Australia Up Close: Part Two

June 16, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

…enjoy making new discoveries as well as trying the latest vintages of old favorites.

Last week I wrote about the Australian white wine seminar I attended via the Australia Up Close event; what I learned and what we tasted. It got a little lengthy so I split up the story into two parts. Today is what happened the second part of the day, after the seminar, and is limited to all of the Australian red wines that I sampled in a walk around tasting; those that I loved and hope to get my hands on again.

My favorites (of those tables I got to as I know I missed quite a bit) are listed below. Wineries part of the “Australia’s First Families of Wine” designation that I liked are noted as an AFF Wine.

Trade Tasting Participating Wineries

Andrew Peace Wines

Ashton Hills

Austins

Ben Haines

Best’s Great Western

Bethany

Brokenwood

Brown Brothers

Campbells of Rutherglen

Cape Mentelle – 2013 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot blend; 2014 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot blend.

Climbing

Cullen

Dalrymple

d’Arenberg (AFF Wine) – 2013 “The Dead Arm” McLaren Vale Shiraz; 2013 “The Ironstone Pressings” McLaren Vale Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre blend; 2013 “The Coppermine Road” McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon; 2011 “The Old Bloke and Three Young Blondes” McLaren Vale Shiraz, Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne blend. (The Old Bloke…only used 2% of each white wine varietal listed in the blend. They are newly biodynamic and organic. This may have been my favorite table.)

De Bortoli Wines

Delinquente

DiGiorgio Family Wines

Fowles Wine

Giant Steps

Handpicked Wines

Helen & Joey Estate

Henry’s Drive

Henschke Wines

Howard Park (AFF Wine) 2012 “Abercrombie” Mount Barker Great Southern Cabernet Sauvignon; 2009 “Abercrombie” Mount Barker Great Southern Cabernet Sauvignon. (While both were excellent I enjoyed the younger 2012 for all of the outstanding fruit and peppery notes. There was no irrigation used – though the vineyards have irrigation if needed – and the vines were planted in 1975.)

Innocent Bystander

Jansz Tasmania

Jasper Hill

Jim Barry (AFF Wine) – 2014 “1877” Hilltops Shiraz.

John Duval

Kaesler

Kilikanoon

Koonara

Langmeil

Leeuwin Estate

Mac Forbes

McWilliam’s Wines

McPherson Wine Co

Negotiants USA – 2014 Langmeil “Orphan Bank” Barossa Valley Shiraz (Vines had to be moved, 90% survived, and were called orphans due to the move.)

Nova Vita

Ocean Eight

Old Bridge Cellars – 2014 John Duval “Eligo” Barossa Shiraz; 2015 Cullen “Diana Madeline” Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot blend; 2013 Jasper Hill “Georgia’s Paddock” Heathcote Shiraz. (They only made 600 cases of my favorite at this table, the Eligo.)

Penfolds – 2014 “Bin 389” Barossa Valley Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend; 2014 “Bin 407” Coonawarra Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon; 2014 “RWT” Barossa Valley Shiraz. (Who isn’t familiar with Penfolds? I stuck to just the wines I didn’t know, so damn good. The vines for these wines were planted between 1951 and 1960.)

Penley Estate

Peter Lehmann – 2012 “Stonewell” Barossa Shiraz.

Pewsey Vale

Pikes

Rob Dolan

Rogers & Rufus

Rymill Coonawarra

Schild Estate – 2013 “Moorooroo Ancestor Vines” Barossa Valley Shiraz. (170 year old vines, two years in both new and old French oak and then two years in bottle before release. Worth the wait for this 100% Shiraz.)

Shaw + Smith

Snake & Herring

Syrahmi

Tahbilk Winery

Thorn-Clarke Wines

Tolpuddle

Torbreck Vintners – 2009 “The Factor” Barossa Valley Shiraz; 2014 “The Struie” Barossa Valley Shiraz; 2014 “RunRig” Barossa Valley Shiraz and Viognier. (Only 3.5 % of Viognier was used in this blend to “soften” the wine and for a “tonal” lift. It worked.)

Tournon

Tyrrell’s Wines

Vasse Felix

Vinaceous

Voyager Estate

Wakefield Wines (AFF Wine) – 2013 “St. Andrew’s” Clare Valley Shiraz had a lovely touch of sweetness and great balance.

Wicks
Wirra Wirra – 2013 RSW McLaren Vale Shiraz (With vines between 40-60 years old, low yield production and the vineyard was originally planted in 1890.)

Woodstock

Yaldara

Yalumba (AFF Wine) – 2013 “The Signature” Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend.

Yarra Yering – 2010 “Dry Red No. 1” Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec blend; 2013 “Old Bastard” Barossa Valley Grenache Mourvedre blend. (These both got big “wows” from me.)

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 March 2013: The Great Los Olivos, Solvang and Santa Ynez FOOD shout out!

March 14, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Getting ready to hit the road for a weekend in Santa Ynez and Lompoc wine country I did what I always do: I asked Facebook friends where to eat. Once on my weekend, with plans for a picnic with one winemaker and at least one dinner at Hitching Post II I was looking for more breakfast and lunch places.

Below is what they offered up…and below that is where I ended up!

Facebook Choices

Denise L: Succulent.

Tanya G: Route 246 in Solvang. Best pork chop I’ve ever had IN MY LIFE! No joke!

Myron H: Ellen’s Danish pancake house in Buellton! Also the golf course in Solvang has a good lunch.

Marlee L: Ellen’s for breakfast!!!

Todd W: It’s kind of a tradition for me to go to The Little Mermaid in Solvang for Æbleskivers, but I heard they closed, so I dunno what else to recommend.

Myron H: The ebilskivers that are in the town of Solvang are also good do not know that restaurant name.

Eve B: Could it be Solvang Restaurant – Home of Arne’s Aebleskiver www.solvangrestaurant.com

Todd W: Thx! If you’re looking for a light lunch, I might suggest Panino. Love their sandwiches.

Sonya R: The Restaurant at the Ballard Inn is well reviewed in Yelp.

Hola O: I can’t vouch for it myself, but my friend went there and really liked it, but not full on restaurant, cheese plate, wine bar type food, olives, chocolate etc. http://www.thegoodlifecellar.com/about-the-good-life-solvang/

Todd W: I’ve eaten at Ballard Inn for dinner (took my wife there for a Valentine’s weekend getaway in 2010) and it was an incredible meal. We stayed at the Inn as well. Lovely place. Nicely located between Solvang and Los Olivos. Don’t know that I’d suggest it for lunch.

Lee T: Succulent is the best. Really, really good, it’s also worth taking time to go to Los Alamos to Quackenbush as well.

Patrick B: You can grab breakfast there, but you have to be staying there. To many bakeries in Solvang to count. Look for the place with a line. There aren’t too many breakfast options in Los Olivos either.

Diane G: We eat at Ellen’s a lot when we are up there. Haven’t heard about Succulent – is it newer? The menu looks great!

Eve B: I can’t wait to try them out! How about Los Olivos? Any breakfast or lunch spots there you guys like?

Patrick B: Try the Los Olivos Cafe

Julia V: Los Olivos Cafe’s curried chicken salad is my absolute fav! I may be there tomorrow for an early lunch … visiting my 94-year-old aunt and 93-year-old uncle who live in Solvang. Hope they’re up to it! There is also The Vineyard House and Ballard Inn.

Andrew F: Paula’s pancake house!

Alex H: Long horn coffee shop and bakery soooo good!!!

Julia V: Olsen’s Danish Bakery – ITEM – 103 Olsen’s 7 Sisters Butter Ring Coffee Cake. A delightful Danish coffee cake filled with the goodness of almond and custard. A coffee cake for any occasion. FABULOUS!

Barry L: If you go, I want an almond butter ring from Olsen’s bakery. Just read Julia’s post. It is the best thing ever.

Jannis S: Sides Hardware & Shoes in Los Olivos!

Diane G: Don’t forget about “Pea Soup Anderson’s” if you are into pea soup… not a great place for anything else, though.

Larry M: Toss up between Sides for Eggs Benedict and Paula’s for Danish Pancakes.

Our Choices

Well. Things took a turn once we arrived in wine country…we still dined at The Hitching Post II, but we also had tasty offerings in the Stolpman Vineyard, Corner House Coffee, Stafford’s Famous Chocolates, the private home of Steve and Cathy Pepe and finally, at Sides Hardware and Shoes.

Starting out at Stafford’s in Los Olivos, a candy shop located in a former windmill, we were completely surrounded by chocolate. Laced with Lavender, infused with red wine, bars and pops – we were in red wine pairing heaven. We sampled many of the items and planned on ordering more. I suggest spending time there in between tasting rooms!

Located right next store to Stafford’s was the rustic Corner House Coffee. We got our coffee fix in as well as almond croissants and toasted bagels. It was an important spot for us as some of the tasting rooms didn’t have restroom facilities, but the coffee shop did – for its guests.

Our lunch that first day was provided by Peter Stolpman in the Stolpman Vineyards located in the Ballard Canyon section of Santa Ynez Valley. A grand picnic of sandwiches, salads and pickled vegetables that went very well with their white blend L’Avion Roussanne, Syrahs and Sangiovese. (The tour and tasting will run in a separate story.) Even though the day was cold, and had grown windy enough to knock empty wine glasses from our picnic table – we loved it. We just had to keep our glasses full to prevent any mishaps – not a problem. You can book your own picnic and vineyard tour too via this link: http://www.stolpmanvineyards.com/Tasting-Room/index.php?p=31&title=Vineyard-Tours

Much later that evening we had dinner at The Hitching Post II. I hadn’t been there since the film Sideways came out. It was crowded, as expected, but the service was prompt. We had the fresh lobster, filet mignon, prime flat iron, Angus rib chop and rack of lamb. And when I mentioned my sister-in-law’s birthday as we were ordering dessert, hers arrived with a lit candle and a song.

I felt silly after asking everyone for a breakfast spot as the one breakfast we had ended up being provided for us…

After driving through the gates of Clos Pepe Vineyards to reach the home of Steve and Cathy Pepe where we were to spend the night, we quickly saw winemaker Wes Hagen playing Frisbee Gold, aka Disc Golf, amongst the dormant vines. We had an appointment for a wine class and tasting the next day and told Wes we’d see him then. He told us he would be up for breakfast first.

How pleasant, just as it had been with Peter Stolpman, to mingle and chit chat with Wes Hagen over granola, Cheerios, bananas, toast and bagels.

Our final meal was one of the suggested places: Sides Hardware and Shoes, a Brothers Restaurant. When Wes overheard our plans he suggested we try anything they had with bacon in it as they cure their own. Sold. We had a fresh cobb salad, with bacon, bacon burger, fried chicken salad and a “Triple Pork Burger with bacon, pork shoulder and house made chorizo, served with fried onions, jalapeños and roasted poblano aioli.” And though it sounded really rich to me, those that ordered it were the first ones done!

Vintage Eve: Paso Garagiste Festival 2012, Taste and Tell a Friend

January 3, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

GARAGISTES – (gar-uh-zhē-stuh) n, Fr. – A term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their garage, who refused to follow the “rules.” Now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world.

Paso Robles is Perlis country. He has been our Paso Correspondent, so to speak, for a couple of years now. Low and behold, although he had run some pre-event articles for the upcoming Paso Garagiste festival, he was unable to attend and asked if Eddie and I could take his and Karen’s spots.

Oh, what a tough job we have, right? Well, it’s not exactly easy to make time for a six-hour round trip to attend a two-hour press event, but, I figured that after the event I would have lunch in Paso and visit a couple of wineries before heading home.

Again, it proved not to be so simple. It started like this:

The Windfall Farm property, which my husband said was more like the Ponderosa (TV home of the Cartwrights), is an awe-inspiring location. The former horse stalls, that were now home for two to five tasting tables, were open and inviting.

We started at the back of the building, with the intention of getting to the front within our two-hour window. As we advanced from stall to stall, we checked our watches only to realize that the winemakers were far too interesting and we lingered far too long, and had 20 minutes left on the clock and had only met with half of them.

We quickly zigzagged through the remaining stalls, only stopping where no one else was waiting in a ridiculous attempt to be fair with our time and cover as much as we could. However, we were ushered out with the rest of the press, on time.

(Note: The amount of time given to press is standard. This is not a complaint aimed at the organizers, the winemakers or myself. However, with that said, these small-lot winemakers cannot get their wine tasted by other means as most are sans tasting rooms. My hope is that the public tasting later held that afternoon multiplied how many people were able to learn about the winemakers. I’ll do my job in writing about it and I hope that the public will do theirs by telling all of their friends about the Garagiste movement, and specifically, which wineries they were charmed by.)

Of the wines we were able to try I was most charmed by:

Bodega De Edgar

www.bodegadeedgar.com

I loved everything I tasted:
2010 Tempranillo

2010 Toro de Paso (Merlot, Tempranillo, Grenache, Mourvedre)

2010 E-Square (A nickname for Edgar Torres and his wife. Syrah and Grenache)

2010 Mis Pasos (Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo.)

Bon Niche

www.bonniche.com

2009 L’entrée Malbec (Spice rack!)

2010 L’entrée Malbec (Perfumy aroma and meaty taste.)

Changala Winery

www.changalawinery.com

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Nice balance)

2010 Basque Blend (Stewed cherries, cigar, long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec.)

Cutruzzola Vineyards

www.cutruzzolavineyards.com

2009 Riesling, Riven Rock Vineyard (The Italian winemaker nailed this one with caramel apple, lemon-line and a POP! of sweet cantaloupe melon.)

2010 Riesling, Riven Rock Vineyard (Jasmine, honeysuckle with a mouth-coating viscosity.)

2009 Pinot Noir Gloria (Cherry, mushroom and a hint o’mint.)

Filipponi Ranch Cellars

www.filipponicellars.com

Everything they poured:
2010 Edna Valley Chardonnay (Can you say, “Oak, butter and fruit?” I did.)

2010 Paso Robles Syrah

2010 Paso Robles Mourvedre

2010 Lorenzo (A Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre blend)

Giornata Winery

www.giornatawines.com

All of their varietals are Italian, which winemaker Stephanie Terrizzi called “pizza wines.” And again, I liked them all, great food wines.

2010 Vermentino (Butter, jasmine, viscous.)

2010 il Campo Red (A blend)

2010 French Camp Vineyard Aglianco

2009 Luna Matta Vineyard Nebbiolo

Ground Effect Wines

www.groundeffectwine.com

2011 Gravity Check White Wine (Yes, the winemaker is a mountain bicyclist. I liked the crispness of this blend of Albarino, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Gris)

Henson Wines

www.hensonwines.com

2010 Henson Viognier (Honey, spice and melon)

2008 Henson Syrah, Chalone

J Dusi

www.jdusiwines.com

Janell Dusi is a fave of Mike Perlis. I became a fan too:
2010 Zinfandel Dante Dusi Vineyard (Black olives, robust plums and a perfect balance of spice and pepper.)

2010 Syrah Caterinas Vineyard

2009 Fiorento (Blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Carignane.)

2007 Zinfandel Port (Perfect.)

JK Wine Company

www.jkwinecompany.com

Mostly Rhones:

2009 Katin Viognier

2009 Katin Grenache Blanc

2009 Katin Syrah, Glenrose Vineyard

2009 Arada Las Ramblas (Spanish style with Viognier, Chardonnay, Albarino and Grenache Blanca)

Liquid Farm

www.liquidfarm.com

2011 White Hill Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills (Outstanding)

2010 Golden Slope Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills

2011 Mourvedre Rose, Happy Canyon, Vogelzang Vineyard

Les Deux Chats

www.lesdeuxchats.com

Paso grapes, winemakers Chris and Patty Connolly live here in Valencia. I’ve reviewed their wines before, and I’m a member of their club.

2010 Roussanne

2010 Viognier

2010 Zinfandel

Rangeland Wines

www.adelaidasprings.com/rangeland-wines.html

2011 Flora Rose (Had a total of 9 varietals, nice balance of fruit and acidity.)

2010 Mistletoe Blend (Dark fruit, pepper, mushroom. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.)

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Red Zeppelin

www.redzeppelinwinery.com

Mr. Stillman Brown, brazenly working the room in a pink bubble gum colored suit, matching sunglasses, and bleached blond hair…had a way about him. I felt that even without the eye-catching clothes, this man could garner attention. And his wines definitely did:

2009 Black Zeppelin Central Coast Red Wine (Smoky plums, cracked pepper, cigar.)

2011 Colossus Syrah, Paso Robles (Bright, black cherry, balanced…and fun to drink.)

Vin Alegre

www.vinalegre.com

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Merlot

2009 Primitivo

2011 Rose (A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Primitivo.)

Vines on the Marycrest

www.vinesonthemarycrest.com

The first time I tasted Victor and Jenni Abascal’s wines were at The Wine Classic, years ago, at Cal Arts, and they just keep getting better:

2011 At Last (A blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc)

2009 Heart of Glass (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, my favorite blend.)

2009 My Generation (Zinfandel, Syrah, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah.)

2009 Syrah

How did it all end? We drove over to Artisan Paso Robles (http://www.artisanpasorobles.com/) for an outstanding lunch – BLT with shrimp and Bacon Tots – and drove home. We were tired. If we do this again: Spending the night!

Participating Wineries

Aaron Wines, Alta Colina Vineyards, Ambyth Estate, Anglim Winery, Argot Wines, Barton Family, Bodega de Edgar, Bodegas M, Bon Niche Cellars, Caliza Winery, Cayucos Cellars, Center of Effort, Changala Winery, Cloak and Dagger Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Edmond August Wines, Filipponi Ranch Cellars, Giornata, Ground Effect Wines, Henson Wines, J Dusi, Jacob Toft, JK Wine Company, Kaleidos Winery, La Filice, Les Deux Chats, Liquid Farm, Luminesce, Nicora, Paix Sur Terre, Paso Port Wines, Per Cazo Cellars, Pipestone Vineyards, Ranchero Cellars, Rangeland Wines, Red Zeppelin Winery, Rendarrio Vineyards, Sinor La Vallee, St. Hilaire, Stage Left Cellars, STANGER Vineyards, Thomas Alexander Wines, Two Shepherds, Vin Alegre, Vines on the Marycrest, Von Holt Wines, Westberg Cellars and Zin Alley.

Description

An annual festival celebrating the artisan winemakers of Paso Robles and the Central Coast of California and beyond. Find the best from high-quality, small-lot winemakers at Paso Garagiste.
http://pasogaragiste.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paso-Garagiste/171568979573300?ref=ts&fref=ts

Perlis Picks: American Rhône by Patrick J. Comiskey

December 10, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Before I start, as I often do when infusing an article with foreign [to me] words, I make a conscious decision to not use diacritical marks – I’ve kept the book title correct but that’s about it. I apologize if this is offensive to anyone. I also take full responsibility for any misspellings.

Patrick Comiskey and Nina Sventitsky.

I rarely write book reviews. I have a backlog of books that I’ve been wanting to read but just don’t seem to get to. So, by the time I read them, writing about them would be really more in the way of book reports than book reviews.

That being said, once in a while I come across a book that I feel is so important that it deserves your immediate attention. I think the last one that I felt fit this category was The New California Wine by Jon Bonné.

American Rhône deserves your immediate attention.

Admittedly, I am biased.

My wife Karen and I started out on our own American Rhone journey back in the 80s – that’s 1980s, by the way. At that time, we were first introduced to wines produced in the US using grapes that, while grown here, have their origins in France’s Rhone valley. For reds, think varieties like Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and for whites examples are Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier; there are many others making up almost two dozen in all. Our entrée was Bonny Doon’s Le Cigare Volant and from there we found Alban, Qupe and many others. In our quest for more of these delicious wines we’ve traveled up and down California, finding favorites mainly in the Central Coast and Sonoma County, but great ones throughout the state. We’ve attended Rhone Ranger events since they started and recently were fortunate enough to attend the Hospice du Rhone event in Paso Robles. American Rhones, along with Zinfandel [had to get that in] have been instrumental in driving our wine passion.

But with all my own experiences with these varietals, my knowledge was limited to these experiences. Patrick Comiskey’s American Rhône gives me context as to how my experience fits into the big picture.

And a big and glorious picture it is and Mr. Comiskey documents it beautifully and in great detail.

Of course this isn’t Comiskey’s first rodeo [with a nod and a wink to the cover of the book as well as a shout-out to the now iconic Wines Spectator cover photo of Bonny Doon’s Randall Grahm in full Rhone Ranger garb]. From the information I was provided: “Patrick Comiskey is a Senior Correspondent for Wine & Spirits Magazine…He is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times, and is a founding contributor to zesterdaily.com. His work has appeared on Wine Review Online, as well as in the San Francisco Chronicle, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Decanter, Lucky Peach, and the Robb Report...”

Subtitled “How Maverick Winemakers Changed the Way Americans Drink” the book presents the full story of the growth of the American Rhone movement, tracing its roots back to the 1960s and American culture’s embracing of possibilities, although some plantings of Rhone varieties in California greatly precede that decade.

Throughout the book, Comiskey provides enough inside stories and anecdotes that the reader feels like a fly on the wall observing some of the key moments in American Rhone history, such as…

The first varietal-labeled Syrah in California was the 1974 vintage from Joseph Phelps. [Coincidentally, thanks to my publisher Eve Bushman, we recently had a 2007 Phelps Syrah that was outstanding.]

Gary Eberle got his first Syrah cuttings from Curtis “Doc” Alley of UC Davis and did not smuggle them into the US on his own as has been so often reported, by myself included.

Bob Lindquist of Qupe initially did not want to plant Syrah in the Santa Maria Valley’s Bien Nacido Vineyard because it was too cool for the grapes to ripen. We’re all glad he decided otherwise.

These stories are just a few from the first part of the book. There are so many that to reveal more would do the author and reader an injustice. Suffice it to say that Patrick Comiskey has done an incredible job of telling the story of Rhone varietals in America. This book is a keeper. You’ll enjoy reading it cover to cover and it will be a great reference guide as well.

Fortunately for the reader, one does not have to a have a prior background in American Rhones. All the information is right here. It would make a great holiday gift for the wine lover in your life. Or just buy it for yourself for your own American Rhone journey.

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: Rhone Rangers at the Skirball – Part 3

September 10, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

The seminar was informative and tasty. The lunch was a lot of fun and tasty as well. But now Karen and I were ready for the main event.

Held in Herscher Hall, the size of the room and the layout of the tasting tables made for a very comfortable and enjoyable experience. For a tasting event of this magnitude, it often helps to have a plan, and I try, but ultimately I seek out a few that I am especially interested in and then just bounce in and out where I see openings at tables. At this event in particular, you can’t go wrong as the quality is always extremely high overall. I skipped some wineries on purpose as I had tasted them recently and many I just couldn’t get to due to time constraints and “palate fatigue.” But I did accomplish the twin goals of tasting great wines and having fun.

Of the wines I tasted, here were my favorites…

[Please note that by now I was only tasting red wines.]

Bonny Doon Vineyard – I wrote a lot about this winery at the beginning of this article, but still have a little bit to say. Enjoyed everything I tasted at Randall’s table – 2011 Le Cigare Volant Red Blend, 2011 Le Cigare Volant Reserve Red Blend, 2014 Clos de Gilroy Grenache, 2014 Old Telegram Mourvedre, 2011 Bien Nacido Vineyard “X-Block” Syrah and the 2013 Le Pousseur Syrah. A big thank you to Bonny Doon Director of Sales Keith Shulsky for the taste of the 1990 Old Telegram, which showed how well Mourvedre could age.

Calcareous Vineyard – the Tres Violet [Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre] and the Moose [Syrah and Petit Verdot] are typically my favorites from this winery. The 2013s were being poured this time – they were both outstanding. I picked the Tres Violet as my fave, barely.

Cass Vineyard & Winery – Ted Plemons was stealing the show as usual, but he couldn’t over shadow the wines he was pouring. Especially liked the 2014 Mourvedre.

Chacewater – I’ve become a fan of this winery fairly recently. The 2013 Syrah, 2012 Petite Sirah and 2010 Astel Petite Sirah were all very tasty. As an added bonus, these wines are extremely well-priced.

Epoch Estate Wines – Full disclosure here – I’ve been buying these wines since their first release. I had no real reason to taste them at this event, except I knew they would be really good so what the heck, right? And I was right…2012 Ingenuity Red Blend and 2013 Estate Blend were both outstanding.

Four Brix Winery – it was nice to see Gary Stewart and taste his wines. Especially enjoyed the 2011 and 2012 Rhondezvous Blends. Both were made from Paso Robles grapes and for some reason evoked in me a fond memory of visiting Paso in a more relaxed time back before the wine industry really took off. Very nice.

Kale Wines – Tasted Kale’s Grenache based wine at the seminar; it was a pleasure to taste the two he was pouring at the Grand Tasting. The 2013 Kale Home Run Cuvee from the Kick Ranch Vineyard was outstanding and the 2013 Kale Broken Axle from the Stage Coach Vineyard was even better – my favorite of the day!

Qupé – Santa Barbara County legend Bob Lindquist was pouring several wines, including two excellent Syrahs – 2012 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard “Sonnie’s” from their vineyard in Edna Valley and 2011 Bien Nacido Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley.

Ridge Vineyards – the Ridge wines are always good, but a real eye opener for me was the 2014 Carignane from the Buchignani Ranch. I had to ask if it was 100% Carignane as I don’t think I’d had one that rich before it – it was.

Rock Wall Wine Company – I haven’t seen winemaker Shauna Rosenblum in some time; I expect her young family is keeping her very busy. While the tasting table might not be as entertaining when she is not there, the wines are just as good as ever, especially the 2012 Le Mur de Roche Petite Sirah.

The Withers Winery – based in Santa Rosa, the grapes for these wines were from El Dorado in the Sierra Foothills. Cooler climate and lighter in style, I recommend the 2013 Ruben Mourvedre Blend and the 2013 Mr. Burgess Syrah Blend.

Two Shepherds – I wasn’t planning to taste at William Allen’s table this time, as I had tasted his wines at Hospice du Rhone in Paso Robles and most recently at the Garagiste Event in Los Angeles. But, when he told me he had an orange wine for me to try, I couldn’t help myself – I’ve become a fan of orange wines of late. If this is a new term for you, let me try to explain at least what my understanding of them is, which may or may not be 100% accurate. Wines generally get their color from the grape skins, not the color of the juice. White wines are typically made from juice with little or no skin contact. Wines made from grapes traditionally used for white wines but made with extended skin contact will have a slightly orange hue to them, hence the term. They also have a level of complexity which I enjoy. In this case, it was the Two Shepherds 2013 Centime, a miniscule 35 case blend of 66% Grenache Blanc, 17% Marsanne and 17% Roussanne, fermented with skins and stems. Excellent wine.

Thanks to the Rhone Rangers and the participating wineries for putting on a great event and for finding an excellent venue in the Skirball. Hopefully, this will be the home of the event for years to come.

Perlis Picks: Rhone Rangers at the Skirball – Part 2

September 3, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Starting the Rhone Ranger event with the seminar was a great way to kick off the day for Karen and me. The seminar was moderated by Patrick Comiskey, wine writer for the Los Angeles Times as well as Wine & Spirits magazine. In addition, soon after you read this, Patrick’s book American Rhone: How Maverick Winemakers Changed the Way Americans Drink should be available – I am very much looking forward to this.

Panel participants and wines tasted were:

Larry Schaffer of tercero wines – 2014 Verbiage Blanc [64% Roussanne, 24% Viognier, 12% Grenache Blanc] from Santa Ynez Valley.

William Allen of Two Shepherds – 2013 Pastoral Blanc [50% Roussanne, 25% Marsanne, 13% Viognier, 6% Grenache Blanc, 6% Grenache Gris] from Russian River.

Jason Haas of Tablas Creek Vineyard – 2015 Cotes de Tablas Blanc [26% Viognier, 25% Grenache Blanc. 25% Marsanne, 24% Roussanne] from Adelaida.

Kale Anderson of Kale Wines – 2014 Heritage “McGah Vineyard” Rutherford [87% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre, 5% Syrah] from Napa Valley.

Michael Larner of Larner Vineyard – 2012 “Elemental” Estate GSM Blend [47% Grenache, 38% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre] from Ballard Canyon.

Bob Lindquist of Qupé – 2014 “Los Olivos Cuvee” [57% Syrah, 29% Mourvedre, 14% Grenache] from Santa Ynez Valley.

David Gates of Ridge Vineyards – 2012 Lytton Estate [52% Syrah, 48% Grenache] from Dry Creek Valley.

Seven wines in total, three whites and four reds – all blends. Patrick noted that “California has always been all about the blend.” Larry’s aim was to show off the Roussanne. William, whose wines [to me] tend toward subtlety and require the taster to pay attention, was inspired by the Northern Rhone while Jason took his inspiration from the Southern Rhone valley. Kale said that the McGah Vineyard had the only Rhone grapes in Rutherford; I think this is the most massive Grenache-driven wine that I have ever tasted. Michael expressed that he enjoys making blends because he gets to be an artist.

Bob’s Rhones were gateway wines for me back in the day, when I was first introduced to Qupé by the late great Bob Senn in Los Olivos. [Bob Lindquist and I shared a toast to Bob Senn when I visited his table later at the Grand Tasting.] Bob also said something at the seminar that really resonated with me. Bob explained that Grenache is oxidative while Syrah and Mourvedre are reductive in nature, which is why Grenache brightens up the often closed-in flavors of the other two and a primary reason that traditional GSM blends work so well.

Last but not least, David’s Syrah/Grenache blend from an iconic property was another great example of how these two varietals work so well together and a delicious way to wrap up the seminar.

On to lunch, which was out on the patio on a beautiful summer day, to enjoy a buffet of chilled chicken, wild rice salad, seasonal veggies and cookies along with an assortment of white and rosé Rhone wines. A plus was hobnobbing with some of the winemakers who joined us for lunch, such as Kale Anderson of Kale Wines, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon as well as Craig Jaffurs and Matt Brady of Jaffurs Wine Cellars. I especially liked the Jaffurs Grenache Blanc and the Withers Winery Rose, but there were lots of others there too. My favorite though was the Bonny Doon 2013 Vin Gris Tuilé, a “solarized” pink wine (a wine that had been set out in the sun in glass carboys for several months).

It was now time to head over to the Grand Tasting, being held inside spacious Herscher Hall.

Next week…the Grand Tasting.

2007 Vintage Eve: It’s not all About Sushi and Wine

August 9, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

On my way to what promised to be the wine dinner of the year; a first for me with a pairing from a thought-they-just-made-sushi bar and Paso Robles winery Edward Sellers, I stopped in at Valencia Wine Bar because they were hosting the event. Say it was fate, say it was because Maru Sushi was only a few steps away…but if you say it was to see how a drunk can be managed then you would have been right. It went like this:

l-r: Guy Lelarge, Jason Park and Edward Sellers

A smartly dressed middle-aged woman took a seat at the bar. Nothing remarkable there. She quickly ordered a glass of wine. After receiving her glass she proceeded to fold her arms on the bar and nestle her head in their warmth. The employee that served her deftly removed the untouched glass. She peaked through an elbow, slurring her irritations, the staffer alerted the owner. A cab was called for and paid for. Then it got even more interesting when two other female patrons stepped in to offer assistance.

They helped her up and to the outside tables as not to disrupt the bar and to get her closer to her taxi when it arrived. Owner Guy Lelarge protested, as they were missing their evening to attend to his customer. They wouldn’t be swayed. They herded her into the cab. Then we all walked down to Maru Sushi. Me feeling I was in good hands if I were to make any missteps and the others, feeling the same, were now ready to start their evening!

I was delighted to be seated next to winery owner Edward Sellers and took full advantage of it. Visiting the area of Paso Robles for golf Sellers quickly fell in love with the landscape. He decided to buy a few acres to start. But by the end of 2004 he couldn’t resist his fate any longer: He bought a vineyard.

He explained that he had started his winery in 2004 and now had thirty acres of vines. Like Bordeaux or Napa where you cannot put the area’s name on a label without having the grapes behind it, his wines are all 100% Paso Robles. His winemaker Amy Butler, he is proud to boast, is one a few female winemakers available. Her education at UC Davis and her work at Staggs Leap and Schramsberg made her impossible not to snap up. Their first vintage, only available in Santa Clarita from Valencia Wine Company, was 2,500 cases.

As the reception began with appetizers that tickled your tongue with tastes of tomato, peaches and goat cheese, we started our pairing perfectly with their Paso Robles Viognier 2005. Guy Lelarge commented, “A perfect floral wine, served at room temperature it shows everything”. And I heard once again the old wine adage that when wine is only good served very cold it has something to hide. Usually an err in flavor.

Moving on to the first course of Seared Diver’s Scallops with a blood orange Nage Over wilted Swiss chard & arugula with Paso Robles Blanc du Rhone 2005 we were equally astounded at how well “disciplined and passionate” chef Jason Park had used his fine French restaurant experience to it’s fullest. And I was again reminded that the best fish is sushi-grade. The scallop, the size of my mighty palm, had been slowly sliced by me to take full advantage of every bit of sauce and Swiss chard.

The second course was Pan roasted Skate Wing over Pomme Puree over Wild Porcini Mushrooms with a Warm Herb Vinaigrette and only recognized by fifty percent of the guests beforehand as fish. Skate Wing, to which guest Dave Bossert referred to as similar to a Flounder (not an inside joke to his Disney friends), was much more delicate and flavorful. It was to be the second dish I would not leave a scrap on my plate of. Others, in the mood to joke, were happy to find that Skate Wing wasn’t pigeon or the collar bone of some other small animal. The delicate fruit of the Paso Robles Rousanne 2005 was another perfect match to which Sellers remarked, “We make wine that balances the food and does not become the food.”

Next came Roasted Peking Duck Breast over a Chopped Udon Risotto with a Cherry-Syrah reduction paired with our first red wine of the evening: Paso Robles Cuvee des Cinq 2004. This award winning wine had the room buzzing with words like “elegant yet understandable” and a wine that you “don’t have to wait four years to drink; this was made to drink today”.

We now wanted to linger when the fourth course of Lamb Sirloin Confit over Banana Fingerling Potatoes Tossed with Crème Fraiche and a Boysenberry Glaze was served with another wine I had chosen for my own: Paso Robles Cognito 2004. Produced as a “black label” the first year; Sellers had since decided it had to be produced again. This was one of Dave Bossert’s favorite wines. “I happened to be at the wine bar when Sellers came in with a cooler of his wines, including this Cognito, for Guy to try. Seller’s wines showed that he’s interested in perfecting his craft, making great wines and not just making money.”

Then came our finale: Chocolate Cherry Tart Tatin with a Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream paired with Paso Robles Grenache 2004. The Grenache was only slightly sweet as opposed to other red dessert styles with 15% alcohol and had been blended with nothing less than Chateauneuf du Pape. This choice did not fail to please. It was 9:30 and the crowd was buzzing.

Mark White, whose business Golden Empire Mortgage, with its location above Valencia Wine Company had afforded many of us the view of his cycling home from the wine bar on more than one occasion, had this to say: “I always had my favorite wine bar – the first licensed in our valley – right downstairs and now my favorite restaurant too. Being a resident of SCV since 1964 there has never been a better restaurant to go with these phenomenal wines!”

The wait staff, that had been attentive all evening, couldn’t help but comment that they had been getting “rave reviews”. Add one more I thought as I made my exit; comfortable that my tastes didn’t equal more than two full glasses and that there was plenty more for those that could handle it! If not, Guy was an expert “cab caller” on top of everything else!

Santa Barbara Road Trip Los Angeles: Rhone Varieties

June 3, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Home to the only transverse mountain range in North America, the Santa Barbara County Appellation is made up of diverse regions and six AVAs – Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Sta Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara and Los Olivos District. The region is also home to an unrivaled growing season with coastal influences, where pinot noir, chardonnay, syrah, grenache, roussanne, marsanne, viognier, sauvignon blanc, merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and more thrive. (From the organizer, PleaseThePalate.com)

Eve and Michael Larner of Larner Vineyard and Winery.

As I’ve said before and will say again: One of the best ways for wine 101ers to learn about wine is to do a comparative tasting of the same grape or region. This time it was wine only from the Santa Barbara AVA, and to narrow it down further, I only did the Rhone portion of the tasting that included Viognier, Marsanne, Roussane, Counoise, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (the last three often blended together and referred to as a GSM).

Wine 101 note: Rhone wines traditionally come from Rhone, France, where only certain varietals are allowed to be grown and turned into wine. Of course someone living in the Rhone valley could plant a grape that isn’t considered the best for the terroir (soil, climate, etc.) but they wouldn’t be allowed to sell it commercially.

Now, back to this stateside tasting. A few fun photos can be seen here of my afternoon at LA’s Republique restaurant tasting all things Rhone from Santa Barbara County. And my favorites of the day are listed below in bold, however, I didn’t make it to every table.

Participating Santa Barbara County Wineries

Andrew Murray

Beckmen 2013 Syrah, Purisima Mountain Vineyard, Ballard Canyon AVA blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and a bit of Counoise.

Bien Nacido 2012 Estate Syrah, Santa Maria Valley.

Casa Dumetz with the lovely-as-always winemaker Sonja Magdevski pouring at least two that I thought were very pretty: 2014 Grenache, Santa Ynez Valley and 2014 GSM, Santa Ynez Valley.

Central Coast Group Project (CCGP) Really big: 2012 “Names” Syrah, White Hawk Vineyard, Santa Barbara County. And on the huge scale: 2012 “Barrington Hall Wine Dinner Special Cuvee” (so named after wine dinners Scott Sampler attended in college) GSM, Santa Barbara.

Fess Parker

Imagine

Jaffurs

Larner 2014 Estate Viognier was a wonderful mix of refreshing fruit and vibrant floral, and my fave white of the day. Followed that up with Michael Larner’s 2011 Estate Syrah, Ballard Canyon.

Margerum 2015 Riviera Rose, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County was my fave Rose of the day. But I didn’t stop there, I also enjoyed Doug Margerum’s 2013 Grenache, Santa Barbara County; 2013 Syrah “UBER”, Santa Barbara County; 2014 M5 Rhone blend of GSM, Counoise and Cinsault, Santa Barbara County.

Qupe

Saarloos & Sons

SAMsARA

Sanger Family, pouring their Consilience label, shared at least three wine I thought were great: 2013 Syrah, Santa Barbara County; 2013 Viognier, Santa Barbara County; 2013 Grenache Blanc, Santa Barbara County.

Stolpman, poured by Jessica Stolpman, had a perfect line-up – as I had tasted them all recently. But I still enjoyed tasting them all again, including the 2013 L’Avion, blend of Roussanne and Chardonnay, Ballard Canyon and the 2014 Grenache, Ballard Canyon.

Tercero was my first stop as winemaker Larry Schaffer was free when I walked in. Another I had tasted recently, it didn’t stop me from enjoying (again) his 2015 Mourvedre Rose, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara; 2014 Verbiage Blanc blend of Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc, Santa Barbara County; and a lovely Verbiage Rouge red blend.

William James

Zaca Mesa is an old favorite I used to love to visit and I was not only happy to revisit, but to discover two new wines to enjoy: 2012 Z Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley and 2011 Mesa Reserve Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley.

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

Perlis Picks: Hospice du Rhone, PART II

May 28, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

The next day started bright and early with the first seminar on white wines at 9:30 AM. [White wine – it’s what’s for breakfast, right?] John Alban complimented us all on making it to the seminar given what must have been a late wine-filled evening for everyone.

The white wine seminar was called Costieres de Nimes – A Southern Rhone Exception for Whites. Moderated by Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate, presenters were Michel Gassier of Vignobles Michel Gassier, Luc Baudet of Chateau Mas Neuf, Francis Collars of Chateau Mourges du Gres and Diane de Puymorin of Chateau d’Or et de Gueules, each speaker presented two wines from their respective wineries:

Chateau d’Or et du Gueules – 2015 Domaine de la Petite Cassagne, Blanc [Grenache Blanc, Rolle]

Chateau d’Or et du Gueules – 2015 Les Cimels, Blan [Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Rolle]

Chateau Mourgues du Gres – 2015 Les Galets Dores [Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Rolle]

Chateau Mourgues du Gres – 2013 Capitelles des Mourgues, Blanc [Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier]

Vignobles Michel Gassier – 2013 Nostre Pais, Blanc [Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Viognier]

Vignobles Michel Gassier – 2013 Lou Coucardie, Blanc [Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc]

Clos des Centenaires / Mas Neuf – 2013 Compostelle Blanc [Roussanne, Viognier]

Clos des Centenaires / Mas Neuf – 2012 Armonio Blanc [Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier]

I apologize if I have misspelled any of the names of the winemakers, wineries or wines. Admittedly, I need to work on my French wine knowledge. Also, please excuse the lack of diacritical marks in this entire series of articles.

I was unfamiliar with the Rolle grape – turns out it is what the Italians call Vermentino.

We loved the fruit, freshness and vibrancy of these wines. This region of the Southern Rhone is devoted primarily to red wine, so this gave us a unique opportunity to taste fairly rare wines from a region that has been producing wine for about 2,500 years.

The second seminar was right up my alley [and everyone else’s] – comparative tastings of Syrah and Grenache from the Central Coast, called A Tale of Two Treasures: Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. In this seminar, moderated by Matt Kettmann of Wine Enthusiast, two wines each were presented by Jordan Fiorentini of Epoch Estate Wines, Russell From of Herman Story Wines, Trey Fletcher of Bien Nacido Estate and Chris Hammell of True Believer from Hammell Wine Alliance. Yes, this was the same Chris Hammell that we had the chance meeting with the previous evening and he was as entertaining during the seminar as he was at dinner, along with all the other participants, which just helped to support the theory that the Rhone winemakers are the coolest of all the winemakers.

We sampled:

Bien Nacido Estate – 2011 Grenache [Estate, Santa Maria Valley]

Epoch Estate Wines – 2011 Grenache [Sensibility, Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles]

Herman Story Wines – 2013 Grenache [On the Road, Central Coast]

HWA True Believer – 2013 Grenache [Santa Maria Valley]

HWA True Believer – 2012 Grenache [Santa Maria Valley]

Bien Nacido Estate – 2013 Syrah [Estate, Santa Maria Valley]

Herman Story Wines – 2013 Syrah/Grenache [Larner Vineyard, Ballard Canyon]

Epoch Estate Wines – 2012 Syrah [Block B, Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles]

Although I am not much of a blind taster, in this case I wish we could have tasted these wines blind. It would have been fun to try to determine which were which. I’m pretty sure I could have picked out Jordan’s wines, since I am most familiar with hers. Regardless, this was red Rhone heaven.

It was getting closer to the Closing Tasting, but first it was time for lunch, prepared by Chef Brian Collins and his team from Ember restaurant, along with lots of Rhone wines to pair with the food. There was also a live auction.

The day was already a success and now it was time for the Closing Tasting!

Perlis Picks: Hospice du Rhone, PART I

May 21, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

I’ve been waiting a long time for this.

Hospice du Rhone, an event focusing on producers of Rhone varietals from all over the world, had been a fixture in Paso Robles for 15 years before moving to Tennessee in 2012.

My recollection [vague as it may be] is that the event had its origins in the 1990s with the Viognier Guild, which had been started by Mat Garretson of Garretson Wine Company [remember the great wines with the Gaelic names?] The legacy of the Viognier Guild lives on with the Hospice du Rhone which celebrates all Rhone Varietals.

The Rhone varietals, so called because of their origins in France’s Rhone Valley, come from 22 different grapes. Some of the best known ones are Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache [for the reds] and Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc [for the whites] but there are many others that are not so well known.

[For the record, my understanding is that Petite Sirah is not technically a Rhone varietal but gets to be included because it is a hybrid of Syrah and Peloursin, is used heavily in California by Rhone wine producers and is so darn tasty. And the correct spelling is Petite Sirah, not Petite Syrah, unless you are Turley because, you know…Turley.]

I had never made it to HdR when it was in Paso and I knew I had missed out on something special.

Then, last year, the announcement was made that HdR was coming back to Paso Robles in 2016. My wife Karen and I had the extreme pleasure of attending the event, which went from dinner Thursday April 14th through the Saturday evening barbecue.

Passes could be purchased for the entire event [some meals not included] or al a carte for individual seminars and tastings.

Wait…seminars? Yes. One of the great things about HdR is the appeal to all levels of wine lovers. For those who just wanted to taste wines, the Friday afternoon Opening Tasting and the Saturday afternoon Closing Tasting provided the opportunity to taste at 145 tasting tables! And, for those who wanted to really expand their Rhone knowledge, there were four seminars in which to do just that.

Unfortunately, our schedules did not permit us to attend the two events on Friday, which were:

The Intricacies of Chateauneuf du Pape, led by Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate.

Washington Rhones – State of Address, presented by Todd Alexander of Force Majeure, Greg Harrington of Gramercy Cellars, Sean Boyd of Rotie Cellars and Bob Bertheau of Tenet Wines, moderated by Patrick Cominsky of Wine & Spirits.

We did make it in time for the Opening Tasting on Friday afternoon, but more on that later when I write about the tastings. Although I will touch on our post-tasting evening…

One of the benefits to being in town for a wine event, or just being in wine country in general, is you never know who you will run into. Friday evening, while there were some organized dinners going on, we opted to get a little away from downtown Paso Robles and go to the other side of the 101 freeway to Mistura, a great Peruvian restaurant [get the grilled beef heart!]. The people next to us were clearly wine people, but I didn’t want to interrupt them. That problem was solved when they asked about the Carlisle Zinfandel I had brought. They turned out to be Greg Brewer of Brewer Clifton and Chris Hammell of Hammell Wine Alliance along with their spouses. Wonderful people and a real treat to meet them.

Next, the seminars…