Wine Club Drinks In Best-in-Class 5-Star Rating

February 7, 2019 by evebushman Leave a Comment

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (PRWEB) – TopConsumerReviews.com recently awarded their highest five-star rating to Cellars Wine Club, an industry leader in Wine Clubs.

Most wine shoppers are limited to the selection at their local wine and liquor store – which can become redundant and boring. A Wine Club membership, on the other hand, is a wonderful way to spice up a wine collection and try new flavors that most people would never have access to. With a Wine Club membership, unique selections of various wines from domestic or international vineyards appear at the door step each month – providing hours of enjoyment for friends and family to share.

“Cellars Wine Club is hands down the top rated Wine Club available today,” explained Brian Dolezal, of TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC. “Their selection, professionalism, and customer focused policies are sure to provide an excellent experience for those that love wine. Whether you love red, white, high-end wines, or bubbly champagne, Cellars has a club for you. Cellars has years of experience that shows in the level of detail and depth they’ve put into creating and expertly managing a long list of different wine clubs. With free shipping, flexible membership options, and fair pricing, Cellars Wine Club lands at the top of our list for Wine Clubs in 2018.”

To find out more about Cellars Wine Club and other wine clubs, including reviews and comparison rankings, please visit the Wine Club category of TopConsumerReviews.com at https://www.topconsumerreviews.com/wine-clubs/.

About Cellars Wine Club
Since 1999, Cellars Wine Club offers exclusive wine of the month clubs for red, white, and high end wines. Wine of the month clubs are a symbol status of those that truly enjoy life. Those that are ready to experience the world of fine wines choose Cellars Wine Club.

About TopConsumerReviews.com
TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC is a leading provider of reviews and rankings for thousands of consumer products and services. From Wine Clubs to Coffee Clubs and Dessert Clubs, TopConsumerReviews.com delivers in-depth product evaluations in order to make purchasing decisions easier.

Perlis Picks Zinfandel: Stories from Napa Valley

February 2, 2019 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

During our trip to Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, Karen and I naturally got a hankering for some Zinfandel. So, where did we go? Well, Napa, of course. Wait, really?

Admittedly, Zinfandel may not be the first varietal that comes to mind when one thinks about Napa, but maybe it should be. After all, the popularity of current “fad” grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon is a fairly recent phenomenon and historically vineyards were planted heavily to Zinfandel, often interspersed with other varietals.

Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) is the organization for all things Zinfandel. Perhaps best known for the huge annual January event in San Francisco, ZAP does a number of other things as well. According to the ZAP website: “Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) is a membership based organization that advances knowledge and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history.”

Last year, ZAP held a series of events in various California wine regions, highlighting the Zinfandel producers and vineyards of those regions. Our timing prevented us from attending the event held in Sonoma County but with Napa being only a hop, skip and a jump over the Mayacamas Mountains [from our morning visit to Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery], we were excited to attend…

Zinfandel: Stories from Napa Valley.

Held in the CIA at Copia, Napa, the event consisted of a tasting seminar followed by a walk-around reception. Moderated by the always entertaining “Sommelier to the Stars” Christopher Sawyer, the speaker panel consisted of Julie Johnson (Tres Sabores), Carol Brown (Brown Estate Vineyards), Tres Goetting (Robert Biale Vineyards) and Tegan Passalacqua (Turley Wine Cellars). And, yes, wine was included with the seminar, as any respectable wine seminar should include wines to taste. (Maybe all seminars regardless of whether about wine or not should include wine, but I digress.) The wines presented were:

Tres Sabores – 2015 Estate Zinfandel, Rutherford

Brown Estate Vineyards – 2016 Estate Zinfandel, Chiles Valley

Robert Biale Vineyards – 2016 Aldo’s Zinfandel, Oak Knoll

Turley Wine Cellars – 2016 Dragon Zinfandel, Howell Mountain

The wineries and wines presented offered great examples of the diversity of Napa Valley Zinfandel showcasing wines from the valley floor as well as from mountainside vineyards.

Each speaker had some interesting tidbits for us. Among other things, I learned that Julie Johnson was one of the founders of Frog’s Leap Winery (along with John Williams and Larry Turley) as well as “Women for Wine Sense” before eventually founding her own Tres Sabores winery in 1999. We’ve known Tres Goetting for some time and loved his comment that “I love Zinfandel because it is a mysterious varietal that never ceases to amaze.” I think we’ve known Tegan Passalacqua even longer and found his remark very intriguing that the Howell Mountain AVA is the most unique AVA that he has worked with. But I think that Coral Brown really touched on how I feel about Zinfandel when she said that their goal is to make the wine shine and the food pairing is just like a backup singer to the wine.

During the seminar, Christopher Sawyer also shared with us that ZAP had just received a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to help to fund the launch of “Zinfandel Stories: Preserving California’s Legendary Vineyards.” This was especially good news to us, as we are staunch advocates of the importance of California’s historic vineyards, so many of which are Zinfandel-based.

After the seminar it was time for the reception, which included many more wineries organized to showcase Zinfandel from Napa Valley’s different growing regions, along with bites from the CIA kitchen. Here’s what was poured…

From Calistoga:

August Briggs Winery

2015 Ancient Vines

2015 Old Vines

Chateau Montelena Winery

2012 Estate

2014 Estate

T-Vine Winery

2014 Frediani Vineyard

From Chiles Valley:

Brown Napa Valley

2016 Estate

Green & Red Vineyard

2015 Chiles Mill Vineyard

2015 Chiles Canyon Vineyard

From Howell Mountain:

Howell Mountain Vineyards

2015 Old Vine

2015 Beatty Ranch Reserve

Lamborn Family Vineyards

2014 The Earthquake Vintage

2014 The Platinum Anniversary

Outpost Wines

2015 Estate

2016 Estate

Summit Lake Vineyards

2014 Summit Lake Vineyard

From Napa Valley:

Ballentine Vineyards

2016 Estate

2015 Reserve

Grgich Hills Estate

2013 Estate

2014 Miljenko’s Old Vines

Hendry

2015 Blocks 7 & 22

2015 Blend

2015 Mike and Molly

Saddleback Cellars

2016 Old Vine

The Lost Chapters (Scotto Cellars)

2013 The Lost Chapters

Turley Wine Cellars

2016 Dragon Vineyard

2016 Hayne Vineyard

2016 Mead Ranch

Sattui Winery

2015 Black Sears

2015 Vittoria’s Vineyard

2015 Quaglia Vineyard “Agent Vine”

From Oak Knoll:

Robert Biale Vineyards

2016 Aldo’s Vineyard

From Oakville:

Oakville Ranch Winery

2015 Field Blend

2014 Field Blend

From Rutherford:

Neal Family Vineyards

2016 Rutherford Dust Vineyard

Tres Sabores

2016 Estate

From St. Helena:

D-cubed Cellars

2014 Korte Ranch

The above list is from the program. (More wines were poured as well.) I listed them all here, not to boost my word count (well maybe a little) but to emphasize that there is really a lot going on in Napa Valley when it comes to Zinfandel. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of wines from Howell Mountain, like Outpost. At the same times there’s no denying the richness of the lower elevation wines like Brown and Green & Red. There’s a lot of diversity and a Zin for every taste, for sure.

I think it is especially important to support Napa’s Zinfandel production as these vineyards are in constant danger of being replaced with more profitable grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon. So please, go out and get some Napa Zin soon.

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.

AUSTIN HOPE NAMED THE 2018 PASO ROBLES WINE INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR

January 27, 2019 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Paso Robles, CA – On January 18 the Paso Robles wine community come together to recognize one of their own who has exemplified the spirit of Paso Robles Wine Country with outstanding leadership and vision in promoting the region. Austin Hope, President and Winemaker of Hope Family Wines will receive the 2018 Paso Robles Wine Industry Person of the Year award at the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance’s annual winter gathering.

Austin Hope (photo credit: Carpe Travel)

Austin Hope, President and Winemaker of Hope Family Wines, is a steadfast advocate for the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area. Austin has played an important role in introducing the wines of Paso Robles to a global audience while holding leadership positions within the industry leading to the region being recognized and respected as one of the great wine regions of the world.

“I am humbled to be recognized as the 2018 Wine Industry Person of the Year,” said Austin Hope, “I have had the great benefit to work with an amazing team at Hope Family Wines who share my philosophy in promoting the region with the same enthusiasm as promoting our own wine brands. This honor would not be possible without the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance team as well as the endless support from my wife and daughters.”

Austin has emerged as a visionary leader after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in fruit science, today he is a third-generation California farmer and first-generation winemaker. He built and leads Hope Family Wines which includes Austin Hope, Treana, Troublemaker, Liberty School, and Quest wine brands.

Working locally, nationally, and internationally on behalf of the Paso Robles wine industry, Austin has held several important positions, including past Chairman and current Secretary of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance where as a board member he worked with 58 vintners and growers to establish the region’s 11 AVAs. Austin currently sits as a board member of the CAB Collective, a group dedicated to promoting Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux wines of Paso Robles. Austin, and his wife Celeste, support Must! Charities by hosting an annual golf tournament as well as hosting an annual Dia de Los Muertos event benefiting children’s art programs for Studios on the Park.

Austin Hope was nominated and named the 2018 Paso Robles Wine Industry Person by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance membership which represents 450+ companies including wineries, vineyards, and associated businesses. Austin was recognized by industry colleagues at the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance’s Annual Gala on Friday, January 18 at the Park Ballroom.

The evening also featured the installation of the Alliance’s 2019 Board of Directors and the presentation of the new incoming Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (official announcement to follow in the coming week.)

Board of Directors Installation
The incoming Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Board of Directors and Executive Team are as follows:

•   Jason Yeager – Chairman
•   Jason Haas – Vice Chairman, Tablas Creek Vineyard
•   Austin Hope – Secretary, Treana And Hope Family Wines
•   Sarah Kramer – Treasurer, Umpqua Bank
•   Tyler Russell – Director, Cordant|Nelle
•   Molly Scott – Director, Justin Vineyards & Winery
•   Bob Tillman – Director, Alta Colina Vineyards & Winery
•   Faith Wells – Director, Hospice du Rhone
•   Malani Anderson – Director, Turley Wine Cellars

ABOUT PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY ALLIANCE
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance represents wineries, growers, and businesses in Paso Robles Wine Country. Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles Wine Country encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres and 250 wineries. For more information, visit www.pasowine.com. @PasoRoblesWine, @PasoWine, #pasowine

Perlis Picks: Historic Vineyard Society 2018 Year in Review and Upcoming 2019 Events

January 19, 2019 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

This week, we’ll take a break from our Sonoma trip series to share with you the recent information received from the Historic Vineyard Society.

Karen and I have been fans of this organization for some time. Spearheaded by Mike Dildine, the HVS team of Bob Biale (Biale Vineyards), David Gates (Ridge Vineyards), Mike Officer (Carlisle Winery), Tegan Passalacqua (Turley Wine Cellars and Sandlands), Morgan Twain-Peterson (Bedrock Wine Company), Larry Piggins (Photography), Emily Rasmussen (HVS Executive Director) along with special consultant Joel Peterson (Ravenswood Winery and Once & Future Wine) do the important work, with YOUR help, to preserve California’s historic vineyards.

Here’s their latest news:

It’s hard to believe, but another year has come and gone! We at the Historic Vineyard Society have had another eventful, productive year, and we’re incredibly grateful to all those who joined us for our various events and tastings over the last twelve months.

The Year in Review

In February, a panel of HVS growers and winemakers gathered for a two-part event at Cadet Beer & Wine Bar in Napa: first, a private tasting of several wines with a panel discussion on historic vineyards, then an open-to-the-public tasting where locals had the chance to taste a selection of wines from historic vineyards.

In April, HVS hosted a magnificent, never-before-seen gathering of wines from California’s oldest vineyards. The tasting took place at Press Club in San Francisco and featured 30 wineries and 70+ wines across dozens of historical sites, from Cienega Valley Riesling to Contra Costa Carignan, Calistoga Petite Sirah and numerous eclectic field blends. The event sold out at 250 guests and was a great success.

In June, HVS Board members once again participated in an educational tasting for students in the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program, working to spread the good news of historic vines to the next generation of the wine industry.

November marked another new event for HVS: a tasting at Sonoma’s Best Mercantile in the town of Sonoma. Keeping with the theme of the store’s name, this tasting featured wines from the oldest vineyards in Sonoma Valley: 100 attendees had the opportunity to taste wines from Monte Rosso, Old Hill Ranch, Pagani Ranch and Bedrock Vineyard.

What’s New for 2019

Upcoming HVS Events:

February 6th, 2019: HVS returns to Cadet Beer & Wine Bar in Napa, showcasing a selection of old-vine wines from the Russian River Valley to the Cienega Valley. More details on our website here.

June 8th, 2019: Save the Date for our 2019 Vineyard Tour & Dinner! After a year off, we’re excited to announce the return of this beloved HVS event. The 2019 Vineyard Tour and Dinner will take place high above Sonoma Valley at the beautiful Monte Rosso Vineyard on Saturday, June 8th. Tickets will go on sale in mid-January. We hope to see you there!

HVS on the Web: Be sure to follow HVS on social media to stay up to date on the latest HVS announcements and see behind-the-scenes photos from events and historic vineyards.

Facebook: Historic Vineyard Society

Instagram: @historicvineyardsociety

Twitter: @historicvineorg

Ways to Support HVS

Donate! Perhaps the most obvious answer, but we can’t overstate how much we value all your contributions. As a reminder, your tax-deductible donation directly supports historic vineyards through education, research and vineyard-related events. Help keep these precious vines in the ground!

Shop using AmazonSmile, where .5% of every eligible order will be donated to HVS. To get started, visit smile.amazon.com, then search for and select Historic Vineyard Society. Every penny counts!

Once again, we can’t thank you enough for all your support of HVS. We look forward to another great year to come.

Best wishes,

[Signed by]

Mike Officer

Bob Biale

Tegan Passalacqua

David Gates

Morgan Twain-Peterson

Mike Dildine

All donations will benefit the Historic Vineyard Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of California’s oldest living vineyards. For further information, contact the Historic Vineyard Society at (707) 494-1667 or info@historicvineyardsociety.org.

Perlis Picks: Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards and Winery

January 12, 2019 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

Let me make this perfectly clear: I have nothing against Cabernet Sauvignon. While our own personal wine journey has taken us primarily down the Zinfandel and Rhone paths, we definitely recognize Cabernet’s place in the pantheon of great wine grapes. Most of our wine trips tend to focus on our favorite varietals, but we have no aversion to expanding those choices. So when our friends gave us a certificate for a tasting at Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery we were happy to do just that.

Stone Edge Farm actually owns three vineyards – Stone Edge, Mount Pisgah and Silver Cloud, which are managed organically by the renowned Phil Coturri.

The Stone Edge Vineyard property at the base of Sonoma Mountain was acquired by Mac and Leslie McQuown in 1995. The property has the distinction of having been owned by Nicholas Carriger, who came to Sonoma from Missouri in 1847. When he planted here, he became the first American to grow wine grapes in Sonoma Valley.

Mac McQuown had his own distinction, not only as a very successful businessman and entrepreneur, but also in the wine industry, having been a founder of both Chalone and Carmenet wineries.

Winemaker Jeff Baker, who was also a partner at Carmenet, joined the McQuowns with his Mount Pisgah Vineyard in the Mayacamas Mountains. Eventually they formed Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery in 2004.

The Silver Cloud Vineyard is in the Moon Mountain District just north of the Mount Pisgah vineyard, up in the Mayacamas Mountains where Sonoma County borders Napa County. The tasting room is on the Silver Cloud property and it is aptly named, being at a high elevation seemingly close to the clouds. It’s a long, winding and narrow road; they recommend you hire a driver. Please don’t go all the way up there without making an appointment first.

Karen and I had plans to head into Napa (more on this in a future article) so we chose that morning to pay Stone Edge Farm a visit.

We parked and were met by Philippe Thibault, Stone Edge Farm’s Director of Hospitality, who gave us a tour of this amazing mountain property and led our tasting.

Stone Edge Farm makes three wines: a Sauvignon Blanc a Bordeaux blend called “Surround” and their flagship Cabernet Sauvignon.

We tasted the 2016 Sauvignon Blanc [actually an 80/20 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon], two vintages of the Surround blend [2009 and 2014] and the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon.

My impressions were that these wines are designed to showcase the fruit but to not overpower the palate. Sometimes wines are referred to as “food wines” because they just don’t stand on their own and need food to make them work. That was not the case here. The wines all drank beautifully on their own but the experience was definitely enhanced by the charcuterie that was provided.

The Cabernet Sauvignon in particular made a special impression. I am not one for complicated tasting notes, but I did comment specifically about the mouthfeel of this wine, the way it magically spread across my tongue and then dissipated. I actually said “…like a cloud” before I remembered we were at the Silver Cloud Vineyard.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the name is Stone Edge Farm. The entire operation is built around sustainability and includes 16 acres that are organically farmed just west of downtown Sonoma. There is a 30-seat private dining room called Edge where their culinary director pairs the Stone Edge Farm wines with seasonal dishes.

Just to wrap up – Thank you so much Philippe Thibault for being such an engaging host. This is definitely a winery to check out when you are looking for an elevated experience, both in location and in wine. But remember: Make an appointment!

Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery

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: 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.

Paso: Sculptures, Winemaking and Tasting at Sculpterra

December 21, 2018 by evebushman 2 Comments

Lucky for me winemaker Dusty Nabor, of Dusty Nabor Wines, is pals with Sculpterra winemaker Paul Frankel – in fact Nabor buys his Bentley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Frankel – and Nabor graciously offered to see about getting me an interview and a behind the scenes tour with Frankel.

My husband and Frankel in front of the many metal art pieces at Sculpterra.

When we drove up to the winery, its reputation as a sculpture garden preceding it, I made a point to tour the grounds a bit and photograph anything I hadn’t already seen before. It’s quite an impressive sight, and I believe unlike any other winery in Paso or anywhere else.

We met up with Frankel who filled us in on some of what we were seeing. There are metal sculptures, railings, a new several-feet-tall “photo album” mural just getting ready to be filled in, racks and poles for bicycles and horses – predominantly created by Bob Bentley. More about the art and artists can be read here: http://sculpterra.com/our-art/

Frankel grew up at Sculpterra, and lucky for his father, he was bitten by the wine bug when he attended Cal Poly. Frankel said you have to love farming and winemaking. His father, Dr. Warren Frankel, is currently in India working as a medical missionary with the “His Healing Hands” organization.

The vineyard was planted in 1993, beginning with 90 acres, then they purchased 160 more. There are now twelve varieties of wine grapes under vine, and pistachio acreage as well. There is also a vegetable garden and fruit trees.

Viognier does well here, according to Frankel, and is their best selling white wine. Primitivo is the most popular in their blends, and their Port is well liked too. Harvest began on September 11 this year and ended on November 1^st.

Their biggest issue: squirrels. Frankel believes there are thousands of them on the property. The have tried bombs, traps and even shooting. Now they have hired a person for the sole purpose of managing the squirrel population.

Interesting aspects on the winemaking: Frankel uses bed sheets instead of lids during fermentation. He believes the technique prevents volatility and too much alcohol in the resulting wine. They can do 10-20 tons a day for de-stemming. A lot the wines have a percentage of new oak influence. Frankel’s been at this since he was 21 and is now 26, “I enjoy the labor and (a winemaker) needs to be young. If you’re passionate (it all) works well.”

Tasting

Frankel left us at the door of the tasting room and we were aptly cared for by Iddy (Isabel) Shirley. Tasting notes were once again provided, some of which I added to. These are the wines I especially liked in the tasting:

NV Sparkling Wine

Chenin Blanc and Colombard

Notes of apple, peach and pear – quite refreshing!

2016 Viognier

I agreed: apple, peach, nectarine, white pepper. I could see why this was a favorite.

2015 Pinot Noir

Eddie liked this one a lot. Notes of tea, cherry, clove and mint.

2014 Mourvedre with 12% Petite Sirah

Smoke, jam, cedar and my top pick…so far.

2015 Figurine

43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Primitivo, 24% Merlot

Brambles, blackberry, smoke, clove and chocolate. I loved the lush fruit and long finish. This was a top pick for both of us.

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon “Bentley Ironworks”

The grapes are grown below Bentley’s workshop, near where the winery is located some distance from the tasting room. Liked the brambly quality. Another favorite of Ed’s.

2013 Petite Sirah

Besides blackberry I found it gamey and earthy, and it turned out to be my favorite wine in the tasting.

2016 Primitivo

Dark fruit, rich, lush and layered.

2015 Statuesque

38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Syrah and 24% Petite Sirah.

Loved this for its rich dark fruit.

Jagger Primitivo Port

Ed is not a port fan but he enjoyed all of the wonderful chocolate flavors in this one.

http://sculpterra.com/

To see the photo grids from all of our Paso winery visits from this trip click this.

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 (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. 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

Delicato Family Vineyards Appointed Exclusive US Importer Schmitt Söhne Family Wines

December 16, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

NAPA, Calif. /PRNewswire/ — Family-owned and managed Delicato Family Vineyards (“Delicato”) announced today that it has been named the exclusive U.S. importer for Schmitt Söhne, and will begin selling in the U.S. on January 1, 2019. Schmitt Söhne Family Wines is a leading exporter of German wines with sales in the U.S. of approximately 700,000 cases.

Schmitt Sohne Family Wines

The portfolio includes Schmitt Söhne Family Wines (#1 Selling German brand in US, #1 Imported Riesling), RELAX Wines (#2 Selling German brand in the U.S., #2 Imported Riesling), Fünf Wines, and Thomas Schmitt Private Collection. Delicato will also import luxury estate wines Bischöfliche Weinguter Trier, Schloss Vollrads, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium and Franz Keller, which are distributed but not owned by Schmitt Söhne Family Wines. Schmitt Söhne and their partners maintain ownership and production of the wine.

Schmitt Söhne was founded in 1919 as a small regional winery and will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. Headquartered in Longuich, Germany and run by the Schmitt family, the company is now led by fifth-generation family member Juliane Schmitt, managing director of Schmitt Söhne Weinkellerei and Chris Klau, president, Schmitt Söhne, Inc.

“This is another exciting opportunity for Delicato as part of our strategy to build a world-class import portfolio, following our appointment earlier this year as the exclusive U.S. importer for Santa Rita wines from Chile,” Delicato president and CEO Chris Indelicato commented. “Like Delicato, Schmitt Söhne has nearly a century of passion invested in the business and Chris Klau and Juliane Schmitt have done an incredible job of maintaining excellent quality while evolving the company into a global leader.”

“Schmitt Söhne selected Delicato to be their growth partner in the U.S. based on Delicato’s distribution, sales and marketing strengths and the cultural continuity of a family-run business,” added Schmitt. “We look forward to continued growth together.”

About Delicato Family Vineyards
Delicato Family Vineyards is a fourth generation family-owned company founded in 1924. One of the fastest growing top-ten wine companies, Delicato produces a unique portfolio of wines including Bota Box, Gnarly Head, 1924, Noble Vines, Black Stallion Estate Winery, Z. Alexander Brown, Diora, Mercer Family Vineyards, and Brazin, and is the U.S. importer for Santa Rita wines from Chile. Delicato’s fine wine portfolio also includes luxury agency wines such as Merryvale, Starmont Wineries, Toad Hollow Vineyards, and Wine by Joe. For more information, visit www.delicato.com.

VinePair, in Partnership with Wine.com, Releases Their Top 50 Wines of 2018

December 13, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

NEW YORK (Newswire.com) – VinePair – the largest alcohol media company in North America with a digital footprint of 24 million – releases their Top 50 Wines of 2018. This is the third year VinePair has released a “best of the year” list, but the first time they are partnering with Wine.com – the largest online wine shop – who will feature all 50 of VinePair’s top wines on their website, so readers can easily purchase them. The top 50 list focuses on wines that are drinkable, interesting, and, above all, offer great value for money.

“We love VinePair’s fresh take on the world of wine,” said Mike Osborn, Founder and EVP at Wine.com. “We are excited to partner with them to give their readers easy access to the wines they recommend.

“We are thrilled to partner with Wine.com,” said Adam Teeter, CEO, and Co-Founder of VinePair. “For the past three years, VinePair’s Top 50 list has been the most read year-end wine ranking list in America, and we felt it was important to partner with another leader in the wine world in 2018.”

To determine which wines make the cut, VinePair’s panel tastes thousands of wines that have been submitted by wineries from around the country. What separates VinePair’s list from other publications is that VinePair staff members can also nominate bottles they have had throughout the year, which the panel will then purchase, taste, and grade in addition to the wines that have been submitted.

Rankings were decided based on the following criteria: all bottles had to be readily available in the U.S. None of the wines that made the list in 2017 were considered, and VinePair places a limit on one bottle per winery. The panel tastes the wines considered among the top 10, multiple times.

Some themes readers can expect from 2018’s Top 50:

Restrained Napa Cabs are the future. VinePair’s number one wine of 2018 is Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 from Napa Valley.
The Finger Lakes is going to become known as this country’s premier Riesling region. Number two on the list is Herman J. Wiemer HJW Vineyard Riesling 2016 from the Finger Lakes
Vina Vik is making South America’s Best Wine. Their Vik Bordeaux Blend was VinePair’s favorite bottle from the southern hemisphere.
Don’t sleep on Greece. Fourth best wine is Xinomavro “Ramnista” Macedonia, Ktima Kir-Yianni 2013 Xinomavro Naoussa
Lots of Champagne. Champagne consistently delivers the best bang for your sparkling buck and it’s not just for posh celebrations.

About: VinePair was started four years ago by Adam Teeter and Josh Malin, two media veterans who were interested and passionate about wine, beer and cocktails but discouraged by an elitist culture. Since then, it’s turned into the largest alcohol media company in North America delivering accessible, entertaining, and inspiring content about drinks and the experiences you have with a glass in hand.