Perlis Picks: Zialena

January 5, 2019 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

An Irishman, an Israeli and a Korean walk into a tasting room.

While this may sound like the opening line of a bad joke it is actually how I found out about Zialena.

The Irishman and his Israeli wife are friends of ours. They were visiting Sonoma County with their friend, the Korean gentleman, when their driver suggested they go to a fairly new winery that they had not yet heard of.

They enjoyed their experience so much that they gave me the Tasting Room Manager’s business card. When we were planning our trip a few months later, I reached out to Reece Channell to schedule a visit.

When we drove up the long winding driveway to the modernistic winery and tasting room in Alexander Valley, I thought at first I was at the winery of some wealthy dabbler with a vanity winery project; the place looks that cool.

It turns out I was totally wrong, as the owners of Zialena have deep roots in the area, being one of those “becoming-rare-like-a-unicorn” families that Scot Bilbro alluded to in my previous article.

In fact, the Mazzoni family’s story in Geyserville goes back to the early 1900s when Giuseppe Mazzoni emigrated from Italy. He became a grape farmer and winemaker with Italian Swiss Colony. Giuseppe’s sons produced wine commercially until the 1970s (look for the old barn off the 101 with the Dr. Pierce’s sign on it) after which grandson Mike established Mazzoni Vineyards.

As often happens, Mike’s kids Lisa and Mark wanted to get the family back into the winemaking business, and Zialena (with Mark as winemaker and Lisa as General Manager) was born, naming it after their aunt (“Zia” in Italian) Lena. The winery and tasting room buildings that I found to be so cool were designed to showcase the family property as well as highlight the modern aspects of the winery itself. The centerpiece of the winery are several open-top concrete fermentation tanks which are emblazoned with what I had initially thought to be a starburst pattern but turned out to be the pattern of Zia Lena’s ravioli stamp, which is the logo of the winery.

Tasting is available in the tasting room or on the patio. As the weather was great, we opted for the patio and tasted through some of the current releases:

2016 Sauvignon Blanc

2017 Rose of Sangiovese

2014 Capella

2013 Zinfandel

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

2015 Zinfandel

This was a very tasty selection. The Sauvignon Blanc and the Rose of Sangiovese were both very refreshing, the Sangio in particular picking up that grape’s complexity. The 2013 Cabernet showcases the fruit that makes Sonoma County my favorite destination for Cab. The 2014 Cappela is a true Zinfandel-based field blend that is an homage to the family history and is delicious.

Speaking of Zins, those for me were the shining stars, not to mention having an interesting story behind them.

It wasn’t until Mark and Lisa had already started making wine at Zialena that their father Mike happened to mention the Mazzoni clone of Zinfandel.

This is how Reece explained it:

In the drafting process of the vineyard map with varietals and acreage breakdown Mike mentions very nonchalantly “….. and this is planted with Mazzoni clone Zinfandel.” Both Mark and Lisa immediately ask, “Wait what? Mazzoni clone Zinfandel? What is that?” Mike then tells the story of how Duff Bevill of Bevill Vineyard Management came across Giuseppe’s original vineyard at the location of the Doctor Pierce’s barn. Eventually Duff came over to talk to Mike about it because he was the only family member who knew about the old home ranch. They decided to find out more about the Zinfandel on the property by taking bud wood to UC Davis for analysis. Sure enough Davis had not seen this Zinfandel before! It was then registered by Davis as the Bevill/Mazzoni clone of Zinfandel. It is a heritage pre-prohibition clone. Mark and Lisa are very proud to be the fourth generation to grow the clone and to make a 100% single vineyard, single clone Zinfandel out of it.

This story was especially meaningful to us, as we are deeply interested in California’s heritage grapes and vineyards.

Zialena has a bright future ahead. The current winery was only completed a couple of years ago (previous vintages were made at a custom crush), so one has to feel that as good as the wines are now, the best is yet to come.

Zialena

21112 River Road

Geyserville, CA 95441

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: Marietta Cellars

December 29, 2018 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

Recently, I wrote an article about Sam Bilbro’s Idlewild Wines. In the past, I’ve written about Jake Bilbro’s Limerick Lane Winery. But to truly attempt to grasp the influence of the Bilbro family on Sonoma County – indeed California – wine, one really needs to go back to where it started: Marietta Cellars.

Chris Bilbro, patriarch of the Bilbro clan, founded Marietta Cellars in 1978, naming it after his great-aunt. He bought the current winery property in 1990. Scot Bilbro took over winery operations from his father a few years back. He toured the winery with us on our visit, along with Jenifer Freebairn (Marietta’s VP of Sales and Marketing). Winery equipment is a curious mix of old and new equipment and that’s how Scot likes it. Production is now at about 65,000 cases annually and there are no direct-to-consumer sales. [So, why am I here, right?]

“Scot,” I said, “you are somewhat of a unicorn.”

Scot laughingly asked me “Michael, what do you mean?” even though I was sure he understood my point.

For many years, I have been an extremely vocal proponent of buying wine directly from small family owned wineries. “Don’t buy at big retail stores,” I’d say. “Support the little guys who are crafting their authentic wines by hand.” Now here comes Marietta Cellars, selling only to stores and restaurants through a network of distributors. And at 65,000 cases, while not a big winery in the corporate world, Marietta is definitely on the larger size of “small family owned wineries.”

Which brought me to my “unicorn” comment because off the top of my head I don’t know of any other family owned wineries that only sell wholesale.

Scot said that they were a “unicorn” in another way too. Families like the Bilbros, the Mauritsons and a few others are part of an ever shrinking group that has been farming the area for decades. While Scot in no way bemoaned the new blood that is coming into the region, he did acknowledge that families like the Bilbros are becoming more and more rare in Sonoma County.

As I said, no direct to consumer sales and therefore – no tasting room. But my writer’s card did get us an opportunity sit down with Scot and Jen to taste some of the winery’s current releases.

The largest production of the winery goes to the OVR series, which is most known for Old Vine Red but there is also an Old Vine Rose and an Old Vine Riesling. We tasted Old Vine Red Lot Number 67 which is a Zinfandel heavy blend. This wine was first produced in 1982 and doesn’t have vintage designations as it is a combination of grapes from different years.

As is a characteristic of Marietta Cellars wines, the OVR really over-delivers at its low price point – I’ve seen this wine for well under $20. My only complaint about this wine is it might encourage people to feel that this wine is so delicious why would they need to expand their horizons [i.e. pay more]?

My answer to them would be: the best is yet to come.

And that would be the next tier up, the Family series, each wine being named after a beloved member of Marietta Cellars’ extended family. We tasted the 2016 “Román” a Zinfandel (named after cellar master Roman Cisneros, who has been with Marietta Cellars over 30 years – one of several long-term employees), the 2015 “Armé” a Cabernet Sauvignon (named after Marietta’s husband) and the 2015 “Christo”, an intense Syrah-based blend named after Chris Bilbro himself.

All of these wines had great fruit and mouthfeel with long finishes, most notable to me in the Christo. But what I really got from these wines was a feeling of comfort. They are just really good tasting wines that you want to curl up and read a good book with or enjoy with a hearty meal.

These attributes carried over — and then some – to the top tier Estate series as well. As the name implies, this series showcases some of the special vineyards that Marietta works with. The 2016 Angeli Zinfandel (named after the family that settled the property in the late 1800s), the 2015 Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2015 Gibson Block Syrah were all wines you just didn’t want to dump from your tasting glass. Especially that Syrah which was just amazing.

As I’ve said [too many times?], you can’t buy these wines directly from the winery. So, don’t go showing up on their doorstep asking for a taste. I suggest you use the Find Wine tool on their website to see where you can get your hands on some.

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 Ev 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: Mauritson

December 22, 2018 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

“Sense of place” is often bandied about in conversations about wine. Wines should not only be delicious but they should reflect their terroir – where they are from and the conditions unique to the vintage. The Rockpile AVA in Sonoma County is one of our favorite sources of wines that epitomize where they are from. Located at the far western end of the Dry Creek Valley, for me the wines (especially Zinfandels) from this area make me think of a combination of the power of Paso Robles with the complexity of the Russian River Valley.

So, when Clay Mauritson, in response to my inquiry about Karen and me visiting with him at his namesake winery during harvest, suggested that we spend the morning out in Rockpile to get grape samples, that sounded pretty exciting to us.

Mauritson is not too far from the entry to the Dry Creek Valley just west of Healdsburg. We met Clay there at 8 AM and headed west to Rockpile. Along the way Clay told us about some of the area’s history and the impact that Clay’s family has had on it.

Clay’s family emigrated from Sweden. Clay told us that “they settled in the Rockpile area of Dry Creek Valley and began growing grapes immediately, circa 1868. In 1884 my great, great, great, grandfather attempted to export wine back to his homeland of Sweden.” The homestead and ranch had grown to about 4,000 acres until 1968 when the Army Corps of Engineers acquired 3,300 acres of the land owned by the Mauritson family by virtue of eminent domain due to the perceived need to build a dam, thereby creating Lake Sonoma. Clay said, “When we lost the Rockpile property, my grandparents purchased the ranch in Alexander Valley where they continued growing grapes. The Rockpile property was used for livestock: sheep and cattle, but we did not resume growing grapes there until 1998.” But it wasn’t until Clay returned from college and worked in the winemaking industry in the area that he made the decision that the Mauritson name should actually be on wine bottle labels as the winery. The Mauritson winery was officially born with the release of its first vintage in 1998. The modern winery and tasting room was opened in 2004.

It didn’t take long for Clay to revisit the Rockpile area and realize its potential for making great wine. The Mauritson Rockpile Zinfandels are some of my all-time favorites. Rockpile was granted official AVA status in 2002, due primarily to the efforts of Clay’s dad Thom along with Rod Park and Jack Florence Sr.

Clay also discussed how happy he was with the current 2018 harvest. The growing season had been virtually perfect. Sometimes near the end of the growing season, the threat of impending heat spikes or rain could impact when the grapes are picked. Not this year. The grapes only needed to be picked when they were ready to be picked. Clay said that they test the grapes early and often at Mauritson, so they can plan the optimal picking window. He explained you can do a lot of things at the winery but you “can’t change the flavors” – those happen in the vineyard.

Walking the vineyards with Clay as he pulled samples to take back to the winery for testing, I felt a new appreciation for an AVA that has always been at the top of my list of favorites. And since I wanted to play “winery helper” and carry the buckets that Clay was filling, I also felt a greater appreciation for the hard work that happens in the vineyard, especially those steep ones in Rockpile. I am sure that Clay would have finished sooner without me, but my excuse is that I am 63 and out of shape while Clay is 20+ years younger and still looks like he did in his football playing days at Oregon.

We spent a couple of hours in the vineyards and I admittedly weenied out and let Clay walk at least one of them alone. But now it was time to head back to the winery and taste some wine.

While when I think of Mauritson I automatically think of Zinfandel, I soon found out those aren’t the only varietals that Clay is making, and making well, I might add.

We tasted through several wines:

2017 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley – I really liked the richness of this wine.

2017 Mauritson Chardonnay, Alexander Valley

2016 Charlie Clay Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley – Clay makes this with/for renowned Chef Charlie Palmer; the only wine he makes with purchased grapes.

2015 Mauritson Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley – Excellent in its own right, this was a great lead-in for the Rockpile wines…

2016 Rockpile Zinfandel, Rockpile Ridge Vineyard

2016 Rockpile Zinfandel, Cemetery Vineyard

2016 Rockpile Zinfandel, Pritchett Peaks Vineyard

All three of these wines were excellent representations of what Rockpile is known for.

We also tasted three more wines from Rockpile:

2016 Rockpile “Madrone Spring” blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Syrah

2015 Rockpile “Buck Pasture” blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.

2015 Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon, Rockpile Ridge Vineyard

All of these showcased the intensity of the Rockpile fruit.

Whew. Clay makes a lot of wines and we didn’t even taste all of them. But, as an added bonus we got to taste one of the wines from Clay’s single soil Cabernet series, which focuses on producing Cab from four distinct soil types. We had the 2014 Clough and it was outstanding.

Something else to consider: Annually in August, Clay Mauritson and Chef Charlie Palmer co-host the Project Zin event in Healdsburg. This is a gathering of winemakers and chefs to benefit Down Syndrome Association North Bay. The winery lineup is Zinfandel heaven and August now looks like a pretty good time to visit the area.

You’ll find that several wineries make wine from Rockpile grapes – some even own vineyards in Rockpile and other just purchase grapes from the area – and you’d be hard pressed to find wine from this AVA that you won’t like. But I heartily recommend that you at least start your enjoyment of Rockpile wines with the family that had so much to do with putting Rockpile on the map in the first place – Mauritson.

Mauritson

2859 Dry Creek Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448

Perlis Picks: Idlewild

December 8, 2018 by Michael Perlis 2 Comments

It is hard to talk about wine in Sonoma County without the name Bilbro coming up.

I’ve written more than once about Jake Bilbro and the outstanding wines that he is making at Limerick Lane.

Did you know that two other Bilbro brothers also make wine? One of them is Scot, who is carrying on the tradition of father Chris at Marietta Cellars [more on him in a future article].

And then there is Sam. Sam actually hadn’t planned on making wine. He essentially grew up at Marietta Cellars but the thought of making what Sonoma County is known for like the Rhones and Zins that Marietta Cellars and Limerick Lane make or the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which also tend to dominate the region apparently didn’t appeal to him. He had planned to do something else with his life.

Yet, we found ourselves in an industrial center north of Healdsburg in Geyserville, trying to track Sam down and find out what had changed. We circled around the center for a while, seeing other winemakers doing their thing, but couldn’t find Sam. I finally gave in to my natural disinclination to ask for directions and called him. He promptly flagged us down from the very back of the center where he shares space with a few other small wineries.

It was the middle of harvest and the winery was busy with workers as well as incoming grapes. We didn’t want to be in the way or take up too much of Sam’s time [we had actually pulled him away from his lunch] but we did chat for a little while about what he was doing.

The big question, of course, was what made him decide to go into winemaking after having decided that he wasn’t going to? The answer was Nebbiolo. One day, tasting an authentic version of this wine, Sam’s passion for Italian varietals was triggered, specifically those from Piedmont, and from that day forward he knew he wanted to make them. So Idlewild was born.

Piedmontese grapes such as Arneis and Cortese – for white wines—and Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo for reds are sourced from Mendocino County and turned into wine at that Geyserville industrial park. Until recently they could only be obtained via the winery’s mailing list or at a few restaurants. That’s changed though as Sam recently opened a tasting room for Idlewild just off the Healdsburg town square.

We knew that Sam needed to get back to work and we wanted to taste the wine and not only those just-picked Barbera grapes, delicious as they were. So we left Sam to his duties and headed down to that new tasting room.

Idlewild makes three “entry level” [for lack of a better term] blends: The Bee (white), The Flower (rose) and The Bird (red), as well as single-varietal bottlings of Arneis, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cortese and Dolcetto. In the tasting room we got to taste the latest releases of the single-varietals as well as the rose. [Please note that we’ve tasted prior vintages of the white blend as well as we had purchased some as part of Idlewild’s fundraising efforts relating to the 2017 fires – all three Bilbro wineries participated in these efforts.]

I really like wines that are delicious and fun to drink [Who doesn’t, right? Duh.] I also really like wines that get your attention and require some contemplation. These wines do both, which doesn’t always happen. All of these wines are very tasty, well made wines with complex attributes. My two favorites were the Cortese and the Barbera. The Cortese is Sam’s version of an Orange wine [i.e. fermented on the skins]. I am a fan of Orange wines but I’ve found that some of them taste like, well, a mistake. Not this wine. It has just enough added complexity from the skin contact to make it an all-around winner. And the Barbera is just a great mouthful of berries and figs.

This is a great winery to check out, especially if you are interested in experiencing some out-of-the-ordinary California wines. Or, if you just like really good ones.

Idlewild Wines
132 Plaza St
Healdsburg, CA 95448

Wine Road Kicks Off Event Season With 20th Annual Wine & Food Affair

October 31, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

HEALDSBURG, Calif. /PRNewswire/ — Wine Road, an association of wineries and lodgings in Northern Sonoma County, announces their upcoming 2018 – 2019 event season featuring three signature annual events: Wine & Food Affair, Winter WINEland and Barrel Tasting. All three events allow guests to visit participating wineries stretching across Sonoma County’s Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valleys throughout the event weekend.

Photo: Wine Road Facebook page.

Wine Road’s event season kicks off with the 20^th Annual Wine & Food Affair, November 3-4, 2018, 11am – 4pm, featuring two full days of tantalizing food and wine pairings along the Wine Road. Each participating winery offers a taste of gourmet cuisine prepared by a local culinary artist paired with the wine of their choice. Popular pairings in past years include Bacon Fudge Brownies with Syrah Port; New England Clam Chowder with Chardonnay; Mac & Cheese with Pulled Ham paired with Pinot Noir; and Braised Meatball Sliders and Zinfandel. Advance tickets are now on sale online for the weekend ($80), Sunday only ($60), and Designated Driver ($30).

After the hectic holidays, the first event of 2019 is Winter WINEland, January 19-20. This “all about the wine” event that provides the perfect winter escape in which visitors can enjoy a less crowded wine country tasting adventure. Advance tickets will begin online on November 6, 2018 and are $45 for the weekend, $35 for Sunday only, and $5 for designated drivers.

Lastly, Wine Road will host their 42^nd annual Barrel Tasting Weekends, March 1-3 and 8-10. The event offers two weekends of barrel sampling and the opportunity to purchase “futures,” essentially a chance to buy, often at a discount, a wine that is still aging in the barrel. Advance tickets to Barrel Tasting will go on sale online Sunday October 7, 2018 and are $50 for the weekend, $40 for Sunday only, $5 for designated drivers.

ABOUT WINE ROAD NORTHERN SONOMA COUNTY:

The Wine Road is a travel resource for those looking to visit the region, which is famous for its renowned wine producers and cuisine, scenic beauty, and wine country lifestyle. Made up of 200 wineries and 54 lodgings throughout the Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River valleys in Sonoma County, something is always going on along the Wine Road.

Perlis Picks: Hoyt Family Vineyards

September 1, 2018 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

Have you heard of tiny houses? There’ve been a few television shows about them. My wife Karen occasionally watches them and I’ll sometimes lift my head up from wine-related Facebook conversations to see what’s up.

Basically, people downsize to a minimum level of possessions and space requirements in order to live in very small residences, simplifying their lives in the process. Now what that minimum level is varies from family to family depending on their own situation. The whole idea has never really appealed to me; for one thing, what to do with the wine?

But, to stay in a tiny house in a vineyard on the west side of Paso Robles? Heck yes, that is very appealing.

The first episode of DIY Network’s “Cabin Brothers” featured the development and construction of two tiny homes on the vineyard property of Hoyt Family Vineyards. The “brothers” are twins John and Ron Daniels [formerly of the show “Redwood Kings”] and their company Daniels Wood Land is conveniently based in Tin City just south of downtown Paso Robles.

The cabins/homes have all the amenities – two bedrooms [one is a master with a queen size bed and the other is smaller with bunk beds], a shower and full kitchen. Our vineyard view cabin gave us a full frontal view of the beautiful vineyard – just be careful not to give a full frontal view to the vineyard workers; this is a working winery, after all. In case you’re wondering, you also have satellite TV and Wi-Fi.

But all this would mean nothing to me if the wines didn’t measure up.

For a little bit about how that started, we have to begin in…Malibu.

Carol and Stephen Hoyt moved to Malibu and planted their Chardonnay vineyard on their property in 2001. Carol, a self-taught winemaker, made her first wine with purchased Cabernet fruit while waiting for the first Chardonnay grapes to be ready to harvest in 2004. Since that time, Hoyt Family Vineyards became known for producing delicious Chardonnay from Malibu.

But we all know that there is more to wine than Chardonnay, yummy as it is, and in 2011 the Hoyts purchased 86 acres on the west side of Paso Robles in the very highly regarded Willow Creek District, with neighbors like Booker, Tablas Creek and most recently Clos Solene [in other words, a pretty darn good neighborhood], to expand the estate offerings of Hoyt Family Vineyards. After much work [some still ongoing] on the vineyards, which now consist of two adjacent properties totaling 140 acres with 30 acres planted, they now also produce Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Grenache and Petit Verdot.

Tastings are available by appointment at the vineyard property, which is especially convenient if you are staying there. But we wanted to check out the new tasting room in downtown Paso Robles. Located just north of the busy park square, the Hoyt Family Vineyards tasting room is a wonderful addition to the downtown tasting room scene. It is now literally possible to spend a day (or more) tasting wine strolling around without ever needing to drive into the surrounding countryside, should you so choose.

We went through the whole lineup of wines, which I am pleased share with you here, including the winery’s notes:

White

Hoyt2Hoyt Sparkling Wine: Our newest addition, a sophisticated Methode Champignon sourced from Sonoma County. Light, crisp and refreshing. Perfect for a celebration or a Sunday morning. Dry, with notes of pear and apple, delicately tickles your fancy.

2015 Chardonnay: Our newest release! We have taken our Malibu estate grown Chardonnay through 100% malolactic and aged it in new and used French Oak. This is the wine that put us on the map! Crisp, with hints of oak and butter this Chardonnay’s acid is well balanced on your palate and could look forward to it aging beautifully, if you can wait, but we don’t think you will want to! It is our classic “Drink it all day Chardonnay”! Case Production 325

Muscat: For those of you who expect this wine to be overly sweet, we have a surprise for you! Made with no residual sugar, this Muscat presents itself as beautifully dry with a fragrant nose of citrus, clean and crisp. This is a onetime wine from our estate with a small production, get it before it’s gone! Case Production 30

Rosé

2017 Pinot Noir Rose: Sophisticated and elegant, best describes our estate Grown Pinot Noir Rose. This Rose, already turning heads and making a splash, claimed 99 points, double gold and best of class from the California State Fair. Notes of strawberry, and citrus make this perfect for the summer or for that matter anytime.

Red

“Dylema” Our fun red blend. Originally created for the Malibu Chili cook off, this has become a house favorite. A Cab based blend with a little bit of everything else thrown in. Smooth and easy on the palate, we were hard pressed as what to call it, so we named it after our kids, Dylan and Emma. Enjoy our “Dylema”. GOLD Medal Winner

Grenache: Our first Grenache! And we are delighted with its lovely gardenia and soft smokey pepper and burnt Cherry undertones. Case Production 80

2012 Tempranillo: Fruit forward, well balanced. The velvet feel rolls in your mouth, with magical notes of black currant, blackberries, blueberry, vanilla and cooking spices. Very limited production of this hand picked estate fruit. Case Production 55

2013 Petite Sirah: Our 2013 Petite Sirah is totally amazing. Big bold fruit, beautiful legs, rounded mouth feel, we think it’s like “sex in a bottle”. Very limited production, and we feel it will be winning Gold Medals- we expect nothing less!

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon: Already winning Best of Class by the San Francisco Wine Chronicle, this is our favorite Cab yet. It’s unbelievable round mouth feel, is chewy, fruit forward, leggy and lovely. A sophisticated Cab, very limited production, this wine won’t last! Case Production 96

These are very well made wines. The awards they are getting, such as the one from the Chronicle, are about as legit as they get. The Rose really knocked us out and the Petite Sirah is aptly described as amazing. As you can see, production is tiny on many of these so blink and they might be gone. But whatever they are pouring next will be sure to please.

Thank you to Nancy Hoffman of Hoyt Family Vineyards for hosting us at the property and at the tasting room, as well as giving us a whirlwind vineyard tour and pointing out the best places to enjoy a glass of wine at sunset. She is a joy to work with – don’t believe just me; check out the reviews on Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23712572

So, am I ready to give it all up and move into a tiny house? Probably not. But I would definitely stay again in a tiny cabin in a beautiful vineyard, especially this vineyard and this winery: Hoyt Family Vineyards. You should too.

Hoyt Family Vineyards

Tasting room:

1322 Park Street, Paso Robles, Ca. 93446

Vineyard:

2015 Township Rd, Paso Robles, Ca. 93446

Cabins:

2110 Township Rd, Paso Robles, Ca. 93446

What and Where is the Wine Road?

August 5, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Founded 41 years ago, Wine Road is an association of wineries and lodgings in the Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River valleys of Northern Sonoma County. From its modest beginning as an organization of nine wineries, it has grown into a spirited constellation of nearly 200 wineries and 54 lodgings. Wine Road is an indispensible resource guiding visitors and locals alike through the scenic bi-ways and backroads of the three valleys, and points the way to the fine wine and exquisite cuisine of the region.

Winding through some of the most picturesque wine country in California, Wine Road takes visitors on an exciting journey of natural beauty, superb tasting experiences, and memorable personal encounters with the state’s most devoted winemakers. Even for travelers already well acquainted with California wine country, Wine Road is likely to be uncharted territory–sure to imbue a fresh sense of discovery. Along the way are some of California’s oldest wineries, run by vintners whose commitment to tending the vines and producing world-class wines, true to the appellation, runs back generations.

Wine Road is also where modern, state-of-the-art wineries co-exist with small, artisanal producers for whom making wine is a way of life intertwined with the responsibilities of home and family. From Italian-style villas and French-style chateaux to boutique wineries, Wine Road provides a colorful glimpse into the world of winemaking. This is what makes traversing Wine Road a uniquely personal experience, and visitors will find their own enthusiasm for great wine reflected in the appreciation of these passionate producers.

This lively and committed organization has created a myriad of programs, events, and services certain to enhance any visitor’s experience of the region. The association hosts three celebrated wine events throughout the year: Winter WINEland in January; Barrel Tasting in March; and Wine and Food Affair in November, all of which bring thousands of visitors to the region.

For additional information, or to request a free map, visit www.wineroad.com, call 800.723.6336 or via e-mail at info@wineroad.com. Keep up with Wine Road on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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

August 4, 2018 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alma Sol

Ann Albert

Ascension Cellars

Bellante Family Winery

Betwixt Wines

Brophy Clark

Byron Blatty

Caliza Vineyards

Cavelletti Vineyards

Cloak & Dagger

Cutruzzola Vineyards

Domaine Kreger

El Lugar Wines

Frisco Cellars

Golden Triangle

Gordenker Wines

Hoi Polloi

In Vino Musicas

Kaleidos Wines

Kitson Wines

LA Wine Project

Lavender Oak Ranch

Magna Vita Cellars

Malibu Ridge

Marin’s Vineyard

Mastro Scheidt

Metrick Wines

Monochrome Wines

Murder Ridge

On Your Left

Pulchella Winery

Record Family Wines

Siela Wines

Stolo Family Winery

Sweezter Cellars

Sycamore Ranch

The Blending Lab

Tlo Winery

Torch Wines

TW Fermentations

Vinemark Cellars

Volatus Wine

Wildwood Oak Winery

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

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

Perlis Picks: Family Winemakers of California [Part Two]

April 21, 2018 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

This year’s Family Winemakers event, held at the Pasadena Convention Center, had about 70 wineries presenting their finest bottlings to an appreciative crowd of trade, media and consumer attendees. Yes, I said 70. Obviously, I couldn’t taste everything, but I think I made a pretty good dent. Here are some of my favorites…

Ascension Cellars – specializing in Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, this was one of several wineries at the event representing Paso Robles. Enjoyed the Rose, the Soul Shaker Cab/Syrah blend as well as the dessert Primitivo.

Bokisch Vineyards – a Lodi winery focused on Spanish varietals, I was excited to see they also produced a Zinfandel from the Kirschenmann Vineyard. This vineyard is owned by Tegan Passalacqua of Turley Wine Cellars. Turley, of course, makes a zin from this vineyard as do a few other wineries. This version was about as pure an expression of the vineyard as I’ve had.

Brecon Estate – I’ve been wanting to try this Paso Robles winery since they were named winery of the year in Doug Wilder’s Purely Domestic Wine Report. Both the Forty-Two red Rhone blend and the Petite Sirah were excellent.

Cass Winery – what can be said about this Paso Robles winery that hasn’t been said? Great white and red Rhones with Ted Plemons providing the entertainment.

DRNK – the name of this Russian River Valley winery is made up of the initials of family members. The “K” is for winemaker Ryan Kunde – yes, that Kunde family so you know the winemaking pedigree is there. Great Pinot Noir and Malbec.

Frog’s Tooth – this winery serves as a great reminder that well-priced high quality wines can be found when you expand your wine search into the Sierra Foothills. Especially liked the Sauvignon Blanc and the Petite Sirah.

Pech Merle – based in Geyserville, this tiny winery is producing some really good juice. I really liked their Zinfandel.

Petrified Forest Vineyards – Ken and Susan Piters are making excellent Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from their vineyard in Sonoma County’s Knight’s Valley.

Pride Mountain Vineyards – speaking of Cabernet, just a big “wow” for the one from this winery that overlaps the north end of Napa and Sonoma counties.

Sobon Estate / Shenandoah Vineyards – consistently one of my favorite Amador County wineries, the reserve Zin was my pick at this table.

Sol Rouge Vineyard & Winery – pouring a wide range of mostly Rhone inspired wines, there was a lot to enjoy at this table. Favorites for me were the Cinsaut and the Cabernet Franc.

Treasure Island Wines / Kohler & Frohling Wines – I had planned on visiting this table anyway and I was especially intrigued when I got an email reminding me of an article that hit The Daily Beast early in 2017. Kohler & Frohling was originally founded in the 1850s in Los Angeles and has now been recreated by the great-great grandson of the founder Charles Kohler. The wines are made by the same winemaker as San Francisco’s Treasure Island Wines, Jim Mirowski. I really enjoyed the Rose wines at this table, my favorite being the K&F Rose of Pinot Noir, which struck me as a pretty serious version of a Rose.

Eve’s article already listed all the wineries that poured at this event, so I won’t bother listing them again. But, I highly recommend you watch our site for more events in the future, both from Family Winemakers and other great organizations.

VINTNER KATHRYN HALL ELECTED TO CALIFORNIA SUSTAINABLE WINEGROWING ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

January 13, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

(ST. HELENA, CALIFORNIA ) – The California Wine Institute unanimously elected Vintner Kathryn Hall to the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) Board of Directors effective December 2017. The CSWA Board of Directors is made up of winegrowers representing both vineyards and wineries. CSWA is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 2003 by The Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers to develop and promote sustainable practices, tools for education and outreach, partnerships with key stakeholders, and prioritizing research.

Kathyrn Hall

“Electing Mrs. Hall to the Board of Directors brings even more talent, expertise and energy to our Board of Directors” says Allison Jordan, Executive Director of CSWA. “With over 2,000 California winegrape growers and winemakers participating in the CSWA program, California has one of the most widely adopted sustainable winegrowing programs in the world in terms of wine acreage and case production. Mrs. Hall and her HALL & WALT wineries are part of this vibrant movement, including being Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing.”

HALL and WALT luxury wine brands, owned by Kathryn Hall and husband Craig Hall, include 500 planted acres in Napa County, Sonoma County, Santa Barbara County and Mendocino County. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir producers have earned numerous certifications and accolades – 11 HALL vineyards are certified Sustainable by the CSWA, and five of the HALL estate vineyards are certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Additionally, each of WALT’s three estate vineyards are certified sustainable by the CSWA. The CSWA and CCOF certifications have rigorous requirements and standards related to irrigation to eco-friendly farming techniques.

“I am thrilled to be elected to the CSWA Board of Directors and to participate in ways to support sustainable farming practices for our industry,” says Vintner Kathryn Hall. “These practices are a central focus for us at HALL and WALT as well as a personal commitment for me. They are also key to the long term viability of our industry. I admire the leadership of the CSWA in the area of sustainable farming and look forward to being a member of the board.”

Hall has been coined as a model for community action by pioneering green decisions and most recently was a featured speaker at Vinexpo Bordeaux to discuss achievements in sustainability. The panel of esteemed experts and global influencers who discussed critical issues facing the wine industry, specifically climate change. Hall served as the United States Ambassador to Austria from 1997-2001.

“We are delighted to have Mrs. Hall join our CSWA Board of Directors” says Steve Lohr, Board Chairman of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, and CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. “Kathryn and her team have shown their commitment to sustainability by becoming a certified participant in the CSWA program with all of their estate vineyards, and by building California’s first LEED Gold certified winery. We look forward to bringing Kathryn and her enthusiasm for sustainability to a Board that is passionate about sharing best sustainable business practices with vineyards and wineries throughout California.”

For more information, please visit www.hallwines.com and www.waltwines.com.

ABOUT CSWA: California Sustainable Winegrowing SWA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated in 2003 by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers to develop and promote sustainable practices, tools for education and outreach, partnerships with key stakeholders, and prioritizing research. Wineries and vineyards throughout the state have to apply to earn Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing status verified by a third-party auditor through CSWA. Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing and other statewide and regional programs such as Bay Area Green Business Program, Fish Friendly Farming, Lodi Rules, Napa Green and Sustainability in Practice (SIP) play vital roles in the California wine community’s successful efforts to produce high quality wine that is environmentally sound, economically feasible and socially responsible. More than 2,000 wineries and vineyards in the state participate in the CSWA program.

ABOUT HALL: HALL produces critically acclaimed artisan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, available to taste and buy at two properties in Napa Valley as well as at hallwines.com. Owned by Craig and Kathryn Hall, its vineyard collection features seven estate vineyards, of which five are California Certified Organic (CCOF). Each vintage, Vice President of Winemaking Steve Leveque crafts distinct Cabernet Sauvignon wines which demonstrate the unique characteristics and diversity of Napa Valley terroir. HALL’s wine portfolio includes three 100 point scores given by critic Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, for its 2013 Rainin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, its 2013 Exzellenz Red Wine and its 2010 Exzellenz Red Wine. HALL also earned the #2 spot in Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” for its 2008 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon. Since the first vintage in 2002, over 75 HALL wines have earned 95 point scores and above, and over 250 wines have earned 90 point scores and above from the industries top critics. The HALL St. Helena winery was the first LEED® Gold Certified Winery in the State of California in 2009 and earned another LEED® Gold certification for its high tech production facility and Tasting Room in 2014, making HALL a leader in green efficiencies. For more information about HALL, please visit www.hallwines.com, @hallwines, or by calling 707.967.2626.

ABOUT WALT: WALT specializes in premier, vineyard designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the most coveted vineyards along the Pacific Coast, spanning 1,000 miles from as far north as the Willamette Valley to the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. WALT represents wines of a place – these special sites where thoughtful viticulture enables winemakers to create expressive wines that reflect the signature personality of each site. WALT farms three estate vineyards and partners with meticulous growers who aspire to share standards of quality. Owned by Kathryn Walt Hall and her husband Craig, the winery honors Kathryn’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt, who were grape growers in Mendocino County since 1972 and nurtured Kathryn’s passion for vineyards and wine. The WALT Sonoma Square Tasting Room opened in 2012 and is located in Sonoma, CA and is open to the public. For more information, please visit www.waltwines.com or by calling (707) 933-4440.