Eve's Wine 101

Tasting Vermentino from Maremma, Italy

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Today we have another one-bottle post. When I started doing one-bottle posts it was because my husband Eddie prompted me to. We both felt it was an injustice to hard working winemakers, winery workers and winery owners to give the typical three words – a fruit, and then a spice and a mineral – alone to describe a wine considering all of the work going into each and every bottle. So today it will be a few more words about:

The hidden gem of Maremma is a land warmed by the sun, and mitigated by the sea breezes. Vines have been growing here since the Etruscans and today, vineyards expand over 8,770 hectares. Unlike the rest of Tuscany, Sangiovese represents less than half of the total Maremma vineyards, leaving space to other native and international grape varieties, which is where the area truly shines.

Marchesi Frescobaldi Tenuta Ammiraglia ‘Masso Vivo’ Vermentino 2018 (SRP $24) greatly represents the high potential and quality of the area.

My Notes

Marchesi Frescobaldi Tenuta Ammiraglia ‘Masso Vivo’ Vermentino 2018 (SRP $24)

Color: Very pale yellow, with a darker rim.

Aroma: Lots of fleshy ripe peach, sliced honeydew melon, lemongrass and wet gravely sand. It was very appealing.

Flavor: Same fruit as in the aromas with the addition of fruit cocktail in its own juice. A mild acidity and minerality that delivered in a long, wet finish.  Due to the acidity I would love this with any pasta that is doused in a creamy or cheesy sauce, with the addition of shellfish or chicken. Also would be good with soft cheeses before dinner and maybe a Key Lime pie that matches the acidity afterwards as a palate cleanser/finisher.

Vermentino is an Italian white varietal I’d like to see more of in restaurants, especially Italian restaurants. The world does not survive on Pinot Grigio alone I say, try something different! So I earnestly hope that this little one-bottle post will get readers to order Vermentino, and if offered, one from Masso Vivo!

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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 Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

One Bottle Post: Rodney Strong Vineyards 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, And Winning Over a White Wine Drinking Pal

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The last time I wrote about Sonoma’s Rodney Strong Vineyards was when a winery representative came to Los Angeles and met with our #LAWineWriters group over lunch in Marina Del Rey. At that time we sampled their Rose of Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc that can easily be found in local stores, but then moved onto wines I hadn’t tried before from different Rodney Strong collections. You can read all about those here.

Today I’m sharing my latest review of their 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Below my tasting notes is the technical sheet that arrived with my sample:

My Notes

First let me say that I shared the wine, after I had made my notes without interruption, with a white-wine loving friend. She simply could not stop praising it. After we had finished it and I was cleaning up she made me retrieve the bottle from my recycling bin so she could take a photo of the label. Usually a guest that prefers white moves slowly to red, maybe with a lighter in body wine like a Pinot Noir, but this gal is now not a newly minted red wine lover. Nope, she is a newly minted Rodney Strong Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon lover. Now, onto my tasting notes.

Color: from a deep garnet to a light mahogany, for some reason the color reminded me of a perfect-colored lipstick I wish I was wearing.

Aroma: Dark red cherry and plum fruits, rich earth, cracked black peppercorn, sweet pipe tobacco and a finely crafted milk chocolate candy bar.

Flavor: Upon the first splash I noted both a velvety texture and a spiciness. From there I got ripe black fruit, peppered red jam, mushrooms, a mouth-coating viscosity and liveliness. Finished with firm tannins, which allowed for a very long finish.

Pairing: We enjoyed the wine with a Bolognese made by my husband Eddie. The mushrooms and meat in the sauce paired extremely well with the fruit, spice and tannins in the wine. There was not a drop of wine left. 95 Eve Points.

Technical Notes

Appellation: 79% Sonoma County, 21% Alexander Valley

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 14.5%

Cellar & Fermentation: 24 months in French oak barrels, 75% new

Winemaking Notes

The 2018 winter was much drier than usual but this vintage will be most remembered for its cool summer temperatures and lack of heat spikes. Daily highs in July and August peaked at 85F but as the weather cooled and mist hung in the air, our decision to pick was delayed by almost four weeks past the previous year. This longer hang time resulted in larger yields and more complex flavors as we waited for the sugars to accumulate, with harvest taking place October 9-24.

For our 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, select areas within each vineyard are hand harvested, fermented separately and aged in the finest French oak. Each lot is tasted and graded and only the best are considered. The blend is then assembled, and the wine is aged 24 months before bottling.

Rich, lush and structured, the 2018 vintage displays intense aromas of black currant, cassis and crushed violet. is wine is velvety with a smooth, lingering nish of herbal notes, vanilla and cocoa. Enjoy this wine now with a grilled porterhouse, rack of lamb, or a winter vegetable roast or lay a few bottles down in your cellar to enjoy in 4 to 6 years.

History

Our Reserve wines are the result of a careful blend of individual lots from meticulously farmed sections of some of the very best vineyards in Sonoma County. Created in our small lot Artisan Cellar, Winemaker Justin Seidenfeld employs techniques such as cluster pre-sorting and extended maceration. With small tanks and equipment sized for the most discriminating vineyard selection process, our cellar is state-of-the-art and represents the Klein family commitment to producing the finest wines possible.

About Rodney Strong Wine Estates

Rodney Strong Wine Estates (RSWE) is a family-owned wine company that includes Rodney Strong Vineyards, Davis Bynum Wines, Knotty Vines, Upshot Wines, and ROWEN Wine Company. Rodney Strong sustainably farms 11 estate vineyards and produces wines from Sonoma County’s finest appellations. The winery was founded in 1959 by Sonoma County pioneer Rod Strong as the 13th bonded winery in the county. For over 30 years, RSWE has flourished under the leadership of the Klein Family, 4th generation California farmers. The Klein family is committed to protecting and preserving the environment in both the vineyards and at the winery through sustainable and innovative practices. Rodney Strong Wine Estates is a family of passionate people committed to crafting premium wines, meaningful experiences, and sustainable leadership in Sonoma County. Learn more at RodneyStrong.com.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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 Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Perlises Pick: Thacher Winery dinner at Tam O’Shanter

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We recently wrote about a wine dinner at Tam O’Shanter restaurant featuring Carol Shelton Wines that we were unfortunately unable to attend. At the time, we had resolved to do our best to make it to the next wine dinner at The Tam, and that opportunity came sooner than expected when Tam O’Shanter paired up with Thacher Winery of Paso Robles.

Michelle and Sherman Thacher discovered the Kentucky Ranch in what is now the Adelaida AVA of Paso Robles in 2003 when they attended a wedding there. They ended up buying the property soon thereafter and Thacher Winery officially opened in 2008, in time for their fourth harvest. The focus is primarily on Rhone varietals and Zinfandel from a combination of estate and purchased fruit. We’ve tasted and enjoyed the Thacher wines at events but have not yet visited the winery.

It is always an eye-opening and palate-gratifying reminder what a talented executive chef such as The Tam’s JC Salazar can do when using his expertise to create dishes to pair with selected wines. An added bonus was having Tony Quealy, Thacher Winery’s General Manager, available to discuss the wines and the winery.

Here is the menu with our comments in italics:

Lemon Hamachi Crudo – fennel, cucumber, apple-pear, watermelon radish, aguachile, smoked salt paired with 2021 Own Rooted Chenin Blanc – Shell Creek Vineyard, Highlands District, Paso Robles AVA.

First of all, kudos for using Chenin Blanc, a much overlooked grape these days. Even more kudos for using grapes from a vineyard planted in 1972. With a lemon and apricot nose, it was crisp and clean with grapefruit notes. Moderate acidity and body and very well balanced with a medium to long finish. The wine was a perfect accompaniment to the refreshing and complex crudo and was perfectly timed to the hot-day segueing into a pleasantly cool evening.    

Lamb, Lavender & Plums – New Zealand Lamb Rack, Romanesco succotash, plum chutney, lavender honey paired with 2019 Constant Variable – Central Coast.

Is there a better pairing with lamb than Rhone varietals? We think not. In this case, the wine was a blend of 37% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre, 7% Cinsaut, 7% Counoise and 2% Viognier. Tony referred to this as Thacher’s flagship wine. The deep burgundy/maroon wine presented with dark, ripe stone fruit and a hint of white pepper on the nose. There were spicy notes from the Counoise along with a hint of baking spices. Extremely well balanced in body and acidity with added freshness from the Cinsaut. The mouthfeel was full and the finish was long. All the varietals were barreled separately except for the co-fermented Syrah and Viognier. The richness of the lamb with the chutney and honey proved to be both sweet and savory and this wine helped to bring out these aspects.

Certified Angus NY Strip – potato fondant, glazed Globe carrots, asparagus ribbons, shiitake demi paired with 2018 Original Copy – Adelaida District, Paso Robles AVA.

As lamb pairs with Rhone varietals, beef pairs with Bordeaux varietals. In this case, a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Petit Verdot and 14% Cabernet Franc combine to make a wine that is deep, dark, rich burgundy in color with aromas of ripe plum. Nicely structured and medium-bodied, with earthy and smoky nuances and a medium to long finish. The bold flavors of the perfectly cooked steak dipped in the demi went hand in hand with the Bordeaux blend.

Olive Oil Cake – macerated cherries, almond brittle, Fosselman’s vanilla ice cream paired with 2020 Working Holiday, Cass Vineyard Red, Paso Robles Geneseo District, Paso Robles AVA.

The dessert was not overly sweet and was delightful with this fruit forward wine from the renowned Cass vineyard on the east side of Paso Robles. A combination of 54% Syrah, 37% Grenache and 9% Mourvedre, this Rhone blend and lively, ripe raspberry on the nose and followed through with the same on the palate. A perfect way to end a perfect dinner, leaving you satisfied and looking forward to the next time.

In addition to greatly enjoying our dinner, we learned a few things about Thacher Winery from GM Tony Quealy. Production is about 5,000 cases, of which about 65% is Estate. Estate growth is being expanded, including plantings of Mencia, a red grape grown in Spain and Portugal, as well as a mixed white field blend. The logo for Thacher Winery is a grasshopper, based on the Thacher family crest going back to Sherman’s English heritage. And shortly after we attended the dinner, we learned that Brenna Hill had been promoted from Cellar Lead to Assistant Winemaker at Thacher.

We want to thank Tam O’Shanter management and staff for an excellent dinner, both in food and service. We have never felt better taken care of. We are looking forward to the next wine dinner to see what imaginative dishes Executive Chef JC will come up with, although we will definitely be revisiting Tam O’Shanter before then. And the Thacher Winery and Vineyard will be on our agenda the next time we are in Paso Robles, one of our absolute favorite stomping grounds.

Thacher Winery & Vineyard

www.thacherwinery.com

8355 Vineyard Dr, Paso Robles, CA 93446

The Tam O’Shanter Restaurant

www.lawrysonline.com/tam-o-shanter

2980 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Perlises Pick Zaca Mesa Winery

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Zaca Mesa Winery just celebrated its 50th anniversary. That’s quite an achievement in this relatively young wine region. The land was purchased in 1973 by John Cushman and five of his friends. It was only the third winery in Santa Barbary County and served as the training ground for many winemakers who then went on to become famous. Its first winemaker was Ken Brown, and some other notables are Adam Tolmach, Jim Clendenen, Bob Lindquist and Daniel Gehrs, to name just a few. It is no wonder that the winery is sometimes referred to as Zaca University or just Zaca U. Current Head Winemaker and GM Kristin Bryden and Associate Winemaker Andrew Keil are maintaining the Zaca Mesa tradition.

Rhone varietals are the primary focus at Zaca Mesa. In fact, the first Syrah grown in Santa Barbara County was planted in 1978 in the Black Bear Block of the Zaca Mesa Vineyard. Of course, the region is also well known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which is now produced under their TREAD label.

We had an opportunity to taste some of the wines one beautiful afternoon on the Zaca Mesa patio:

2018 Roussanne Estate – Santa Ynez Valley AVA from the Foxen Block. 100% Roussanne. White flowers on the nose. Ripe, creamy, peach notes with a luscious, rich finish. 

2019 TREAD Pinot Noir – Santa Barbara County – from Cottonwood Canyon, Spear, John Sebastiano, Bien Nacido and La Encantada vineyards. 100% Pinot Noir. Classic notes of cherry and raspberry. Solid on the middle palate and medium body with notes of mushroom and autumn leaves followed by a smooth finish.

2020 TREAD La Encantada Pinot Noir Black Label – Sta. Rita Hills AVA, La Encantada Vineyard. 100% Pinot Noir. Bright fruit, pomegranate and strawberry nose. Earthy notes of black tea and nutmeg. 

2021 TREAD Our Lady of Guadalupe Pinot Noir – Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard. Big plummy red fruit on nose. Wisps of cinnamon and clove notes with a medium mouthfeel and finish.

2017 Mourvedre Estate – Santa Ynez Valley AVA, from the Chapel and Mesa Blocks. 95% Mourvedre, 5% Syrah. Deep, dark burgundy color. Brambly berry with pepper notes. Medium finish, full body. 

2018 Toyon – Santa Ynez Valley AVA, Zaca Mesa, TTT, Vogelzang, Happy Canyon vineyards. An unusual blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre and Petit Verdot, the wine is named for a local shrub that grows around the Zaca Mesa vineyard. The Petit accounts for the deep color and the blend is softened by the Cabernet. Blueberry fruit notes with a full mouthfeel and medium finish. [Note that the actual Toyon shrub produces bright red berries – don’t eat these though; they’re poisonous!]   

2016 Estrella Syrah Estate Black Label – Santa Ynez Valley AVA, Mesa Block. 100% Syrah/Estrella Clone.  Deep color, almost black. Star anise nose with black fruit and black currant notes.  Layered, structured, and very yummy.

2017 Mesa Reserve Syrah Estate – Santa Ynez Valley AVA, Chapel and Mesa Blocks. 100% Syrah. Big jammy fruit with a touch of lavender and eucalyptus on the nose. Milk chocolate, white pepper notes and a whisper of tobacco leaf notes. Long, complex and balanced finish.

The Cushman family continues to own Zaca Mesa Vineyard after all these years. Sadly, shortly after our visit we learned that founder John Cushman had passed away. Belated condolences to his family, friends and everyone at Zaca Mesa Winery and beyond. The Santa Barbara County wine region would have been a lot different without his vision and we are all grateful for what he accomplished. Here is a nice video that Zaca Mesa posted: John Cushman on Founding Zaca Mesa – YouTube.

Zaca Mesa Winery

www.zacamesa.com

6905 Foxen Canyon Road, Los Olivos, CA 93441

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Perlises Pick Folded Hills Winery/Ranch/Farmstead

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When we first heard of Folded Hills, we were excited that we were going to try a new winery.

Folded Hills was definitely new to us, although Eve’s Wine 101’s own Eve Bushman wrote about a tasting of their wines that she attended in early 2020:

www.evewine101.com/2020/02/28/discovering-folded-hills-winery-plus-winemaker-angela-osborne/

The winery itself is also fairly new. The 15 acres of vineyards were planted in 2014 and the first vintage of Folded Hills wine released was the 2015 vintage – of purchased grapes at that time, of course; by the 2016 vintage some estate grown grapes were used. The wines now are almost 100% estate, which are organically and bio-dynamically grown. The original tasting room opened in Montecito and the Homestead onsite tasting room not too long after that.

And the winemaker is pretty new, to this winery at least. Original winemaker Angela Osborne has moved on to devote more time to her own A Tribute To Grace winery and Michael Brughelli has been with Folded Hills since 2020. Michael is well known for his own brand, Brughelli, as well as Scar of the Sea, which he previously co-owned, in addition to his own Vignerons Consulting.

But all this newness belies the rich heritage of the property. If you are heading north on Highway 101 from Santa Barbara up to Buellton, this is the first winery property you will see. The original Homestead was established in 1898 and there were wine grapes planted and a winery here pre-prohibition. The entire property is about 600 acres, near Nojoqui Falls Park and the famous Alisal Ranch.

The owners have a rich heritage as well. Andy and Kim Busch moved their family to Santa Barbara County in 2002, after falling in love with the area when Andy was captain of the U.S. Polo team in 1998. It took a while but they found this property in 2004. Andy was no stranger to large properties and hard work, having managed Grant’s Farm in St. Louis Missouri which the Busch family has owned for generations.

We had the great pleasure of touring the farm with Andy Busch. His pride was evident and justified as he showed us that the vineyard and winery operations were just a small part of this beautiful property. We saw farmed crops and orchards, the beautiful lake, polo grounds and the amazing family home. There were lots of animals too, including peacocks, pigs, chickens, goats, alpacas, llamas and a zebra. Of course, there were Clydesdales – in case you haven’t already figured out, Andy is part of that famous Busch family. We even caught a glimpse of George the camel! Andy also pointed out to us the view of the hills seemingly folding into each other, which gave the property its name.

At the end of all this, it was just about time to taste some wines, but not before one of the farmers stopped by and offered us a taste of some of the sweetest strawberries we’ve ever had. Then, onto the tasting room, or in our case the patio just outside the tasting room.

What we tasted:

2022 Lilly Rose of Grenache – Santa Ynez Valley AVA.  Fragrantly floral on the nose with stone fruit notes. Very bright and clean. Named after Andy’s great grandmother, Lilly Anheuser.

2021 August White – Santa Ynez Valley AVA.  86% Grenache Blanc, 14% Viognier.  Lemon, green fruit notes and good minerality.  Nice long finish. Named after Andy’s father and grandfather.

2021 Estate White – Santa Ynez Valley AVA.  50% Grenache Blanc, 37.5% Clairette Blanche and 12.5% Marsanne.   Light citrus notes and rich on palate due to the Marsanne with a lively finish.

2021 Grant Grenache – Santa Ynez Valley AVA.   100% Grenache.   Milk chocolate on the nose. A naturally lighter style but with a full mouth feel and a medium finish. Named after Grant’s Farm in Missouri and its original Farmsteader, Ulysses S. Grant

2020 Estate Grenache – Santa Ynez Valley AVA.   100% Grenache. The warmer year than the 2021 resulted in bright red fruit with some new oak imparting vanilla and cocoa notes. Fuller body than the 2021 also with a lingering finish.  Mostly from Golden Eagle block. 

2020 GSM – Santa Ynez Valley AVA.   A classic blend of 58% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre, Ripe, dark fruit and herbaceous on both nose and finish. 

2019 August Red Blend – Santa Ynez Valley AVA.  70% Grenache, 30% Syrah.  Cote de Rhone style blend with cherry and pomegranate on the nose.  Clove and spices notes.  Sharper tannins, lower acidity, very structured.    

2020 Estate Syrah – Santa Ynez Valley AVA.   100% Syrah. From the Nojoqui Vineyard, the southernmost block of Syrah. Deep, burgundy color. Plum, and boysenberry on nose, very fruit driven. Tobacco, leather and mocha notes followed by a lush finish, with a hint of sweetness belying its dry fermentation.

We really appreciate that Andy spent so much time to give us the complete flavor of the property. The wines themselves are delicious, elegant and among the best we have tasted in Santa Barbara County. You can taste and acquire these wines at the Montecito tasting room or the Homestead tasting room. If you can, we recommend you go to the winery to enjoy the entire experience. If you go, please say hello to George for us.

From Folded Hills: “To meet George, guests can book a private tour by emailing events@foldedhills.com. We also have a wine club and awesome private club member events…like our Polo Classic, where guests get to tailgate and picnic while watching a polo match on the Folded Hills Private Polo Field.” 

Folded Hills Winery / Ranch / Farmstead

www.foldedhills.com

Tasting Room at the Homestead: 2323 Old Coast Highway, Gaviota CA 93117

Tasting Room and Wine Shop in Montecito: 1294 Coast Village Road, Montecito CA 93108

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Perlises Pick Stolpman Vineyards

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With annual production of about 50,000 cases, Stolpman Vineyards might seem like a large winery compared to many of the others in Santa Barbara County, but the reality is that it is fairly small relative to the big corporate producers. Still, we were wondering why this winery that produces a wide variety of excellent wines including a great selection of Rhone varietals that are right in our wheelhouse, had not attracted our attention enough to pay them a visit until now. Of course, we had enjoyed their wines at various events and Eve had visited them some time ago, but for us not to have paid them a visit yet was definitely our loss.

The answer might lie in the history of the property.

Tom and Marilyn Stolpman acquired the land in 1990 in what is now the Ballard Canyon AVA. For years, most of the excellent grapes grown under the care of legendary vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano were sold to other wineries, while Tom continued with his law practice in Southern California. It wasn’t until Tom and Marilyn’s son Pete left his wine distributor employer to focus full time on the winery in 2009 did the business model change to keep most of the grapes for production. And demand took off, so production had to keep up. We had not spent much time in the area during this surge, so we missed the excitement. We’re glad to have rectified that.

Stolpman Vineyards is a true family operation. Tom and Marilyn are still involved. Pete’s wife Jessica, who he met at the aforementioned wine distributor, runs California’s wholesale market.  Ruben’s wife Maria is also involved in Stolpman Vineyards day-to-day operations.

The family treatment extends to Stolpman’s workers as well. Stolpman Vineyards not only employs its workers full-time and year-round, but these workers get to enjoy the profits of wines made with the La Cuadrilla label designations.

Of course, without the efforts of head winemaker Kyle Knapp and assistant winemaker Matt Nocas, none of this would matter.

A fairly new member of the Stolpman Vineyards “family” is Nicole McAllister. Nicole’s story might sound familiar to many who experienced difficulties during the pandemic. When the shutdowns hit in March 2020, Nicole had to leave her sommelier position at the acclaimed Jean-Georges restaurant in New York and ended up heading about as far west as possible to the Santa Ynez Valley. She brought her expertise to Stolpman where she has created a private tasting program in the vineyard.

On the day that we were scheduled to meet with Nicole at the vineyard, the threat of rain was hanging over us. Fortunately, the wine gods were smiling and we were able to keep our scheduled appointment with Nicole and her assistant, Rye.

Nicole tasted us through several wines…

2022 Love You Bunches Rose – Central Coast.  Blend of Grenache and Mourvedre.  Citrus notes. Effervescent with a kiss of sweetness on the finish.  From Stolpman’s “So Fresh” line of wines.

2020 L’avion Estate Blanc – Ballard Canyon AVA.  Roussanne aged in new French oak.  Peach and apricot notes.  Buttery brioche in color and on the palate, deliciously rich style.

2021 Estate Rouge Grenache – Ballard Canyon AVA. Cherry and floral notes on the nose.  Well rounded mouth feel.  

2021 La Cuadrilla Estate – Ballard Canyon AVA.  75% Syrah, 15% Grenache, 10% Sangiovese.  Ripe, raspberry notes.  Juicy, fruity, structured and balanced. Buy this wine. You’ll like it and so will the workers.

2021 Pliocene Estate Mourvedre – Ballard Canyon AVA. 100% Mourvedre.  Bedrock and limestone earth coming through. Cobbler, brambly fruit notes. Medium finish. Cool label too.

2020 Angeli Estate Syrah – Ballard Canyon AVA.   100% Syrah. Dark fruit, lush, supple, soft. Great example of what Syrah can be from this are. Angeli is named after Marilyn Stolpman’s side of the family.

If you check out the Stolpman Vineyards website, you’ll see that they make a lot of different wines. They do have a tasting room in Los Olivos, if you can’t make it out to the vineyard. But, if you get the chance to visit the property, you definitely should. We appreciate the time that Nicole spent with us and her expertise in picking some shining examples of Stolpman Vineyards wines for us to try, as well as showing us around the beautiful vineyard. Rye was a little lacking in the expertise department, but made up for it with her exuberance; she really is a very good girl.

Stolpman Vineyards

www.stolpmanvineyards.com

Tasting room: 2434 Alamo Pintado Ave, Los Olivos CA 93441

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Perlises Pick: The Tam O’Shanter Restaurant and Carol Shelton Wines

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The Tam O’Shanter in Los Feliz has been one of our select go-to restaurants for a long time, even more so after the pandemic closures. While we can’t say we’ve been going since they opened over 100 years ago, we’ve been dining there much of the last twenty. At this Scottish-themed restaurant, service is consistently outstanding and you can always count on their classic dishes. Being a part of the Lawry’s family of restaurants, you know their prime rib is going to be excellent. In addition, recent addition Executive Chef JC Salazar has been trying out some new dishes, such as paella and seafood pasta, that have proven to be delicious.

So we were very excited to get an email from The Tam O’Shanter not too long ago promoting a Zinfandel Extravaganza Wine Dinner highlighting the food of their new EC paired with the wines from Carol Shelton Wines, with the Queen of Zinfandel herself to be in attendance.

Carol Shelton got her Bachelor’s Degree in Enology from UC Davis and worked her first harvest in 1978. Since then, she has had a wonderful career, having worked with legends Andre Tchelistcheff and Peter Lehmann among others as well as spending 19 years as winemaker for Windsor Vineyards. It was at Windsor that Carol developed her love of Zinfandel and, in the year 2000, she and her husband Mitch founded Carol Shelton Wines based in Santa Rosa. Carol sources grapes from all over California and is well known for being an exceptional winemaker and has been honored accordingly, especially [but not just] for Zinfandel.

Check out this menu for the wine dinner:

Eggplant Confit Salad / 2019 Carol Shelton Monga Zin, Cucamonga Valley

Five Spice Seared Duck Breast / 2018 Carol Shelton Pizazz Zin, Lodi

Braised Short Rib / 2019 Carol Shelton Rockpile Reserve Zin, Sonoma County

Chocolate Cake / 2019 Carol Shelton Wild Thing Zin, Mendocino County

But, sadly, we were unable to attend the event. Fortunately for us though, we did have the opportunity to try a couple of the wines featured in it –

The 2018 Pizazz Zin (97% Zinfandel and 3% Petite Sirah) is from the Piazza Vineyard in Lodi. This 80 acre vineyard was planted in 1973. Ripe plum aromas give way to chocolate milk and raspberry on the palate. This very quaffable wine makes you want to come back for more [and maybe some more after that!].

The 2019 Rockpile Reserve (80% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah and 5% Carignan) is from the acclaimed Florence Vineyard in the Rockpile AVA. Not sure what more we can say about this area that we haven’t already said pretty much every time we have a Rockpile. It’s just a very special AVA. This wine was a deep crimson color with excellent clarity. Notes of raisins and cloves and a big berry finish came through on this very well balanced wine.

One might ask: Why write about an event that we didn’t attend? That’s a fair question. The answer is twofold.

One, we wanted to remind people to pay The Tam O’Shanter a visit if they haven’t in a while [or maybe ever]. There are very few truly historic restaurants in the Los Angeles area, and those that are remaining deserve your attention, especially if they are doing as good of a job as “The Tam” does.  The Tam O’Shanter offers wine dinners several times a year so you should get on their email list or check out their website to see when the next one is. But you don’t have to wait for a wine dinner to go.

Secondly, small producers such as Carol Shelton Wines often get lost in the wealth of wine offerings that we are all presented with. Carol has been making great wine for a long time and has rightly earned the Queen of Zinfandel title. We definitely think you should seek out her wines. The next time we are in Sonoma County, we hope to pay her a visit. Unless, of course, we happen to see her at a wine dinner!

The Tam O’Shanter

www.lawrysonline.com/tam-o-shanter/

2980 Los Feliz Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90039

Carol Shelton Wines

www.carolshelton.com

3354-B Coffey Lane

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Outstanding Results in 2022 for PROSECCO DOC Consortium

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – The Prosecco DOC Consortium announced an increase in total Prosecco DOC production volume in 2022 with more than a proportional increase in sales value.

Production volume rose by 1.8 percent over 2021 and sales value increased by 11.5 percent over 2021, reaching 638.


5 million bottles sold for an estimated total value of more than 3 billion euros.

For the first time, the export quota reached 81.2 percent, while the 2022 domestic consumption equaled 18.8 percent of total sales, confirming its position as the leading wine by consumption, nationally.

The 2022 harvest was a success in terms of quantity and quality, satisfying anticipated demand for 2023. These excellent results confirm the efficient planning and management of this world-renowned denomination.

In foreign markets, record-breaking growth occurred in the United States at 5.


8 percent over 2021, overtaking the United Kingdom in terms of exported volumes by value, for the first time.

While today Italy consumes 120 million bottles of Prosecco DOC, the US is the top market for the denomination, with more than 134 million bottles imported in 2022.

The US is trailed by the UK, where volume increased 3.5 percent over 2021, importing 130 million bottles. Germany followed the UK growing by 2.8 percent and importing 46,000,000 bottles. France maintained its fourth position in terms of Prosecco DOC exports, registering a 19 percent increase in volume and a 30 percent increase in value.

In 2023, the Consortium will focus on defining the goals of the denomination as part of the project “#roadto2030,” which will be introduced to the producers’ network in the coming weeks, and will then be presented to all stakeholders.

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About Prosecco DOC
Prosecco DOC wines come in Spumante (sparkling), Frizzante (semi-sparkling) and Tranquillo (still) varieties. The wines are made from mainly the Glera grape, native to North East Italy for thousands of years, and can be combined with a maximum of 15% of the following grapes: Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero. Prosecco Frizzante and Spumante varieties get their famous bubbles using the Secondary Fermentation production method, bottled under high pressure after fermentation in bulk tanks called autoclaves, as opposed to the traditional method, which bypasses the autoclaves and is used for other sparkling wine varieties.

The end result is a brilliant straw yellow wine with fine, persistent perlage and aromas of white flowers, apple and pear. It is fresh and elegant on the palate with moderate alcoholic strength.
From August 11, 2020, the competent bodies (Italian Ministry of Agriculture) have allowed the production of Prosecco DOC Rosé, made from at least 85% Glera and 10-15% Pinot Nero only in the Spumante (sparkling) version and with the drier styles (from Brut Nature to Extra Dry). Prosecco DOC Rosé undergoes a longer second fermentation in the autoclaves (60 days as opposed to 30 days for Prosecco DOC), has a pale pink color and a fine and persistent perlage, and features aromas of white flowers, notes of apple and citrus, and scents of strawberry and raspberry.

For more information regarding Prosecco DOC and Prosecco DOC Rosé, visit http://www.casaprosecco.com.

Tasting Wines from Colorado!

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It’s been some time since I’ve tried wines from Colorado, probably since I took my certified course as an American Wine Specialist® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA) a few years back. So when I was offered the opportunity to taste wines from the label The Ordinary Fellow, hailing from Southwest Colorado, I thought, yes! Time for some continuing education! I joined a zoom meeting with winemaker Ben Parsons and fellow wine journalists to learn about Parsons, the winery and the wines.

Winemaker Ben Parsons and The Ordinary Fellow

Parsons has a CV as long as my arm, my notes are lengthy and begin with his time selling wine in London – he is an Englishman – but he quickly outgrew his original intentions and wanted to make wine. He won a scholarship in the late 1990s and ended up attending the University of Adelaide in South Australia. After University he made wine in New Zealand and by 2001, Parsons explained,  he decided he’d like to make wine in the Northern Hemisphere. He saw an ad for a winemaker in Palisade, Colorado and was offered the job. By 2011 he began his journey in Palisade, Grand Junction, where The Ordinary Fellow winery is located.

Parsons said that Palisade is located four hours west of Denver. The vineyard is set at 6,200 feet in altitude at the base of the Ute Mountain, a river runs through it, the land has fertile soil and also has a unique climate – there are only 155 to 165 frost-free days per year.

The Ordinary Fellow winery, a name Parsons borrowed from an English pub he frequented with his father, is inside a former peach packing shed, the “Historic United Fruit Growers COOP” in Downtown Palisade. They are open for tastings, and Parsons does private barrel tastings for small groups.

A word or two about the beautiful labels: the outer sleeve contains all of the details required by law, as well as a silhouette of a face and a small black sticker in the back to temporarily hold it in place. Remove the sticker and the sleeve can then be removed. All that is left on the bottle is a full circular label completely covered in “pop culture references” that allow you to “peer through the mind of ordinary man.” Probably the most colorful and imaginative label you’ll ever see.

The Wines

2021 Chardonnay

100% Chardonnay, Box Bar Vineyard, two years in French oak, $34.99.

Very pale yellow color. Parsons said he had made the wine in a Chablis style. I was reminded of lemon-lime soda pop, dry Vermouth, rain and freshly washed pebbles all on the nose. The taste had that same lemon as well as grapefruit, salt air, minerality, with a medium acidity and long finish. My husband thought it was more Sauvignon Blanc-like on the palate.

2021 Riesling

100% Riesling, Box Bar Vineyard, stainless steel cool fermentation, $23.99.

Fresh and buttery, with kiwi, peach and lemon zest all in the aroma. Lots of freshly cut apple slices, medium acidity and bone dry on the palate. Parsons said this is “what Colorado Rieslings can be” and that’s a good thing as I thought the wine was de-lish! Enjoyed it with guests later that evening, over some French Brie and charcuterie, and they agreed with my assessment.

2021 Pinot Noir

100% Pinot Noir, Hawks’ Nest Vineyard, three years in French oak, $36.99.

I was surprised at the very light color of this Pinot Noir, almost like a Rose or Nouveaux Beaujolais. On the nose I felt there was a lot of red cherries, stems, earth and bark peeling from a tree. (My mother’s house had what she called a Chinese Paper Tree out front and we would peel back the bark often.) On the mouth I got notes of very light and delicate red fruit, seemed lower in alcohol than the 13.6% ABV noted in the tech sheet. Very much an easy drinker, and I chose to chill it a little bit before serving to guests later, that again, enjoyed the wine very much. Note: Parsons said he also does a Rose and Sparkling, both with his Pinot Noir. I’d very much like to try those and compare my notes.

2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Box Bar Vineyard, three years in French oak, $38.99.

What a delightful surprise to have a very well done Cab from a place we rarely, if ever, have had a Cab from. It was a very dark and opaque purple color, with aromas of dark blue fruit that reached me as soon as I opened the bottle. Also got whiffs of espresso, blueberry and spice. The taste was red fruit, spicy, some tannins and well balanced. The wine had a medium finish and I would describe it on a whole as a lighter styled Cab.

https://www.theordinaryfellow.com/

https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/areas/palisade

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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 Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.