Eve's Wine 101

ZD Wines Introduces New Guest Experiences and Renovated Hospitality Destination

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NAPA, Calif. (PRWEB) – Today the deLeuze family and ZD Wines unveiled the final stages of their renovated hospitality center, welcoming guests to a contemporary reception area, private tasting lounge, and custom kitchen. Sleek lines and refined natural elements come together in a modern aesthetic that puts ZD’s acclaimed wines at center stage.

The focal point of the new reception area is a large picture window showcasing the beautiful barrel room, allowing guests to peek into the working winery. Nearby, custom 13-foot tall sliding glass doors designed in Portugal enclose an inviting private lounge, complete with a fireplace and access to a patio garden. An extensive wine library showcases selections from their 50 years of winemaking before guests reach their new, modern kitchen.

Upstairs, tall glass doors blur the lines between indoors and out in the Vineyard View Tasting Room and Deck, where unobstructed vineyard views stretch from the east side of Rutherford all the way across the valley floor to the Mayacamas Mountains. A timeline told through historic bottlings and family photos provides an introduction to the winery’s rich history, which dates back to 1969.

“Decades ago, we offered tastings at a small bar tucked into the corner of our winery. Now, we can provide the opportunity to enjoy ZD Wines in a gracious, luxurious space that reflects our dedication to excellence,” said Brett deLeuze, President of ZD Wines. “We’re looking forward to the next 50 years of world-class wines.”

The winery has also introduced new hospitality experiences. Available now, the elevated offerings include:

  •     Vineyard View Tasting—This seated tasting in the well-appointed Vineyard View Room & Deck allows guests to enjoy a selection of current release award-winning wines while taking in the valley floor views of Rutherford. Hospitality professionals lead guests through ZD’s 50-year history, winemaking, and eco practices. Cost: $40 per person.
  •     The ZD Experience—During this unforgettable private cellar tour, guests explore ZD’s 50-year history, vineyards, and stewardship practices. After sampling wine maturing in barrel, guests are seated in the Vineyard View Room to a choice of current release Reserve wines or Library selections, along with artisanal cheese and charcuterie pairing. Cost: $125 per person.
  •     The Abacus Experience—The ultimate way to experience all that ZD has to offer, including its pinnacle wine, Abacus. This innovative solera-style wine is a blend of every vintage of ZD Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon dating back to 1992 (26 vintages). Guests will have a rare opportunity to taste the Abacus “solera” from barrel during their private cellar tour, along with other maturing wines. Afterwards, relax in the private lounge with a curated tasting of Reserve wines, including pours of a library and current Bottling of Abacus, paired with artisanal cheeses and charcuterie. Cost: $1000 for up to 6 guests.

Known for three core varietals, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, ZD Wines also crafts two small production whimsical wines, named “Rosa Lee’s Whim,” and a 50th Anniversary Sparkling Cuvée. ZD also recently released their 20th Bottling of Abacus, ZD’s solera-style Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

ZD Wines is open daily from 10am – 4pm at 8383 Silverado Trail in Rutherford. Reservations are required for all tours, and highly recommended for the Vineyard View Tasting. Appointments can be made by calling (800) 487-7757 or emailing experiences(at)zdwines.com.

About ZD Wines
ZD Wines is owned and operated by the deLeuze family, who is dedicated to producing world-class wines, farming organically and giving back to the community. Located in the Rutherford region of the Napa Valley, the winery and hospitality center offers sweeping valley views of premium Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and the Mayacamas mountain range to the west. The deLeuze family produces wines from their certified organic vineyards in the Rutherford and Carneros regions, as well as organic vineyards in Napa, Santa Barbara, Monterey and Sonoma. With innovative winemaking practices, they produce wines of quality, consistency, and style. ZD Wines is currently celebrating 50 years of winemaking and can be found online at ZDWines.com and @ZDWines on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Inglenook Celebrates 140th Anniversary with Major Cave Expansion

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RUTHERFORD, California – Francis Ford Coppola, proprietor of Inglenook, is pleased to announce that the historic winery will mark its 140th anniversary by significantly expanding its caves. The major expansion will accommodate the addition of 122 stainless steel fermenting tanks, each dedicated to one of Inglenook’s 122 vineyard parcels.

“Since it was founded in 1879 by Gustave Niebaum, Inglenook has been renowned for its creativity, quality, innovation and industry leadership,” said Coppola. “We continue that tradition and dedication with this significant cave expansion, led by our director of winemaking, Philippe Bascaules.” The cave expansion kicks off a year-long celebration of Inglenook’s 140th anniversary.

From Gustave Niebaum to John Daniel, Jr. to Francis Ford Coppola, Inglenook’s three principal stewards have shared a strong sense of vision and an unwavering passion to create a wine estate that hearkens back to the European tradition, producing original, distinctly Napa wines that rival the best in Europe. Working with Coppola, Bascaules’ vision is to ferment each of Inglenook’s 122 vineyard parcels separately, to enhance the wines’ complexity.

“Having more tanks preserves the identity of each parcel, which allows us to be more precise as we’re blending,” said Bascaules.
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“We can then better explore the capacity of each parcel, which will create more diversity and will lead to more complex, balanced blends.”

Inglenook has a rich history of leadership in the wine industry. Many of founder Gustave Niebaum’s innovations at Inglenook became industry standards: Inglenook instituted the first sterile bottling process in Napa; it was the first to separate field debris from grapes; Inglenook planted Napa’s first Merlot in 1882; and Inglenook built the first gravity-flow winery in 1888, which was considered one of the greatest winery structures in the Western Hemisphere at the time.

The new cave expansion is expected to be completed in time for the 2020 harvest.

About Inglenook
Founded in 1879 by Gustave Niebaum as Napa’s first estate winery, Inglenook boasts an illustrious heritage, a renowned legacy of innovation and an outstanding portfolio of award-winning wines that have defined and established Napa as a world-class wine region. From Gustave Niebaum to John Daniel, Jr. to Francis Ford Coppola, Inglenook’s three principal stewards have shared a strong sense of vision and an unwavering passion to create a wine estate that hearkens back to the European tradition, producing original, distinctly Napa wines that rival the best in Europe.  It remains the largest contiguous estate on the famed Rutherford Bench, Napa Valley’s finest area for producing spectacular Cabernet Sauvignon.

The iconic Inglenook chateau was first constructed in 1887, and faithfully restored in 1997.  Befitting the grandeur of the Inglenook estate, the chateau welcomes guests for seated tastings and special events. Experiences include tours of the Chateau, the Infinity caves, the vineyards, barrel tastings and culinary offerings under the direction of Winery Chef Alex Lovick who expertly pairs the wines with the seasonal, organic bounty of the expansive estate farm and orchards.

Silver Screen Bottling Company Launches Dutch “Predator” Bourbon Whiskey

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DALLAS (PRWEB) – Silver Screen Bottling Company and Fox Studios have partnered to launch Dutch Bourbon Whiskey to celebrate “Predator,” the iconic Hollywood blockbuster that was ranked one of the best action movies of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Dutch Bourbon Whiskey is a nod to the film’s main character, Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer, who leads an elite band of soldiers on a rescue mission in central America. On the mission they encounter an alien-like creature who destroys most of the team in gory fashion. In the movie’s closing scenes, Dutch defeats the creature and is rescued by helicopter.

Dutch Bourbon Whiskey is fit for a person on a mission with a bold taste for adventure. This whiskey will do more than cover you with mud, it will take you to a new level with its full-bodied flavor and hints of vanilla, coconut, and bergamont.

The label is designed to look like an elite special forces patch and features the targeting crosshairs of the alien creature, a military helicopter and the quote made famous in the movie, “Get to the Chopper!” Bottles sell for $34.99 each and are available for presale at http://www.dutchwhiskey.com.

Dutch Bourbon Whiskey is the latest release by Silver Screen Bottling Co.
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, which has launched award-winning spirit brands around other iconic franchises like Star Trek, Fear the Walking Dead and the Fallout videogame. Visit http://www.silverscreenbottling.com to learn more about Silver Screen Bottling Company’s extensive licensed sports and entertainment spirits line.

About Silver Screen Bottling Co:
Silver Screen Bottling Company is a partnership between The Whitener Company and Chronicle Collectibles forming a premiere licensing, bottling, and distribution company for the most prized properties in film, television, and gaming industries with plans to deliver expertly crafted and marketed spirits, collectibles, and merchandise.

New Champagne & Caviar Tastings at Antica Terra in Willamette Valley

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Antica Terra, one of Oregon’s most innovative wineries guided by the aesthetically oriented Maggie Harrison (formerly of Sine Qua Non and recently featured and dubbed “one to watch” by Food & Wine), has just announced an unprecedented addition to its already extraordinary tasting experiences.

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From Facebook.

Having always offered a comprehensive tasting experience featuring Antica Terra’s current releases as well as a rotating selection of inspirational bottlings from around the world, the Collective Tastings at Antica Terra now all begin with Royal White Sturgeon Osetra and Champagne followed by house-made hen liver and foie gras terrine, a selection of farmhouse cheeses curated by Steve Jones of Portland’s Cheese Bar, jams by Ayer’s Creek Farm and Alma chocolates.

All tastings at Antica Terra offer a superlative journey through the senses including a selection of rare and inspiring wines from all over the world thoughtfully compiled and sourced by Winemaker Maggie Harrison. A total of nine wines are poured at each. The Collective Tastings are approximately 90 minutes and $75 per guest. Reservations are required at least one hour in advance and can be made by calling (503) 244-1748 or via www.anticaterra.com. The winery is located at 979 SW Alder Street in Dundee.

All dietary restrictions, ranging from kosher to vegan, are gracefully honored and catered to on request. “Our entire purpose with in the new Antica Terra Hospitality Department is to make each and every guest feel seen and heard,” says Harrison. “It is about meeting people where they are. If that means providing bites that are congruent with dietary restrictions, then that is what we do. There is no formula or recipe. It is all about being present and willing, as we at Antica Terra all are.”

About Maggie Harrison and Antica Terra

Antica Terra co-owner and winemaker Maggie Harrison arrived in 2005 from Ventura County where she had spent the previous eight years making Syrah at the iconic Sine Qua Non winery. Maggie’s approach to winemaking is informed by the notion that beauty is conveyed in the accumulation of minute human actions. She sets aside reductive thinking that often associates the quality of a wine with simple quantities (such as pH, alcohol and SO2) and formulaic actions, believing the quality will instead be determined by her combined interaction with fruit and vine. In the Antica Terra winemaking process, clusters and individual berries are meticulously sorted by hand. The wines are fermented naturally, manually punched down and tread by foot, siphoned and bucketed into barrel, never settled or racked and aged on the lees before being bottled without fining or filtration.

Over 20 natural wines have been selected at third edition of Wine Without Walls

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(PRWEB) – Italy is in pole position for organic, natural and biodynamic wine-growing. The country also has the largest surface area of vines under certified organic management worldwide, ahead of both Spain in second place and France in third. In light of this important reality, Vinitaly International added the “Wine Without Walls” section to its annual wine selection 5StarWines. Held April 11th to the 13th 2018 in Verona, the third edition of 5StarWines welcomed over 2,700 wines from around the world and showcased 45 bottles in Wine Without Walls. Chaired by biodynamic wine expert Monty Waldin, Wine Without Walls gives recognition to the ever-present growing importance and relevance of natural wines. The section is solely dedicated to wines either without added sulphites or wines with total quantity of sulphites (naturally produced and added ones) not higher than 50mg/l. During the last edition, 24 Italian wines made it through the selection, once again proving Italy as prime location for organic wine growing. The selected organic wines will be published on the 5StarWines – the Book, which will be available from July 2018.

maxresdefaultDuring the first two editions of Wine Without Walls former Chairperson Alice Feiring devised criteria for judging to include the descriptors: ‘liveliness’, ‘evolution’, ‘balance’, ‘drinkability’, ‘savoriness’, ‘sense of place’, ‘emotional impact’, and ‘transparency’. Based off these editions, Monty Waldin decided to use and adapt six of the descriptors, changing ‘emotional impact’ with ‘individuality’ and ‘transparency’ with ‘clarity.’

Waldin chose ‘individuality’ to represent the individuality of a wine that can only come from vineyards and each individual vine transmitted from its particular piece of terroir: the exact type of soil and sub-soil it is on, the exact part of the slope, the exact amount of sun, rain, and wind that it gets. Individuality also stems from the human factor, i.e. how the vines were planted, picked, and pruned. These aspects, combined, affect how each berry will taste and how they are measured; whereas descriptors such as ‘emotional impact’ are less measurable and therefore more subjective.

Substituting ‘transparency’ with ‘clarity’, Waldin sees that clarity in wine not only comes from the winemaker, but also from the grapes themselves. A wine embodying clarity shows that the winemaker has a clear vision of how the wine will be made. Winemakers whose aim is to make wine as naturally as possible, must guide every step of the winemaking process with their mastery, skills and knowledge to include—date of harvest, choice of fermentation vessel, choice of bottling date—in such a way that the wine clearly expresses the terroir, grape and human touch. A wine with clarity will always be transparent, from the beginning to the end.

On the the experience, Monty Waldin commented “One of the delights of judging wines made by people working in tune with nature, rather than working against it, is that the wines show a brightness and levity which makes wine tasting a joy rather than a chore. We all felt refreshed at the end of the day’s judging as these natural, organic and Biodynamic wines tend to have lower levels of alcohol compared to conventional wines because the vines are in balance.”

Accompanying Monty Waldin in this year’s tasting, Wine Without Walls included 4 natural wine connoisseurs. Regine Lee, Christopher Barnes, Richard Kershaw MW and Gill Gordon Smith, all coming from various countries around the world, joined together at wine2digital. The panel agreed, at the end of the selection, that the wines far exceeded their expectations in terms of quality, complexity and, most importantly, value. Furthermore, the judges were pleased to see that the wines came from not only from small, artisan producers but also from medium to large scale producers. Despite their size, they showed that they are well organised and fully capable of bringing grapes into the winery at optimal ripeness and with diverting flavours.

Here’s the list of the Wine Without Walls selected wines:

ADRIANO GRASSO with BARBERA D’ASTI DOCG

CANTINA ALDENO S.C.A. with TRENTINO DOC GEWURZTRAMINER VINO BIOLOGICO

AZIENDA VINICOLA ATTILIO CONTINI S.P.A. with CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA DOC VINO BIOLOGICO

SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA TENUTA MARA SRL with RUBICONE IGP SANGIOVESE VINO BIOLOGICO

AZIENDA AGRICOLA LUSENTI DI LODOVICA LUSENTI with COLLI PIACENTINI DOC MALVASIA

BORTOLIN F.LLI SRL with VALDOBBIADENE PROSECCO DOCG SUPERIORE SPUMANTE BRUT

TENUTE DEL GARDA SRL with VINO SPUMANTE EXTRA BRUT

PIEVALTA SOC. AGR.R.L. with VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI DOC CLASSICO SUPERIORE VINO BIOLOGICO and CASTELLI DI JESI VERDICCHIO RISERVA DOCG CLASSICO VINO BIOLOGICO

OLIS SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA SRL (FATTORIA LA MALIOSA) with TOSCANA IGT BIANCO VINO BIOLOGICO

AZ. AGR. LE CARLINE DI PICCININ DANIELE with VENEZIA DOC PINOT GRIGIO VINO BIOLOGICO and LISON PRAMAGGIORE DOC REFOSCO DAL PEDUNCOLO ROSSO VINO BIOLOGICO

AZ. AGR. CARLO TABARRINI “CANTINA MARGÒ” with UMBRIA IGT BIANCO

CASCINA DEL COLLE DI D’ONOFRIO A. & C. S.S. with ABRUZZO DOC BIANCO VINO BIOLOGICO and ABRUZZO DOC ROSSO VINO BIOLOGICO

LA CAPPUCCINA SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA S.S. with SOAVE DOC VINO BIOLOGICO

POSSENTE SOCIETÀ COOPERATIVA AGRICOLA with SICILIA DOC GRILLO VINO BIOLOGICO and TERRE SICILIANE IGP CATARRATTO VINO BIOLOGICO

FOLICELLO SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA S.S. with PIGNOLETTO DOC FRIZZANTE VINO BIOLOGICO

MARCHISIO FAMILY ORGANIC ESTATE S.S.A. with ROERO DOCG ARNEIS VINO BIOLOGICO and LANGHE DOC NEBBIOLO VINO BIOLOGICO

AVIGNONESI SRL with ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO DOC VINO BIOLOGICO and TOSCANA IGT ROSSO VINO BIOLOGICO

ERNST TRIEBAUMER with BURGENLAND QUALITÄTSWEIN BLAUFRÄNKISCH

Vintage Eve Circa 4/2015: Sensational Soave Master Class for Wine 101ers

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Greetings! It has been said that there is often more than meets the eye. This is certainly the case of Soave, home to Italy’s leading white wine of place. Soave dates back to 1931 when, along with Chianti, it was among the first two regions to be geographically delineated in recognition of both its impressive popularity and importance to Italy’s wine market.

Fast forward some 80 years later and we find this dynamic region is again flexing its muscles, led by terroir-driven Cru bottlings and complex hillside efforts which, when complemented by the lush dessert Reciotos and small amounts of bubbly (yes, there is Soave Espumante), paint a much more complex picture than what meets the eye!

Soave is a key DOC in the Veneto and is the most heralded white wine region in Italy. In fact, Gambero Rosso reviewed over 100 Soaves for 2015 (as opposed to just six in 1991) and awarded five Soaves with the coveted “Tre Biccheri” designation.

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Evan Goldstein MS, not drinking Soave wines, photo from his public Facebook page.

Led by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein and Soave Consorzio Tutela’s Goivanni Ponchia, we did what Goldstein called a “kick start blind tasting” of ten wines to begin my education. Best to have them fresh and cool rather than sitting in front of us for a while, in what Goldstein called a “Sadie Hawkins” tasting, and then have the lecture afterwards. Ponchia agreed with Goldstein, that the wines should be tasted cold. We would taste 17 in all by the end of the lunch and the conclusion of our 3 1/2 hour tour of Soave.

General Tasting Notes of Blind Wines

As I would have zero chance whatsoever of making an educated determination of which wine was in which glass I looked for general aromas and flavors that I found in most. I was sitting at the big kids table of experienced wine buyers…slightly intimidated by some snobbish remarks towards others but I muddled through.

Color: All clear, with varying degrees from pale yellow to pale gold.

Aromas I found: Peach, pineapple, creamy unsalted butter, jasmine, brown butter, lemon zest, lemon furniture polish, browner/darker ones had some hay/oak aromas, and some were more pungent while others had a paler taste.

Flavors: Acidic, viscous, tropical fruit, pineapple spears, lemon, green apple, hint of cherry, pink grapefruit, medium acid, seemed low in alcohol overall.

Our last wine, #10, must be their version of a late harvest or made from grapes with Botrytis. Caramel, butter, cling peaches and candy apple on the nose followed by a full mouthfeel of honey and buttered popcorn.

Conclusion for Wine 101ers: I found that the aromas and flavors were very similar to a Sauvignon Blanc but with much less annoying acid and more fruit. Would be lovely cutting through a sharp cheese or creamy pasta sauce, and equally nice with a chilled seafood salad or fruit compote on pancakes.

Wines Revealed Were From: Latium, Stefanini (about $12 retail), Cantina di Soave (1 of every 2 bottles made in Soave and the greater area is from Cantina di Soave and the one we tasted retails for about $15 retail), Cantina de Gambellara, Sandro De Bruno, Cantina del Castello (used to use barrels now only stainless steel vats, volcanic soil, $17 retail), Vincentini Agostino (gets 40 tons per acre), Gini, Monte Tondo and Franchettto. Our sparkling was from Riondo, retailing at $9.

Goldstein and Ponchia Lecture

Soave is near to Verona if you are visiting Italy.

Ponchia said there are two main DOCG municipalities, Soave Superiore DOCG and Recioto Di Soave DOCG. About 82% of Soave is exported; in 2002 more was added to DOC production (see map). Delineations are not yet noted on labels as not to confuse consumer.

Goldstein explained a little history of the wine. There is an iconic castle in the center of the town of Soave proper. Soave was the leading white wine while Chianti was the leading red. The Cru system was revisited in 1971 on the labels. Also in the 70’s names, like Soave, took off and became wildly popular. “Now is the time to re-impress people,” Goldstein said. Four percent of DOC wines from Italy are under the Soave appellation.

There is rare barrel use and the wineries are pushing a sense of place and terroir. Goldstein recommended that we all read the thick text, “Native Wine Grapes”, as it’s the best comprehensive lesson on Italian wines.

The grape, Garganega, “is a chameleon” in that it’s an old and prolific grape. Some chardonnay was planted but it’s not on the rise in Soave. Vines are not pulled out and replanted at a 30 year prime; instead they can go 35 to 40 years, some over 100 years, before the winery chooses to replant. A Soave mush have 70% Garganega, and only up to 5% of any other grape varietal may be added.

The soils in Soave range. They can be dark volcanic on northern and eastern parts, and produce richer wine that requires more time for ageing; while the southern and western side is calcareous, producing a more linear and floral taste, and ripening earlier.

Pair with: Pesto based foods, citrusy/sharp ingredients, light meats, light sauces, desserts with marmalade, dried fruit, toffee or nuts.

A Remarkable Lunch (See photos)

The first course, calamari and shrimp, was served with a 2014 Dal Cero (sweet pear flavors) and the 2014 Fattori (tangy grapefruit).

Our second course, Risotto with sausage and Parmesan cheese, was paired with a 2013 Casarotto (acidic lemon-lime) and 2013 Suavia (peach and pineapple).

The third course, Veal Scaloppini, Prosciutto and Sage, was alongside a 2013 Marcato (honey and cantaloupe) and 2013 Cantina di Monteforte (pear and sweetened green tea).

Soave USA Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoaveUSA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoaveUSA

Website: http://www.ilsoave.com/en/

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

2018 WINESONG ANNOUNCES DAN DUCKHORN AS HONORED VINTNER & TOM RODRIGUES AS ARTIST OF THE YEAR

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FORT BRAGG, CA –  The 34th Annual Winesong — a spectacular weekend of award winning wine, fabulous food, fine art & music, and charitable giving produced by Mendocino Coast Hospital Foundation – will take place on the Mendocino Coast on Friday, September 7 and Saturday, September 8, 2018. Winesong has just announced key honorees at this year’s event: Wine pioneer Dan Duckhorn, Founder and Board Member of Duckhorn Wine Company, has been named the 2018 Honored Vintner, and local artist, winemaker, and baseball enthusiast Tom Rodrigues has been named the 2018 Artist of the Year.

1911175_698254950197521_1231258920_oWinesong is thrilled and honored to feature two staunch supporters of its annual event. Dan Duckhorn has been supporting Winesong for over two decades in both the Grand Tasting and Live & Silent Auctions with his brands Duckhorn, Goldeneye, Migration, Paraduxx and Decoy. Tom Rodrigues has also supported Winesong for decades with his art and his wines, and this year as he celebrates 50 years as a glass artist, he was the clear choice as Artist of the Year. Both Dan and Tom have generously given of their time and talent over the years, and each has a storied career.

About Dan Duckhorn

Accomplished doesn’t begin to cover Dan Duckhorn and his illustrious career. Over the course of four decades, Dan Duckhorn has been a leader in the Napa Valley wine community. A native of northern California, Dan earned his master’s degree in business administration in 1962 from the University of California at Berkeley. Through the course of his early career, Dan held managerial positions at major companies before becoming president of Vineyard Consulting Corporation (VCC) in 1971, in what would provide a turning point in his life.  After learning much about terroir and grape growing, and taking a life altering trip to France, Dan and his then wife Margaret, along with a small group of friends co-founded Duckhorn Vineyards in 1976. Dan chose Napa Valley as the ideal area for producing quality wines with depth and character. He made the pioneering decision to focus his passion and resources on the production of a world-class Napa Valley Merlot – a premium stand-alone Napa Valley Merlot.

The first Duckhorn Vineyards harvest in 1978 consisted of 1,600 cases in two bottlings. Proving Dan’s belief that great wines begin in the vineyard, 1978 turned out to be an excellent first vintage partly due to a wonderful growing season. Under Dan’s leadership the winery spent over 35 years proving that Duckhorn’s commitment to quality and excellence is real. In 1988, Dan began leading Duckhorn through a period of careful growth and worked to create an estate program bearing a continuous supply of the finest fruit. Dan also diversified Duckhorn Vineyards’ parent company, Duckhorn Wine Company, to include Paraduxx, Goldeneye, Migration and an expanded Decoy line.

Dubbed “Mr. Merlot” by Frank Prial of The New York Times, Dan is a highly respected leader in the wine industry. As to his involvement in Winesong, Dan says, “Winesong is one of the most elegant wine events of the year. It’s the marriage of some of the California’s best wines with one of the state’s most beautiful locations in support of a very worthy cause.”

About Tom Rodrigues

Tom Rodrigues is a passionate guy with a wide range of interests. While most people know Tom as the vintner at Maple Creek/ARTEVINO, Tom’s first love was art, and this year marks his 50th year as a glass artist. He began at age fourteen as an apprentice at a stained-glass studio in his hometown of Los Gatos, California. Before graduating high school, he started his first business, Sunrise Stained Glass Studio, creating a full spectrum of commissioned glass pieces from Art Nouveau lampshades to full installations in churches and residential panels. He relocated to Marin County, opening his own studio. In 1980, he was recruited as the designer and production manager for the stained-glass studio for Skywalker Ranch, Lucas’s film complex. Perhaps his most famous painting series shows another love for America’s greatest pastime —baseball. A trunk full of baseball memorabilia from Hall of Famer Smokey Joe Wood’s son inspired a series of 30 paintings of the game’s best players. This collection was first exhibited in a first-of-its-kind performance and conceptual art show on the field of Candlestick Park in 1993, “Legends at the Stick”. This series was also featured in Sports Illustrated.

With his roots in Art Nouveau stained glass designs, designing commercial art and wine label design for wineries in the Napa Valley became the next evolution of his passion. Tom’s signature style and utilizing gold inlay in the printing process became the iconic look for the Far Niente family of wineries, including Dolce, Nickel and Nickel, EnRoute, and Bella Union. “Being named Artist of the Year was such an honor and an amazing way to celebrate 50 years of being in the business. I decided to make my commission piece – titled “The Wave” – for Winesong in stained glass, because for me that’s where it all started.”

Here’s a quick overview of highlights you can expect during Winesong Weekend –

A Pinot Noir Celebration: Meet the Winemakers

Friday, September 7, 2018 | 1 to 4 p.m.

Presented by Winesong and hosted by Little River Inn, this memorable event features Pinot Noir from renowned Anderson Valley, as well as from other wineries in Mendocino County and award-winning pinot regions.  Little River Inn pairs delectable hors d’oeuvres on passed trays during this fun pinot tasting.

Wine & Food Grand Tasting in the Gardens

Saturday, September 8, 2018 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wander through the lovely Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens while enjoying samplings from world-class wineries from Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and beyond as well as beer, spirits, and ciders; plus food bites from nearly 50 local and regional artisanal food purveyors. The tasting is accented by numerous musical groups performing a variety of styles including jazz, classical, blues, calypso and folk rock.

Silent & Live Auctions

Saturday, September 8, 2018 | SILENT: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; LIVE: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The cornerstone of Winesong weekend is the Charity Auction, featuring both a silent and live auction.  Nearly 200 lots will be on offer, featuring spectacular wines from the world’s most prestigious wine producers, rare vintages, large format bottles and special vertical and horizontal collections (including a Pahlmeyer vertical), as well as original art from acclaimed California artists and highly coveted international and domestic vacation packages, including another spectacular 10-day trip to South Africa.

Deemed America’s Best Charity Wine Event by Enobytes.com, Winesong is a must-attend event for lifestyle lovers, wine enthusiasts, and wine collectors of all levels.  It’s a feel-good weekend of fun and philanthropy, and it’s on the breathtaking Mendocino Coast!

Please visit www.winesong.org for details and tickets.

Perlis Picks: From Abe Schoener — Wine Study in the Loire: Lessons in the Foundation of Winemaking – Part Two

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A Continuation of Abe Schoener’s [The Scholium Project]…

A NEW LESSON IN THE MORAL NATURE OF WINEMAKING: LES JARDINS DES ESMÉRALDINS

Questions of Technique: the Beginning of Thinking

abe schoener you tubeThe first bottle is a white wine from 2004. He makes only two wines, one red, one white. The white, 100% Chenin. Six years in barrel before bottling, then, in the case of this wine, four more years before release. Robert asks about skin contact (Xavier speaks no English, I translate as best as I can). No skin contact. We discuss the press regime and fermentation for 30 minutes.
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In great detail. He uses an old champagne press with a capacity of about 500 liters– very small, and exactly the same capacity as our presses at Tenbrink. A typical day during the white harvest has the following rhythm: wake up, harvest as much fruit as the press will hold, bring it back to the winery (“where do you do the work?” I ask, pointing to the overgrown yard and the complete absence of what we would call a crush pad. “Where you can,” he says with a smile). Load the press. Begin pressing. Go past midnight. Adjust the pressure. Assess. If all seems good, go home. Sleep, wake, return to the winery, release the pressure, break up the grapes (“Whole cluster?” “Yes. We do not crush or destem anything”), re-apply pressure, go harvest fruit, return, unload the press, begin the cycle again. They work with about 3 vineyards typically but make 3-4 passes in each vineyard. There could be a dozen days of pressing; sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. They break up the cake of compressed grapes only once and gently. He wants as little friction and trituration as possible. There is no breaking up of the fruit on the way into the press or in the press as we do (“makes the fermentation too fast,” he explains. “Oh yes, how fast? What counts as a rapid fermentation for you?” “Three weeks.” Ah, that is rapid. What is the optimal time for you?” “A few months . . . . A year.” “Ah yes, we call those ‘French Fermentations.'” He smiles.)

They do not protect the juice at any stage from oxygen; they do not settle. They do not make press fractions. In general, they consolidate fermentations; there is no multiplication of differences. At the beginning of his winemaking, he used a little SO2. Now, no sulfur is used at any point.

Xavier has the aim of extracting what he calls “matière” from the grapes. He means something like a complex of tannins, phenolics, and aromatic compounds. More on this below. But he does not want sensible tannins, or roughness, or what he calls “rusticité.”

The wine ferments and ages in neutral oak vessels of various sizes. Originally all 220 liter, now many 400 liter. There is no stirring ever, no racking until bottling, topping only every few months if at all. I get the impression that he tops from other lots of younger wines, but I am not sure. Nothing is ever inoculated; the winery in which he has made most of his wine was originally created in the 11th century. As far as he knows, commercial yeasts have never been used in it; nonetheless he has no illusions about the source of his microbiology.
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He does everything he can to cultivate the microbiology of his vineyard, and to translate as much of it as possible to the winery– but, if I understand him correctly, he thinks that this comes in in the composition of the grapes, not as microbial passengers on the skin of the grapes. There is no hot water or soap or other disinfectants in the winery. Originally, he burnt sulfur mined from the earth in the barrels but he does this no longer.

This discussion, as I said, took about 30 minutes and was easy and casual. It was much more a discussion than an interview. Xavier listened carefully to my account of how we work at Scholium and I took pains to draw precise distinctions between his methods and ours. None of this meant anything to him. He clearly has his own paths (“The wine must reflect the ‘mentalité’ — the thinking– of the winemaker”; but more on this too) and, as far I could tell, was only interested to hear how we worked because he likes other human beings, not because he cares how anyone else makes wine. When I quoted him above on the “thinking of the winemaker,” he clearly did not mean something like it was his job to impose his thinking on the grapes– rather, there is no way for the thinking– the whole thinking, metaphysical, physical, religious, sentimental– no way for this NOT to affect the wine– so better to be clear and conscious about it.

To be continued…

Vintage Eve Circa 1/14: High Desert Cellars Tasting with Chavez Cellars

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After I tasted wines from the California High Desert AVA with Wine of the Month Club’s president Paul Kalemkiarian via YouTube, I got an email a few weeks later from another winery in the high desert, High Desert Cellars Chavez Vineyards. They wanted me to taste their award winning wines (see “From the Winery” below) and write up some tasting notes for you, our Dear Wine Friends.

287643_206126379442118_82428_oNot one to turn down a bottle, err, I mean an opportunity to try a new bottle of wine, I readily agreed to the tasting. (If you want to try them they have a tasting room open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.: 3045 90th Street West, Rosamond, CA, 93560, 661-256-6203.)

Tasting

2010 Tempranillo, 13.9% alcohol

Stewed mushroom, green bell peppers cooking in fajita seasonings, black pepper, leather, blackberry; lovely dark peppery fruit, juicy blackberry, black pepper again, good tannins. Pair with grilled steak or any meat-based dish in my humble opinion. Drink now.

2010 Zinfandel, 13.9% alcohol

Floral rose petals, plum, dark chocolate, leaves, wet earth and leather; red fruit, tannic, black pepper, smoke, bark. I could steadily sip this wine alone – and I did – or enjoy with food. Drink now or up to 5 years of down time.

I liked the alcohol content and didn’t get any of the heat accompanied with high alcohol percentages. With that said, for a Zinfandel, it was fairly easy drinking with only a mild amount of pepper and spice.

2010 California Syrah, 15.6% alcohol

The color of seedless blackberry jam; dark fruit, plum, plump raisins, tobacco, milk chocolate, leather, mint; dried black fruits, juicy yet palate-drying on the finish, smoke, and firm tannins. Very pleasant, may be strong without food for some but not for me. Drink now or up to 5 to 7 years of down time. (Note from my Contributing Editor Michael Perlis: High Desert Cellars’ Syrah is from the same vineyard that was used for Golden Star’s.)

From the Winery

Three of our wines have won medals from the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition! Our 2010 Syrah won GOLD. Our 2010 Merlot won SILVER. And our Zinfandel won BRONZE. We are thrilled to receive this honor!

The 2014 SFCWC had a record number of 5,825 entries from over 1,500 wineries from 25 states in America – the largest competition of wines in America. The Public Tasting Event will be held at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on Saturday, February 15, beginning at 1:30PM, and we are making plans to attend and pour our wonderful wines.

Efren Chavez is the proud owner of High Desert Cellars – Chavez Vineyards and he has been in the grape growing business since 1978, starting in Sonoma County in the Russian River Appellation, Alexander Valley. In 1999 Efren started Chavez Vineyards on 20 acres located in east Palmdale, in the Antelope Valley of the California High Desert. Producing wine from grapes of uncompromised quality, including red varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Merlot, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Malbec, Barbera, Alicante Bouchet, and white varietals of Chardonnay, Semillon, Viognier, Muscato, as well as rose wines of Merlot and Syrah. The first bottles of wine under the Chavez Cellars label were bottled in 2009.

Efren’s ambition of opening a tasting room for his wines became reality in June 2011 – High Desert Cellars Winery and Tasting Room held its grand opening. The beautiful tasting room offers fines wines for tasting, as well as beer, soda, water, snacks and unique gifts. Our wines can also be enjoyed in the outdoor garden area, along with a picnic lunch if desired.

Perlis Picks: Limerick Lane

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Limerick Lane, while it has been around for a long time, really burst onto the scene when Jake Bilbro acquired the property in 2011 from the Collins Family. The story of the timing of the escrow closing coinciding with bringing in harvest and then the destemmer breaking down is legendary enough that the annual Limerick Lane Hail Mary Syrah is named after it.

Jake Bilbro of Limerick Lane Cellars.

Jake Bilbro of Limerick Lane Cellars.

Bursting on the scene is what happened though, with immediate recognition from major wine publications that continue to happen, maybe even at an accelerated rate. Not unexpectedly though, as making great wine seems to run in Jake’s family. Starting with Marietta Cellars, which Jake’s dad Chris named after his great aunt, Jake and his brother Scot have long worked with their father to make delicious affordable wines that everyone can enjoy, growing the winery to 100,000 cases.

[Jake’s other brother Sam, who also worked with father Chris, owns Idlewild Wines, devoted to Italian varietals – I am looking forward to visiting during my next trip to the area. Yet another brother, Lucas, did not get bitten by the wine bug and pursues his own passion as a ballet dancer.]

When Karen and I last visited with Jake, there were not many wines to taste. Success will do that, especially when you are a small winery of only about 4,000 cases. I asked Jake if he planned to expand production given the demand for the Limerick Lane wines, especially with his involvement in last year’s Historic Vineyard Society event and his obvious connection to the great vineyards the organization works to protect. Jake respond that he greatly respects the work that people like Mike Officer of Carlisle and Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock are doing with regard to preserving and sourcing from California great old vineyards. However, notwithstanding the fact that these guys all sell a certain amount of grapes to each other, showcasing the special nature of the Limerick Lane vineyard and the wines it produces is his driving passion and that will be the focus of his time, at least for the foreseeable future.

The vineyards actually consists of fourteen blocks, the oldest dating back to 1910. The Zinfandel blocks are true field blends that also include Alicante Bouschet, Peloursin, Negrette, Mourvedre, Carignane, Syrah and Petite Sirah.

The Russian River Valley sprawls over a large area, and Limerick Lane is at the Northeast corner of it, with hills providing southern and western exposure. The soil is clay and rock, with the clay holding water and the rock providing space for the vines to dig deep. Cool nights and foggy mornings keep the acidity high and the wines vibrant while the warm afternoons allow the development of intense flavors.

Initially planted by the Del Fava family, the property was later purchased by the Collins Brothers in the 1970s. When Mike Collins was ready to sell, he wanted the property to be in good hands, which is why he approached Jake Bilbro. Escrow closed just the day before harvest in 2011. And, to complicate matters, as harvest was wrapping up a few weeks later, the winery’s destemmer broke, with 7 tons of Syrah still to crush. With rain on the way, Jake threw a “Hail Mary” and dumped the grapes, stems attached, into two open top fermenters and hoped for the best.

Personally, I love the complexity that stem inclusion can bring, especially to Syrah. And the Hail Mary bottlings from Limerick Lane live up to this trait. From that year on, Jake has made a Syrah labeled Hail Mary to pay homage to that first vintage. We got to taste the 2014 during our visit and it was great as always.

We also got to taste a few other wines during our visit…

2014 Russian River Zinfandel – from the original vines planted over a hundred years ago. Not your ordinary Zin, the field blend aspect makes this is a complex delicious wine.

2014 Syrah Grenache – it was the 2011 version of this that I raved about along with the RR Zin when I attended Sonoma In The City back a couple of years ago. This continued that tradition.

1910 Block Zin [2014] – You’ll rarely see specific tasting notes from me, but in this case it was just too obvious; it was just like fresh blueberries! Wonderful wine!

2014 Rocky Knoll Zinfandel – another field blend, with Mourvedre and Petite Sirah that give this wine wonderful structure.

These wines get very high scores from the wine publications. Production is small and the wines are very hard to find outside of the tasting room or the mailing list.

I asked Jake what he would like people to know about Limerick Lane. This would have been a perfect opportunity to talk about their great wines and brag about all their great scores and accolades. Instead, he said “Tell them that we’re really nice people. We’re small so we can’t have a lot of people stop by all at once so visitors have to make appointments. But we really do want to see them.”

Go see them. There should be new releases to taste, but don’t wait too long.

Limerick Lane

1023 Limerick Lane
Healdsburg, CA 95448

See photos of our visit to Limerick Lane and others from our trip here: Sonoma County Series.

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.