboxedwine.com. It’s boxed wine you actually want to drink.

5starWines – the Book: The exclusive wine Guide now available

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – 5StarWines – the Book is the result of this year’s edition – the 5th – of the blind wine tasting 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls, which took place on June 16-18. The printed version of the Guide, not for sale, will be distributed among leading industry experts and international buyers from all over the world. However, anyone can have access to the online version, which is now available for consultation on the event website. The Guide includes technical characteristics, tasting notes, and information about the selected wines.

In this edition, more than 600 wineries from all over the world participated, and almost half of them got selected to be part of the 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls 2022 Guide. Approximately 60 wines were tasted each day by an international jury composed of Masters of Wine, Masters of Sommelier, WSET graduates, Vinitaly International Academy Experts and Ambassadors, oenologists, and journalists. More than 2000 wines were tasted by the jury, which was divided into two categories (one for 5StarWines, and the other for Wine Without Walls which focused on certified organic, biodynamic wines and wines produced by sustainable wineries). The wines awarded a score of at least 90/100 by the jury are now featured in the official Guide 5StarWines – the Book 2022. This year 510 wines were selected: 391 for 5StarWines’ category and 119 for Wine Without Walls.

The main scope of the guide is to facilitate wineries in better promotion and education of the acclimated wines. Veronafiere is committed to promoting all awardees through all of their resources, including the distribution of the guide 5StarWines – the Book during the main wine trade fairs, B2B meetings, tastings, and masterclasses throughout the year. Moreover, the digital version of the Guide allows a widespread distribution, reaching not only wine experts, but also wine lovers across the world. The Guide is an important marketing tool for the selected wines and wineries, and guarantees them visibility through constant promotional support on a national and international scale. The wines included in 5StarWines – the Book appear also on the Wine-Searcher website, the world’s most popular wine search engine, exposing them to a broad new client base.

The Digital format of the guide is available online on the official website of the event: https://www.5starwines.it/la-guida/?lang=en. The paper version of the guide is set to be published by the end of September 2021.

About: 5StarWines – the Book is the annual wine selection organized by Veronafiere, normally held in the lead-up to the biggest Italian wine fair in the world. 5StarWines – the Book & Wine Without Walls is a blind tasting aimed at shedding light on wineries investing in the improvement of their products. During the event, a highly qualified panel of wine professionals taste and score — using a 100-point scale — participating wines. In the 2021 edition – the fifth – over 2000 bottles took part in the competition and 510 were selected for inclusion in 5StarWines – the Book. The Guide is a useful tool both on the promotional and commercial side. It introduces international buyers and wine lovers to new wine products of great value. It guarantees wine quality, and it maintains and certifies their value at an international level.

Wine Country Network Launches The 2021 Tequila Mezcal Challenge

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BROOMFIELD, COLO. (PRWEB) – Wine Country Network, publishers of Wine Country International magazine, and producers of six professional beverage competitions have announced that the third annual Tequila Mezcal Challenge (TMC) is now accepting entries in more than sixty categories of Tequila, Mezcal and Agave spirits.

The company is organizing the TMC and selecting a prestigious panel of Tequila & Mezcal professionals consisting of Master Sommeliers, F&B Directors, Journalists, and Retailers Buyers. Several recognized Tequila Mezcal experts from around the US will participate as guest judges.

Christopher J. Davies, Wine Country Network, CEO and Co-Founder stated, “Serious tequila deserves serious recognition. Our well-rounded panel of experts will taste the Tequilas, Mezcal & Agave Spirits “double-blind” and achieve the fairest scoring results possible. We plan to separate spirits in different price points for our popular categories to maintain an even playing field. We are looking to identify the absolute best products in this exciting category!”

There are currently around 150 distilleries in Mexico, making Tequila, Mezcal, and Agave products. There are now over 1,500 Tequila brands, with more coming online every week. In 2020, top competition winners included:

  • Geu Beez Mezcal Espadin “Best of Show”
  • Cierto Tequila “2020 Hot Tequila Brand”

The 3rd Annual Tequila Mezcal Challenge will occur on November 13 & 14, 2021, at the Origin Hotel in Westminster, Colorado. The competition is now open to Craft Distillers, Merchant Bottlers, Brand Marketers, Commercial Distilleries, and Duty-Free Spirits Producers. Producers, Importers, and Distributors are now encouraged to enter their products online before November 1, 2021. For details visit: TEQMEZCHALLENGE.COM

Brännland Cider awarded IWSCs inaugural ice cider trophy

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At IWSC:s inaugural international judging for cider produced as wine from 100% apple juice Brännland Cider won a number of medals, out of which five gold, in the class “Ice Cider – naturally cold produced”. The ice cider judged as the best in the entered field, taking home the class trophy, was Brännland Iscider Barrique 2013. The jury gave it 97 points and wrote:
”Aromatic and giving on the nose. The palate is elegant yet rich with fresh walnuts, spicy nutmeg and cinnamon wrapped around caramelised oranges and orange peel. This is so well balanced with great acidity. Complex example with depth and a long finish.”

Andreas Sundgren, founder, Brännland Cider,

“We made the decision a few years ago to stop competing but when we heard about the IWSC initiative this spring we felt the time had come for an exception. The IWSC puts its focus on judging rather than competition which strengthens an entire field of producers and they have, as the first organisation in Europe, split the ice cider class into two categories, differentiating between ice cider produced using natural cold and ice cider produced by other means, in line with the AOC in the country of origin. IWSC:s global position together with a strong jury made it impossible not to participate. We are honored and happy to have won these medals and to be a part of this historic initiative by the IWSC.”

Brännland Cider’s ice ciders are available in a number of international markets.
About Brännland Cider

Brännland Cider was founded a decade ago with the vision of creating a world class sweet wine using Swedish apples only and guided by the same principles as the greatest sweet wine producers around the world. In its ten years of existence the company has taken place in some of the world’s best restaurants to be served alongside legends like Yquem and Müller.

The company, situated on latitude 63 at par with Iceland, Greenland and Alaska, focuses entirely on ice cider, a sweet dessert wine born in the early 1990s in Quebec, Canada. The light warm summers and cold winters of the sub-arctic are ideally suited to produce ice cider. Parallel to developing European ice cider Brännland Cider are establishing the world’s northern most apple orchards.

The vision is a singular ice cider born out of singular and unique terroir. A truly Nordic terroir that can grow and develop for a century and beyond and rival the finest wine making regions in the world.

About the IWSC

  • With over 50 years of experience, the IWSC, or Club Oenologique as it was called back in 1969, was the first official wine and spirit competition.
  • The IWSC is proud to set the international benchmark for quality, standing out in the crowded world of drinks awards with hundreds of global experts.
  • IWSC judges consist of a mix of wine and spirit experts, such as leading sommeliers, Master of Wines and Master Sommeliers, and distillers from across the globe.
  • The IWSC is the go-to platform for having your wines or spirits tasted and reviewed by leading decision-makers from both the off- and on-trades, as well as by key influencers.
  • Whether you are looking for new distribution channels, local or global exposure, product benchmarking, greater brand awareness or simply expert feedback, the IWSC is there for you.
Brännland Cider produces ice cider using 100% Swedish apples for a national and international market. The company’s first vintage, an ice cider produced in the Swedish county of Västerbotten, not far from the arctic circle, using Swedish apples in adherence to the denomination set in the country of origin of ice cider, Canada, was released in 2012.

Wine Chips Unleashes Its Private Reserve Club Featuring Small-Batch, Hand-Crafted Specialty Flavors

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HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF – Wine Chips, the innovators behind the first gourmet chip made exclusively for wine pairing and wine snacking, today removed the velvet rope and widened access to its Private Reserve Club (PRC). Having been tested for months by thousands of the company’s most loyal customers, the Wine Chips limited edition flavors have been a huge hit. The Private Reserve Club’s small-batch flavors are produced by the company’s very own Batch Masters in their gourmet Innovation Kitchen in Southern California.

Private Reserve flavors, including Jamon Iberico, Dry Aged Ribeye, Hawaiian Red Sea Salt, Spicy Calabrese, and Sweet Coconut Curry are so exclusive and so special, that club members might have difficulty choosing between them and the company’s flagship cheese flavors.

Fans will love all of the other delicious flavors in the Private Reserve Club store. Prospective members have three club tiers to choose from – Private Reserve Gold, Private Reserve Platinum, and Private Reserve Diamond – starting at $12.99 a month.

The company officially launched at the end of 2019, and saw tremendous growth in 2020, according to Emily Wines, one of the Wine Chips Master Sommeliers and the Chair of the Court of Master Sommeliers, U.S.

“We are so proud of what we have accomplished with Wine Chips and are delighted to launch our Private Reserve Club,” says Ms. Wines. “Who doesn’t love delicious potato chips? Here we have an easy snack that actually stands up to the incredible experience of drinking the wine itself. It’s incredibly easy to explain to customers at the tastings that I do, as the appeal of Wine Chips is just so obvious and intuitive!” she shares.

Private Reserve Club Tiers:

Private Reserve Gold – $12.99/month:

  • 3 oz. Private Reserve Tube
  • Purchase from the Private Reserve Shop
  • Free Delivery for Subscription Plan Items

Private Reserve Platinum – $18.99/month:

  • 3 oz. Private Reserve Tube + Replacement Bag
  • Purchase from the Private Reserve Shop
  • Free Delivery for Subscription Plan Items
  • 10% Site-Wide Club Discount
  • $4.99 Flat-Rate Delivery

Private Reserve Diamond – $29.99/month:

  • Two 3oz. Private Reserve Tubes + Two Replacement Bags
  • Purchase from the Private Reserve Shop
  • Free Delivery for Subscription Plan Items
  • 10% Site-Wide Club Discount
  • $4.99 Flat-Rate Delivery
  • Individual Item Ordering

Sarah Boulay-Haupt is the Vice President of Retail for Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, and is a big fan of the flavor innovations that Wine Chips offers. “We’ve done a number of collaborations with Wine Chips,” said Ms. Boulay-Haupt. “From a Bombay Spice flavor that we offered to our Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club subscribers to Candied Bacon, a treat that was included in the Screen Actors Guild Award gift boxes earlier this month, Wine Chips never ceases to impress with their creativity and execution,” says Ms. Boulay-Haupt.

Created by an earnest, diverse, and highly committed team, the fresh, hand-crafted chips offer the feel of an instant party when enjoyed with a glass of wine. Alongside a small group of passionate oenophiles, exuberant chip connoisseurs and a talented team of Master Sommeliers, entrepreneur Jonathan Strietzel first embarked on his journey to develop the perfect snack product for wine lovers back in 2017.

Batch after batch, taste-test after taste-test, they collaborated over countless glasses of wine until they found the answer: a lattice cut, extra thick chip, with powerful, flavorful seasonings intended to help wine lovers feel the perfect balance when paired with the proper wine.

Wine Chips began with three flagship flavors – Smoked Gouda, Blue Cheese and Manchego – to enhance one’s experience by creating an equilibrium with the specific fruits, tannins and acidity in the wines. The company has gradually added new gourmet cheeses and other exotic flavors over the past year, and now with the Wine Chips Private Reserve Club, members will receive one exclusive and wonderful new flavor every month. Occasionally, limited quantity flavors will drop without notice. “It’s been a labor of love and the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” said Mr. Strietzel.

Wine Chips is excited to find additional ways to cultivate a following amongst Private Reserve Club members going forward.

Follow Wine Chips on Instagram and Facebook:
https://www.instagram.com/winechips/
https://business.facebook.com/winesbestfriend/

MORE ABOUT WINE CHIPS:
Wine Chips was founded in 2017, perfected in 2019, and launched to the world in 2020 by entrepreneurs, family and friends. Wine Chips was born out of the desire to have a delicious, easy, and portable snack that pairs with wine and enhances wine enjoyment. The self-distributed, e-commerce brand was released quietly on social media, developing an immediately loyal following among specifically targeted wine lovers. Located in Huntington Beach, California, Wine Chips is also available at select upscale wine and gourmet food retailers nationwide.

Vintage Eve 3/2018: Appellation Alentejo in Portugal, A Tasting and Masterclass

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One rare not-so-sunny day I traveled to the Mondrian Los Angeles in West Hollywood for a wine class and tasting on the Alentejo region of Portugal. My education on Portugal had been, up to this point, mostly spent on the obvious: Ports. However, as a wine writer, it’s always special to not only taste new wines but also have the additional benefit of learning. Here goes…

Image from CellarTours.com

The Masterclass

The session will be presented by Evan Goldstein, MS, one of our industry’s most engaging and informed wine educators, in addition to being a leading expert on Portuguese wines. At the masterclass, Evan will offer a snapshot of the grapes, zones, sub-zones and characteristics that define Alentejo’s wines and collectively establish it as one of the most promising wine regions in southern Europe today.

Takeaways for Wine 101ers

  • Three sides of Portugal is bordered by Spain.
  • It takes less than 90 minutes to travel by train from Lisbon to Alentejo.
  • Alentejo covers one third of Portugal.
  • Alentejo is the size of Belgium.
  • They’ve been making wine for over 4,000 years; the Roman settlers were the first to plant vineyards.
  • They are 9th in the world in vineyard acreage.
  • They are 11th in total worldwide production (USA is 4th)
  • Portuguese have the largest wine consumption in the world, 54 liters per person per year.
  • Nearly 80% of the wines are reds.
  • Blending is allowed and they “embrace everybody’s grapes” in Alentejo.

Tasting

We had 12 wines to taste, starting with a sparkling Rose, two whites and the remainder were all reds. Evan wanted us to taste blind – this was lost on me as no one seemed that familiar with the grapes to begin with, we were there for a lesson, so not sure why the blind format – but it didn’t slow us down. In fact, by “halftime” we had been given less time to evaluate each wine.

Surrounded by fellow media and some members of the trade, we began our task. Number, year, producer and then the name of the wines are below. The many wine grape varietals are in parenthesis.

 

Rose: 2014 Herdade do Rocim, Espumante Brut Rose (Touriga Nacional)

Color: fresh peach.

Aroma: strawberry, cherry blossom, French toast, yeast.

Flavor: cherry, strawberry, tart, medium acid.

 

One: 2015 Rui Reguinga, Terrenus Reserva Branco (field blend of mixed whites)

Color: 24 carat gold.

Aroma: honey, kiwi, stone fruit.

Flavor: green apple, grapefruit, orange zest, medium acid.

 

Two: 2016 Luis Duarte, Rubrica Branco (Antao Val, Verdelho and Viognier)

Color: pale gold.

Aroma: green hay, barnyard, yeast and cheddar cheese.

Flavor: sweetened grapefruit, tinny, good mouth-coating viscosity, short finish.

 

Three: 2013 Susana Esteban, Procura Tinto (Field blend, Alicante Bouschet)

Color: purple.

Aroma: blue to black fruit, Cabernet-like, chocolate.

Flavor: dry, tannic, dried dark fruit.

 

Four: 2013 Joao Portugal Ramos, Vila Santa Reserva Tinto (Aragonez – aka Tempranillo – as well as Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet)

Color: dark garnet.

Aroma: red fruit, stems, cigar, wet bark, medicinal.

Flavor: red fruit and stems again.

 

Five: 2011 Mouchao, Tinto (Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira – commonly used in port wine reduction but I didn’t know that until I looked up the grape!)

Color: dark purple.

Aroma: sweet, port-like, blueberry, blackberry jam.

Flavor: drier in mouth than expected, same port-like qualities and cigar.

 

Six: 2014 Esporao, Reserva Tinto (Aragonez – aka Tempranillo –as well as Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet.)

Color: dark purple.

Aroma: cigar, dark chocolate, espresso, mint.

Flavor: mature fruit, balanced with spice, good dark fruit.

This was the first of my favorites in the tasting.

 

Seven: 2014 Cartuxa, Tinto (Aragonez – aka Tempranillo – as well as Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira.)

Color: purple.

Aroma: pungent red to blue fruit – a lot, and a nice amount of spice.

Flavor: black fruit, balanced, spice milder.

This was the second of my favorites.

 

Eight: 2012 Dona Maria, Grande Reserva Tinto (Alicante Bouschet, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Touriga Nacional)

Color: dark purple.

Aroma: tart nose of blueberry, dark cherry and white pepper.

Flavor: red fruit, some spice, tannic.

 

Nine: 2015 Cooperativa Granja Amaraleja, Moreto Pe-Franco Tinto (100% Moreto – in amphora!)

Color: dark garnet.

Aroma: sweet, stewed fruits, plump raisings, milk chocolate, dark cherry.

Flavor: Nice big, bold and dark fruit, good spice.

My third favorite in the tasting. Been a long time since I had a clay pot, aka amphora, wine.

 

Ten: 2015 Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Malhadinha Tinto (Alicante Bouschet, Syrah, Tinta Miuda and Touriga Nacional.)

Color: dark garnet.

Aroma: fresh bowl of cut red fruit, juicy darker fruits, mint, earth.

Flavor: deep, layered, balanced fruit, spice and tannins.

Also a favorite for me.

 

Eleven: 2013 Cortes de Cima, Tinto (Aragonez – aka Tempranillo – as well as Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot.

Color: dark red.

Aroma: red to blue fruit, nicely balanced.

Flavor: heavy red fruit, deep, flavors well integrated.

 

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Facebook: Wines of Alentejo USA

Twitter: @winesofalentejo

Instagram: winesofalentejousa

#WinesOfAlentejo

http://www.winesofportugal.com/us

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, 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.

Oregon’s Domaine Serene Becomes the World’s Most Awarded Winery at Decanter’s 2020 World Wine Awards

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DAYTON, Ore., /PRNewswire/ — Domaine Serene is far and away the most awarded winery in the world at the prestigious Decanter 2020 World Wine Awards. This year, the Dundee Hills winery took home 23 medals including ‘Best in Show’ for their 2016 Domaine Serene Mark Bradford Vineyard Pinot Noir, earning 97 points. The winery also brought home four Gold medals, 17 Silver medals, and one Bronze medal, with five wines earning a remarkable 95 points or more. Domaine Serene was not alone in its success with additional rave reviews coming for Château de la Crée and Maison Evenstad, also owned by proprietors Grace and Ken Evenstad. Their two Burgundian wineries were bestowed with an additional nine medals including seven Silvers. Standing at the top, their 2017 Maison Evenstad, Premier Cru  Beaurepaire Santenay, earned 95 points, besting several Grand Cru Burgundies in the tasting.

 

Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is widely considered to be the world’s most important international wine competition, making this recognition yet another big win for Oregon’s burgeoning luxury wine industry. With an elite international panel of judges, the DWWA began the painstaking task of evaluating over 16,500 wines from 56 countries in August. Over the course of 28 consecutive days, 118 expert wine judges, including 37 Masters of Wine and nine Master Sommeliers, bestowed the honor of most awarded winery to Domaine Serene.

“Ken and I are thrilled that Domaine Serene has received such incredible recognition across the board. To be the most awarded winery in the world at the DWWA is a testament to the quality of our vineyards and to the talent, hard work and dedication of our team,” said Grace Evenstad, Co-Founder and Owner of Domaine Serene. “To receive ‘Best in Show’ for our Mark Bradford Vineyard Pinot Noir is especially gratifying. We named the vineyard after our son, Mark Bradford Evenstad, and it was the first vineyard that we ever planted at Domaine Serene almost thirty years ago. Planting its high elevation slopes and west facing aspect went against advice from the local vintners, yet we knew it had the potential to make world-class wine and so we planted it anyway. It has always been one of my favorite wines and I have long appreciated the power, structure, and longevity of our Mark Bradford Pinot Noirs. We are thrilled that it has received such critical acclaim at such an important competition.”

“In its 17th year, the DWWA is the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. Judged by the top wine experts from around the globe, the DWWA is trusted internationally for its rigorous blind judging process and regional experts,” said Bree Stock, Master of Wine and Education Manager of the Oregon Wine Board. “It’s an enormous feat for a region like Oregon, that represents a fraction of US global exports, to receive ‘Best in Show’ along with the breadth of medals in such a prestigious competition. This award raises the profile and awareness of our region’s wines not only to Decanters’ highly informed consumer audience, but also to the global wine experts on the judging panel. Congratulations Domaine Serene.”

Domaine Serene took home a total of 23 medals from the elite London-based contest.  In addition to being awarded ‘Best in Show’, the winery earned four Gold Medals for the 2016 ‘Aspect’ Pinot Noir, 2017 Clos de Lune Vineyard Chardonnay, and 2016 Etoile Vineyard Chardonnay, each earning 96 points, with its 2016 Two Barns Vineyard Pinot Noir, earning 95 points. The Dundee Hills winery also brought home 17 Silver medals and one Bronze medal, more details can be found here. Domaine Serene wines have now earned 95 points and above by major critics an astounding 115 times! This is in addition to being awarded #1 Ranked Pinot Noir in the World by Wine Spectator in 2013 and in 2016 #1 Pinot Noir in the World by Decanter and #1 White Wine in the World by Wine Spectator, for its ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay. This universal acclaim from an array of critics solidifies Domaine Serene as America’s Most Acclaimed Winery.

“We are humbled by this great honor and thank our members, distributors and customers supporting our pursuit of quality over the years. To celebrate these awards, we are making some of the medalists available for tasting at our winery Clubhouse in the Dundee Hills and at the Domaine Serene Wine Lounge in Lake Oswego. We are also opening up our wine library to new and existing wine club members so that they can share in the enjoyment of these cherished wines in their homes.” said Ryan Harris, Domaine Serene President.

For more information, to visit our locations or to join the wine club or mailing list, please visit www.DomaineSerene.com or call 503-864-4600 and follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

About Domaine Serene
The Evenstads settled in the Northern Willamette Valley in 1989. Their spirit and passion to produce wines that rival the great wines of Burgundy led them to purchase and plant a hilltop estate that had just been logged in the now famous Dundee Hills.

Today, Domaine Serene produces wines from six individual vineyard estates, planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In Oregon, the Evenstads own nearly 1,000 total acres of land in the hills of Yamhill County, with 275 acres planted to vine.

Working every job in the winery for many years, Grace and Ken Evenstad built Domaine Serene from the ground up with a focus on producing high quality wines through innovation and a focus on excellence. The Evenstads have gained a true appreciation for the attention to detail required to make exceptional wines.

In 2015, Ken and Grace Evenstad fulfilled a lifelong dream of producing wine in Burgundy, France by acquiring Château de la Crée, the respected wine estate located in the birthplace of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: the renowned Côte d’Or. They own 25 acres of prime vineyards in Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay and Maranges. This made them the first Oregon-based vintners to own land and produce wines in Burgundy.

In just under three decades, the Evenstads have propelled Domaine Serene onto the global stage as one of the world’s most acclaimed and respected wineries. Domaine Serene’s wines represent the achievement that is possible in Oregon, one of the finest regions in the world for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.