Perlises Pick What Wines We Are Drinking At Home – Part 2

February 6, 2021 by Michael Perlis

I’ve written about Stillman Brown and the wines he makes somewhere in Paso Robles often enough over the last several years that people might think I owe him something. All I really owe him is a thank you for his delicious wines as well as for his witty emails. Karen and I have really enjoyed all his wines, but since this series of articles is primarily about the “lighter” wines that we’ve been enjoying at home, I thought I’d share with you two of those that were released most recently. And rather than bore you with my descriptions, I figured I’d just turn you over to Swilly himself:

The deal goes down with Stillman in the La Quinta parking lot — photo by Mike Ortiz (Photo is from this website’s library, taken well before Covid.)

“2019 Chateau d’Abalone Vermentino. It’s light and it’s big, it’s crisp and it’s soft, and it smells like….Vermentino, not like table grapes, dirt, and Muscat de Middleman was added instead of the best possible yeast for the variety. Unusual vine canopy management and my little enological tricks – a ‘secret ingredient’? – make a difference, I think: it’s the equal of the 2015, which … oh well, how about a more recent brag? The new swill slayed all comers at a post-Christmas party I was semi-forced to attend, There were some pretty good palates there, but a few belonged to “snobbeliers” so I didn’t mention that the wine was still in bottle shock at that point. It might have been interpreted as winemaker egomania watered down to mere smugness…

2019 Colossus Viognier. There would have been more if not for Bambi & family, who munched away undisturbed for the extra weeks it took to ripen everything this year, but I did manage to get enough to partly fill a beautiful Caucasian 265 liter barrel – second use, as when new it had held the previous vintage only three months. Second is not second best for barrel fermented whites, sez me. I also had enough to partly fill a 55 gallon stainless drum. (Fill >80% and ferment —> yeast lava flow.) No sweetness, no cloying warm climate perfume, no “it’s cool climate Viognier, it’s supposed to be thin and weird'” Santa Barbara marketing spin. It’s 31 proof.”

Did you follow all that? Yeah, me neither.

From Karen: But the wines were great. These wines go with all our “lighter meals” – turkey, chicken, fish and also what we like to call our “snacks” nights – shrimp cocktails or even steak tartare. Add some fruit, cheese and crackers and we can have dinner on the table in 10 minutes. We know these wines complement whatever we are having for dinner.

The bad news is that I expect these wines are long gone. The good news is they were released about a year ago, so maybe we can expect something equally exciting sometime soon. But the only way that you will know is if you get on his email list, so contact him at swillyidle@gmail.com. You’ll have the opportunity to get some wonderful wines and also some entertaining emails.

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.

Vintage Eve Circa 6/2018: Henry Wine Group’s TASTE THE WORLD 2018

January 5, 2021 by evebushman

A grand tasting showcasing the Wines and Spirits of The Henry Wine Group. Over 300 producers from around the world…the owners…people behind the scenes…

This is not the first time I’ve been to the grand Taste of the World event put on by the Henry Wine Group. I got wind of it a few years ago when my contributing editor and VP Michael Perlis attended. Soon we both were attending, and eventually, as I learned my way around we agreed: I would cover the spirits and Michael would cover the wines. As the wineries have a larger presence you may agree that Michael got the better gig, but as he has to write about it all, I’d say I got the best deal. LOL.

Henry Wine Group now uses the name Winebow.

Fun Factoids: Within 30 minutes of tasting and spitting out…my lips got numb. Kind of a new phenomenon for me. With wine your teeth and tongue get more stained in tasting and spitting than in drinking alone. In both instances you don’t swallow. You usually don’t swirl some spirits (in one class I learned that swirling “makes an angry scotch angrier”) but you do smell, then taste, hold in your mouth to let it do its thing, expectorate it all, pour out any remainder in the tasting glass and then rinse your glass with water if changing spirits. (This is a good time to drink some water too.) Even with all that, I did not make it through all of the spirits in the tasting lineup. I purposely skipped any I had had before as well as many in the last couple of tables as palate fatigue (tongue now numb) had set in. So if you are a rum, tequila or Absinthe lover (I’m an Absinthe lover for anyone making the perfect Sazerac) you can stop reading now, and please accept my apologies!

What I Tasted (if you just want photo coverage go here for three grids)

Osco Oakland Spirits Company, Glasshouse brandy – think Vodka flavored like the botanicals found in Gin, and then some – I enjoyed the Spicy Chinese Mint, Marjoram, Trade Winds (yes, salty air and the sea were an inspiration) and Shiso (as in the savory Umami in Japanese foods).

Rough Rider Double Cask Rye Bourbon, Three Barrel Rye, Cask Strength Straight Bourbon and Cask Strength Rye.

Pine Barrens Barrel Aged Gin (barrels held single malt whisky prior to the gin) and American Single Malt Whiskey.

Del Professore Vermouth Blanco and Vermouth Rosso. Both had amazing flavors and made me think of the past, where people sipped Vermouth on its own, over ice, in a little glass. I think this is a trend we could see again – especially with these Vermouths. The distillery was founded in Italy in the late 1800s.

Sibona Grappa Riserva, Port Wood Finish.

POLI Dal 1898 Grappaioli, Cleopatra and Sarpa – all excellent Grappas.

Bache Gabrielsen VSOP and XO Cognac (The XO was to die for)

Spirit Works Distillery – the entire lineup – Vodka, Gin, Barrel Gin, Straight Wheat Whiskey, Straight Rye Whiskey and a surprise: Sloe Gin made from macerated Sloe berries (think of a small round berry, blackberry in color, and adding both color and sweetness to Gin. Read more here) which was great alone but would also lend itself well in a cocktail.

Tullibardine Single Malt Whisky: both The Murray and the 25 year old. There were three others I tasted that were all less than 10 years old, none with an age on the label, but tasty just the same so keep an eye peeled for those: 225 Sauterne Finish, 228 Burgundy Finish and Sovereign finished in ex-Bourbon barrels.

Meletti Liqueurs I’d had before but the family member that I had met years before had returned, so I dove in to taste a few of their newer liqueurs: 1870 Bitter Aperitivo, Anisette and Dry Anisetta. All excellent!

And that, as they say, is all she wrote.

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.

Perlis Picks: Vintners Resort!

December 19, 2020 by Michael Perlis

The last time Karen and I visited Vintners Resort in Santa Rosa was in 2019. At that time, the additions of the modern luxury suites and rooms and amenities such as the new spa and pool were in place and the transition from Vintners Inn to Resort was complete.

My plan was to write about this for your reading pleasure late last year or early this one. Delays on my part pushed this farther out than anticipated, and then the world changed. Trying to tell you about the place we visited late last summer seemed perhaps a little irrelevant. What is relevant is what they are doing now and going forward.

Don’t get the wrong idea. The changes made last year are pretty exciting, completing the vision of a property modeled as a modern Mediterranean village, including a harvest table in the onsite vineyard for celebratory meals. And with Vintners Resort now in its 40th year, there is a lot to celebrate.

It’s just that celebrating is a little different right now.

Vintners Resort, in addition to being our favorite place to stay, is known for hosting amazing events, both indoor and out. Those are currently on hold, but staying at the resort certainly isn’t. They’ve indicated that guests are not put in adjoining rooms in order to maximize social distancing, and rooms are given extra sanitizing as well as 24 hours of non-occupancy between guests. So, capacity is reduced accordingly.

Meals are as great as ever, just a little different too. With the River Vine café temporarily closed until next spring, in-room dining is the next best thing. Admittedly, I was a little worried about how my poached eggs would weather the journey across the property, but they were perfect. [Yes, poached eggs are a thing for me.]

Late afternoon and evening dining are available at The Front Room and of course, at John Ash & Co., either dining on the patio or to-go back to your room. Both options are stellar [we know because we tried both] but I highly recommend you don’t miss the opportunity to dine at John Ash under the stars.

When I asked General Manager Percy Brandon what he would like people to know, he responded: “We’re open. We’re ready. And we are following protocols.”

Their website lists in detail what all these protocols are:

https://www.vintnersresort.com/experience/covid-19-policy/

We always love our visits to Vintners Resort. This one was no exception. For as long as I can remember, the property has always had the slogan “Celebrate Everything” but that can easily be augmented with the mantra of “Be Respectful” and the staff has really taken this to heart as well.

Not only is the property itself beautiful and quite peaceful, but it is also ideally located for day trips to the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, the Sonoma Coast and more. I can’t imagine a better place to stay in Sonoma County Wine Country.

Be sure to sign up on their website and follow them on Facebook. Now is the time to get great deals.

Vintners Resort

https://www.vintnersresort.com/

4350 Barnes Road
Santa Rosa CA 95403

Why I Go Both Ways: Enjoying Wine and Spirits

June 19, 2020 by evebushman

When I first started drinking wine and decided to spend the time and money for further education and certification, I didn’t think about studying spirits as well. However, the course I wanted offered by WSET at the time, included both. (WSET stand for Wine and Spirits Education Trust. In the last few years they have split the two certifications, though they still go by the WSET name.)

L to R: Claudia Sheridan, Denise Lowe and Eve Bushman shortly after receiving out WSET pins in 2010.

It was in those classes that I got to spend time learning about a wide array of wines as well as spirits. It might have been where the bug for spirits bit me. If you were to talk to my husband he would say that his interest in single malt scotch was what swayed me. (He may be right as we cover more than one whisky event a year. That category alone includes his beloved single malt scotch as well as rye, bourbon and blended scotch whisky.)

Fast forward a few years and I found myself offered not only wine tasting opportunities but spirit tasting as well. There is one event that offers both wine and spirits, and in those my Contributing Editor Michael Perlis usually covers the wine while I do the spirits. It’s a bit different than wine tasting – the offered taste is smaller, you still sniff and taste, but spit all out as the alcohol levels are so much higher. With that said, I usually only make it halfway through a spirit tasting until my lips grow numb and I have to take a break.

From spirit tastings I moved into a little bit of mixology classes and started experimenting with making cocktails at home. We hit on a few favorites and have stuck with them over the years.

My husband, also a lover of both wine and spirits, started buying me gifts that the home bartender would need, and I returned the favor and found him some unique items as well. We now have travel kits, three or four shakers, different measures of “shot” glasses, bar spoons, single “rock” makers, simple syrup, brown sugar, sweet and dry vermouth, Amaro, Compari and other mixers, as well as a nice array of bitters, cherries, oranges, limes and lemons at any given time.

One friend, a fellow wine writer, asked me how I could like both wine and spirits. I found the question in and of itself to be peculiar, but answered anyway, I felt – and still do feel – that there are just as many discoveries in aromas and flavors in both. If you can detect things like fruit, nuts, botanicals, earth and wood in your wine you will be pleased to learn that some of the same aromas and flavors are in your spirits.

On hot days we often enjoy chilled Viognier, Chardonnay, Picpoul de Pinet, Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling…basically any white wine that we own. But, on some hot days we also have been known to enjoy a gin Martini, Moscow Mule, Aperol Spritz, Sazerac, Negroni, Margarita, Rob Roy, Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. Usually how it works is that we have a cocktail before (aperitif) or after (digestif) dinner, and a nice bottle of white wine with warm weather dishes such as salads, seafood, chicken and cheese plates. During the cooler days of fall and winter we often enjoy Rhônes and Bordeaux varietals with dinner, but still enjoy a cocktail before or after.

After our best meals, which usually means a beautiful sous vide filet and a red wine from our cellar, we often finish our evening not with a cocktail but with a nosing glass (aka a Glencairn) of one of our favorite single malt scotch whiskies. Then we linger over those flavors as well.

Now, how do you imbibe? Maybe it’s time to widen your taste profile a bit.

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.

Perlis Picks: Some Wine History Books

May 23, 2020 by Michael Perlis

I find myself reading more lately, so I thought it was a good time to catch up on some books to review and suggest to our readers.

We’re going to start by going way back.

Painting by Ferdinand Deppe, photo credit California Historical Society.

In Tasting the Past: The Science of Flavor and the Search for the Origins of Wine, journalist Kevin Begos chronicles his first taste of a red wine from his hotel mini-bar in Jordan made by the Cremisan Winery and Monastery. The wine and winery were both unfamiliar to him [and definitely to me and I expect probably to you too]. That bottle set him off on a multi-year, multi-country quest to learn about the grape varieties that went into the truly old-world wines, many of which are not known of at all in the United States, such as Jandali, Hamdani and Baladi. Tracing the history and combining that quest with a healthy dose of wine science results in a fascinating story that left me wanting to learn more. Told in an engaging and witty style, Begos is definitely someone I’d like to share a bottle of something obscure and interesting with.

Tasting the Past: The Science of Flavor and the Search for the Origins of Wine

By Kevin Begos

https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Past-Science-Flavor-Origins/dp/1616205776

Jumping forward (a lot) is Crush: The Triumph of California Wine by John Briscoe. This book traces the history of wine in California from the 1700s, with the theme of the crises over which the California wine industry has triumphed. While Prohibition might be the first thing to come to mind, the author also discusses the San Francisco earthquake, world wars and phylloxera, as well as economics and politics, as impediments over which the California wine industry has been ultimately triumphant. Briscoe, who lives in San Francisco, is himself a poet, lawyer and author of other published books as well as being co-owner of the fifth oldest restaurant in the United States – Sam’s Grill.

Crush: The Triumph of California Wine

By John Briscoe

https://www.amazon.com/Crush-Triumph-California-John-Briscoe/dp/1943859493/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1588273558&sr=8-1

About the only thing not covered in great depth about California wine in Crush is the story of wine in our own Los Angeles area. Thomas Pinney nicely fills that gap with The City of Vines: A History of Wine in Los Angeles. I first became familiar with Mr. Pinney’s work when I read his exhaustive two volume A History of Wine in America (which I highly recommend). This book enables Pinney to provide a much more micro analysis of how much wine dominated our local area and environs. Of course, I had known for some time that the wine industry in L.A. today is a mere shadow of what it used to be, but I had not realized to what extent this was true. The list of street name origins alone is enough to drive this point home. Alas, those are mostly about all we have left of that legacy. Many factors contributed to the demise of the Los Angeles wine story – prohibition, rising real estate values, population changes, Pierce’s disease are just some of them.

The City of Vines: A History of Wine in Los Angeles

By Thomas Pinney

https://www.amazon.com/City-Vines-History-Wine-Angeles/dp/1597143987/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=city+of+vines&qid=1588273634&sr=8-1

The last part of City of Vines touches a little on the resurgence of winemaking in LA County, with mentions of Rosenthal and Moraga along with Reyes up here in the Santa Clarita Valley. But followers of Eve’s Wine 101 know there is a lot more than that going on. In the SCV alone we have Pulchella, Hoi Polloi, Pagter Brothers, to name just some of them. Farther northeast is Golden Star and down in Los Angeles are Byron Blatty as well as Angeleno in downtown L.A., among others. While these developments were probably not considered significant enough at the time to be included in the book, there is actually even more going on, which I will tell you about soon.

Perlis Picks: Membership with the Historic Vineyard Society

January 18, 2020 by Michael Perlis

I’ve written about the Historic Vineyard Society various times over the years. This organization is near and dear to my heart, dedicated to the preservation of California’s historic vineyards, so many of which have been lost to development or replanted to grapes that are currently in vogue and therefore more profitable. Karen and I have had the pleasure of attending some of the society’s events and we’ve encouraged others to do so as well. We’ve also made some great friendships along the way.

But now there is an opportunity for fans of these important historic vineyards to assist in the efforts of the HVS on an ongoing basis. I recently received the following email:

You are invited to become part of the HVS family

Dear friends,

Since HVS launched almost ten years ago, we have been driven by our commitment to preserving California’s historic vineyards. Many of these vines have been around much longer than we all have, surviving two World Wars, Prohibition and an ever-changing economy and climate. We started HVS to save historic vineyards, and our mission is even more important today as it was back then.

We are continually working to initiate projects that move this goal forward, but we need your help to do so. We have decided as a Board to open up an HVS membership, one that involves an annual commitment to HVS at various levels. Why? We continue to operate with almost no overhead, but we do have a small amount of expenses to keep HVS up and running.

For those who want to take their involvement with HVS one step further, click the link below to make a commitment to supporting HVS each year. For as little as a few cents each day, you can help keep these precious vines in the ground. Thank you for your consideration, and as always, let us know if you have any questions or feedback.

Best,
The HVS Board of Directors

Signed:

Mike Officer

Tegan Passalacqua

Morgan Twain-Peterson

Bob Biale

David Gates

Mike Dildine

For those of you who are fans of old vineyard sites, especially those dedicated to Zinfandel, Syrah and great old field blends, you’ll definitely recognize at least some of these names.

Emily Rasmussen, HVS Administrator, sent me some additional information:

We have been floored and so excited by the response to our newly launched membership. We’ve started to add our members to our new Supporters page, linked here.

Here is a bit more info than we have in the email:

We offer incremental benefits as follows, listed individually on each membership page:
- Old Vine ($50/year) and Centenarian Vine ($100/year) Members receive:
  - Your name listed on the HVS website’s Supporters page
  - A welcome gift from HVS
- Ancestor Vine ($500/year) Members receive:
  - Your name listed on the HVS website’s Supporters page
  - A welcome gift from HVS
  - First access to purchasing tickets to HVS events
- Historic Vine ($1000/year) Members receive:
  - Your name listed on the HVS website’s Supporters page
  - A welcome gift from HVS
  - First access to purchasing tickets to HVS events
  - One complimentary ticket to each HVS event

Membership is a way of committing to a yearly donation to HVS. Donating is completely optional: all are welcome to support HVS by receiving our emails and attending our events, or by making a one-time donation at any amount using our Donations Page. Donating/not donating, joining/not joining membership will not impact anyone’s status on the HVS mailing list or one’s ability to attend events. All those on our mailing list will receive the same offers to purchase tickets to HVS events (and wine, if applicable).

Let me know if I can answer any other questions. Thanks so much for your support, Michael!

For anyone who has an interest in helping with the preservation of these old vineyards, this is a great opportunity to participate [along with attending events and purchasing wine, of course]. I already see some names I know on the HVS Supporters page and I’m looking forward to seeing more.

Vintage Eve Circa 8/2016: Taking Over Skirball, Rhone Rangers LA 2016 Part One

August 13, 2019 by evebushman

The Rhone Rangers rode into the Skirball last weekend and as a major Rhone wine lover I was thrilled to attend the tasting again. A seminar and luncheon was also offered in the day’s events, see an upcoming article from Contributing Editor Michael Perlis as he covered that portion.

Wine 101ers: What is a Rhône

Basically Rhône grapes were born in the Rhône Valley of France and are now grown here in the U.S. The most common reds make up the “GSM” blend: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. On the white end you may have already had a Viognier – think Sauvignon Blanc without the high acid and with more delicate fruit. Other whites that may have crossed your palate are Roussanne and Marsanne, sometimes alone or in a white Rhône blend. If you want to wine geek out more here is a listing of “The 22 Rhone Ranger Grapes” direct from the Rhone Rangers website.

Tony Quealy from Halter Ranch Vineyard and Gary Stewart from Four Brix Winery.

Wineries A-F (Part Two, Wineries H-Z will run next week)

For some of you that think I was nuts to skip a particular winery…it may have been because I “Gave a Positive Review Already” and chose to forage on to other wineries. These wineries will be noted as GPRA and will have a hyperlink to my review…if I can find it. While some others, that may have been equally stellar as those I did visit, suffered my absence (Ha!) due to me suffering a wee bit of palate fatigue, so those are noted as SPF. (Editor’s note: any links for the West Ranch Beacon, aka WRB, are now closed, the webmaster chose not to save the links when he closed up his site. Also note that every article I wrote for the WRB is re-purposed on this site every Tuesday.)

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/eve.bushman/posts/10208640076546763?pnref=story

Adelaida Cellars – GPRA I will never forget the wine dinner I had with some nicely aged wines from the Adelaida cellar – and a lesson that Paso wines don’t have to be drunk right away. http://www.westranchbeacon.com/category.php?catg=8&id=2721 and http://www.westranchbeacon.com/visit-article-archives-view.php?catg=8&id=6287

Andrew Murray Vineyard – SPF

Beckmen Vineyards – Enjoyed the 2013 Cuvee Le Bec Red Blend and a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon at a tasting two weeks ago with Tasting Room Mgr. Neil Redmond (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208567024880517&set=pcb.10208567026520558&type=3&theater) so I skipped the Cuvee at this tasting but really enjoyed a big yet balanced wine club offering: The 2014 PMV Syrah Clone #1.

Bernat – SPF

Bonny Doon – Rock star (and there were a few of them at the event repping their wineries) Randall Grahm poured about a dozen of his wines. I had been a fan of his “Le Cigare” label for as long as I can remember. Well, at least since I first heard the story about the law against landing a flying saucer in the vineyards of France. This time I really liked the 2011 Le Cigare Volant Red Blend, 2011 Le Cigare Volant Reserve Red Blend, Clos de Gilroy Grenache, 2014 Old Telegram Mourvedre and the 2011 Bien Nacido Vineyard “X-Block” Syrah. My absolute faves being the Reserve, Mourvedre and the X-Block.

Broken Earth Winery – SPF

Calcareous Vineyard – A beautiful winery with an expansive view for picnickers paired with equally outstanding wines. Been a favorite of mine for many years, so it was a treat to see them at Rhone Rangers. This time I enjoyed the fruit and spice in the 2013 Syrah, the 2016 Tres Violet blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, the 2013 Moose blend of Syrah and Petit Verdot and the tart and bright 2015 Lily Blanc blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier. I had a full lineup to taste back in 2011 here: http://evewine101.com/2011/04/29/calcareous-vineyards-lineup-paired-with-pals/ 2014 here: http://westranchbeacon.com/weekly-column.php?id=2342 and most recently here: http://www.westranchbeacon.com/visit-article-archives-view.php?catg=8&id=6287

Cass Winery – GPRA http://www.westranchbeacon.com/weekly-column.php?id=5402,

http://evewine101.com/2016/01/05/vintage-beacon-april2011-a-truly-inspired-cass-wine-pairing-dinner/ and most recently: http://www.westranchbeacon.com/visit-article-archives-view.php?catg=8&id=6287 another rock star, Ted Plemons, co-owner of Cass Winery was pouring once again. This time I only had one: the 2013 Rockin’ One Red Blend, tasty stuff.

Chacewater – GPRA http://www.westranchbeacon.com/weekly-column.php?id=5402

Clayhouse Wines – SPF

CONSILIENCE WINES – SPF

Derby Wine Estates – Enjoyed the steely fruit in the 2014 Picpoul Blanc, the 2012 Grenache Blanc, 2012 Fifteen 10 Red Blend, the very big 2013 Petite Sirah and the spice and bright red fruit of the 2011 Mourvedre. One of my favorite tables.

Ecluse Wines – GPRA Tasted these Paso wines very recently, and I loved their entire lineup. http://evewine101.com/2016/02/26/ecluse-unlocking-a-paso-favorite/

Epoch Estate Wines – The two red blends were simply awesome: the Syrah heavy 2012 Ingenuity Red Blend and the Big/Spicy/Yummy 2013 Estate Red Blend.

Fess Parker & Epiphany – GPRA and SPF

Four Brix Winery – GPRA I was just at the winery this past April however I didn’t get to see co-owner/winemaker Gary Stewart – yet another rock star – at that time. It was nice to be able to chat with him at this event…and see that he was pouring all of my favorites. Don’t miss the “Smitten” Viognier.

http://www.westranchbeacon.com/weekly-column.php?id=6074

Part Two of this story will run next Tuesday.

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.

PERLIS PICKS THE GARAGISTE FESTIVAL: URBAN EXPOSURE [Part One]

August 4, 2018 by Michael Perlis

Saturday, July 21^st was a great day that ended on a very sad note.

Karen and I had a wonderful time at the latest incarnation of The Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure in Santa Monica and followed that with an early dinner at one of our new favorite restaurants, Lunetta, also in Santa Monica.

By the time we got home though, social media was blowing up with the sad news of the passing of Pulitzer Prize winning food critic Jonathan Gold.

Now, this article is not intended to be a tribute to Mr. Gold. Far better writers than I am, many who knew him personally, have penned heartfelt remembrances that you should seek out; his influence on the Los Angeles restaurant scene is incalculable and he will be sorely missed.

But it got me thinking that some of the traits that Jonathan praised in the restaurants he wrote about are also ones Karen and I look for in wineries: authenticity, creativity, risk-taking, passion. And nobody exemplifies these attributes better than the Garagistes.

The Garagiste Festival started in 2011 with its first event in Paso Robles, focusing entirely on the little guys – “the ultra- premium, hard to find, micro-wineries”. Since then, it has expanded to annual events in Solvang, Los Angeles and most recently, just prior to the latest L.A. event, an inaugural event in Sonoma County.

These wineries make less than 1500 cases per year, many much less. This means that in most cases, you won’t find them pouring in a tasting room. But where you can find them is at the Garagiste Festivals, where you will find the winemakers and winery owners pouring their own wines and telling their own stories. You’ll be able to sign up for their mailing lists and even order their wines at the events. Keep in mind that the productions are small and usually not available retail.

Each winery and winemaker has its own journey; some started as consumers, some as grape-growers, some are second generation in the wine business now doing their own thing. What they all share is that passion to make wine the best way they know how.

You should definitely sign up on The Garagiste Festival website for updates as well as follow our reporting.

Which brings us back to the most recent event held in L.A., specifically at the Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club, with almost 50 California wineries pouring:

Alma Sol

Ann Albert

Ascension Cellars

Bellante Family Winery

Betwixt Wines

Brophy Clark

Byron Blatty

Caliza Vineyards

Cavelletti Vineyards

Cloak & Dagger

Cutruzzola Vineyards

Domaine Kreger

El Lugar Wines

Frisco Cellars

Golden Triangle

Gordenker Wines

Hoi Polloi

In Vino Musicas

Kaleidos Wines

Kitson Wines

LA Wine Project

Lavender Oak Ranch

Magna Vita Cellars

Malibu Ridge

Marin’s Vineyard

Mastro Scheidt

Metrick Wines

Monochrome Wines

Murder Ridge

On Your Left

Pulchella Winery

Record Family Wines

Siela Wines

Stolo Family Winery

Sweezter Cellars

Sycamore Ranch

The Blending Lab

Tlo Winery

Torch Wines

TW Fermentations

Vinemark Cellars

Volatus Wine

Wildwood Oak Winery

Next week’s article will report on the wines we enjoyed most this time around.

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.

Perlis Picks: Elevating Zinfandel

June 30, 2018 by Michael Perlis

You may ask…why does Zinfandel need to be “elevated”?

It wasn’t that long ago that Zinfandel was thought of either as a sweet pink wine made for mass consumption or as a highly alcoholic monster meant to get you where you want to go as quickly as possible.

Neither version was taken very seriously.

But in more recent years, Zinfandel has been produced as a serious wine, producing wines equal to or better than those made from the historically “noble grapes”. With wonderful wines made in a variety of styles, Zinfandel has certainly found its place in the wine world, which makes this “zin fan” very happy.

Still, there is some prejudice, as was evidenced by a seminar I attended several months ago wherein the speaker, discussing the wines coming from a particular region, expressed delight over the reduced reliance on Zinfandel, the clear message, at least to me, was to imply that it was of lesser quality.

The struggle is real.

As I mentioned above, Zinfandel wines can vary quite a bit, due to terroir, winemaker decisions both in the vineyard and the winery, as well as whether the wine is 100% Zinfandel versus including other varieties. My own observation is that Zinfandel vineyards, perhaps more so than those planted with other grapes, tend to be inter-planted with other varietals, especially when looking at the historic vineyards that were planted several decades ago.

This is all a build-up to an annual event that is very near and dear to my heart, WineLA’s annual Elevating Zinfandel tasting, this year held at the Montage in Beverly Hills. Karen and I had the pleasure of attending.

As usual, Ian Blackburn assembled a veritable “who’s who” of many of the great Zinfandel producers, mostly from Northern California:

Rafanelli Winery

Bedrock Wine Co.

Beekeeper Cellars

Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves

Brown Estate Napa Valley

Gamba Vineyards and Winery

Grgich Hills Estate

Hendry Winery

Kreck Wines

Lamborn Family Vineyards

Mauritson Wines

Quivera Vineyards

Rock Wall Wine Company

Seghesio Family Vineyards

T-Vine Winery

Turley Wine Cellars

Williams Selyem

Wonderment Wines

Each winery had a winery representative [winemaker or owner in most cases] pouring multiple wines, including special selections for VIP attendees.

[I’ll say it again – spring for VIP tickets for events when you can. Get in early, taste the special stuff, enjoy the food and beat the crowds.]

No duds in this list at all. Some of the standouts for me were…

Bedrock Wine Co. – This winery is on our must-have list for our personal cellar. It was fun to taste the 2012 Bedrock Heritage Wine against the 2016 Bedrock Heritage Wine. This is one of those field blends I was referring to above, with the Bedrock vineyard actually planted to 27 varieties, about 50% being Zinfandel.

Beekeeper Cellars – This is WineLA’s own Ian Blackburn’s winery. But, I don’t have to say I liked it if I didn’t. And I did, especially the 2015 Secret Stones from Rockpile. Rockpile is one of my favorite AVAs for Zinfandel, so no big surprise here.

Kreck Wines – A brand new winery based in Healdsburg. Both the 2016 Teldeschi Vineyard (Dry Creek Valley) and the Del Barba Vineyard (Contra Costa County) were excellent. Tiny production, so don’t snooze on this one.

Lamborn Family Vineyards – Napa Valley Zins are getting rare [the money’s in Cabernet] and Howell Mountain Zinfandel are perhaps even rarer. Lamborn does a great job and the 2010 Middle-Aged Vine bottling showed what a little bottle age on a Zin can do – good stuff!

Mauritson Wines – Speaking of Rockpile [see above], Clay Mauritson’s family has been a big part of pioneering the area. The 2015 Black Sheep from Rockpile was a great example.

Robert Biale Vineyards – another rare Napa Zinfandel specialist. Winemaker Tres Goetting continues to shine; the signature Black Chicken did it for me.

Rock Wall Wine Company – it had been a few years since we last saw Shauna Rosenblum and if anything her wines have just gotten better. Hard to pick a favorite here, but if pressed I’d go with the 2016 Alegria Vineyard from the Russian River Valley.

Turley Wine Cellars – Another winery that will always have a place in our cellar, Turley has possibly done more than any other winery to “elevate” Zinfandel. Christina Turley poured four different wines, but I have to give props to the 2016 Dusi Vineyard. Not only was this the only Zin from Paso Robles being poured, but it is typically our favorite of the Turley lineup.

Williams Selyem – Most people think of Pinot Noir when they think of this winery. But winemaker Mark Malpiede also makes great Zinfandel. Especially liked the 2016 Papera Vineyard [Russian River Valley].

As usual, we didn’t taste everything. If we had, we would have had more favorites, I’m sure.

Check out www.winela.com for other great events from WineLA.

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.

How To Learn: Family Winemakers of California

March 30, 2018 by evebushman

“Excuse me, are you Eve Bushman from the Wine Down show? (Over 15k views so far of my episode Wine Immersion for Beginners!) I’m at this event because of you, and how you said the best way to learn about wine is to attend tastings like Family Winemakers…” Yes, apparently I do have a fan! Made my day! Now, where was I learning about wine:

Our first tasting was held on November 12, 1991, in the Sheraton Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Family Winemakers had 71 member wineries back then, and 47 of them poured that night for about 350 members of the wine trade. We’ve grown. We have over 375 members today and many of them pour at one or all of our tastings: Bay Area, Del Mar and Pasadena. We’ve grown, and so have our tastings, but some things haven’t changed. The wineries are just as dedicated as they were in 1991 to producing the finest wines they can, the winemakers are just as passionate about the right soil, the right grape, the right microclimate. And Family Winemakers is just as committed to presenting our member wineries and their wines at tastings that showcase the breadth and depth of winemaking in our state. Family Winemakers … Great Wine a Family Tradition!

Tasting

Thanks to my editor Michael Perlis I first learned about this event quite a few years ago. Every time they do have the tasting in Pasadena I make an effort to cover it. This year we both did so look for his coverage on this website too – just use our handy search button.

At the event I was in the mood for Rhônes, Zinfandel and Bordeaux varietals so if I have bolded a winery below, and didn’t note the specific wine I liked, it would definitely be in one of those categories! (The multi-page program included a handy “varietal map” for those that also were in the mood for a certain type of wine.)

As is the case in a walk around tasting, it’s not always convenient to make a lot of notes without a crowd building up behind you at the tasting table. (Some tables I missed due to crowds too.) I did however, try to note every wine, vintage year and varietal of most:

Wineries

Amizetta Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Angwin Estate Vineyards with a deep and dark Cabernet Sauvignon

Ascension Cellars all good especially the “Soul Searcher” blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

AvinoDos Wines Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and a Zinfandel.

Blair Estate

Blue Farm

Bokisch Vineyards

Brecon Estate

Brutocao/Bliss Family Vineyards

G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery

Cass Winery

Collier Falls

De Novo Wines

Dewitt Family Wines 2014 and 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Donum Estate

DRNK Malbec (DRNK are the initials of the four owners, all family members.)

Fiftyrow/Smokescreen

Frisson Wines

Fritz Winery

Frogs Tooth Vineyards Barbera

Frostwatch Vineyard and Winery

Gordenker 2013 and 2012 Moon Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, 2016 Cabernet Franc.

Greyscale Wines 2015 Merlot.

Hagafen Cellars

Hawk and Horse Vineyards

Hearst Ranch Winery Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2015 Petite Sirah.

Heritage Oak Winery

Hook & Ladder Winery

Howell Mountain Vineyards

Huge Bear Wines this was probably my pick of the day: 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, their current vintage.

Inspiration Vineyards & Winery

Rickards Winery

Keenan Winery

Kieu Hoang Winery

Meeker Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and “Frozin” dessert wine.

Murder Ridge Winery 2015 Zinfandel and 2015 Red Blend.

Navarro Vineyards

Oak Farm Vineyards

Oakville Cross Wines 2007 (thank you!) and 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Opolo Vineyards

Parmeson Wines

Pech Merle Winery 2015 Cabernet Franc, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2014 Zinfandel.

Petree Cellars

Petrified Forest Vineyards

Pierce Ranch Vineyards

Pine and Brown Winery

Pride Mountain Vineyards everything they poured: 2016 Chardonnay, 2015 Merlot and 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Petit Verdot and Merlot.

Quady Winery

Rack & Riddle Winery

Robert John Vineyards 2010 to 2014 vertical tasting of their Cabernet Sauvignon.

Saddleback Cellars

Scotto Cellars

Shadow Ranch Vineyard

Silkwood Wines

Sobon Estate/Shenandoah Vineyards

Sojourn Cellars

Sol Rouge Vineyard & Winery had a huge lineup and a sign mentioning many of their 90+ scores from Wine Enthusiast. I enjoyed the Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel and Cinsault.

Tablas Creek Vineyard both of their white and red Rhône blends.

The Farm Winery 2013 Cardinal Cabernet Sauvignon and “Touchy Feely” Grenache.

Treasure Island Wines 2010 Big Game.

Trione Vineyards & Winery

Uncorqed

Velvet Bee LLC

Vineyard {511} 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vino Noceto Zinfandel.

WesMar Winery

Windrun Vintners

Woodenhead

Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards