Get Ready For: Wine on the Roof…Dine on the Roof, a Collaborative Experience (Early Bird Ticket Sales End 4/15)

April 6, 2018 by evebushman

Apparently you Santa Claritans and wonderful supporters of local charity have demanded, yes demanded, more than one rooftop event from the people (see below) that have brought you Cocktails on the Roof. Your loud cries for us to keep your glass filled have been heard. We have now added Wine on the Roof to your calendar May 17!

Read on, as it’s definitely not the same kind of rooftop event we’ve ever had in Santa Clarita…

Our Event: The Details From WiSH Executive Director Amy Daniels

The community came out in force for our signature event, Cocktails on the Roof, three sold out years in a row. With encouragement to do a second event during the year, this one with wine as the focus, we teamed up once again with Eve Bushman of Eve’s Wine 101 and Marlee Lauffer, President of the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation, for Wine on the Roof. This gathering promises to be like nothing else offered in our region.

With beautiful lighting, music, photo opportunities and more, we will welcome our guests to a remarkable, one of a kind special evening that people will not soon forget. This evening promises to be like nothing else offered in our region.

Eve has teamed up with Steve Lemley as our co-host for this unique event. Lemley is a well-respected SCV winemaker that co-owns the SCV Custom Crush Services. Lemley will curate our wines from his local facility that houses over twenty different wineries – most, if not all, will be making their debut that evening – and we will have winemakers seated throughout the venue to allow for interesting and knowledgeable discourse.

Wine on the Roof has a distinctive layout to allow for camaraderie and conversation and you will be treated to a multi-course dinner. Because this is seated dining, a limited number of tickets are available. The event is open from 6-10pm and ticket pricing is set at $125pp or 2/$200. Please note that after April 15^th, ticket pricing will be $150 or 2/$275. More information is available and tickets can be purchased at www.WiSHscv.org.

Collaborators: Winemakers, Chefs, and Restaurants

As we are just putting together our puzzle pieces of which chefs wants to provide which course, Steve and I will be tasting wines with them – if they like – in an effort to help with the food pairing. So far we will have Chef Daniel Otto’s debut from his soon to open restaurant, Chef Lucio Teraza of Olive Terrace Bar and Grill, Chef Ignacio “Nacho” Munoz and Pastry Chef Kristina Waggoner of Salt Creek Grille, Chef Louis Pechan of Hundred Miles LA, the Culinary Team at Bonefish Grill, Chef Trevor of the Newhall Press Room, Pastry Chef Meghan Launier of Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewing Company, the baristas of Honu Coffee, the sweet makers from Nothing Bundt Cakes and the Beams of Sweat Beams Ice Cream.

We will definitely be starting our evening with appetizers, then bread from the one and only infamous Speakeasy Bakery, mains, dessert – all with wines from winemakers exclusive to Pulchella Winery. Santa Clarita winemakers at press time include Steve Lemley, Nate Hasper, Mark Blatty, Scott Page-Pagter, Doug Minnick, Ted Behlendorf and Dan Erland Andersen.

Your Rooftop Team: Dreamers and Worker Bees

Besides the names of our co-hosts listed above this event is orchestrated by countless volunteers (thank you) and an energetic committee that sometimes takes up two dining room tables at my house: Ed Masterson, Richard Cohn, Alex Hafizi, Lynne Secrest, Judy Penman, Lisa Holt, Mitch Russell and Dawn Begley.

Sponsorships: Many Ways to Support the WiSH Education Foundation

ROSE – Exclusive (1) $15,000: SIX tickets and first mention in all press releases and social media marketing; we will promote you prominently as the PRESENTER of the event on event signage; listing on website as Presenter; mention in print advertising.

VIOGNIER $10,000: FOUR tickets and mention in all press releases and social media marketing; we will promote you on event signage; listing on website; listed on print advertising. Email marketing included to approximately 35,000 emails.

CABERNET $5,000: FOUR tickets and mention in all press releases and social media marketing; we will promote you on event signage; listing on website. Email marketing included to approximately 35,000 emails.

ZINFANDEL $2,500: TWO event tickets and mention in all press releases and social media marketing; we will promote you on event signage; listing on website. Email marketing included to approximately 35,000 emails.

PINOT NOIR $1,500: TWO event tickets and mention in all press releases and social media marketing; listing on website. Email marketing included to approximately 35,000 emails.

Please contact Exec. Dir. Amy Daniels: wish@hartdistrict.org for current sponsorship opportunities.

Details: Early Bird Tickets and Sponsorships Now Available

Tickets go up in price after April 15th so get them now – only 200 will be sold!

Information and tickets: http://wisheducationfoundation.org/wine-under-the-stars/

Facebook event page has updated info and has a very interactive “discussion” tab: https://www.facebook.com/events/533629337011873/

Save the date: Cocktails on the Roof 9/7.

About: The WiSH Education Foundation

“WiSH was founded in 2011 by parents and partners of the community to directly support the students and staff of the William S. Hart school district and are a designated 501c(3) non-profit foundation.

WiSH raises critically needed funds to directly support students and educators in our District…money for much-needed technology, special education and technical programs, materials, books, software, musical instruments & calculators, just to name some recent initiatives. We’re not funded by any local, state or federal agencies and rely on contributions, grants and sponsorships to bridge the ever-widening gap of student’s needs directly in classrooms…” read more here.

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 1/2015: What’s Happening in Our Local Bonded Winery?

March 27, 2018 by evebushman

If you live anywhere in the Santa Clarita Valley, and you are into wine, you probably already know that we have a wine tasting room in downtown Newhall. You might even know that we have a licensed and bonded winery in the Valencia industrial center. But did you know that our only winery has become a home for many commercial and non-commercial wineries…many of which use our local winemakers as consultants? Maybe even up to 15 wineries?

The “unbreakable” Pulchella glasses, photo credit: Rick Lott

Yes, this is the growth that local winemakers Steve Lemley and Nate Hasper have seen since opening their TWO doors. You can taste Paso Robles wine at Pulchella Winery Thursday through Saturday evenings, and make an appointment to see the SCV Winery facility if you would like to make your own wine.

And to help you get started I asked Steve Lemley to give readers an update:

EB: Steve, please tell us a little (because I know you do a lot) about what you do at the winemaking facility.

SL: Nate and I fuel our passion and produce all of Pulchella Winery’s allocations here along with working with 15 other wineries as their consulting winemaker to produce their wine labels as well. Producing wines in small lots from fruit sourced primarily from the central coast. We are super excited to have invested in state of the art equipment, expanded the operation and opened it up to a select group of other wineries and vineyard owners who share our stylistic approach to winemaking.

EB: And do we get to taste the fruits of your effort in your Newhall tasting room? Tell us about your current releases and if club memberships are available.

SL: Absolutely! Pulchella Winery’s current releases are poured in our tasting room Thursday through Saturday from 5pm to 10pm without any appointment needed. We are currently pouring 8 wines. In spring, we will release the next allocation, which we are by far the proudest of as we have had time to focus the brand and make some really solid wines. Our wine club has recently re-opened to new members, which offers just two allocations a year, 20% off all purchases, free tastings and more. For a full list of current and upcoming wine releases, visit our website.

EB: How about a story of something funny that has happened during your years of winemaking…something wannabe winemakers might be interested in.

SL: We get asked a lot how the Westside Paso Robles, Cerro Prieto vineyard Pinot Noir named “Deadbeat”, fell into our program. In spring 2013 we took on a project with a new client and were asked to source some of the best quality Pinot Noir from the Paso Robles Willow Creek area. Making an extensive amount of Pinot Noir for clients in the past, we took the challenge and poured our hearts, souls and wallets into the project just to have the client inform us a few months later that he could not continue and would not be able to pay for any of the fruit and barrels. Given that we sourced and paid for the fruit, produced the wine and designed the barrel program for it, it only seemed right to release it under Pulchella Winery’s label and see what everyone thought. The now past client got the wine named after him and it was loved by everyone so much that it has now become a staple in our portfolio of wines.

EB: Can you give us an update on the vines you and Nate helped plant at College of the Canyons?

SL: For the last two years Nate and I have also expanded our operation to include full scale vineyard management for many of our clients. Donating our time as full time vineyard consultants for College Of The Canyons is a dream come true for us. The college shares a vision with us and the fruits of everyone’s labor is starting to take shape.

After the 50 year old zinfandel transplant project was completed, we have planted another zinfandel block and have completed the architectural design and installation of yet another Syrah block. We have had a 100% success rate with the vineyard and are very proud to have been given the freedom to establish an infrastructure that will offer a very complex curriculum of viticulture and enology in the future for COC students. We will continue to manage the project until COC has a program in place to take it over.

EB: What do you and Nate see for the future?

SL: It’s easy to increase production but we want to honor the support we have and will not increase our production so that we can offer the same quality wines year after year to everyone who supports us. We will continue to focus our brand and dedicate every waking moment to increasing the quality of our wines and the wines we produce for our clients.

Santa Clarita will soon have other very high quality brands to enjoy and we are humbled to be involved with the vision and production of them. Visit our website or come visit us in the tasting room and see what’s down our dirt road of passion.

The winery tasting room is located at: 24261 Main Street in the Old town Newhall historical district. (91321). For current tasting room hours, please call our tasting room at 661-799-wine. Closed most major holidays.

http://www.pulchellawinery.com

Customerservice@PulchellaWinery.com

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

The All-Events Column

February 9, 2018 by evebushman

I used to do a round up of upcoming events, ones that I’ve been to and some that were new to me, nearly every year. Not sure why I stopped but, honestly, my wine world has grown so much – with more events than even I can ever go to – I think I just got busy! Let’s rectify that today. These are events coming up that you may just want your own “taste” of:

better horizonal view newhall refinery valentine

“The Cellar” is transformed into this romantic setting for Newhall Refinery’s Valentine’s Day Dinner.

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Newhall Refinery 2/14: Once again Chef Dustin Boole is creating a 4 Course dinner, accompanied by a Beer or Wine Flight, Candlelight, Live Music, and Complimentary Valet. $195 Per Couple. Menu and wines can be seen here in the discussion portion of the event page on Facebook. This is their third year I believe and our favorite.

Lodi in Los Angeles in Marina Del Rey 2/21: wineLA has teamed up with LoCA – The Wines of Lodi, California to showcase some of the best wines, wineries, and winegrowers of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2015 Wine Region of the Year. Held at the Marina City Club in Marina del Rey, this event will feature a wide variety of wines to taste, and a large assortment of foods to pair with! See many more events and classes on their website here: http://www.winela.com/

World of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara March 2-3: The annual World of Pinot Noir event gathers the planet’s foremost Pinot Noir wineries and winemakers, renowned chefs, sommeliers and leading wine scholars in a weekend-long seaside celebration of this delicious and storied wine.

Family Winemakers in Pasadena March 17: The Saturday tasting is a one day event of award-winning small, family-owned wineries that create wines from many of the state’s fabled wine growing regions. Imagine the opportunity to taste over 500 wines offered by over 125 wineries. You’ll find upwards of 40 different varietals or blends from 60 of California’s famed appellations. If you can’t get to the wine country let them come to you! Whether you’re adding to your wine list, retail shelves or your private cellar, this is an opportunity to Taste California!

Vintage Paso March 16-18: Once a year Paso Robles toasts our heritage variety, Zinfandel. The 3-day celebration features events at more than 100 wineries, a Zin seminar, and the Z After Party, pairing Zin with dessert and live jazz. For more events in Paso Robles check out: https://pasowine.com/events/

Santa Ynez Winter Pass ends 3/31/18: With the pass, you’ll receive one tasting flight at each of our 15 Association winery tasting rooms for just $45. Your pass will expire when all 15 tastings have been used, or on March 31, 2018, whichever occurs first. Reservations are not required and passes are valid every day except February 16-19, 2018. (This pass has been extended, as the 101 is now open + more events in Santa Ynez area wineries can be found here)

Universal Whisky Experience April 4-7 at Wynn Las Vegas: The Nth 2018 will be a spectacular whisky master event, showcasing the best whiskies and brands in the world. This affair is a singular opportunity for serious whisky aficionados to come together to taste, savour, discuss and learn more about fine rare whiskies in the lavish, opulent atmosphere of the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. During this 4-day destination event in exciting and entertaining Las Vegas, you’ll indulge in exceptional whisky tasting opportunities, mingle with master distillers and blenders, and take pleasure in epicurean delights.

The Wine Affair Sip, Stroll and Savor the Sounds April 15 at Westfield Valencia Mall: This event benefits the work from our local Soroptimists of Greater Santa Clarita Valley, aka SIGSCV. Stay tuned to their website for updates.

Hospice Du Rhone in Paso Robles 4/26-28: Three days in the late spring have been reserved for an exclusive weekend surrounding all things Rhône. A palate provoking weekend embracing the enchantment, history and tastes of the twenty-two Rhône varieties. Throughout the weekend, tip your glass with international Rhône wine producers, journey through the largest collection of Rhône variety wines on the planet and savor exceptional Rhône cuisine all while taking in the inspiring and spirited Rhône community.

Wine Under the Stars is slated for 5/17 and brought to you once again by Yours Truly and the Wish Education Foundation: Welcome to “Wine on the Roof,” which will be held atop the new Laemmle Theatre parking garage now under construction at the corner of Lyons Avenue and Main Street in Old Town Newhall. The city has guaranteed that we will be the first group to host an event in what will be a very popular space…Read on for more of our latest out of the box idea:

Eve has secured Steve Lemley as our co-host for this unique never-before-seen event. Lemley is a well-respected SCV winemaker that co-owns the SCV Custom Crush Services. Lemley will curate our wines from his local facility that houses over twenty different wineries – most if not all will be making their debut that evening – and we will have a winemaker at each table to allow for interesting and knowledgeable discourse. Local restaurants are providing the incredible, multi course meal that will be paired exclusively for you.

Wine in the Pines in Pine Mountain 6/9: The Village of Pine Mountain Club has hosted wine festivals in June of each year beginning in 2003, and this year is no exception. Mark your calendars for the second Saturday of June each year for Wine in the Pines in Pine Mountain Village. From 1pm to 4 pm (with VIP entry starting at noon), you’ll be able to taste exciting wines from throughout California’s top wine-growing regions, with dozens of premier wineries to choose from. If you need a break from fine wines, there will be many craft breweries to choose from. And then there’s the food: some of Kern County’s, Santa Clarita Valley’s, and our own local (Pine Mountain) favorite restaurants will be on hand to serve you everything from classic European finger food and gourmet pizza to good-ole western barbeque. There’s nothing like pine-scented air and the shade of tall pines to complement the taste of good wine and equally good food, unless it’s live music—loud enough to set the mood, but smooth enough not to ruin it. Wine-themed art will also be on display to round out the afternoon.

Wines Around the World wine tasting dinners at Newhall Refinery is ongoing.

Quick links from the Dear Wine Friend e-newsletter: World of Pinot Noir 3/2-3, Family Winemakers 3/17, Vintage Paso 3/16-18, Santa Ynez Winter Pass ends 3/31/18 (Pass has been extended, 101 now open + more events in Santa Ynez area wineries can be found here), the Universal Whisky Experience 4/4-7, The Wine Affair 4/15, Hospice Du Rhone 4/26-28. Ongoing: Bev Mo on the Old Road Friday 4-7pm tastings, Events locally at Reyes Winery, Wine House events in WLA, LA Wine Tasting, Monopole Wine events in Pasadena and Eve does Wine Themed Parties.

Why Not Have…Drinking Goals for 2018? And No, it’s not too late to set them!

January 26, 2018 by evebushman

I’m not a person that makes new year resolutions often. It’s such a joke to set some very far-off sounding goal only to not even achieve it – as that’s become the norm. You can try and fool the system by setting goals that are simple to attain like…planning ahead for the next year’s resolutions you won’t be achieving! Egads, we’ve really become slackers.

So, in between not making resolutions at all or making resolutions that are too easy to achieve I challenge you to set some drinking resolutions. And feel free to be as lax as you want in reaching them – as it won’t matter to anyone whether you do or not! LOL.

These are my Drinking Goals for 2018, none of which requires over-imbibing but if you do please Uber:

Go to a tequila and/or Mezcal tasting as neither are in my comfort zone.

Go to more wine tastings of areas I’m unfamiliar with: Portugal (and not for the Port alone), Republic of Georgia, Finger Lakes…where else? Check out this CNN article on some lesser known wine areas.

Take advantage of more courses, maybe even a new certification, offered via my NASA (North American Sommelier Association) membership.

Frequent our local wine bars (Valencia Wine Company, Wine 661, Lee’s Wine Bistro, Newhall Press Room), winery tasting rooms (Pulchella, Double Trouble) and restaurants with fine wine lists (Le Chene, Newhall Refinery, Larsen’s, Greg’s List at Salt Creek Grille) more often.

Make it to the Japanese Food and Restaurant Expo put on by Mutual Trading again to further my education on Soju, Sake, beer and Japanese wine…all while sampling some delectable foods.

Continue to work with the WiSH Education Foundation to bring a new event to Old Town Newhall. Look for Wine Under the Stars early May where we will have wines culled from the latest winemakers making wine at the SCV Custom Crush Services paired with dishes from several different local restaurants. We will be the first to host an event on the rooftop of our new Laemmle theater.

Continue to work with our WiSH committee to bring in new spirit vendors to Cocktails on the Roof. This year marks our fourth year! (Save the date 9/7!) Last year our new vendor was Pomp and Whimsy Gin Liqueur and they said it was the best event they had ever poured at! (If you rep a spirit vendor and want your product seen in the first and only premier cocktail event Santa Clarita Valley email me: eve@evewine101.com)

Continue looking for the Spirits One Level now offered globally from WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) since my Level Two in both isn’t transferable to take a Level 2 or 3 in Spirits alone. Haven’t found one offered remotely near me yet!

Get back to Denver to visit Stranahan’s again, see if I can get a taste of their annually made limited edition bourbon whiskey.

Get back to Park City to go to High West Distillery again as some of their spirits aren’t sold in here in California.

Continue my education on peated single malt whisky by attending LA Scotch Club’s annual Peatin’ Meetin’ again.

Take more classes at the Nth Show aka Universal Whisky Experience in Vegas early April…even though my husband may ditch me just to taste.

Make it to at least one meeting, aka tasting, of the no-longer-new LA Chapter of Women Who Whisky Club!

I hope to receive a comment or an email (eve@evewine101.com) with what your drinking resolutions are, I had so much fun making up mine!

Newhall Refinery Adds New Wine List For the New Year!

January 19, 2018 by evebushman

A New Destination for Wine Lovers in Downtown Newhall Includes Wines by the Bottle, Glass, Chef and Pastry Chef Pairings

Santa Clarita Valley, CA – Throughout 2017 Simon and Shannon Mee, owners of Newhall Refinery and the Egg Plantation, have been gathering feedback on their food, beer, cocktail and wine programs. There was only one area that they thought needed tweaking: creating a Wine List for Newhall Refinery that reflected the quality of what they stand for.

A few months ago, Guy Lelarge, formerly of Valencia Wine Company and with a long tenure as both a wine distributor and buyer, curated a new wine list for Newhall Refinery, replacing nearly every wine and adding a full third more. Wines from the best vineyards from Burgundy to the Rhone Valley in France, and from Sonoma to Napa Valley are standouts on the list, as well as fine representations from Germany, Argentina, Monterey and more.

The staff spent over two months learning about the new wines, the wine list will be in a dedicated folder, house wines will be rotated for a better selection and the dinner and dessert menus all now have suggested wine pairings. These are just some of the mouth-watering temptations now available:

Craft Burger: Havarti, bacon onion jam, arugula, confit garlic aioli, brioche, with fries or salad. Suggested wine pairing: Belleruche 2016–Cotes-Du-Rhone, France

Fish and Chips: beer battered cod, red cabbage slaw, garlic parsley fries, tartar sauce, malt vinegar, lemon. Suggested wine pairing: Vidal Fleury Viognier, France

Airline Chicken Breast: Mary’s organic chicken, crispy gratin potatoes, mushrooms, prunes, truffle purée, jus gras. Suggested wine pairing: Diora 2015 Pinot Noir, Monterey, CA

Apple Bourbon Cobbler: Granny Smith, Gala, bourbon raisins, oat crumble, bourbon sauce, brown butter ice cream. Suggested wine pairing: Orogeny Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County.

Blueberry Bread Pudding: sourdough, blueberries, orange zest, Grand Marnier crème anglaise. Suggested wine pairing: Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve, Champagne, France.

Churros & Horchata: cinnamon sugar churros, dulce de leche caramel sauce, Horchata ice cream. Suggested wine pairing: Chateau Grand-Jauga Sauternes, Bordeaux, France.

The restaurant hopes that their loyal customers will seek out these new wines to try, and the servers are happy to share their own favorites for a taste to help! Some of Simon’s picks include 2014 Southing Sea Smoke Pinot Noir, 2015 Ten Sea Smoke Pinot Noir, 2014 Opus One and the 2013 Lewis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

For vinophiles interested in what the wine critic ratings are for some of the new wines: 2014 Redon Chateauneuf du Pape garnered 91pts from Wine Spectator, 2015 DAOU Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon received 91pts from Robert Parker, 2013 Flowers Chardonnay 91pts Wine Enthusiast, Louis Roederer Brut Premium Non Vintage 92pts Wine Spectator, 2014 Stag’s Leap Petite Sirah 91pts Robert Parker, 2016 Matua Sauvignon Blanc 90pts Wine Spectator. (This Sauvignon Blanc is on the Spectator top 100 wines of the year list!)

Newhall Refinery will continue their popular bi-monthly Wine Around the World dinners; the next one is French themed and scheduled for March 8. Also upcoming and always-sold-out is their annual Valentine’s Day Dinner with several options on reservations times.

Newhall Refinery

24258 Main St. Newhall CA 91321

www.newhallrefinery.com

661-388-4477

https://www.facebook.com/newhallrefinery/

https://www.instagram.com/newhallrefinery/

https://twitter.com/NewhallRefinery

What This Italian Found at the New and Improved Sisley Kitchen

October 6, 2017 by evebushman

Sisley got such an unbelievable re-boot this year (2017) that it’s now the most incredible bar and dining venue you have ever seen – and probably will ever see – in the Santa Clarita Valley.

My extreme close-up of the Grilled Brussels Sprouts at Sisley Kitchen…I took some leftovers home and tossed on pasta = so good!

(Note: If you came in during the soft opening phase this summer and let the management know that you wanted some of your favorite menu items back and a longer Happy Hour – your voice was heard so keep reading.)

Walking up to Sisley from the parking structure you will now see a new side lounge (aka the West Patio) with trees, sofas and a large screen television. The front outdoor patio is still a great dining choice, capable of serving several large parties. It’s a bit more colorful too, along with a bar that I bet could be easily be filled with cocktail-ers.

Entering through the same doors as before your eyes will gravitate – everywhere! The focal point for me began in the center of the room. An enormous oval-shaped bar replaced the original dining area. Doesn’t stop there. The area is crowned by the most amazing chandelier, equally as expansive as the bar, that lights up not only the bar but the new turquoise bar chairs, booths, and communal table. Definitely a place to be seen – and for selfies.

Then you just gotta look around! Both red, gray and turquoise upholstered tables and booth seating will catch your eye.

More chandeliers! Two private dining rooms – one enclosed and the other open. For me, I’m thinking one for meetings and one for partying! Also new is a lovely little dessert and coffee station, very tantalizing!

At Sisley you will find…what real Italians eat. The recipes come from the Alba family: owners Fran and Jamie along with three generations of Albas, as well as recipes culled from multiple visits to Italy’s best restaurants. And this Italian approved of it.

These are some of the appetizer items I sampled that I would suggest you try: Calamari Fritte, Adult Mac N’ Cheese, Spanish Octopus, Italian Quesadilla and the Grilled Brussels Sprouts. The new Bar Bites Menu also has the Italian Quesadilla and Brussels Sprouts but also Ceviche, Bacon Wrapped Dates, Chopped Salad, Bruschetta, Meatball, Mini Pizza, Colorado Lamb Ribs, Carnitas Tacos…and drink specials that included not only domestic beer, well drinks and house wine but also the Daily Bartender’s Specialty, Margarita and select Martinis! The current “Summer Haze Happy Hour” menu is offered to those over 21 in the bar area only, and is nice and long: Monday through Saturday 12-6pm and again from 9pm until closing! Honestly, there is truly something for everyone from weekend brunching to business lunching or just casual fun times over dinner, you will be entertained.

As far as dinner fare I only had room in my tummy for one, after sampling all those apps, so I got my favorite: Fettuccine Carbonara…clearly I have to go back as there are many more items to try including their Sous Vide Filet Mignon, Pork Chop, Cioppino, Chicken Parmesan, Linguini and Clams, Chilean Sea Bass…as well as plenty of pizza and pasta options. A little bird told me to stay tuned come October…new additions are coming to the already new menu!

Sisley Kitchen, 24201 Valencia Blvd, Valencia, CA 91355, (661) 287-4444

www.sisleykitchen.com, Hours 11:30AM – 1:00AM.

Vintage Eve Circa 7/2014: A Day in the Life of a Wine 101er

September 26, 2017 by evebushman

It starts before 5 in the morning, the anal compulsion to blog about my wine adventures…but it really started 14 years ago, when I began poking fun of all things Santa Clarita in a local newspaper. Who knew that movers, shakers, and those of us in-between, enjoyed a little wine now and then?

I’ve been writing, can you believe this, before I started drinking. (You thought I was going to say walking?) Anyway, I wrote under the column header Eve of Destruction (while poking fun) and Another Face of Eve (when doing good) before I settled on using Eve’s Wine 101 for almost the last 5 years.

I met a lot of local people running non-profits, politicians for hire, business owners…you get the drift. When the newspaper asked me to write about wine I found that most of the people I had met, well, seemed to have an interest in wine as well. And what’s more, they wanted to perch themselves on my glass, follow my wine adventures, and, basically, get thoroughly loose through me.

So this is what I do every day to satisfy your every whim.

Yes, I’m up at 5am, because I walk my LA City Fire Chief to his car, with his coffee and Wall Street Journal, every morning…or at least the ones where he is on shift. Then, in rapid succession comes, the run, the coffee, the reading and returning of e-mails, adding events to the SCV Wine Calendar, checking in on Facebook, Twitter, the West Ranch Beacon, reading my friends blogs, taking all the little scraps of notes that I jotted down in the middle of the night and transferring them into a “blog notes” document, get ready to blog and then I see my daughter off to school…

I do work part time, the hours my teenage cherub is in school, but I will leave that job up to your imagination. My employer is a wonderful person that ignores my wine passion…and allows me just enough hours, and salary, to escape cooking and cleaning my own house.

Then back at home after the end of the school day, I transfer non-profit, and for-profit, press releases into blog posts, put their art with a link on my blog, return more e-mails, put up photos and guest posts from readers, take time to write to and work with my two wonderful contributors: Michael Perlis and Rusty Sly that also give time to my Wine 101 blog. Then sift through the dozens of invites I receive every month to see which I can attend and write more about.

I write my big blog story for this site, prepare my weekly Dear Wine Friend newsletter, and then, by the end of the week, I’m headed out to a wine tasting or wine education class.

I try and go to as many non-profit events, and advertise that I’ll be there in my newsletter so that others, may be on the fence, might go as well. I take a Pepcid AC if it’s a fairly large tasting so I can be feeling tip top the next day when I start again at, you guessed it, 5am.
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Vintage Eve Circa 1/14: Larsen’s Steakhouse – Finally!

August 15, 2017 by evebushman

The owners of Santa Clarita Valley’s latest and most high-end restaurant, Larsen’s Steakhouse, have been diligently waiting for my review. Right. The truth of the matter is I had been to the bar, like most curious folks, for Happy Hour. But I didn’t really dig it.

What’s not to dig? Were the prices fair? Yes. Was the selection wide enough? Yes. Was the Happy Hour menu nice? Yes. Was the service great? NO.

I had ordered a red wine by the glass. I sat still as my server poured from the bottle into my wine glass, watching the sediment slip off the inside of the bottle and…into my glass. I waited a second, and she said nothing, and if you can believe this, she darted off before I could. So I waited for her to return to ask for a fresh pour.

She never did, not until my husband spotted her a good 15 minutes later, and at that point all I wanted was the check. I was left to wonder, for too long, if she knew the wine shouldn’t have been served like that or just didn’t care. Either way, she needed some training in bar service.

I returned again, this time sticking to a can’t-be-botched-unless-the-shaker-was-used-for-a-sweet-drink-and-not-washed-properly-afterwards vodka Martini. I had the Kobe beef sliders as well. Both were fine. The service was nothing to write about, and neither was the experience.

Now, full disclosure: I’m a cheapskate and rarely seek out dining options where I have to order everything separately, like sides. I was raised by a single mom, and have never learned to spend money unless I feel that it is really worth it. So, when I was invited to dine at Larsen’s it gave me an opportunity to try it – and judge its worth again.

Meaning: Would I go back and pay for this? I’m happy to report that the answer was YES! I finally got the service and the food I expected.

Our group of 10 was seated in a semi-private room with maybe two other smaller groups. Somewhat in this order: drink orders were taken, the hefty wine list was promptly handed to our host, and menus were placed in front of us.

Within moments cocktails and wines were served, appetizers were presented, and our dinner order was taken. I’ve got issues with dairy and my waitress was very knowledgeable about what sauce I might like on my steak and which sides I may enjoy.

This time the service reminded me of a grand meal I had with a bunch of Fire Chiefs in New Orleans at Emeril’s, where we each had our own waiter that attended to our needs. We didn’t have that exact personal service at Larsen’s but we did have at least 10 servers when the entrées were served – all at once.

Each of the plates, that could have just held a nice cut of steak, also had a large serving or roasted garlic – which was an extra thrill for me and the garlic-loving woman that sat next to me!

The sides (a large selection was ordered) were all family-sized so next time I could easily have one for my small family of three, if we only wanted one. So the idea of ordering sides separately, at a great cost, was reduced as there was so much. (I even have a couple of containers in my fridge right now as leftover proof!)

Eve Sampled/Ate

Jumbo Gulf Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon

Spinach, Shrimp and Artichoke Dip

Petite Filet Mignon with a Berry and Wine Reduction Sauce

Roasted Garlic

Grilled Asparagus

Creamed Spinach

Creamed Corn

Steak Cut Fries

Key Lime Pie*

New York Cheesecake and Fruit

Apple Cobbler

Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake

(*I couldn’t find the desserts on any of the online menus, so these are from memory.)

Larsen’s Steakhouse – Valencia, California

Don’t be left off THE ROOF – Do YOU have your tickets yet?

August 4, 2017 by evebushman

We’re giving you DOUBLE the fun this year as we begin with our pre-party celebration on August 17^th at TPC’s Oaks Grille! Come by from 5pm to 9pm for happy hour pricing all night long, bartender lessons, DJ MAV (the same DJ we will have at the main event for the third year), dancing and the best sunset in Santa Clarita, all while giving back to the WiSH Education Foundation! Have a big party? Call ahead to reserve your table: 661-288-1995.

Cocktails on the Roof, on August 25^th, has us looking forward to a new, fun layout, more lounges (you can even sponsor your own lounge – email Wish@Hart District.org to learn more) and voting on your favorite Craft Cocktails – you’ll even be able to win a social or dinner for a group of six this year in our new silent auction tables!

Everyone is a VIP this year! All tickets are general admission ($85) so you get to enjoy the entire evening from 8pm until 11pm… or come as a Designated Driver and enjoy mocktails and all that amazing food for just $65. All tickets at the door are $95. Either way, let us know about your excitement with #COTR17 on all your social media posts!

Hosted by Eve Bushman of Eve’s Wine 101, Marlee Lauffer, President of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation and WiSH Executive Director Amy Daniels, this year promises to be another top notch event with returning favorites and brand new participants! The restaurants sharing their most sought-after cocktails, mocktails and food are back. Included in the list is Speakeasy Bakery, California Pizza Kitchen, Yoshi Murikami with sake-based cocktails, Sisley Italian Restaurant, solita Tacos & Margaritas, Honu Coffee, Newhall Refinery, TPC Oaks Grille, An Indian Affair, Mammoth Coffee Roasting Company (coffee cocktails), Salt Creek Grille, Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewing Company, Persia Restaurant and Lounge, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Bonefish Grill, Pomp & Whimsy, Deep Eddy Vodka, Sweet Beams Ice Cream, Olive Terrace Bar & Grill, Marston’s, CPB Winery with wine-based cocktails, The Distillery at Opolo, Vina Sympatica Sparkling Wines, LA Scotch Club and Vines Restaurant. Get your tickets and stay tuned for every exciting announcement (and guest party secrets) on the WiSH Facebook and Cocktails event pages and www.WiSHscv.org!

Although WiSH sponsors many programs and initiatives NOT funded by tax dollars, we are focusing our funding this year on the ARTS, with another emphasis on our public school libraries. Together we can make a difference for our public school youth in our own backyard! Why not have fun while raising badly needed funding?

Many thanks to our sponsors, without whom we could never get this party started –Westfield Valencia Town Center and The Magazine of Santa Clarita/Elite Magazine, EveBushmanConsulting.com, Mitchpickswine, SOS Entertainment, 24/7 Events, Andy Gump, Burrtec, Brightview Tree Company, Lundgren Management, Nick Rose Insurance, California Credit Union, Littler, Randy Plaice & Associates, Oasis Associates, Jeff & Melanie Meyer, Gymnastics Unlimited, Peterson Printing, Enchanted Kids, The Signal, Solprint, KHTS and SCVTV. Special thanks to Genesis Moss, Print & Web Design (www.genesismoss.com), for creating our brand new dedicated website, www.CocktailsontheRoofscv.org.

WiSH asks that you be responsible – 21 & over only; please leave your car in the parking garage overnight (approved by Westfield) and take alternate transportation.

Perlis Picks: Double Trouble Wine Room

July 29, 2017 by Michael Perlis

Downtown Newhall is fast becoming an all-in-one destination for the Santa Clarita Valley.

With a state of the art public library standing guard at the north end of Main Street and Newhall Refinery restaurant and Pulchella Winery tasting room near the southern end, along with everything else going on nearby and in-between, it is easy to see why this area’s popularity is only going to increase.

Recently, Karen and I had the opportunity to visit the Double Trouble Wine Room on Main Street, a joint project of Hoi Polloi Winery and Pagter Brothers Winery. Both wineries make their wines locally at SCV Custom Crush Services, sourcing grapes primarily from vineyards on California’s Central Coast.

PAGTER BROTHERS WINERY

For some years, I’ve enjoyed the wines made by Scott Pagter of Pagter Brothers Winery. I can’t remember all the details of when he shared the wine [under his previous wine label] with me at the much missed All Corked Up wine bar, but I do remember it being a pretty killer Grenache. [I also have very fond memories of Scott’s band Stupid Pony from those days. Fronted by excellent lead singer Sidney Iverson, I always looked forward to this band’s rare appearances.]

Scott and his brother Gib formed Pagter Brothers Winery in 2013 specializing in “big, bold reds.” That being said, the first wine we tried was the 2014 Chardonnay which was excellent, a fairly light wine but with a touch of oak on the finish to give it some body.

After that, though, we did move on to those big bold reds, tasting through a selection of wines from the 2014 vintage, mostly Rhone varietals with Syrah sourced from the White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Ynez and the Grenache from the Hoyt Vineyard in Paso Robles…

Notorious – blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah, named after Gib’s day job as an attorney.

Melodious – a reverse of the Notorious, 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache, a tribute to Scott’s music/entertainment background.

Syrah – 100% from the White Hawk Vineyard. This was delicious, but we also got a sneak peek of the 2015 vintage which if anything was even better.

In addition, Pagter Brothers makes a Tempranillo. I think Tempranillo does very well in Paso and this 2014 was no exception.

Finally, another sneak peek – the 2015 Tannat. From Paso’s Adelaida district, this wine belied Tannat’s reputation as being monolithic and unapproachable. Definitely the opposite of that, drinking very well right after bottling and will only get better. My fave of the Pagter Brothers tasting.

Scott told me that their motto is to “make wine they like to drink…so if no one buys it they can drink it.” With these wines, they’re not going to be able to keep much for themselves.

HOI POLLOI WINERY

My relationship with Doug Minnick, one of the three owner/winemakers of Hoi Polloi Winery, goes back several years as well. Doug is also one of the co-founders of the Garagiste Festivals and he and I first met when I interviewed him for our Eve’s Wine 101 website about the inaugural event that was coming up.

So, it was a natural progression to want to make wine. The special focus is on Syrah and Doug says they will soon be able to do side-by-side single vineyard Syrah tastings from all four of their Syrah sources – Sebastiano Vineyard [Sta. Rita Hills], Alta Colina Vineyard [Paso Robles], Hoppe Kelly Vineyard [Russian River Valley] as well as the iconic Larner Vineyard in Ballard Canyon. If you know Syrah, you know that Doug et al have connected with some pretty outstanding vineyards. I feel that Syrah is one of the best varieties for showing off differences in terroir, so this is pretty exciting stuff.

But they do make other wines besides Syrah. We started our tasting with the newly released 2016 Grenache Rosé from Colburn Vineyards in Paso Robles – one of the best Rosés that I’ve had.

We then moved to the reds by first tasting the 2015 “Illicit” Pinot Noir from Santa Maria and the 2014 “Touch of Evil” Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cass Vineyard in Paso Robles. Both solid wines.

Now, time for the red Rhones!

We eased into them, starting with the 2015 Syrah / Grenache Blend called Tryst, so called because while the 34% Grenache is entirely from Paso Robles, the 66% Syrah is a combination of Paso and cool-climate Sonoma. Makes for a very tasty wine.

Not messing around now, we tasted the Sebastiano Vineyard Sta. from Rita Hills and the Alta Colina Vineyard from Paso Robles, both from the 2014 vintage. I had already tasted these wines from last year’s Garagiste Festival in LA and knew what to expect. I was not disappointed. [Not tasted this time but tasted at that same festival was the 2014 “Double Exposure” blend from both of these vineyards, which was actually one of my favorites that day.]

We got a sneak peek here as well – the 2015 Petite Sirah from the Loma Seca Vineyard in Paso Robles. Delicious now, this wine is going to be fun to watch develop.

The Double Trouble Wine Room is definitely worth your time.
https://www.parkviewortho.com/wp-content/languages/new/zoloft.html

Gorgeous facility, now with a patio, along with great wines poured by nice people. I expect this is a place you may want to become a “regular” at before it becomes too popular.

DOUBLE TROUBLE WINE ROOM

24338 Main St.
Newhall, CA 91321