How To Learn: Family Winemakers of California

March 30, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

“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

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 Circa 6/2014: Eve’s Wine Immersion Video Reviewed by Wine Students

November 21, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Eve, here are the extra credit papers. I think the students were very kind… almost all have never really experienced a wine course like the one I teach… so they were viewing the video and comparing it to what they have experienced in the course… with that said, I hope you enjoy reading.

Scott Richardson, MA

Associate Professor of Hospitality & Culinary Arts

Valencia College

I was kind of shaking in my booties thinking about wine students watching The Wine Down – Wine Immersion for Beginners video for several reasons. At the time it was filmed, December of 2011, I knew less than I do now (still no expert), I was interviewed for a full hour by Sonja Magdevski (winemaker for Casa Dumetz Winery, co-owned by her fiancé Emilio Estevez) and co-host Brandon Bartlett (Sr. Sales Manager at Jim Beam). Luckily for me I had Contributing Editor Michael Perlis along to try to keep me in check.

The video has over 14k views, and I credit that to the minute-by-minute synopsis that was uploaded with the video, and a few websites that have chosen to share it. And, maybe to wine students viewing it over and over again…trying to make sense of it!

So, without further adieu…thanks goes out to my Twitter friend Scott Richardson for sharing my video and asking his students to do the work. This is what I learned that Scott’s students found worthwhile to learn, and that I think my wine 101ers might also like to learn:

Eladia: I really enjoyed the video, it was quite enlightening. The tasting of wine can be a spiritual pursuit and building your food around your wine is key. Taking time to think about what you are putting into your mouth is important…(and at a wine fest) wait your turn, and be cognizant of other people and the pourer and more importantly don’t go with intentions of getting drunk.

Vanessa: The video has three aspects that I believe are really relevant. The first one is the importance of taking time to enjoy and comprehend the wine while drinking it. (Secondly, at a wine event) go to the table that has less people, listen to the stories, and once again take time to enjoy the wine. (Thirdly) do one grape tasting night to help and educate the palate in the grape.

Larry: The person being interviewed is Eve Bushman, she writes articles about wine makers and wine events in a local Los Angeles magazine and she has her own website www.evewine101.com. Eve does her writing exclusively on wine education for beginners. She got started writing about wine and really got interested with learning more. The more she wrote the more she got invited to wine tastings. She has found tasting and smelling wine to be a spiritual thing. As a result, she has learned there is something good in every wine she tastes.

Eve expresses how important it is to spit when you are at a wine tasting because there could be 100`s of wines to taste.

In the chat they touched on how it is important to be polite when you are at a wine tasting. The suggestion was to, think up some good questions to ask the wine maker. It should help to get the most out of the experience. For example, ask what are you pouring today? It can be as simple as that. The wine makers appreciate it when people are not there to just get drunk. The trio also talked about how much fun it is to do blind wine tastings.

Dwayne: Eve talked about several varietals, tastings and wine events held in California…(she is) a writer who first started covering wine events around 2005 briefly, but was hooked and started to write for a local newspaper in her home area of Santa Clarita Valley…Eve believes wine is a spiritual experience. She also talked about starting her web site with only two writers (Michael Perlis and Rusty Sly). Eve also discussed the testing sheets she uses at all of the tastings she attends. They are from the WSET (Wine Spirit Education Trust)…from England.

Sharlene: The video on wine immersion was very informative…Eve spoke about wine tastings being a very good way to develop and educate your palate. Eve elaborated on how hard it can be to describe the different fruits and smells in a wine and taste them. She emphasized the importance of learning how to taste a wine and not just drink it to get drunk. I agree with her on that because I look at tasting wine in a different light now.

Juan: One of the tips that caught my attention is that when attending a wine testing is a good idea to spit the wine that you a trying even if it is a good one, you are there to learn about wine no to get drunk, there is always the place and time to do that; also was interesting to know the huge amount of testing events that California have every single week…

Larry: To enjoy wine you must be willing to take the time to use your sight, smell, sip and summarize your experience and learn to train your palate on the fruit descriptors you are experiencing. When you go to a wine tasting event some great tips given are not to get drunk, wine makers like when you take the time to get to know them and their wines everyone should show appreciation for the representatives that are donating their time and product. Wine is very subjective everyone smells and tastes are very different, the best way to learn about wines is to continue going to different events or free wine tastings in many stores.

Anonymous: Winemakers will tell you more if you show more interest (Remember winemakers (may be) paying for a table and giving out wine for free so don’t go just to get drunk but to educate yourself.) Also show respect; don’t go up to them with your cup out, chewing gum.

Vintage Eve Circa 4/14: Good Wine Writer Etiquette Morphs into Unexpected Growth

October 17, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

This is not something I ever thought I would cover in my weekly column but I felt compelled to when I read a winemaker lament about wine lovers posing as bloggers to get free tickets to events.

Apparently this winemaker was also tasked with the job of helping a non-profit wine event sort through the applications for press passes. When he asked writers to produce something as simple as a link to their website, or the news source they were on assignment from, some writers, albeit they may have indeed been ones without credentials, scoffed at his request.

This winemaker went on to talk about pseudo writers at events that made telltale faux pas such as failing to pronounce the names of wine varietals correctly or wore a wine yoke to hold their wine glass for them around their neck.

That last comment about the yoke, well, that finally ruffled my feathers a bit. He had me up until that point. Now, let me explain a couple of things about wine writer etiquette, how your own SCV Wine Conduit has grown along with the growth of Eve’s Wine 101.

When I first began writing about wine for the local newspaper I was also doing book reviews. No one ever sent me a book to review but wine dinners, winemaker interviews and wines were extended to me for gratis.

The problem as I see it are the rules governing “for gratis.” Again, when I got started there was no one telling me anything. My gut told me heck, if I’m invited as press I need to produce an article. If I receive a bottle of wine to review, I should review it. No brainer. I’d write up my copy, send it in to my editor and then follow up with the person that extended the invite or wine by sending them a link or clipping.

Our Policy

This has morphed a great deal over the last 7 years. I now run press releases for the events one of us at Eve’s Wine 101 is attending, and I run press releases for events we’re not attending that we think our readers might be interested in. So our source is getting coverage even before the event. Every writer at Eve’s Wine 101 knows, in advance, that if they are to use our name/brand to gain access to an event as press that they must produce a article.

From there, every article that is run on our own site, the Beacon, Elite magazine, or others are all social networked via Facebook (in three places) Twitter and Tumblr. And we’re not done there, each is included with a link in our weekly Dear Wine Friend e-newsletter.

We now receive more invitations than ever and believe, wholeheartedly, that we have built the Eve’s Wine 101 brand from being the SCV Wine Conduit to a much broader audience. And no one told us how to do it!

So not only are we really doing our jobs (and I believe we are doing them well), but I’m pretty confident that the time and effort we put into our work far exceeds what it would cost if we just bought a ticket!

A Story

At times I might bring a guest to an event if I’m attending as what’s referred to as “press plus one.” And my “wingman” is usually my husband acting as my photographer or another writer. Such was the case not too long ago when my wingman and I attended an exclusive wine pairing dinner. During the Champagne toast and appetizers, and when our guest speaker gave us a brief lesson, my wingman and I both took notes on our phones, and continued all through the meal. When we had an opportunity to meet other press in attendance I boldly asked, “How is it no one is taking any notes? There is so much information,” and one person answered that it was impossible.

So, bold as I am, I held up my phone towards the group and scrolled down for them to see my notes. It was a lot of scrolling and no one said a thing.

And, dear winemaker, about my yoke: I am juggling a pen, pad and cell phone so that I can make sure I get your name, your winery and maybe a photo, if I chose to wear a yoke, trust me, it’s necessary.

And, I don’t mind giving you my press affiliations. If I am truly offended I either fail to attend your event (while still running your press release) or ask that you Google me to learn more about what we have done.

Branding Causes Growth

After some time establishing our credibility wine, and some non-wine based businesses, began asking us for marketing assistance. Working along with my Contributing Editor and now Vice President Michael Perlis, we began lending our advice and our marketing to several local businesses. Over the years we have co-hosted and/or marketed the WiSH Education Foundation library event 2013, College of the Canyons Foundation – Institute for Culinary Education campaign 2013, and the Circle of Hope Vine 2 Wine Classic 2011-2013. We also marketed our own events including Pour Into Haiti, 2010, benefit to support Three Angels Children’s Relief Fund; Relief for Japan 2011, benefit for tsunami relief; Pour Into Sandy 2012, benefit for hurricane survivors.

Lastly, when for-profit businesses began seeking our advice Perlis and I formed Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting. We strongly feel that our work over the years has spoken for itself when we were hired to consult for Joel Fisher, SCV Wine Fest; Reyes Winery; Sierra Pelona Vintners Association, Agua Dulce Winery; Judy Cox, Mystic Hills Vineyard; Steve Lemley, Pulchella Winery; and DiMaggio Washington, Wine Educator. Other client also include these non-wine-based businesses: Heidi Anderson, CareCredit; Kim Rosen, DDS; Steven Gilbertson, DDS; and David Tanner, DDS.

Conclusion

We continue to write about wine and events, with special care to non-profits. We can usually help market several non-profit wine events a year for gratis, and once or twice a year we lend our name to one event and take more of an active role. If you have attended an Eve’s Wine 101 event, such as Pour into Haiti, Pour into Sandy or the WiSH event you know that we like to do things a little different. We strongly feel that if we plan think-out-of-the-box events, we gain your support and interest. And we, in turn, thank the residents of the Santa Clarita Valley and beyond for their support.

This year we plan to help a new non-profit with their first local event. Stay tuned for news on that, which should be easy as you will see it on Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler and our weekly newsletter! And if you see me wearing a wine yoke, say hello!

Perlis Picks: IN VINO DUPLICITAS by Peter Hellman

October 7, 2017 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

Let me make this clear, the new book IN VINO DUPLICITAS is not a rehashing of the wine fraud documented in THE BILLIONAIRE’S VINEGAR by Benjamin Wallace. I am bringing this up at the beginning of this review because I have seen some confusion out there about this. That book covered the exploits of wine fraudster Hardy Rodenstock and is also definitely worth your time reading.

IN VINO This book, IN VINO DUPLICITAS [The Rise and Fall of a Wine Forger Extraordinaire] by Peter Hellman, tells the tale of Rudy Kurniawan, a young immigrant from Indonesia who managed to worm his way into the hearts [and wallets] of wealthy wine aficionados, ultimately bilking them out of millions of dollars before being caught, arrested, tried and convicted. He is currently serving his 10-year prison sentence at Taft Correctional Institution in California.

[And there was a connection to the aforementioned Hardy Rodenstock, as some of the same investors were duped by both con men.]

Mr. Hellman reported on the Kurniawan story for Wine Spectator over a span of eight years and his expertise and writing talent definitely show. He brings a lot of details to the story that only one who has done an extreme amount of research and is this close to the sources could.

Those details are fascinating, as we read about how Rudy Kurniawan seemed to come out of nowhere and quickly achieve a position of very trusted status within the high end wine community, and to then take advantage of that trust. It was a nice touch to include the crime scene photos of Rudy’s home-based wine counterfeiting operation. Also helpful was the look into Rudy’s interesting family history.

Equally fascinating to me was the inside look at the world of high end wine acquisitions. Whether through auction or direct purchase from Rudy, the amount spent on these rare bottles bordered on the astronomical, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars or more.

Now, there is no doubt that I’m a wine lover. There is also no doubt that my net worth is nowhere near that of those participants in the high-end wine markets. If it was, would I have been as apt to have been deceived by Rudy’s practices? Who knows? Some of his wealthy victims were hugely successful business people who would not be readily duped in their own professions yet fell victim to the counterfeit wine being sold to them. I found it very interesting how the business acumen that contributed to their success did not seem to apply to the decision making in their passion for wine.

You may be familiar with the expression In Vino Veritas – “in wine, truth.” Not in this case. Read this book and you’ll learn what questions were answered about how Rudy did it and which ones are still maddeningly unresolved.

In Vino Duplicitas

The Rise and Fall of a Wine Forger Extraordinaire

by Peter Hellman

Published by: The Experiment

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.

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.

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

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.