Wine 101: Immersing Yourself in Wine

August 11, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

People often ask how I got started on this wine journey, both as a writer and as a marketing consultant. Let me start with the wine, of course!

The Wine Journey

Drinking wine came well before tasting it – sounds crazy but it’s true – But I was perfectly satisfied with a box of Franzia wine for a glass of something cold and pink in my early twenties. I met my future husband, and soon after his sister took us wine tasting – a vertical at Concannon.

From there we were hooked. Classes at the Wine House in West Los Angeles, local wine tasting trips and a subscription to the Wine Spectator wine magazine.

Within ten years of my study I was also a columnist for the Signal newspaper. I wrote a snarky weekly column called “Eve of Destruction”. After 9/11 I had a change of heart and grew a heart – married to a fire chief does that to you – and I retitled my columns “Another Face of Eve”.

Then John Boston, long-time Signal columnist and author, took over the then titled “Escape” weekly entertainment section. He asked what else I could write about for him. I said book reviews and wine reviews. I had been in a book club for a long time, not as long as I had been drinking wine, but both seemed to be a good fit. Boston agreed.

But then…I quickly noticed that there were rewards for wine writers that wanted to hone their craft. Invites to dinners, tastings, events and classes were being extended. No one was sending me free books to review, so I tossed my books in a heap – except the wine books I was now reviewing for review – and immersed myself in wine. That was 10 years ago.

During the past decade I’ve spent time as an “armchair writer” while my daughter was young and, later, time visiting and interviewing winemakers from my own home in the Santa Clarita Valley to Lompoc, Los Olivos, Monterey, Carmel, Napa Valley, Sonoma and finally, the mother lode: Bordeaux. I definitely have more to see.

The Consulting Journey

Before I “immersed myself in wine” I had worked as a manager in both retail establishments and in the medical field. Within ten years I had taken several continuing education courses on how to make these different businesses more profitable, had found a few mentors, started a group of brainstorming managers…and you guessed it: I started consulting. It was difficult working in an office and consulting at the same time, fast forward a few years and I left management behind when I got further into consulting and, at the same time, further into wine studies.

While I never dreamed that these two interests would ever intersect along came Michael Perlis. Michael knew of me from my years at the Signal, and once I made his acquaintance we were both convinced that we had to work together! I have never been so happy in my career! Michael offered to edit all of my articles (in every publication which by now included books and magazines) and offered to write a weekly column in my fledgling website: Eve’s Wine 101.

Michael and I were covering a lot of events pretty quickly. And, due to my friendship with another wine friend, Roman Weiser, we started working together – with a ton of local winemakers – for our Pour Into events: Pour into Haiti and Pour into Sandy. Fast forward some more, and suddenly we were being asked to help almost every non-profit in the Santa Clarita Valley marketing their wine events.

Then, a for-profit business asked us for help. Michael urged me to start Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting, which, due to my former contacts, became Eve Bushman Consulting.

And the rest, like our upcoming Cocktails on the Roof, is history.

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. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Vintage Eve April 2013: World Malbec Day Celebrated with Lunch at Lucques

May 9, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

On April 16^th Michael Perlis and I attended one in a “series of events globally to mark” World Malbec Day that was in conjunction with other events being held in Buenos Aires, São Paolo, London and New York. Our tasting event, hosted by Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser, was held in Lucques – a restaurant I had run press releases about but had never been to, run by Caroline Styne and Chef Suzanne Goin.

Over an amazing three-course luncheon we sampled from over “a dozen Malbec producers covering a wide range of styles and regions” while Gaiser spoke.

“I am 70 to 80 percent sure if I grab any Argentinean Malbec from a shelf it’s going to be good,” began Gaiser. “It’s like baseball, whatever you do to it you can’t change it…and it’s as good as any Cabernet grape with the same terroir.”

Wines

There wasn’t a bad wine in the bunch, as Gaiser promised, however I had my favorites:

2011 Lagarde: Fruit aromas ranging from raspberry to plum, a nice dark berry in the mouth that hung in through the finish.

2010 Don Miguel Gascon Reserva: A nose filled with ripe blackberry and a mouth, equally filled, with resonant dark juices.

2008 Navarro Correas Alegoria: Dark, balanced, smooth yet brooding.

2010 Salentein Numina Blend: Milk chocolate on the nose and palate, balanced with bright fruit.

2009 Luca Wines Beso De Dante Blend: Dry dark fruit and coffee.

2008 Renacer Malbec: No tasting notes, just a stunner.

About Malbec and World Malbec Day (from Full Circle Wine Solutions)

There’s no question that Argentina continues to be hot and, within that reality, Malbec is hot, hotter, hottest! In fact, Argentinean wines are the hottest South American wine category, having just recently surpassed Chile for that honor in early 2011. They now represent the 4th largest imported wine category into the USA trailing only France, Italy, and Australia. Malbec is the reason and it makes sense: Malbec is rich, flavorful, easy, food friendly, smooth, mouth-filling, and utterly understandable. And for Americans that resonates deeply in the wheelhouse of their palate.

In recognition of this achievement, Wines of Argentina has declared April 17th as World Malbec Day. April 17th, 1853 is universally considered to be the most significant moment in the history of Malbec in Argentina as it was the day that the Governor of Mendoza, Pedro Pascual Segura, presented a plan to the legislature to create an agronomical farm and an agricultural school in the province of Mendoza. Prominent French agricultural engineer Michel Aimé Pouget was enlisted and one of his ideas was to introduce new varietals to the region, of which the most celebrated result of this experiment is Malbec. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Perlis Picks: The Rhone Rangers Back Again [Part One]

April 29, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

It doesn’t seem that long ago that we had the pleasure of the Rhone Rangers visiting Los Angeles at the Skirball Center last year. They came out to see us again recently, a little earlier this year than in the past, getting exposure to attendees and enthusiasts who weren’t able to attend last time. So American Rhone fans were provided with an earlier than usual jump on the wine event season as well as the opportunity to taste from some wineries who weren’t able to attend last year’s event, along with some of the usual favorites.

Photo courtesy Rhone Rangers Facebook.

In brief, the Rhone Rangers is an organization of wineries dedicated to wines made in the United States from grapes that have their origins in France’s Rhone Valley. Some of the better known grape varieties are Syrah, Grenache and Viognier, but there are almost two dozen in all. For my wife Karen and me, American Rhone wines are without a doubt favorites of ours [along with Zinfandel, which I just can’t help mentioning] and make up the majority of our own wine enjoyment.

[Speaking of American Rhone, Patrick Comiskey was on hand to autograph copies of his definitive book on the topic during the grand tasting portion of the latest Los Angeles event.]

This year’s event was at a new location, Civic Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles. This central location was selected to help attract more attendees in general as well as more “millennials and hip somms” as explained to me by one of the participants, which makes a lot of sense as they are the future of wine consumption, after all.

This is the kind of event that I recommend going “all in” on if you can, taking advantage of the seminar as well as early VIP entrance to the grand tasting. [VIP status also got you access to the VIP lounge.]

[As I typically request when writing about grapes of French origin, please excuse my eschewing of accent marks, etc.]

The seminar this year was dedicated to pink wines. Titled Rhone-n-Pink, its timing was perfect for the start of spring and heading into the warmer months.

Moderated by Dan Fredman, these were the panelists and the wines they were pouring and discussing:

Andre Murray, Andrew Murray Vineyards [Los Olivos, CA], 2016 Esperance Rose [Cinsault].

Amy Butler, Ranchero Cellars [Paso Robles, CA], 2016 Galaxie Rose [Carignane].

Erich Fleck, Lone Madrone [Paso Robles, CA], 2015 Mourvedre Rose.

Larry Schaffer, tercero wines [Los Olivos, CA], 2016 Mourvedre Rose.

Randall Grahm, Bonny Doon Vineyard [Santa Cruz, CA], 2013 Vin Gris Tuile

Victor Abascal, Vines on the Marycrest [Paso Robles, CA], 2015 Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah rose blend.

A pretty stellar panel, representing both Santa Barbara County and Paso Robles, along with Randall Grahm to represent the rest of the known universe. [Seriously, no disrespect intended. Randall is probably the winemaker most responsible for my own love of Rhone varietals – I have a signed poster of the 1984 Le Cigare Volant hanging on my wall like a teenager worshipping a rockstar – and without people like him pushing the envelope the wine world would be a much poorer place – definitely more boring. It was really a kick in the head to have Andrew Murray on the panel with him, because after Randall it was also Andrew who really fueled my Rhone interest many years ago.]

Who would have thought that such a seemingly simple topic would have produced such lively discussion? Did the winemaker go for a dark color or light color or maybe didn’t care about the color at all? Were the grapes picked specifically for rose or was the juice used the result of the saignee method [bleeding off the juice from grapes so the remainder can be used for a more concentrated red wine]? Should the wine be a “porch pounder” meant to be consumed as a quaff or should it be as attention getting as any red wine?

And of course, there was Randall’s wine which was, not surprisingly, the outlier of the six, literally solarized, sitting outside in carboys for nine months.

At the end, there were two main takeaways for me. 1. The white zin backlash is still evident as related by these producers of pink wine; it is hard to get people to even taste the stuff. And 2. Regardless of the winemaker’s philosophy of managing color and complexity, the end result still better taste good.

Next week: the Grand Tasting

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.

Perlises Pick: Great Wines of Italy 2017 – Part One

April 1, 2017 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

Yes, you read that title correctly.

My wife Karen helps a great deal with my articles, usually behind the scenes. She attends tastings with me as often as her busy schedule permits. She reviews all my stories and gives me her two cents [more like $100] worth on a regular basis; my writing would suffer greatly without her input.

Can you find the Perlises in this pic? Photo- James Suckling Facebook.

For quite some time, I’ve been encouraging her to actually share some writing duties with me, and she finally said “yes”! So, I present to you the first truly co-written effort of “Perlises Pick.”

JAMESSUCKLING.COM Great Wines of Italy is an annual tasting with this year’s US portion of the world tour visiting Miami, New York and San Francisco in addition to the event we attended at The Montage in Beverly Hills. As with the previous event of Mr. Suckling’s that we attended [Great Wines of the Andes], wines poured were only those that he had personally tasted and rated 90 points or better. So high quality was practically guaranteed that evening, needless to say.

So was quantity — with over 70 wineries represented and most pouring two wines apiece, it was hard to make more than a dent, but of those we tasted, here are some of our favorites. Please note that the comments in quotes are Mr. Suckling’s [some abbreviated] from the 200 page program, along with his point score. Lazy reporting, perhaps, but I saw no reason to reinvent what Mr. Suckling does so well.

First though, from Karen: It would be wrong not to mention that The Montage set out a beautiful and large spread. I was especially impressed by the hand shaved Prosciutto. Michael and I also enjoyed the pate, grilled vegetables and many of the cheeses. We didn’t taste all the cheeses, there were really too many to choose from. On the other side of the buffet line, there was a pasta bar with three different pasta shapes accompanied by sauces which were equally delicious. Two chefs were cooking the sauces up fresh right in front of the patrons.

Karen’s top picks…

Bellavista –

Bellavista Franciacorta Alma Gran Cuvėe Brut NV

“Pretty aromas of bread dough, lemon and cooked apple. Fresh. Medium to full body, tangy acidity and a fruity finish. Always an outstanding sparkling wine. Drink now. 91 Pts.”

KP: As my palate evolves as I get older, I find that white wines are tickling my fancy now. I really enjoyed the brightness of this wine.

Parusso –

Parusso Vino Spumante di Qualita Metodo Classico Brut 2012

“A beautiful, delicate and flavorful rosé with strawberry and lemon character. Medium-bodied, dense and flavorful. Pure nebbiolo. Drink now. 91 Pts.”

KP: This was my favorite of the evening. I could have finished the whole bottle. The fact that it was nebbiolo blew me away. It had a finesse about it and I was admittedly taken by surprise.

Prà –

Pra Soave Classico Montegrande 2015

“A steely and bright white with sliced apple, lemon and stone character. Hints of free herb. Medium body, tight and dense with lovely fruit. Crisp and lively. Drink now. 92 Pts.”

KP: I enjoyed this one as it was clean and fresh. It perked up my taste buds for the rest of the evening.

My top pick was…

Poggio la Noce –

Poggio la Noce Gigio 2013

“A fine and silky red with chocolate, bark and blueberry aromas and flavors. Medium body, dense center palate and a long and flavorful finish. A fascinating blend of sangiovese and a splash of teroldego from hillside vineyards above Florence. Drink in 2018. 92 Pts.”

Poggio la Noce Gigetto 2014

“A red with beautiful purity and stature. Currant, blackberry and walnut aromas and flavors. Full and silky. Very intense and structured. Better in 2020 but so exciting to taste for the vintage. 93 Pts.”

MP: I found both offerings from this tiny winery to be so exciting and complex. Great flavors and amazing finishes. I was tempted to stay at this table for the rest of the evening.

Next week I’ll list the rest of our favorites from the evening.

Vintage Eve: The 15 Most Influential Wine Men in My Life – 2011 Edition Part Two

August 23, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Last week I gave readers the first half of my list of men that have been intrinsic in furthering my wine education, numbers1-8 out of 15. I had to break the list in two, as, these men, as you can guess, had many accolades I didn’t want to abbreviate. Here is part two, beginning with #9:

Perlis, Hasper, Lemley

Jeff Jacobson grew up with amazing Bordeaux and Burgundy wines and began to enjoy the more “affordable” wines from California and other countries, beginning in the 1960s. He and his wife Joan have always been community minded: donating and pouring their wines at the SCV Wine Classic’s library wine tables, staging the first wine-tasting fundraiser COC Library, an then as wine chair for the COC Wine Classic (Which is where I first met Jeff!) benefiting the COC’s Youth Orchestra Foundation. Last year I asked Jeff to assist the Circle of Hope, and we immediately renamed and advertised the event as the new Vine 2 Wine Classic, and grew the event into something incredible.

My “Guru”, as I’ve always called him, Guy Lelarge, will be celebrating 10 years of business at the Valencia Wine Company this September. Guy remembers me from day one and has not only enjoyed watching (and poking fun!) at my wine journey, but has done more than his fair share of contributing to it with tastings, dinners and classes. He has been another great go-to person when I have a question and I’ve also enjoyed dining and drinking with him yearly just to chat. He’s been a frequent “subject” in my youtubes as well. http://valenciawine.com

Steve Lemley has a passion for wine that led him to start in 1999 as a home winemaker. After many years of perfecting the craft, he met Nate Hasper and Pulchella Winery was born in 2006. The winery is located in Paso Robles and the tasting room is located in Newhall. They focus on producing hand crafted, small lots of single vineyard and complex blends. All of their grapes are sourced from the Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo counties. The Pulchella Winery tasting room is minutes from my house, and I find myself there when new varietals are released, always with bended ear to all I can learn from Steve and his partner Nate. http://www.Pulchella.com

Michael Perlis has been a staff writer, and is now the Contributing Editor for the Eve’s Wine 101 website, since 2009. If it weren’t for Mike, our readers – and me – wouldn’t have learned so much about Paso Robles wines. He provides outsourced controller services to businesses that do not need a full-time controller. He balances this with his interest in wine: reading and writing about it and, of course, drinking it. He is still trying to figure out how to combine these two pursuits. Feel free to contact him about either at mcpfinancial@aol.com or michaelthezinfan@aol.com.

Rusty Dale Sly is a Rocket Scientist, no pun intended. He is a specialist in the Launch Systems and Integration Department for an aerospace company where he is involved with launch interface requirements. Well versed in Chemistry, he enjoys brewing and creating new beer recipes. He also has a passion for fine wines, especially French wines, which he studies and analyzes from a technical approach. Rusty, as a staff writer for Eve’s Wine 101 website since ’09, and in running a monthly wine tasting group called Grape of the Night, continues to keep me informed, and challenged, in the world of wine.

From teaching wine education at College of the Canyons, to being the recent owner of the now shuttered Cellar bar and restaurant, DiMaggio Washington has been intrinsic in instructing me about wine. I’ve sat in on his classes, helped at his harvest and gained my Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 2 Certification through his instruction. Once, when a winemaker did something I questioned I called DiMaggio for his opinion. He not only set me straight, but drove over to the winery to help them out too.

Before Lee’s Wine Bistro, and before All Corked Up, Lee Yoon was at the center of our growing wine community in Santa Clarita at International Liquors. Over the years many people have benefited from meeting Lee at his different venues. For me, I’ve enjoyed his “blending” behind the bar and his inquisitive questions as to what I think I’m tasting. He has a wealth of knowledge that I continue to marvel at. http://facebook.com/leeswine.bistro

Non-Wine Amendments:

Douglas Stone, through his http://www.ForScotchLovers.com site is teaching me more about Whisky than I ever thought possible: http://westranchbeacon.com/2011/12/eve%E2%80%99s-wine-101-it-has-arrived-my-scotch-explorers-club-first-sample/

And Arthur Przebinda, founder of http://www.RedWineBuzz.com (now links to http://www.CentralCoastWineReport.com) gave me quite the education on Vodka: http://evewine101.com/2011/01/28/arthur-przebinda-redwinebuzz-com-and-me-vodka-wars/

So dear wine friend, who were your wine mentors in 2011? (And yes, I did start doing one on females – but my list was too short. I will work on finding more female wine aficionados in 2012! I guess I really do have a resolution after all.)

Vintage Eve: The 15 Most Influential Wine Men in My Life – 2011 Edition Part One

August 16, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Instead of reflecting on last year’s favorite wines, or making any pesky wine resolutions, this article, one of the first for Beaconeers in 2012 is my 15-member list (alphabetical, and not in order of importance) of men that have contributed to my wine education in 2011.

I prompt you to start working on your own list if you are like me, and continually strive to learn more about that heavenly elixir we call wine. And, feel free to steal my contacts, as most of these wonderful men are on Facebook:

Eve and Ian Blackburn

Ian Blackburn, CSW, JWE – Founder of LearnAboutWine.com, established in 1995. Ian is studying for the Master of Wine and drinks wine for a living. LearnAboutWine focuses on the best quality events and classes, and a wine credential program that has graduated over 300 wine students in the last 3 years with a Junior Wine Executive credential (JWE). In 2011 Ian released his own wine called www.Beekeepercellars.com and in 2012 – WineCloudInc.com – debuts with a online wine store that provides education with your wine purchase. Focused on smaller artisan producers and limited production collectables that put you “in the know.” Ian has invited me to many events as press where I’ve had a great opportunity to: Learn About Wine via http://www.winela.com

Anthony Dias Blue is a James Beard Award-winning wine and food writer, and Editor-In-Chief of The Tasting Panel Magazine. He is also Executive Director of the SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION and the SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION. Not only do I get a monthly dose of news on spirits and wines from Tasting Panel magazine, I’m also lucky enough to be included in several media tastings a year – further educating my palate. http://www.TastingPanelMag.com

The Husband, Eddie Bushman, has tirelessly kept our wine cellar well stocked –the key hidden – and my wine glass full of irreplaceable memories.

Chef Lance Cowart has kindly allowed me to lift any and all recipes he has with wine as an ingredient for my website. His Facebook group, which you can join, is called “Turn Up the Heat – Men That Love To Cook and Women That Love Men That Cook.” Lance says, “I love cooking. I cook all the time when I can. Yes I am that guy. I love to turn up the heat in my kitchen.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/Theat

Tim DeLuca is my oldest wine friend. He works in the TV industry, and one year invited me to an Emmy dinner. Once seated at a large table with people I didn’t know, Tim broke the ice by suggesting I choose the wine for the table. Don’t recall what the wine was, but the table approved my selection, and it was the perfect “ice breaker”. Tim also started giving me Wine Spectator subscriptions maybe 20 years ago. When he used the word “flabby” to describe a wine I scoffed, later, after some time and reading, I learned how to use the word myself.

Dr. Joel Fisher, founder of the LA Wine Fest, and our new SCV Wine Fest, has kept me educated via his events. Fisher draws on decades of knowledge garnered from his many associations: writing for the Culinary Connection of the Chefs de Cuisine Association of California, the Beverly Hills Courier and the Underground Wine Letter; teaching at Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, wine instruction for the Culinary Arts Department of the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles, as a sommelier for the Escoffier Association of Southern California, a member of The Tasting Panel (formerly the Bon Appetit Tasting Panel) and as a Wine Host for CRN’s What’s Cooking Show….just to name a few. http://www.LAWineFest.com

Our latest contributor on the Eve’s Wine 101 site, brought in by Contributing Editor Mike Perlis, Rick Fraga, provides me (and you) a wealth of knowledge: he currently performs wine education, hospitality and sales for Martinelli Winery, writes his blog, and works full time at following his passion for wine. His experience – over the last 20 years – includes working for a number wineries in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Additionally, after adding educational background in Wine Business, Marketing, Evaluation and Service at Santa Rosa JC, he continues to work with the Wine Studies program at the JC as a guest speaker and a member of the Wine Studies Department Advisory Committee. Read more about Rick on his site, http://www.GatewayToWine.com

“Chef” Mike Fraschilla is noted among friends, family, and acquaintances to be “The Passionate Advocate” for wine, beer, spirits, food, and most matters considered to live La Dolce Vita! Mike has over 20-years experience as collector, caterer, promoter, consultant, educator, and pundit in matters relating to the food & beverage industry. I met Mike via Facebook, and later, in a dark parking lot…to buy from his allocation of Robert Mondavi reserves. And lucky for us, he has become a frequent contributor in my blog. He welcomes questions, comments and critiques and can be reached through email at: askchefmike@hotmail.com

Nearing the end of my column’s normal length, and not wanting to edit out any of the accomplishments of my top 15…tune into the Beacon next Friday for numbers 9 and beyond.

PERLIS PICKS: TURLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON?

December 19, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

I think my head may explode…

We all know that Turley Wine Cellars is “all about that Zin”. Okay, and Petite Syrah [spelled Larry’s way] along with a few other varietals. But Cabernet Sauvignon?

Several years ago, when Larry Turley was being interviewed by a major wine publication, he opined that people drink Zinfandel for the taste and they drink Cabernet for the label.

So, a few years ago, when Turley actually did release a Cab, it was called “The Label.” Admittedly, it was very good, but I assumed it was a “one off” or maybe a “two off” and that would be it and my world would not be shaken. But, it wasn’t long before the name “The Label” was dropped and last year Turley released a Turley Wine Cellars Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

What on earth is happening here?

And now with the 2013 vintage, two more Cabernet bottlings have been added to the latest release.

Here, from the Turley website, is information about all three Cabs:

Turley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley

Certified organic, Napa Valley single vineyard, pure Cabernet Sauvignon–not something that can be said by many! This wine has ripe, deeply red Napa Cabernet fruit, rounded out by the savory herbs and garrigue that are the marks of our Estate vineyards. Medium-bodied, with great structure and a solid backbone, which will allow it to age for some time (if you must). However, with its inviting texture and supple, well-integrated tannins, the wine is exceedingly approachable in its youth.

Dragon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain

When we first planted the Dragon Vineyard, the fact that Howell Mountain is hallowed ground for Cabernet Sauvignon did not escape us. Thus, though we filled the vast majority of the site with Zinfandel, we also planted a small parcel with Cabernet Sauvignon. At 2200 feet, the mountain looms large in this wine, with a powerful nose of pepper, game, graphite, and a touch of sweet anise seed. These are echoed on the full bodied palate as well, and together with the formidable tannins that are a signature of Howell Mountain, it’s easy to see why this is such a revered site for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Montecillo Vineyard

Sonoma Valley

Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon is extremely rare; old vine dry-farmed mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is dang near nonexistent. Planted at 1800 feet up Moon Mountain in Sonoma in the late 1960’s, the head-trained Montecillo vines are nearly 50 years old, and the wine they produce is downright mystical. The profound nose pulls you in, with layer upon layer of vivid blue black fruits, India ink, scorched earth and violet perfume. The perfectly proportioned palate balances classic Cabernet Sauvignon structure, mountain tannins, and lush textures, culminating in a lengthy, lingering finish. Montecillo is pure, elegant magic, without any tricks.

My wife Karen and I had occasion to taste these wines and talk with Christina Turley about them.

Christina told us that when the Dragon Vineyard was planted, former Turley winemaker Ehren Jordan convinced Larry 15 years ago that one day one of his daughters might want to make some Cabernet Sauvignon. Ehren was right; one of them does. Actually, she wanted three and that’s what winemaker Tegan Passalacqua has done.

All the wines showed good fruit without any overpowering oak treatments, which is one of my biggest complaints about California Cabernet. “If I wanted to taste wood, I’d eat a tree” or something like that. All drinking nicely now but with structure for aging. Definitely hard to pick a favorite. Karen preferred the Estate Cab. I was on the fence between the mellowness of the Estate and the spicier Monticello until I tasted the Dragon Vineyard. There’s just something about that mountain fruit that hits my sweet spot, especially with Cabernet Sauvignon.

These wines are definitely not just about the [Turley] label, but are about enjoyment and are definitely worthy additions to the Turley lineup.

Limited release, mailing list only, although the Estate Cab is sometimes available in the tasting rooms.

College of the Canyons Institute for Culinary Education, The “ICUE”, is HERE

April 17, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

It’s been a thrilling ride for my VP Michael Perlis and me to play a small role in seeing the ICUE open. From learning about the plan, getting to see the plans, hosting some fundraising and just watching it all come together – I can’t compare it to anything else as nothing this big has happened in our wine community, cooking community and the community at large that will benefit the students that will pass through those fine looking doors!

Photo of the ribbon cutting by Kathy Lockhart.

Last Thursday, on April 16, I went to the ribbon cutting. Lot of pals, and plenty of dignitaries in attendance including Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook, Campaign Manager Murray Wood, Campaign Chair Diana Cusumano, Chef Cindy Schwanke, Chef Herve Guillard, Chef Daniel Otto, DiMaggio Washington, Vanessa Wilk, Judy Penman, Russ Briley, Sharon Lindquist, Kris Hough, Alison Needham, Cathy Wohlberg Craig, Jill Friedman, Christine Andrews, Matthew Rungaitis, Jay and Shelly Schutz…and many other friend’s names (including yours truly) were found listed in the program as members of the Culinary Arts Campaign Committee and on plaques adorning the classrooms that designated the donors.

Cusumano, Schwanke and Wood thanked everyone for their dedication to the project, as did Dr. Van Hook, who looked thrilled with the gift of a special red chef’s coat given to her as she left the podium. Vanessa Wilk, on behalf of Senator Sharon Runner, had a special certificate to award to the COC Institute for Culinary Education to congratulate them on their grand opening. Then the current students made their way through our tent to hand us small bread rolls, which we were to “break” as the ribbon was cut.

Into the Classrooms

This state-of-the-art culinary learning center that features a demonstration kitchen, savory kitchen, sweets kitchen, banquet kitchen, chocolate room, wine studies classroom, herb garden, faculty offices, retail shop and much more.

After more photos of the ribbon cutting, and one of the new outdoor pizza oven, I went inside the building for a tour. (Story in photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10205368655323277.1073741910.1455706632&type=1&l=b449307eae) Entering from either side door, the first thing you will see is a large room, a half circle, set up with red-cushioned chairs and dining tables – for our future dining enjoyment. With the wine room on the left, and the sweets on the right, I was torn as where to start. So I went into the closest classroom, the kitchens, then back for the sweets, and finally into the wine room – where I expect to spend some time of my own in the near future. I especially liked that the wine room had a cellar, a dishwasher, sink and a large counter – everything they could need was there! And some of the students’ chairs had been painted with the ICUE logo – perfect!

It’s all shiny, new and state-of-the-art of course. The students and instructors seemed just as thrilled, if not more so, than the guests taking the tour. We sampled salads, cheeses and sweets to our hearts’ content! And soon it will be to everyone’s!

From the College

The College of the Canyons Institute for Culinary Education (iCuE) serves up a modern, efficient, and accessible educational center where aspiring chefs and sommeliers can learn all aspects of culinary arts and wine studies to the highest possible standards.

The 12,200-square-foot building is a state-of-the-art center featuring a 140-seat dining room, demonstration kitchen, savory and sweets kitchens, classroom, chocolate room, wine studies classroom and lab, retail bake shop and instructor office spaces.

Built in a modern architectural style that matches the simplicity of the reflective glass surfaces found on nearby structures, and that echoes the sophistication of fine dining experiences, the building serves as a venue for both academic instruction and community events.

The College of the Canyons Culinary Arts Program is highly regarded and has been in high demand despite its lack of a permanent, dedicated facility. Since its beginning in 2006, the program has been housed in three separate facilities – the college’s cafeteria, a restaurant space at the Valencia Town Center and, most recently, at leased restaurant space in Castaic.

With the new facility, the program has the space to double enrollment, and expand its breadth of programming.

http://www.canyons.edu/Departments/CULARTS/Pages/default.aspx

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Perlis Picks: Martinelli Winery

December 13, 2014 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Martinelli Winery

http://www.martinelliwinery.com/

More than three years ago, my wife Karen and I were having dinner at Marche Bacchus, one of our favorite restaurants in Las Vegas when we made the acquaintance of fellow diner and consummate wine expert Rick Fraga. Since that meeting, we have become good friends and have always marveled at Rick’s wine knowledge and keen palate. And, we are not the only ones who have felt that way, given that he has served many times as a judge for the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. His professional career in the wine industry has taken him to several wineries and he is now wine educator at Martinelli Winery in Sonoma County. We’ve visited the area a few times since we met Rick and felt it was high time we stop in at Martinelli.

Now, the first thing you need to know about Martinelli Winery is to not go into their tasting room and ask for some sparkling apple cider. It is not that Martinelli. [But yes, people do that.]

The second thing you need to know is that this Martinelli family has roots that go very deep in Sonoma County. They’ve grown grapes in the county since 1887, selling the fruits of their labors to select wineries. Even now that they make and sell wine commercially, most of their grapes from their vast array of vineyards are sold off, with only a small portion going into the Martinelli estate wines. And great wines they are, produced in what was previously a hops facility – and no wonder they are great, given the quality of the fruit and that their first winemaker was Helen Turley, with current winemaker Bryan Kvamme carrying on the tradition.

We started by tasting through a selection of Chardonnays and Pinot Noir and then headed into some heavier territory with Syrah:

2009 Bella Vigna Chardonnay

2005 Martinelli Road Chardonnay

2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2012 Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir

2013 Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir

2009 Zio Tony Ranch Syrah

2009 Terra Felice Syrah

The Chardonnays were lush and ripe, with the 2005 showing none of its 9 years of age. The Pinot Noirs were in a rich full-bodied style that I enjoyed, with the Syrahs amping up the richness to another level.

But Rick was just teasing us, because he knew why I was there. The Martinelli Zinfandels are legendary for their amazing fruit and I couldn’t wait to try these:

2011 Vigneto Di Evo

2011 Vellutini Ranch

2007 Jackass Vineyard

All three of these were awesome representations of Zinfandel. The Vellutini Ranch especially blew me away and I felt it was one of the best Zins I have had. The 2007 Jackass showed no evidence of its fruit fading at all with the age on the bottle.

And speaking of age, Rick really treated us when he gave us a taste of the 1993[!] Jackass Hill Vineyard Zinfandel. Planted over 120 years ago, the vineyard got its name because “only a jackass would farm a hill that steep”. Well, jackass farmer or not, this wine was still great and full of fruit after so many years and a great counterpoint to those who say Zins can’t age. Maybe not many of them can, but those that do reward the wine-lover immensely, if you can resist the urge to not drink them up, which I’m not sure if possible [at least not for me].

Perlis Picks: The Scholium Project

December 6, 2014 by evebushman Leave a Comment

The Scholium Project

http://scholiumwines.com/

The last time [and first time] I met Abe Schoener and his minions, it was in Los Angeles and he was discussing the great overriding importance of the husbandry of microbes in winemaking and how the microscopic critters at his winery The Scholium Project are essentially left alone to do their own thing. So much emphasis was put on this topic that I half expected, upon actually visiting the winery, to see a vision of Abe, assistant winemaker Alex and pretty-much-handler-of-everything-else Brenna stirring cauldrons of steaming microbes and muttering incantations.

Brenna

Well, for those of you who go in for those sort of things, you’d be disappointed. Part, of me, admittedly, was too. Instead, Abe was out of town, heading back from tending to business at Red Hook Winery [the New York project he is involved with], Alex was unloading grapes, and Brenna was doing everything else, in this case driving a truck to be filled with cases of wine to be delivered.

We got to the winery by heading East from Sonoma, driving past the Napa Valley [I’ve heard there are some good wineries there too], and ending up in a fairly industrial section of Suisan Valley, just as Brenna showed up in the aforementioned truck.

And, unfortunately, we were disappointed again upon entering the winery. No smoldering cauldrons or magical spells, just a small lab and a barrel room of neatly stacked wine barrels. But, ah, those barrels. That’s where the magic happens. There, and in the vineyards, some of them neglected, that Abe so tirelessly searches out.

That day, in spite of it being at the tail end of crazily busy harvest, Brenna hosted my wife Karen and me in the winery, providing us with samples, mostly from barrel, of the results of recent harvests.

We tried the following [from barrel unless noted]

13 Camilla (out of bottle) [Sauvignon Blanc from Farina Vineyards on Sonoma Mountain, 48 cases made]

14 Naucratis [Verdelho from Lost Slough Vineyard]

14 VLV [Verdelho from Bokisch Ranches in Lodi]

14 Unnamed Pinot Gris

14 FTP [Pinot Gris from Kirschenmann Ranch in Lodi. The vineyard in owned by Turley winemaker’s Tegan Passalaqua. The “F” preceding the “TP” indicates Abe’s “intensity of respect and affection” for Tegan.]

14 Sylphs [Chardonnay from the Guman Vineyards in Napa]

13 Sylphs [Chardonnay from the Guman Vineyards in Napa]

14 Prince in His Caves [Sauvignon Blanc from Farina Vineyards]

13 Prince in His Caves (out of bottle) [This probably the wine from Abe that I likely look forward to the most annually. Rich and rewarding, with a finish that I couldn’t quite identify until we finished the bottle at dinner that evening. The butterscotch pudding matched perfectly!]

14 FTPZ [Zinfandel from Tegan’s vineyard.]

12 Wolfskill Cabernet Reserve [from the Wolfskill Vineyard In Suisan Valley]

13 Wolfskill Cabernet

13 1MN (out of bottle) [Cinsault from the Bechtold Ranch in Lodi. I’ve had other Cinsaults from this vineyard, none richer than this one.]

Lots of interesting flavors here. Some recognizable, others not. Some wines still fermenting, you can hear the hiss and taste the slight spritz of the microbes doing their work.

The wines are given names that suit Abe and what he feels about this vineyards – his previous existence teaching classics at St. John’s presumably facilitates this. The wines are not manipulated to taste a certain way; they come out like they are supposed to. Sometimes this takes longer than other times. Occasionally, it doesn’t happen at all, although I expect that is happening less and less often as Abe perfects his craft.

I’ve said this before, but I think it bears repeating — Abe and his team to do not make wine for casual quaffing. Have them with your meal or by themselves, but pay attention to them. You actually don’t need me to tell you that, as you will have no choice. There is no guarantee you will like them all. But they all make you sit up and take notice. You’ll occasionally find them on restaurant lists, but the best way to locate them is to check out the winery’s website.